Academic calendar
Catalog Period 2026-2027 runs Feb 1, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Catalog Period 2026-2027Catalog Period February 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027Home Health AideMSNNursing AssistantOfficial School Catalog Period 2026-2027RN-BSNVocational NursingRelevant now
- Vocational Nursing AM Class (Torrance)
- Nurse Assistant Training Program AM Class (Torrance)
- Vocational Nursing PM Class (Torrance)
- Home Health Aide Class (Torrance)
- Vocational Nursing Weekend Class (Torrance)
Campus language
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Showing 36 of 36 terms
A
- ABHES
- Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools, the school's institutional accreditor.
- ADN
- Associate Degree in Nursing, the program for students seeking to become Registered Nurses
- ATI
- Assessment Technologies Institute, the standardized testing and review system integrated into the curriculum.
B
- Batch
- A term used by students to refer to their specific cohort or graduating class (e.g., 'Batch 108').
- BPPE
- Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, the California regulatory body for the school.
- Break Room
- The designated student lounge and eating area at the Torrance campus.
- BRN
- The California Board of Registered Nursing, the agency governing RN licenses and program approval
- BSN
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the degree-granting track for registered nurses
- BVNPT
- The Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, the state agency governing LVN licenses
C
- Capping and Pinning
- The traditional graduation ceremony where nursing students receive their nursing caps and school pins.
- CCNE
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the programmatic accreditor for the BSN track.
- Check-offs
- Practical exams where students must demonstrate specific nursing skills to an instructor to pass a module
- Class Rep
- The student elected as the 'Class Representative' to act as a liaison between the cohort and the administration.
- Clinicals
- Off-site practical training shifts performed at hospitals or long-term care facilities
E
- Exit Exam
- The final comprehensive test students must pass to graduate and be cleared for the state board
H
- HESI
- Standardized exams used by the school to assess student progress and readiness for the licensing board
- HHA
- Home Health Aide program, a specialized training track for healthcare assistants.
- Homestead family
- A term used by students and faculty to describe the school's small, supportive community environment.
L
- LVN
- Licensed Vocational Nursing, the school's primary program of study
N
- NATP
- Nurse Assistant Training Program, a certificate track for students becoming CNAs.
- NCLEX
- The national licensure exam (PN or RN) that students must pass after completing the program.
- No On-Campus Dining
- As a vocational school located in an office complex, there are no formal on-campus dining halls; students utilize the breakroom or local Torrance eateries.
- No On-Campus Housing
- Homestead Schools does not provide on-campus student housing; students typically commute or find local off-campus apartments.
- Nursetoons
- Nursing-themed comic strips featured in the school's official newsletter, the Homestead Chronicle.
P
- Pantry
- The breakout corner and food preparation area for students at the Costa Mesa branch.
- Pilot
- Refers to the initial cohorts or experimental tracks of the RN-BSN program.
- Pinning
- The formal graduation ceremony where nursing students receive their school pin
R
- RN
- Registered Nursing program, specifically the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or RN-to-BSN tracks.
- RN-BSN
- The bridge program for Registered Nurses to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
- RN-BSN
- The Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree completion program.
T
- The Board
- Common shorthand for the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT).
- The Boards
- The NCLEX licensure examination that students must pass after graduation to practice
- The Drug Handbook
- Common shorthand for the 'Nurse's Drug Handbook,' a core reference text used throughout the nursing curriculum.
- Theory
- The classroom-based portion of the nursing curriculum, as opposed to clinical hours
V
- VN
- Shorthand for the Vocational Nursing program or a student enrolled in it.
- VN
- Vocational Nursing program, the primary certificate track for LVN candidates
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- ATI
- The Assessment Technologies Institute platform used for nursing curriculum and test preparation
- Blended
- A course format that combines online delivery with on-campus residential sessions.
- BLS/CPR Card
- The American Heart Association Healthcare Provider certification required for all clinical-track students.
- Bristol
- The branch campus facility located on Bristol Street in Costa Mesa.
- Canvas
- The Learning Management System (LMS) used for course modules, assignments, and online discussions.
- CE
- Continuing Education units, which the school provides for licensed professionals to maintain their credentials
- Clinical Rotations
- Mandatory hands-on hours at external healthcare sites required for graduation
- Clinical Sites
- Various local hospitals and nursing homes where students are assigned for practical experience.
- Clinicals
- Practical, off-site training rotations conducted at local hospitals and long-term care facilities.
- Comprehensive Exit Exam
- A mandatory final examination that students must pass to qualify for graduation.
- Computer Lab
- The designated area for students to take ATI proctored exams and conduct research.
- Costa Mesa Branch
- The secondary campus location at 3090 Bristol Street, often described as having a hotel-like reception.
- Costa Mesa Campus
- The branch location of the school located on Bristol Street in Costa Mesa.
- EMSP
- Evaluation Methodology for Student Progress, the specific metric used to track academic standing in the VN program.
- Exit Exam
- The mandatory Comprehensive Exit Exam that students must pass at the end of their program to qualify for graduation.
- Financial Aid Office
- The administrative department that handles FAFSA, Pell Grants, and student loan processing.
- Fire Safety Card
- A mandatory certification required for students before they can begin clinical rotations.
- Hawthorne
- The main campus facility located on Hawthorne Boulevard in Torrance.
- Hawthorne
- Refers to Hawthorne Blvd, the primary access point and location of the school's main building.
- Live Scan
- The digital fingerprinting process required by the state for background checks before licensure
- Mandatory Remediation
- A required academic support and study process for students who fall below specific grade thresholds.
- NCLEX-PN
- The national standardized exam for the licensing of vocational/practical nurses
- NCLEX-RN
- The national standardized exam for the licensing of registered nurses
- Orbund
- The student information system used for official school notifications and academic records.
- Pantry
- The student breakout corner and kitchen area used for meals and study breaks.
- Placement
- The Career Services department responsible for helping graduates find employment in the healthcare field.
- PPD/MMR
- Common shorthand for the mandatory tuberculosis and vaccination records required before starting clinicals.
- Preadmission Test
- The mandatory entrance exam (often requiring a 76% or higher) for prospective nursing students.
- Prereqs
- The foundational science and general education courses required before entering the nursing core
- Proctorio
- The online software used by the school to monitor and secure remote examinations.
- Remediation
- The mandatory academic support and re-testing process for students who fail a course or an initial exit exam attempt.
- Residential
- The traditional face-to-face, on-campus learning track for students who prefer in-person instruction.
- SAP
- Satisfactory Academic Progress; the minimum grade (typically 76%) and attendance standards required to maintain enrollment.
- Saturday classes
- The specific weekend schedule often used for the residential portion of the RN-BSN program.
- Scantron
- The physical form used for grading multiple-choice tests in both home study and on-campus courses.
- Sim Lab
- The Simulation Lab, equipped with high-fidelity mannequins for maternity and pediatric training.
- Simulation Lab
- Also known as Skills Lab 2 (Room 130), a specialized room for clinical simulations.
- Skills Lab
- The dedicated on-campus room where nursing students practice hands-on procedures on mannequins
- Skills Lab 1
- Room 127 at the Torrance campus, used for hands-on nursing training.
- Student ID badge
- Required identification that students must wear for campus access and clinical rotations.
- Suite 200
- The specific office suite housing the main Torrance campus facilities.
- Suite 350
- The specific office suite housing the Costa Mesa branch campus.
- The Board
- Common student shorthand for the BVNPT or BRN regulatory bodies
- Torrance Campus
- The main instructional facility located at 23800 Hawthorne Blvd in Torrance
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Catalog Period 2026-2027 runs Feb 1, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027.
- How much campus context is included?
- 36 approved campus terms and 44 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.