Anatomy and Physiology I
Self-paced online Anatomy and Physiology I course (Biology 211). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →MassachusettsNursing
Which Massachusetts nursing programmes take online A&P labs? How to ask before you enrol
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Massachusetts nursing programmes decide for themselves whether an online A&P lab counts. UMass Boston's accelerated BSN says lecture and lab must be taken together, not through separate courses or institutions, which rules out a split online lecture and lab there. Ask each programme in writing, naming the exact course and lab, before you enrol.
The clearest rule in the state: UMass Boston
UMass Boston's accelerated nursing page sets A&P I, A&P II and Microbiology at 4 credits each, with lab, within the last 10 years. It also says the lecture and lab must be taken together and cannot be taken through separate courses or institutions.
That rule is about format, not about online learning as such. A 4-credit lecture-and-lab course from one college could meet it whether taught online or not, if the school's equivalency review agrees. A lecture from one provider and a lab from another, or two separate courses, would not.
What community colleges ask
Bunker Hill Community College lists BIO-203 Anatomy/Physiology I and Lab as one course, to be taken within 10 years of the application deadline, with a C or higher. Other Massachusetts community colleges publish their own sheets, and some do not say anything about online labs. When a sheet is silent, the admissions office still decides, so the question has to go to them.
How UPI Study's A&P is built, so you can ask the right question
UPI Study sells A&P I and A&P II as 3-credit lecture courses and the matching labs as separate 2-credit online courses. A&P carries an NCCRS recommendation only. Knowing this before you write saves a round of emails.
- Lecture and lab are two courses, not one 4-credit course
- Recommendation: NCCRS only for A&P
- Credit would reach the school via a college transcript
- Not a fit where lecture and lab must be one course from one place
The email to send admissions
Write to the nursing admissions office for the intake term you want. Quote their prerequisite word for word, say the lecture and lab are separate NCCRS-recommended courses (3 and 2 credits), give the course links, and ask whether the pair, on a college transcript, would meet that prerequisite. Ask for a yes or no in writing and keep the thread with your application papers.
If the answer is no, take A&P at a college. Bunker Hill lists $289 per credit for Massachusetts residents for fall 2026 and spring 2027, and the course sits on a college transcript from the start.
Checklist before you choose an A&P route
Work through these points for each programme on your list. If any answer is unclear, treat it as a no until admissions puts a yes in writing. Students applying to more than one Massachusetts school should plan for the strictest rule, because a course taken for one school may then be useless for another.
- Does the programme require lecture and lab as one course from one institution?
- How many credits must each science carry: 4, or will 3 plus a separate lab count?
- What is the grade minimum for your intake term, and is pass/fail allowed?
- How old can the course be, and is the limit counted from the deadline or the start date?
- Does the school review recommended credit via a college transcript, and who decides?
Where online courses are less of a question
Statistics and Intro Psychology have no lab, so only the credit question matters. UMass Boston lists both, at a C or higher. If your programme will not consider recommended credit for A&P, it may still look at it for these courses, so ask about each course separately.
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
can i split the a&p lecture and lab for umass boston nursing
No for the accelerated programme. Its page says lecture and lab must be taken together and cannot be taken through separate courses or institutions. Take A&P as one lecture-and-lab course from one college if you are aiming for that programme.
what grade do i need in a&p for umass boston accelerated nursing
A C+ or higher for summer and fall 2027 intakes, and a B or higher from spring 2028. The course must include a lab and be within the last 10 years. Pass/fail grades are not used for prerequisites.
what if a massachusetts programme says it reviews courses only after i apply
Plan as if the answer is no. Take the science at a college and use online options only for courses the school has agreed to in writing. That keeps your application complete by the deadline.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Anatomy and Physiology I Lab
Self-paced online Anatomy and Physiology I Lab course (Biology 211L). NCCRS recommends 2 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
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 →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.