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 Madison Area Technical College asks for, taken from its own admissions page.
What you'll need
- Transcripts
- Prerequisite courses
- Background check
33 credit technical diploma, about 1.5 years, in person at Madison (Goodman South) or Fort Atkinson. Academic readiness via HESI cumulative 70%+ taken at Madison College or ACT composite 18+ (within 4 years); minimum 2.0 GPA applies when submitting 30+ college credits; prerequisites include math readiness, high school chemistry and biology with lab or college equivalents, Nursing Assistant, English, Body Structure and Function, Human Growth and Development, and Oral Communication. Application windows: Spring 2027 closes 2027-01-15; Summer 2027 opened 2026-09-15 and closes 2027-06-15; Fall 2027 opened 2026-10-15 and closes 2027-08-31. Capacity 32 to 40 seats in fall and 16 to 24 in spring; Wisconsin caregiver background check required.
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.
Find your next step.
Getting in starts with a path. Pick one, then follow the people who already did it.