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.
See the course →FloridaNursing
36 hours of general education: what Florida RNs still owe for a BSN
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Every Florida public bachelor's degree includes 36 semester hours of general education under s. 1007.25(10), Fla. Stat. An A.A. usually covers all of it. Nurses with an A.S. in nursing often have only part, so the degree audit shows what is left. Your university decides which outside courses fill each slot.
The rule in one line
Section 1007.25(10) says a baccalaureate degree includes 36 semester hours of general education coursework, inside a 120-hour degree. The same section sets the same 36 hours for the A.A. That is why an A.A. graduate is usually finished with general education and an A.S. graduate often is not.
The 120-hour cap matters for nurses. Your nursing courses, the RN to BSN courses and general education must fit inside the degree. A university may also count some of your A.S. sciences toward general education, which can shrink what you still owe. Only the degree audit shows the real number for you.
What an A.S. in nursing usually already covers
Nursing associate degrees in Florida include some general education because the nursing courses need it. The exact list depends on your college, but it often includes:
- English Composition I
- A college maths course
- General or developmental psychology
- Anatomy and Physiology I and II, sometimes Microbiology
- One humanities course
What is often still open
The gaps tend to sit in the areas the nursing degree did not need. Your audit will name them; these are the common ones.
Check also whether your programme sets its own list on top of the state core. Some RN to BSN programmes name statistics or a specific humanities course. Those named courses must be met with the exact subject, not just any course in the area.
- A second composition course
- Statistics, often also a nursing prerequisite
- Social science such as sociology
- Humanities or philosophy
- The foreign language, which is separate from the 36 hours
Filling the gaps with online courses
Online courses can fill general education slots only after your university reviews them. UPI Study courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended and reach your university via a college transcript. The university decides which category each course fills, and some count a course as an elective instead.
Ask before you pay. Send the course outline and ask which general education area it would count for.
A course outline helps the reviewer. It shows the topics, the hours and the outcomes, which is what a transfer office compares against its own course. Ask for the decision by email and keep it.
| Gap on your audit | Course that may fit | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | English Composition 1 or 2 | 3 |
| Maths or statistics | Principles of Statistics | 3 |
| Social science | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Humanities | Principles of Philosophy | 3 |
A simple order of work
Get the audit, send your written question, wait for the answer, then study. Statistics first if your programme lists it as a prerequisite, then the remaining areas. Ask for an updated audit after each course posts.
Keep a simple list: each open area on your audit, the course you plan to use, the date you asked, and the written answer. When the credit posts, tick it off and ask for a new audit. Many nurses finish the remaining general education alongside the nursing courses rather than before them, but only do that if your programme's timing allows it; UCF, for example, wants general education done before the third semester.
What UPI Study cannot do here
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. We cannot change your degree audit, the 36-hour rule or your programme's own list. We do not offer Nutrition, Microbiology with lab or Human Growth and Development. Our part is the course and its ACE or NCCRS recommendation; the university's review is its own decision, so confirm in writing first.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your university's transfer or nursing advising office in writing whether two sequential 3-credit French courses meet its foreign language requirement 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 an A.A. from a Florida college cover the 36 hours?
Usually yes. Section 1007.25 sets the same 36 hours for the A.A., and universities normally treat a completed Florida A.A. as meeting general education. Confirm on your own degree audit.
Is the foreign language part of the 36 hours?
Not as a rule. The language is a separate requirement measured under s. 1007.262. Some courses may count in both places at some universities, so ask your advisor. Treat the language as its own line on your audit unless your advisor tells you otherwise in writing.
Can nursing courses count toward general education?
Science courses such as anatomy and physiology often do. Nursing major courses usually do not. Your degree audit shows where each course landed. If a science course you took for nursing does not appear under general education, ask the advisor why before you take a new course in that area.
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 Sociology
Self-paced online Introduction to Sociology course (Sociology 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
French 1, French 2 and Statistics are on PRO. Confirm with your university first.
Sources
- Florida Statutes s. 1007.25: General education courses; common prerequisites; other degree requirements (official)Subsection (10): a baccalaureate degree includes 36 semester hours of general education within a 120-hour cap; subsection (9)(a): the A.A. must include demonstrated foreign language competency. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- University of Central Florida: Nursing (RN to BSN) degree page (official)Two years of one foreign language in high school, or one year of one foreign language in college (or an equivalent proficiency exam), before the third BSN semester; 120 total credit hours; in-state tuition $212.28 per credit hour. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.