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 →MassachusettsNursing
LPN to RN in Massachusetts: prerequisite checklist and time limits
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
LPN to RN prerequisites in Massachusetts are set by each programme. Expect A&P I and II with labs, Microbiology, Statistics, Psychology and English, with grade minimums and a 10-year science limit at schools such as UMass Boston and Bunker Hill. Tick each item against your school's sheet and ask in writing before taking any course online.
Who sets the rules
The Board of Registration in Nursing licenses nurses and approves nursing education programmes under 244 CMR 6.00. It does not publish a prerequisite list. Each community college and university decides what an LPN must complete before an RN programme, including any advanced-placement or bridge route.
Prerequisite checklist
Use this as a working list and check each line against your programme's current sheet.
- Anatomy and Physiology I with lab
- Anatomy and Physiology II with lab
- Microbiology with lab (not offered by UPI Study)
- Statistics or college math
- Introduction to Psychology or Sociology
- English Composition
- Human Growth and Development and Nutrition on some lists (not offered by UPI Study)
Time limits and grades at two Massachusetts schools
LPNs often took A&P years ago, so the time limit is the first thing to check.
| School | Time limit | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| UMass Boston (accelerated BSN) | A&P I, A&P II, Microbiology within the last 10 years | C+ for 2027 intakes; B from spring 2028 |
| Bunker Hill Community College (RN) | A&P I and Lab within 10 years of the application deadline | C or higher |
| Other programmes | Set by each school | Check the current sheet |
Timing: finish before the deadline
UMass Boston says prerequisites must be completed by the application deadline, with nothing in progress, and its deadlines are 1 May for fall, 1 September for spring and 1 February for summer. Work backwards from the deadline: time for the school to answer your email, time for each course, and time for transcripts to arrive.
Take sciences one or two at a time so the grade stays strong. A C+ or B minimum leaves little room, and a retake costs a term.
Questions an LPN should ask before planning
LPNs often have older coursework and a licence that some programmes treat as advanced standing. Both can change what you need, so ask before you retake anything. Put the questions in one email to the nursing admissions office and keep the reply.
- Does my LPN licence give advanced placement, and which courses does it replace?
- Are my old A&P credits inside the time limit for my intake term?
- Will the school review recommended credit for Statistics or Psychology via a college transcript?
- Is there a separate LPN-to-RN application deadline?
Where online courses can fit
If your programme agrees in writing, an LPN could use UPI Study's Statistics and Introduction to Psychology, and its A&P I and II with separate labs where the school allows a split lecture and lab. A&P is NCCRS-recommended only. Where the school wants lecture and lab as one course, take A&P at a college; Bunker Hill lists $289 per credit for residents for 2026-27.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your Massachusetts nursing programme's admissions office in writing whether each named UPI Study course, including a separate online lab, would meet a listed prerequisite via a 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
is there a 10 year limit on a&p for lpn to rn in massachusetts
At UMass Boston and Bunker Hill, yes: A&P must be within 10 years, at Bunker Hill counted from the application deadline. Other programmes set their own rule. Ask admissions whether an LPN licence changes anything before you retake a course.
can i apply with prerequisites still in progress
Not at UMass Boston's accelerated programme, which says coursework cannot be in progress at the deadline. Other schools may allow it. Read the current sheet for your intake and plan to finish early.
what grade do lpns need in prerequisites in massachusetts
Bunker Hill asks for a C or higher. UMass Boston's accelerated BSN asks for C+ in the lab sciences for 2027 intakes and B from spring 2028. Each programme sets its own minimum, so check the sheet for your term.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Anatomy and Physiology 2 Lab
Self-paced online Anatomy and Physiology 2 Lab course (Biology 212L). NCCRS recommends 2 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
Ask your programme in writing first, then take the courses it agrees to at your own pace.
Sources
- 244 CMR 6.00: Approval of nursing education programs, standards and procedures (official)244 CMR 6.00, under M.G.L. c. 112, s. 81C, sets the criteria a nursing education programme must meet to obtain and keep Board approval; it covers programmes, not individual prerequisite courses. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- UMass Boston: Accelerated Nursing Program (official)A&P I, A&P II and Microbiology at 4 credits each, with lab, within 10 years, C+ or higher for summer and fall 2027 and B or higher from spring 2028; lecture and lab must be taken together, not through separate courses or institutions; no pass/fail; prerequisite GPA 3.3, cumulative 3.0; CLEP and IB cannot be used. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Bunker Hill Community College: Nursing Selective Program Info (official)BIO-203 Anatomy/Physiology I and Lab must be taken within 10 years of the application deadline; prerequisite grades must be C or higher. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Bunker Hill Community College: Cost of Attendance (official)Massachusetts residents pay $289 per credit for fall 2026 and spring 2027 ($24 tuition, $235 course fees, $10 technology fee, $20 Bulldog Books+). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.