Principles of Statistics
Self-paced online Principles of Statistics course (Statistics 101). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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RN to BSN in Arizona: the general education credits you can finish online
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
An Arizona RN finishing a BSN usually needs general education as well as nursing courses. The university decides which outside credit it will evaluate, not the Board of Nursing. Statistics, composition, psychology and humanities are where ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit is most often considered, so ask the university in writing first.
Who decides what counts
The Arizona State Board of Nursing approves nursing programmes under A.R.S. 32-1606. It does not decide which general education credit a university will count toward a BSN. That is the university's call, and it can differ between ASU, NAU, UA and private and online schools.
So the first step is the same everywhere: get your BSN plan from the university, see which general education blocks are still open, and ask in writing whether it would evaluate a named outside course for each one.
Where the gaps usually are
Many Arizona RNs come through an associate degree in nursing at a community college. Those plans carry some general education, but a BSN usually asks for more. Maricopa's concurrent enrolment pathways with ASU and NAU exist partly because of this: the associate and the BSN are planned together so the general education lines up.
If you finished your associate degree some years ago, or outside Arizona, the open blocks are often statistics, a second writing course, a social science, a humanities course and upper-level electives.
- Statistics: often a set BSN requirement for nursing research courses.
- Composition: a second writing course if only one is on your transcript.
- Social science: psychology or sociology.
- Humanities: philosophy, ethics, art history or literature.
UPI Study courses that line up with those blocks
These are general education courses on UPI Study that match common BSN blocks. Each needs a written yes from your university before you start.
- Principles of Statistics, for a statistics requirement.
- English Composition 1 and 2, for writing.
- Introduction to Psychology and Introduction to Sociology, for social science.
- Principles of Philosophy, Art History 1 and American Literature, for humanities.
- Medical Terminology, sometimes useful as an elective.
How the credit reaches the university
A UPI Study certificate is not a college transcript. The credit travels via a college transcript: TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, and once a partner places the credit on its transcript, that transcript goes to your university.
Ask your university two things in the same email: whether it would evaluate the course, and whether it would take the credit from that partner college's transcript. Then you know the whole route before you pay.
What this article does not cover
Nursing courses and clinical work in a BSN come only from the BSN programme. UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited, and it has no Microbiology, Nutrition, Lifespan Psychology, Organic Chemistry or Pharmacology. If your plan still needs one of those, take it at a community college such as a Maricopa college, at $97 per credit hour for county residents in 2026-27.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your Arizona nursing programme in writing whether it would evaluate each course, including each online lab, 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
Does the Arizona Board of Nursing set RN to BSN general education?
No. The board approves nursing programmes under A.R.S. 32-1606. General education for a BSN is set by the university that grants the degree, and each university decides which outside credit it will evaluate. Ask the university's RN to BSN advisor in writing, with the course name and the college that would transcript it.
Which general education courses are most often considered?
Statistics, composition, introductory psychology and sociology, and humanities such as philosophy or literature are where ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit is most often considered. Your university may still say no, so ask before you enrol, and check whether it caps the credit you can bring from outside.
Can I do this while working shifts?
Yes, the courses are self-paced, so you can study around twelve-hour shifts. PRO is $99 a month for every course, so the cost depends on how many months you take. Plan the order with your university's advisor so the courses you finish are the ones it already said it would evaluate.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
English Composition 2
Self-paced online English Composition 2 course (ENG 102). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Introduction to Psychology
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 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
- Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1606: Powers and duties of the board (official)32-1606(B)(1)-(2): the board approves training and educational programmes and sets approval and reapproval processes for nursing programmes by rule. It does not rule on where a student took a prerequisite. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Pima Community College: LPN to ADN Nursing, Associate of Applied Science (official)Prerequisites: Accuplacer Reading, MAT 142 or higher (C), BIO 201IN or 201H and BIO 202IN (B or better), WRT 101 (C), NLN entrance exam; grades must be on the Pima transcript before applying; transfer credit from another regionally accredited institution must be evaluated and posted. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Maricopa Community Colleges: tuition and fees (official)$97 per credit hour for Maricopa County residents, 2026-27. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.