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 →MontanaNursing
RN to BSN in Montana: the general education credits you can finish online
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
RN to BSN Montana general education usually covers Writing, Statistics, Psychology, Sociology and humanities, plus sciences most RNs already have. MSU-Northern's online RN-BSN asks for a 2.50 GPA and a Montana RN licence, and evaluates every transcript for credit. These are the courses where recommended credit is most often considered, so ask your programme in writing first.
Why general education is the gap
Most Montana registered nurses who start an RN-to-BSN already hold A&P and Microbiology from their associate degree. What is often missing is the general education a bachelor's degree adds: a second writing course, statistics, sociology, humanities and electives. The Board of Nursing approves programmes under MCA 37-8-301, but each university decides how transfer and general education credit count.
What MSU-Northern asks for
MSU-Northern runs an online RN-BSN completion programme. Its application packet sets out:
| Item | What MSU-Northern says | UPI Study option |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Montana RN licence, or an NCLEX-RN exam date for new ASN graduates | None |
| GPA | 2.50 cumulative | Recommended credit may arrive without a grade; ask |
| Transcripts | Official transcripts from every college, evaluated for credit and articulation | Via a college transcript only |
| Timing | Applications year-round; 5 years to finish | Self-paced courses fit around shifts |
| Delivery | Online, with 2 clinical credits in your own area | No clinical hours |
Courses RNs often still need
Statistics is the most common gap; MSU lists STAT 216 for its BSN, and many RN-BSN plans include a statistics course. Writing II, Sociology and a humanities elective often follow. MSU-Northern includes in its review general education taken within 15 years, and may consider older work, so check the dates on your associate degree transcript.
UPI Study's Principles of Statistics, Introduction to Psychology and Introduction to Sociology are ACE-recommended and NCCRS-recommended; English Composition 1 and 2 and College Algebra are NCCRS-recommended. UPI Study does not offer Microbiology with lab, Nutrition, Lifespan Development, Organic Chemistry or Pharmacology. Courses such as Nutrition or Developmental Psychology would need to come from a college.
- Statistics: often the first gap on an RN-BSN plan.
- Writing II: often missing from older ASN plans.
- Sociology: a common social science requirement.
- Humanities: check your programme's degree map.
How to ask your BSN programme
Email the RN-to-BSN department with the exact course names, credits and recommendation for each course you plan to take. Ask whether each would meet a named requirement via a college transcript, whether a letter grade is needed for the 2.50 GPA, and whether there is a limit on such credits. Ask for the answer in writing and keep it.
The credit reaches your programme via a college transcript. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; a partner college can review your courses and, if it grants credit, list them on its transcript.
Cost and time
PRO is $99 a month, and many working nurses finish two or three general education courses in a month or two at their own pace. Add the college's fee for reviewing and recording the credit. A Montana college course costs more per credit but arrives with a letter grade on a college transcript. MSU-Northern gives up to 5 years to finish, so there is room to plan. Compare both once your programme has told you in writing what it will count.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your Montana 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, and how it would count in the admission GPA, 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 do an rn to bsn online in montana
Yes. MSU-Northern runs an RN-BSN completion programme with coursework fully online and 2 clinical credits done in your own area. It asks for a 2.50 GPA and a Montana RN licence or NCLEX date, takes applications all year and allows up to 5 years to finish.
what gpa do i need for msu northern rn to bsn
MSU-Northern's application lists a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher, a copy of your Montana RN licence or your NCLEX-RN exam date, and official transcripts from every college. Ask how credit without a letter grade would affect the GPA before you rely on it.
how old can my general education be for a montana rn to bsn
MSU-Northern includes in its review general education taken within 15 years of admission and may consider older work at its discretion. Other Montana programmes set their own limits, so ask yours in writing if your courses are older.
which rn to bsn courses does upi study not offer
UPI Study does not offer Microbiology with lab, Nutrition, Lifespan Development, Organic Chemistry or Pharmacology. If your BSN plan lists Nutrition or Developmental Psychology, take it at a college. Statistics, Psychology, Sociology and Composition are available.
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
Ask your programme in writing first, then take only the courses it agrees to consider.
Sources
- Montana Code Annotated 2025, 37-8-301: Nursing education programs, application for approval (official)An institution that wants to run a nursing education programme applies to the department with evidence it complies with the chapter and the board's rules; the board adopts rules on the conduct of nursing education programmes. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Montana State University College of Nursing: Traditional BSN (official)3.0 GPA in prerequisite courses; C- or better; no more than two retakes (a W counts); three of five sciences done by application, including A&P I; prerequisites completed within the last 15 years; prerequisites from a regionally accredited institution; all pre-nursing coursework can be done elsewhere; list includes A&P I and II with lab, Microbiology with lab, General Chemistry with lab, Organic and Biochemistry with lab, Lifespan or Developmental Psychology, Human Nutrition, Statistics, College Algebra, Writing I and II. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- MSU-Northern: RN-BSN Online Completion Program application (2025) (official)Applications year-round; 2.50 cumulative GPA; Montana RN licence or NCLEX-RN exam date; official transcripts evaluated for credit and articulation; 5 years to finish. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.