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 →LouisianaNursing
RN to BSN in Louisiana: the general education credits you can finish online
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
An RN to BSN in Louisiana builds on your associate degree or diploma with nursing courses plus general education. LSU Health New Orleans runs a one-year RN to BSN for nurses with an unencumbered Louisiana licence, where the nursing diploma or degree covers the pre-nursing courses. Other programmes leave more general education to transfer credit, so ask each one for a written transcript review first.
How an RN to BSN is put together
An RN to BSN takes the credit from your nursing diploma or associate degree, adds upper-level nursing courses, and fills any gaps in general education and electives until you reach the degree total. General education is the part where outside credit is most often considered, because the nursing courses themselves are taken at the university.
Under the board's rule, LAC 46:XLVII.3517, placement by previous education must be consistent with the parent institution. In practice that means each university's own transfer rules decide what your earlier credit counts for.
LSU Health New Orleans RN to BSN at a glance
From its School of Nursing pages, checked 2026-11-15:
| Item | LSU Health New Orleans RN to BSN |
|---|---|
| Length | One year |
| Who it is for | RNs with an associate degree or diploma in nursing |
| Licence | Unencumbered licence to practise in Louisiana |
| Pre-nursing courses | Met by the nursing associate degree or diploma |
| General education | Required courses delivered within the programme |
| Admission terms | Fall, spring and summer |
| Sites | New Orleans and Shreveport |
Where general education credit fits
At LSU Health New Orleans, the general education is part of the RN-only coursework, so outside credit plays a smaller role. Other Louisiana universities with RN to BSN options may ask you to bring general education in by transfer. If yours does, those are the slots where outside credit may help.
Plan any outside courses early, before you start the final nursing courses, and get each university's answer in writing. Ask, too, whether the university caps transfer or examination credit; LSU Health New Orleans, for its traditional BSN, recognises up to nine combined hours of AP and CLEP.
General education courses to ask about
Bring this list to the transcript review and ask which, if any, would fill a gap:
- Principles of Statistics (statistics or quantitative reasoning).
- English Composition I and II.
- Introduction to Psychology and Introduction to Sociology (social science).
- Principles of Philosophy or Ethics in the Social Sciences (humanities).
- US History I (history or social science).
How the credit reaches the university
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. Its courses carry ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations and reach a university only via a college transcript. 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.
Ask the university in writing whether it counts courses from that transcript, and for which general education areas. LSU Health New Orleans, for example, asks applicants for transcripts from all regionally accredited colleges they attended, so ask how a partner college's transcript would be read.
Cost comparison
On UPI Study PRO at $99 a month, every course is included; finishing four 3-credit general education courses in two to three months costs about $198-$297, before the transcript college's fee. Sophia Learning's monthly plan is also $99 a month. Either saving only counts if your university agrees in writing to count the credit, and a nursing employer's tuition benefit may change the sums.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your nursing programme's admissions office in writing which courses it will count, at what grade and from which college 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
how long is an rn to bsn in louisiana
It depends on the programme and how much credit you bring. LSU Health New Orleans describes its RN to BSN as a one-year program for RNs with an associate degree or diploma in nursing, admitting in fall, spring and summer.
can i transfer general education credit into a louisiana rn to bsn
Often, but each university decides under its own transfer rules. Ask for a written transcript review before you take outside courses, name the college transcript the credit will be on, and keep the reply.
do i need a louisiana licence for the lsu health rn to bsn
Yes. LSU Health New Orleans asks for an unencumbered licence to practise nursing in Louisiana, plus an associate degree or diploma in nursing from an accredited college or university. That nursing degree or diploma fulfils its pre-nursing courses. Check the programme page for the current rules before you apply, because terms and sites can change.
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
College Algebra, English Composition I, Chemistry, Psychology and A&P with labs, once your programme agrees in writing to count them.
Sources
- LAC 46:XLVII.3517 and 3521, Louisiana State Board of Nursing: student policies and curriculum for nursing education degree programs (official)Section 3517: admission standards for undergraduate and graduate nursing education degree programs are established and published by the program with faculty involvement; placement by examinations, previous education, or both, must be consistent with the parent institution; progression and transfer policies are set by the program. Section 3521: the undergraduate curriculum includes content from the behavioral, biological, mathematical, nursing and physical sciences; simulated laboratory experiences may count as classroom or clinical hours. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing: Traditional BSN admission criteria (official)37 hours of prerequisite courses; 16 must be complete by the deadline: College Algebra 3, English Composition I 3, General Biology and Lab for Science Majors 4, General Chemistry 3, General Psychology 3. Minimum 3.0 GPA on prerequisites; B- or better in science prerequisites (Biology lecture and lab, Microbiology, Chemistry); C- or better in non-science. General education courses may be taken at any accredited college or university; official transcripts from all regionally accredited colleges attended. Up to nine combined hours of AP and CLEP and up to nine hours of advanced standing credit. A failed prerequisite may be repeated once. HESI A2 with 80 percent cumulative, score no more than one year old. Fall 2027 NursingCAS application opens 1 December 2026; deadline 31 March 2027. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing: RN to BSN (official)One-year program for RNs with an associate degree or diploma in nursing; coursework includes required general education and nursing courses delivered for RNs only; an unencumbered Louisiana licence; an associate degree or diploma in nursing from any accredited college fulfils the required pre-nursing courses; admits fall, spring and summer; offered in New Orleans and at the Shreveport site. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.