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 →IowaNursing
RN to BSN in Iowa: the general education credits you can finish online
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
For an RN to BSN in Iowa, the University of Iowa lists three prerequisites, Composition II, Speech and Statistics, each with a C or higher, plus 12 credits of general education and 6 credits of electives before graduation. It allows these at a community college. Composition II and Statistics are courses to ask about; Speech must come from a college.
What the University of Iowa RN-BSN asks for
The prerequisite page lists, at matriculation:
- 3 credits of Composition II, C or higher.
- 3 credits of Speech or Public Speaking, C or higher.
- 3 credits of Statistics, C or higher.
- An ADN or diploma in nursing, and an active, unencumbered RN license by the end of the first semester.
General education before graduation
Beyond the prerequisites, the University of Iowa asks RN-BSN students to finish 12 credits of General Education Requirements and 6 credits of general education electives before they graduate. The 12 credits include Values and Society or Understanding Cultural Perspectives, Literary, Visual and Performing Arts, and International and Global Issues, plus one more course from those areas.
Because these come after admission, many nurses take them while working, which is where self-paced courses can help.
Matching UPI courses to the list
These are the courses worth asking about. The university decides the match:
| Requirement | Course to ask about | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Composition II | English Composition 2 | NCCRS-recommended |
| Statistics | Principles of Statistics | ACE- and NCCRS-recommended |
| Speech | None | Take at a college |
| Literary, Visual and Performing Arts | Art History 1 or American Literature | Ask which area it fits |
| Values and Society | Principles of Philosophy or Ethics in the Social Sciences | Ask which area it fits |
| General education electives | Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Psychology | Ask how they post |
How the credit gets there
The University of Iowa says you may finish prerequisites and general education at your local community college and points to its course equivalency guide on MyUI. For credit from other sources, ask the College of Nursing advisor how it would treat a transcript from a partner college. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Get the advisor's answer in writing for each course. Keep a table of the course, the requirement it should meet and the reply.
What online courses cannot do here
No outside course replaces the RN license, the ADN or diploma, or the nursing courses in the BSN itself. UPI Study has no Speech, Microbiology, Nutrition, Lifespan or Developmental Psychology, Organic Chemistry or Pharmacology course. The value is in general education: the composition, statistics and humanities courses that sit outside the nursing major.
A sensible order of work
Start with the three prerequisites, because they must be done with a C or higher by the time you start. Speech has to come from a college, so book it early at a community college. Composition II and Statistics are the two to ask the advisor about. Once you are admitted, plan the 12 general education credits and 6 elective credits across your terms so that none of them is left for the final semester.
Working nurses often take one general education course at a time alongside shifts. A self-paced course lets you study around rotating schedules, but only take it after the advisor has said in writing how it will be counted.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your nursing programme's admissions or transfer office in writing which courses it will count, at what grade and from which transcript, 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
what are the prerequisites for the university of iowa rn to bsn
Composition II, Speech or Public Speaking and Statistics, 3 credits each with a C or higher, plus an ADN or diploma and an RN license by the end of the first semester. General education credits are finished before graduation.
can i take rn to bsn general education at a community college in iowa
Yes. The University of Iowa RN-BSN page says you may complete all prerequisites and General Education Requirements at your local community college, and its course equivalency guide shows which courses transfer.
can i finish rn to bsn statistics online
Many nurses do, but the university decides what counts. Ask the College of Nursing advisor in writing whether a statistics course posted on your chosen college transcript meets the 3-credit prerequisite with a C or higher.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
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 →
Principles of Philosophy
Self-paced online Principles of Philosophy course (Philosophy 200). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Take only the courses your programme has agreed to in writing, then move them via a college transcript.
Sources
- Iowa Administrative Code 481 IAC chapter 616 (Nursing education programs) (official)The board approves nursing programs and sets curriculum standards (481 IAC 616.10); the program's final transcript lists courses accepted for transfer (616.12(4)); rules moved from 655 IAC chapter 2 to 481 IAC chapter 616 in June 2025 (ARC 9159C). No rule sets where a prerequisite must be taken. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- University of Iowa College of Nursing: RN-BSN Prerequisite Information (official)Prerequisites: Composition II, Speech/Public Speaking and Statistics (3 credits each) with C or higher; ADN or diploma and an RN license; 12 credits of General Education Requirements plus 6 credits of electives before graduation; prerequisites and general education may be completed at a community college. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.