Admissions Requirements

To be considered for admission, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age or have a parent or guardian co-sign the enrollment agreement
• Be at least 18 years of age during your program's practicum or externship
• Be a high school graduate or hold a General Equivalency Diploma (GED)
• Be a U.S. citizen, an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States, or an eligible non-citizen
• Be physically able to carry out any techniques or procedures essential to the selected program of study, including any clinical component of the program and/or associated career.
• Score at an acceptable level on any required pre-admission test
• Be interviewed by the program dean or a designee upon successful pre-admission testing, if required by the program
• Be proficient in the English language. Swedish Institute's programs are taught in English.
• Provide a completed reference form if required by the program of study.
• Complete an application* for admission and pay any required application fee
• Complete written responses to an admission survey/personal statement.
• Be able and willing to complete any required criminal background check successfully
• Complete the MMR**: meningitis, and hepatitis B vaccination requirements (see below) and document completion in writing. You may decline the meningitis and hepatitis B requirements in writing.

Note: Students entering with advanced standing and who will take a clinical course in the first term of study must complete prerequisite requirements for clinical placement. This includes proof of physical examination, medical history, tuberculin testing (PPD), hepatitis B & Tdap vaccination, titer or waiver visit any other documentation as specified by clinical placement facilities. Students with incomplete medical documentation required for clinical placement may have enrollment deferred or canceled.

MMR immunization: New York State Public Health Law Section 2165 and its associated regulations require that students born after January 1, 1957 be immunized against measles, mumps, and rubella. Applicants must show proof of immunity. Proof of immunity consists of documentation of either two doses of live measles vaccine and one dose each of live mumps and live rubella, documentation of a combined MMR vaccine, or a blood test showing immunity.

Note: An honorable discharge from the armed services within 10 years of the application date qualifies as proof of immunization requirements, pending receipt of records from the armed services.

Meningococcal Meningitis immunization: New York State Public Health Law Section 2167 requires that all colleges maintain for students either a record of meningococcal meningitis immunization within the last ten years or an acknowledgement of meningococcal disease risks and refusal of immunization signed by the student.

Hepatitis B vaccination: Nursing, Clinical and Administrative Medical Assistant, Clinical Medical Assistant, and Surgical Technologist students are expected to:

• Have completed hepatitis B vaccinations before starting any course with exposure to blood-borne pathogens
• OR provide a copy of hepatitis B blood titers
• OR complete and sign a refusal of further immunization statement

For all programs, students must acknowledge in writing that they are aware that employers may conduct background checks and may refuse employment or externship/clinical placement based upon an applicant's criminal history. Applicants are urged to discuss any prior convictions with the Program Dean or Director of Education to discuss and understand the potential impact on externship/clinical placement and/or employment after graduation. Swedish Institute reserves the right to deny the application of an applicant if it becomes aware that the applicant's criminal background would make clinical placement or post-graduation employment significantly difficult. Applicants in our Nursing and Surgical Technologist programs, and possibly applicants in other programs, depending on the clinical site, must complete a criminal background check prior to clinicals.

Students in some programs may be required to undergo a urine toxicology screening before the start of the clinical component of the program. They may also be required to repeat the screening prior to the beginning of each term.

Students with positive toxicology screening results will be removed from all courses that include a clinical component and may also be removed from the program.

Healthcare employers may restrict access to externships, clinical placements, and/or graduate employment based on the health status of the student or graduate, as well as prior criminal history. Applicants are required to sign an acknowledgement to this effect upon enrollment.

There are a number of requirements that are common for externships and clinical placements (for the Nursing, Surgical Technologist, Clinical and Administrative Medical Assistant, Clinical Medical Assistant, and Massage Therapy programs). These requirements should be completed well in advance of the term in which the clinical portion of the curriculum begins and typically include:

• Medical clearance form from a physician
• PPD screening and chest X-ray (if needed)
• Tdap (Tetanus booster)
• Criminal background check (if applicable)
• Urine toxicology screening (if applicable)
• Influenza vaccination "flu shot" (if applicable)

Hospitals and other clinical facilities have strict requirements for on-site clinical training. Prior to enrollment in a course that includes a clinical component, students may be required to undergo further health screening and/or vaccinations.

Before beginning a clinical rotation, students must have on file the following documentation, verified by the campus health office:

• Completed physical examination within the last twelve months
• Signed medical history and health disclosure
• Current CPR / BLS certification from an approved provider
• Cleared criminal background check
• Proof of health insurance coverage
• Signed clinical site confidentiality agreement