Overview
Career outlook
Employers hire licensed practical nurses to provide basic patient care such as monitoring vital signs, administering medications, and assisting with daily needs under the supervision of registered nurses and physicians.
Getting in
What Arkansas State University-Beebe asks for, taken from its own admissions page.
Nursing entrance exam required of every applicant, taken within one year of expected start (2 attempts per cycle, highest counts; scores are the major factor, GPA also considered). No prerequisite courses; 2.0 GPA required to award the certificate; letter of good standing if previously in another nursing program. Full-time 11 month program at Searcy starts January and June; part-time 18 month program at Heber Springs starts January, June or August on a rotating basis; application stays open until the class fills with a priority consideration date (Spring 2027 application currently open).
Checked Oct 2026 on the school's site. Requirements change each cycle, so confirm before you apply.
Paths
Routes into LPN. The first step is where you enroll today.
Medication Aide to LPN
Your medication administration experience counts. Bridge from certified medication aide into practical nursing and full LPN licensure.
CNA to LPN
Step up from nursing assistant to licensed practical nurse. The fastest license upgrade in nursing, and the standard bridge toward RN.
People
Acceptees whose paths lead to this program, and how they got in.
Find your next step.
Getting in starts with a path. Pick one, then follow the people who already did it.