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 →New MexicoNursing
RN to BSN in New Mexico: the general education credits you can finish online
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
An RN to BSN in New Mexico usually means finishing the general education an associate degree left out. The NMNEC BSN lists 55 non-nursing credits within 120, against 26 to 29 for the ADN. The gap is often statistics, humanities, fine arts, a second composition course and electives, which nurses ask about taking online.
Why there is a gap
New Mexico's NMNEC curriculum builds the ADN and the BSN from the same nursing courses. The difference is mostly outside nursing. The ADN lists 26 to 29 credits of prerequisites and general education; the BSN lists 55. A nurse with an ADN has already taken much of the science list, so the remaining gap is mostly general education.
Several schools run co-enrolled programmes in which an ADN student at a community college is also enrolled at a university, which shortens the step to the BSN.
Where the credits differ
Comparing the two NMNEC lists shows where the extra credits sit.
| Area | ADN | BSN |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 3 | 6 |
| Math and statistics | Math or Humanities, 3 | Math 3 + Statistics 3 |
| Humanities and fine arts | Part of the 3 above | Humanities 3 + Creative and Fine Arts 3 |
| Sciences | Biology or Chemistry, 4 | Biology 4 + Chemistry 4 + Microbiology 4 + Nutrition 3 |
| Flexible | Only if the school requires it | 6 |
Courses nurses often finish online
General education is where online credit is most often considered. UPI Study's courses carry ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations, and the ones below match common BSN slots. Whether your university counts any of them is its decision, so ask before you enrol.
Sciences such as Microbiology and Nutrition are another matter. UPI Study does not offer them, and many universities want them from a college transcript.
- Statistics: Principles of Statistics.
- Communications: English Composition 2.
- Humanities: Principles of Philosophy or Humanities: Critical Thinking and Analysis.
- Creative and fine arts: Art History 1.
Ask the university first
Each New Mexico university runs its own RN to BSN admissions and transfer review. UNM, NMSU and Western New Mexico University all teach the NMNEC curriculum, but each decides how outside credit counts. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, and some nurses finish general education through a college like that before transferring. Ask your university in writing whether credit posted that way counts toward its BSN, and how much outside credit it allows.
- Which general education slots are still open on my evaluation?
- Will you count credit posted by a college from ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses?
- Is there a limit on outside or transfer credit?
Pacing it around shifts
Working nurses rarely have a fixed timetable. Self-paced general education lets you study on days off and finish a course in a few weeks rather than a full term. Start with the courses your university confirms in writing, and keep a simple record of what you have finished and what is still open.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Email the nursing programme you will apply to and ask in writing whether it counts each course, and each online lab, before you enrol; keep the reply with your application.
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 many credits is a BSN in New Mexico?
The NMNEC programs of study list a minimum of 120 credits for the BSN, 65 of them NMNEC nursing credits and 55 non-nursing credits. The ADN lists 66 to 73 credits. Your university's own catalogue sets the exact total, so check it before you plan your remaining courses.
Can I take general education online for an RN to BSN?
Often, but your university decides. General education such as statistics, composition and humanities is where online credit is most often considered. Ask the university in writing whether it counts credit posted by a college from ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, and how much outside credit it allows.
Does UPI Study offer Microbiology or Nutrition?
No. We do not offer Microbiology, Nutrition, Pathophysiology, Lifespan or Developmental Psychology, Organic Chemistry or Pharmacology. Those come from a college. We offer general education courses such as statistics, composition, philosophy and art history, and your university decides whether it counts them.
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 →
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
Ask your nursing programme in writing first, then take only the courses it confirms, at your own pace.
Sources
- NMNEC: Programs of study (ADN and BSN) (official)ADN prerequisites/co-requisites: Biology or Chemistry with lab (4), Anatomy and Physiology (6), Pathophysiology (4), Communications (3), Psychology (3), Lifespan (3), Math or Humanities/Fine Arts (3); 26-29 credits; ADN total 66-73. BSN: Biology with lab (4), Chemistry with lab (4), Microbiology (4), A&P (6), Pathophysiology (4), Nutrition (3), Communications (6), Psychology (3), Math (3), Statistics (3), Lifespan (3), Humanities (3), Creative and Fine Arts (3), Flexible (6); 55 credits; BSN total 120 (65 NMNEC nursing). No science time limit or place-of-study rule stated. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- NMNEC: Program locations (official)12 programmes: CNM, Luna, Mesalands, Navajo Technical University, NMSU, San Juan College, Santa Fe Community College, UNM Albuquerque, Gallup, Taos and Valencia, and Western New Mexico University; 9 ADN, 3 BSN and 5 co-enrolled ADN-BSN programmes. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.