LPN programs typically require around 45 credit hours of coursework and take about one year to complete full-time. The classes fall into two groups: prerequisite courses you complete before entering the program and core nursing courses you take once admitted. Here’s what to expect at each stage.
Prerequisites You Need Before Starting
Every LPN program requires a high school diploma or GED as a baseline. Beyond that, most programs ask you to complete several college-level courses before you can enroll in any nursing classes. These prerequisites ensure you have the science and math foundation to handle clinical coursework.
The science requirements are the heaviest part. You’ll typically need Anatomy and Physiology I and II, both of which include a lab component. Many programs also require either Introductory Biology or Fundamentals of Chemistry (again, with labs). These courses teach you how the body’s systems work, from cells and tissues up through organs, which is essential knowledge before you start learning to care for patients.
Beyond the sciences, expect requirements in psychology. General Psychology and Human Growth and Development are common prerequisites. Human Growth and Development covers how people change physically, mentally, and emotionally across the lifespan, which directly applies to caring for patients of all ages. You’ll also need to demonstrate math proficiency at a college-algebra level or higher, since medication dosage calculations are a core part of nursing practice.
Some programs require you to pass a standardized entrance exam before admission. The most common is the TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills), which covers four areas: reading, math, English and language usage, and science. Minimum passing scores vary by school. You may also need to clear a background check or basic skills test.
Nursing Fundamentals
Once admitted, the first core course is typically Nursing Fundamentals, which includes classroom instruction, skills lab practice, and clinical hours in a healthcare facility. This is where you learn the building blocks: taking vital signs, basic patient assessment, hygiene and comfort care, infection control, documentation, and professional communication. It also covers nursing ethics, patient rights, and the legal standards that govern practice. Think of it as the course that teaches you how to think and act like a nurse before you specialize in any patient population.
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is one of the most demanding parts of an LPN program, and many schools spread it across two or three separate courses. You’ll learn how medications work in the body, how to calculate correct dosages, common drug interactions, side effects to watch for, and safe administration techniques (oral, injectable, topical). This coursework aligns directly with the NCLEX-PN licensing exam, where pharmacological therapies make up 10 to 16 percent of the test.
Medical-Surgical Nursing
Medical-surgical nursing is the core clinical sequence and usually spans two courses. Medical-Surgical Nursing I covers common adult health conditions: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory disorders, gastrointestinal problems, and post-surgical care. Medical-Surgical Nursing II goes deeper into more complex conditions and builds your ability to prioritize care when a patient has multiple health issues. Both courses include clinical rotations where you practice skills on real patients under supervision.
These courses carry the most weight in your program because they mirror the largest content area on the licensing exam. The “Physiological Integrity” category, which covers basic care and comfort, risk reduction, and physiological adaptation, accounts for roughly 33 to 57 percent of the NCLEX-PN.
Maternity and Pediatric Nursing
LPN programs include dedicated courses in maternity nursing and pediatric nursing, each with a clinical component. Maternity nursing covers prenatal care, labor and delivery, postpartum recovery, and newborn assessment. Pediatric nursing focuses on the health needs of infants, children, and adolescents, including growth milestones, common childhood illnesses, and how to adapt communication and care techniques for younger patients. These are typically shorter than the medical-surgical sequence but still carry clinical rotation hours.
Nutrition
Nutrition coursework teaches you how diet affects health and disease management. You’ll learn about macronutrients and micronutrients, therapeutic diets for conditions like diabetes or kidney disease, how to assess a patient’s nutritional status, and how to educate patients about dietary changes. Some programs split this into two courses that run alongside the clinical nursing sequence.
Professional Practice and Exam Preparation
Near the end of the program, most schools include a capstone or transition course designed to prepare you for professional practice and the NCLEX-PN licensing exam. This course reviews clinical decision-making, coordinates your final clinical hours, and includes practice testing that mirrors the format of the actual exam.
The NCLEX-PN itself is organized around four major areas: Safe and Effective Care Environment (covering teamwork, coordination, safety, and infection control at 28 to 40 percent of the exam), Health Promotion and Maintenance (6 to 12 percent), Psychosocial Integrity (9 to 15 percent), and Physiological Integrity (33 to 57 percent). Your entire LPN curriculum is structured to prepare you across all four areas, so the coursework isn’t random. Every class maps to a section of the licensing exam.
Clinical Hours Throughout the Program
Clinical rotations aren’t a separate class you sign up for. They’re built into most of your nursing courses. From fundamentals through medical-surgical, maternity, and pediatrics, you’ll spend scheduled hours in hospitals, long-term care facilities, or clinics providing patient care under instructor supervision. These hours are mandatory and typically increase as you progress through the program. If you fail the clinical component of a course, you fail the course, regardless of your classroom grade.
The total number of clinical hours varies by state and program but generally falls between 400 and 700 hours over the course of the year. This hands-on time is where you connect what you learned in the classroom to actual patient situations, and it’s what ultimately prepares you to work independently after passing the NCLEX-PN.