Petition Information

Petitioning at Blackhawk

The following programs require students to petition for entry: Dental Hygienist, Diagnostic Medical Sonography & Vascular Technology (DMS/VT), Nursing, Paramedic Technician, Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Radiography, and Surgical Technology.

Petition information for other programs may be found directly on their program web page.

Upcoming Petition Periods

Petition forms will be available Feb. 5-9, 2024, for the following programs:

Dental Hygienist
Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Vascular Technology
Nursing
Physical Therapist Assistant
Radiography
Surgical Technology

Petition forms will be available July 8-12, 2024, for the following program:

Paramedic Technician

Steps in the Petitioning Process

1

Review Program-Specific Petitioning Requirements

In order to be eligible to petition the program for entry, you must apply to the college, meet all program-specific eligibility requirements (outlined in the petition packets), and attend a Health Sciences petition meeting specific to the program you plan to petition.

Petitioning Informational Packets

2

Attend a Program-Specific Petition Meeting

All students petitioning into a program must attend a petition meeting specific to their program. During the meeting, you will review program-specific requirements during breakout sessions which typically last two-hours (and may run longer). Note: Any student considering petitioning more than one program for entry must attend a program-specific meeting for each program.

Please note: Petition meetings are held via Zoom. Registration is required.

Upcoming Petition Meetings

Wednesday, Jan. 10: Register Now

View all Petition Meeting Dates

3

Petition the Program for Entry

After meeting the minimum requirements, you are now eligible to petition. It is your responsibility to submit a completed petition application for your program in order to be considered for entry.

As program entry is granted to only a designated number of students, the petition applications are awarded points. Note: There are additional factors (i.e. previous related work experience) that may be considered and awarded extra points for competitive entry — these are outlined within the petition applications. More information will be available at the required petition information meetings.

Please note: Continuous enrollment is not required in order to maintain a current application.

4	Receive Petitioning Results After you have submitted your petition request, expect to receive a letter in the mail (by the date specified on your petition application) with your results. The letter will define your petition status as either: Accepted, Not Accepted, Alternate, or Invalid.

Accepted Status

You will receive a letter from Blackhawk Technical College informing you of your acceptance into the program and outlining your next steps. If your petition into the program has been accepted, you will be required to complete a criminal background check, complete the health requirements, and perform drug testing before starting clinical courses.

Wisconsin law requires background checks of persons who provide care for others or have access to people who receive care. This law applies to Blackhawk Technical College Health Sciences Division students. For more information about the background check, view the Criminal Background Check Information (PDF).

Alternate Status

You will receive a letter from Blackhawk Technical College informing you of your petition status for this program and outlining your next steps.

Not Accepted Status

You will receive a letter from Blackhawk Technical College informing you of your petition status for this program and outlining your next steps. If you are not selected, you will be required to complete the petition process again (including attendance at a program-specific petition information meeting and submission of all forms) for future entry. Additionally, you are strongly encouraged to meet with a program counselor/admission specialist if not selected to discuss strategies to improve your petition eligibility.

Invalid Status

You will receive a letter from Blackhawk Technical College informing you of your petition status for this program and outlining your next steps. Please note: An incomplete petition application will be considered invalid. Additionally, you are strongly encouraged to meet with a program counselor/admission specialist if not selected to discuss strategies to improve your petition eligibility.