Selective Admissions Surgical Technology Program Application Procedure

Purpose

To outline the selective admission steps for students applying to the Surgical Technology program.

Procedure

Part 1: Surgical Technology Program Application Process 

Students must be accepted to Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M State) before being eligible to apply for admission to the Surgical Technology program. All applicants who have completed the admission requirements and application procedures by the program application deadlines will be considered for admission to the program. Meeting the minimum admission requirements to be placed into the candidate pool for admission consideration does not guarantee admission to the Surgical Technology program.

1. The student applies to M State and must be accepted to the College before applying to the Surgical Technology program.
2. The student completes the online Surgical Technology Program Application, found on the program’s website at www.minnesota.edu/surgical-technology, prior to the application deadline. Application deadlines and admission requirements can be found at www.minnesota.edu/surgical-technology-admission-requirements.
3. The College notifies the applicant via email of their eligibility for the program.
   1. If the applicant is not eligible, missing requirements will be listed.
   2. If an applicant is eligible, they will be asked to confirm their seat in the program and must respond to the email. Once the student has confirmed their seat, they are considered accepted into the core Surgical Technology program.
4. The student completes assessment testing in math and English, unless college-level coursework in math or English has previously been completed or a waiver is on file. The assessment testing determines which, if any, English and/or math developmental courses are needed. Students can sign up for assessment testing at www.minnesota.edu/admissions/placement-testing. Guided self-placement cannot be used for Surgical Technology applicants. 

Part 2: Surgical Technology Program Selection Criteria for Acceptance 

Applicants will be selected based on meeting the following criteria:

• Completion of the following prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher:
  • ENGL 1101 College Writing
  • BIOL 2260/2261 Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lecture/Lab
  • PSYC 2222 Lifespan Development
  • HLTH 1116 Medical Terminology
  • SURT 1200 Introduction to Surgical Technology
• A cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher in the prerequisite courses listed above.
• Math requirement – Based on completed math courses, assessment score, or waiver, eligible to take MATH 1020 Intermediate Algebra.
• English requirement – Based on completed English courses, assessment score, or waiver, eligible to take ENGL 1101 College Writing. 

All eligible applicants meeting the program’s criteria will be ranked by their prerequisite course GPA. The top 20 students with the highest GPA will be awarded a seat. In the event of a tie, an earned grade in BIOL 2262 Anatomy and Physiology II Lecture will be used as a tiebreaker. 

Applications of students not accepted into the program each round will remain on file through that admission cycle only. If a student chooses to reapply for the next admission cycle, the student must resubmit the entire application. 

Part 3: Timelines for Surgical Technology Program Application and Notification of Admission Status

1. Surgical Technology application deadlines:
   1. Round one application deadline: May 15, 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time.
   2. Round two application deadline: August 1, 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time.
2. After the application deadline, applications will be reviewed by the College’s selective admissions and advising specialist.
3. The College will send a letter of acceptance, denial or waiting list status letter via email to the applicant within 30 days after the application deadline. Admission is conditional pending all program requirements are met (see part four of this procedure).
   1. Accepted applicants must accept their seat in the Surgical Technology program within 5-10 business days. Failure to notify the College of acceptance by this date will result in the student’s forfeiture of their seat in the program. 

Part 4: Post-Acceptance Additional Requirements 

After notice of acceptance into the program, the following required documentation must be submitted by the deadline stated in the acceptance communication and remain current throughout the program:

• CPR certification - Refer to the Surgical Technology program’s admission requirements website at www.minnesota.edu/surgical-technology-admission-requirements for specific requirement information.
• Health Forms - Completed health form and immunization record, including current immunizations and/or requirements as defined by the clinical partners.
• Minnesota Department of Human Services background study - Completed current Minnesota Department of Human Services Background Study and National Background Check. Information about completing each study/check will be included in an email from the College’s lab assistant. Accepted students will need to complete the background study; a $30 fee will be required for processing the study and to cover fingerprinting/photograph costs. Accepted students who choose not to complete the background study, or who are disqualified by the results of the study, may not be permitted to attend clinical experiences or service learning opportunities. In such cases, the College cannot guarantee alternative learning opportunities, which ultimately will affect the student’s ability to complete the program. Students are to upload documents into the student record system. 

Disclaimer 

Prior to the start of the program, all students must have a clear criminal background check with no unresolved disqualifying convictions. For more information about the background study process and disqualifying crimes, contact the Licensing Division, Minnesota Department of Human Services. 

An applicant’s seat in the Surgical Technology program will be forfeited if the applicant fails or refuses to complete the background study or background check, or if applicant is disqualified through the background study or background check.

Responsibility

Students 

Submit application to the College. After acceptance to the College, complete the Surgical Technology program’s selective admissions application prior to the deadline. If accepted to the program, submit additional documentation as required by the program prior to the deadline. 

Selective Admissions and Advising Specialist 

Review applications. Notify applicants via email regarding their application status. 

College Lab Assistant 

Notify students who have accepted their seat about the additional required documents that need to be submitted. See Part 4: Post-Acceptance Additional Requirements.

Associated Policies and Procedures

Minnesota State Community and Technical College Selective Admission Program Policy