Anatomy and Physiology I
Self-paced online Anatomy and Physiology I course (Biology 211). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →AlabamaNursing
LPN to RN in Alabama: prerequisite checklist and time limits
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Alabama LPN-to-RN mobility programmes use the same kind of general education list as the ADN: A&P I and II, Microbiology, English, college algebra, psychology and speech, usually with a C or higher and math and science within five years. Each programme publishes its own list, so check yours and ask in writing before you enrol anywhere.
The checklist
Use the Trenholm State ADN list as a model and compare it with your own programme's mobility sheet. Tick each item you already have on a college transcript and note its date.
- BIO 103 Principles of Biology (before BIO 201 at some colleges)
- BIO 201 Anatomy and Physiology I
- BIO 202 Anatomy and Physiology II
- BIO 220 Microbiology
- ENG 101 English Composition I
- MTH 100 Intermediate College Algebra or higher
- PSY 210 Human Growth and Development
- A speech course and a humanities elective
- ACT 18 or TEAS 58 within three years (Trenholm State's figure)
The time limits that matter
At Trenholm State, every BIO and MTH prerequisite must be completed within five years of the application deadline, and the ACT or TEAS score must be no more than three years old. An LPN who took A&P for the practical nursing programme years ago may need to retake it.
Work out the deadline for the term you want and count back five years. Anything older needs a plan.
Which gaps an online course can fill
UPI Study covers A&P I and II with online labs, English Composition and Introduction to Psychology. It does not cover Microbiology or Human Growth and Development, and it has no speech course, so those must come from a college.
Whether any online course counts is your programme's decision. Ask about each course by name, and ask about online labs separately.
| Gap | UPI Study course | Ask first? |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 201 / BIO 202 | Anatomy and Physiology I and 2, with labs | Yes, lecture and lab separately |
| ENG 101 | English Composition 1 | Yes |
| MTH 100 | College Algebra | Yes |
| BIO 220 | Not offered | Take at a college |
| PSY 210 | Not offered | Take at a college |
Grades and ranking
Trenholm State asks for a C or higher in each prerequisite and a 2.50 GPA. Many Alabama programmes rank applicants by the grades in their key courses, so a stronger grade can help as much as a finished course.
A sample planning timeline
Work back from the application deadline for the term you want. If the deadline is in late winter for a fall start, aim to have every prerequisite finished and on a college transcript at least a month before it, so the programme has time to see the grade.
An LPN working full time might plan one science course at a time, with the lab alongside the lecture, and fit general education around shifts. Leave extra weeks for the partner college to issue its transcript and for the transcript to reach the nursing office.
- Month 1: get the programme's sheet and send your written questions.
- Months 2-4: finish the courses that got a yes, one or two at a time.
- Month 5: request the partner college transcript and send it on.
- Before the deadline: confirm the programme has received it.
Your written question
Send the mobility coordinator one email listing each course, the college that would transcript it, and the prerequisite you hope it meets. Ask for the answer for your intended term. Only enrol in the courses that get a clear yes.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your Alabama nursing programme in writing whether it would consider each course, including the online labs, before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
Do I need to retake A&P to go from LPN to RN in Alabama?
Only if it is older than your programme's limit. Trenholm State, for example, requires BIO and MTH prerequisites within five years of the application deadline. Check the date on your transcript against the deadline for your intended term.
Can an Alabama LPN take Microbiology online with UPI Study?
No. UPI Study does not offer Microbiology. Take it at a college; Alabama community colleges list it as BIO 220. UPI Study can cover A&P, English, algebra and introductory psychology if your programme agrees in writing.
What entrance test do Alabama LPN-to-RN programmes use?
Many use the ACT or the ATI TEAS. Trenholm State accepts an ACT composite of 18 or a TEAS of 58, taken no more than three years before the deadline. Check your own programme's minimum.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Anatomy and Physiology 2
Self-paced online Anatomy and Physiology 2 course (Biology 212). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
College Algebra
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Ask your programme first; then study only the courses it said it would consider.
Sources
- Ala. Admin. Code r. 610-X-3-.02, Standards for Approval (nursing education programs) (official)All Alabama prelicensure nursing education programmes, including distance programmes, must be approved by the Board under chapter 610-X-3; the rule governs programmes, not where a student took a prerequisite. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Trenholm State Community College: Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) (official)Prerequisites BIO 103, BIO 201, BIO 202, BIO 220, ENG 101, MTH 100 or higher, PSY 210, SPH 106/107, a humanities elective and ORI 101; C or higher; 2.50 GPA; ACT 18 or TEAS 58; MTH and BIO within five years; no Spring 2027 cohort, next cycle Fall 2027. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.