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 →ArkansasNursing
LPN to RN in Arkansas: prerequisite checklist and time limits
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
For NWACC's LPN/Paramedic to RN Bridge, an Arkansas LPN needs seven courses before applying, each with a C or better within two attempts, a 2.75 GPA and the NLN entrance exam. College Algebra and both A&P courses must be no older than five years. Other programmes set their own lists, so ask in writing.
The checklist
This list comes from NWACC's LPN/Paramedic to RN Bridge page, checked on 15 November 2026. Other Arkansas programmes write their own lists, so use it as a model and check your own programme's page for the year you apply.
- MATH 1203 College Algebra (no older than five years).
- ENGL 1013 Composition I.
- PSYC 2003 General Psychology.
- BIOL 2214 Anatomy and Physiology I (no older than five years).
- BIOL 2224 Anatomy and Physiology II (no older than five years).
- MBIO 2014 Microbiology.
- NURS 9313 Pharmacological Basis of Nursing.
- Before nursing classes: Composition II, Human Growth and Development, and a computer or health records course.
Grades, attempts and GPA
Every required course needs a C or better. NWACC looks only at your first two attempts and uses the higher grade; if you do not reach a C within two attempts, you are not eligible. The overall GPA must be at least 2.75, and with fewer than 12 NWACC credit hours it is worked out from your other college transcripts.
Grades also turn into selection points. College Algebra, A&P, Microbiology and Pharmacology score 4 for an A, 3 for a B and 2 for a C, so a higher grade improves your place.
Time limits
NWACC marks College Algebra and both A&P courses with a five-year limit at the time you apply. Microbiology, Pharmacology and the other courses have no stated limit. If your A&P is close to five years old, plan the retake early, and remember the two-attempt rule applies.
Other Arkansas programmes may set different limits, or none, so check before you assume.
The entrance exam and transcript dates
NWACC requires the NLN entrance exam, taken on the Bentonville campus with no remote option. The page gives two different composite scores in different places, 138 in one and 102 in another, so ask the nursing office which applies to your cycle. Official transcripts from other colleges must be on your record by May 1.
Where UPI Study fits the checklist, and where it does not
UPI Study has College Algebra, English Composition 1 and 2, Introduction to Psychology, and A&P I and II with labs, which are NCCRS-recommended only. Any of them would reach NWACC via a college transcript from a partner such as TESU or UoPeople, which consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, and only if NWACC says yes in writing.
UPI Study has no Microbiology, Pharmacology, Human Growth and Development, Nutrition or Organic Chemistry, and no clinical hours or nursing courses. UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. NWACC also gives an extra point for A&P and Microbiology taken there, which is worth weighing.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your Arkansas nursing programme in writing whether it would consider 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
How old can my A&P be for NWACC's LPN to RN Bridge?
No older than five years at the time you apply. The same limit applies to College Algebra. Microbiology and Pharmacological Basis of Nursing have no stated limit on the page. If your courses are close to the limit, plan a retake early and keep the two-attempt rule in mind.
What GPA do I need for the NWACC Bridge?
An overall GPA of 2.75. If you have fewer than 12 credit hours at NWACC, the college works out your GPA from your previous college transcripts. Your prerequisite grades also become selection points, so higher grades help your ranking as well as your GPA.
Can UPI Study help with the NLN entrance exam?
No. The NLN exam is taken on NWACC's Bentonville campus and set by the programme. UPI Study offers college-level courses that are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended, which may help with the course part of the checklist if your programme says yes in writing first.
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 →
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
- A.C.A. 17-87-203 Powers and duties (Nurse Practice Act, current through the 2025 session), Arkansas Department of Health (official)17-87-203(8) and (11): the board prescribes minimum standards, approves curricula for programmes preparing RNs and LPNs, and approves programmes that meet the chapter. It does not rule on where a student took a prerequisite. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- NWACC: Nursing Program LPN/Paramedic to RN Bridge Application (official)Prerequisites MATH 1203, ENGL 1013, PSYC 2003, BIOL 2214, BIOL 2224, MBIO 2014, NURS 9313; C or better, first two attempts only; 2.75 GPA; NLN entrance exam on the Bentonville campus; MATH 1203 and A&P no older than five years; extra selection point for A&P and Microbiology taken at NWACC; outside transcripts on record by May 1. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- NWACC Treasurer's Office: fees and tuition (official)In-district tuition $110 per credit hour, out-of-district $172, plus general student fees per credit hour (learning support $15, technology $15, facility $2, library $3, health and wellness $4, public safety $4). The page gives no academic year. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.