Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
North Dakota nursing prerequisites are set by each nursing programme, not by the Board of Nursing. The Board approves programmes under NDCC 43-12.1-17 and licenses graduates who pass the exam. Programmes typically ask for Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs, Microbiology with lab, Nutrition, Developmental Psychology and English, usually at C or better. Each programme decides what transfer credit it takes.
Under NDCC 43-12.1-17 the North Dakota Board of Nursing approves nursing education programmes, and under NDCC 43-12.1-09 an RN or LPN applicant needs an official transcript from a board-approved programme and a passing exam; prerequisite courses, grades and transfer credit are set by each programme.
The rule asks for Programme-set; NDSCS LPN to RN lists 21 credits of prerequisite and general education courses plus 14 LPN transfer credits, C or better. The legal source is NDCC 43-12.1-17.
| Who | What they decide | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ND Board of Nursing | Approves nursing programmes; licenses graduates of board-approved programmes who pass the exam (NDCC 43-12.1-09, 43-12.1-17) | [1] |
| NDSCS LPN to RN | LPN licence, C or higher in prerequisites, 2.25 GPA; A&P I and II with labs, Microbiology with lab, Nutrition, Developmental Psychology, English | [2] |
| UND RN to BSN | RN licence; 30 nursing credits; all Essential Studies; 120 credits, 36 upper division, 30 at UND | [3] |
| Transfer credit | Each programme or university decides; ask in writing | s2, s3 |
North Dakota Board of Nursing (programme approval and licensure); each North Dakota nursing programme (prerequisites and transfer credit) decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Each nursing programme sets its own prerequisite list, its own time limits for science courses and its own rule on which credits it takes. Read the programme's published list first and ask its admissions office in writing before you enrol in any course.
UPI Study does not yet offer Microbiology with lab, Nutrition or Lifespan Development. Our courses carry no clinical hours, and they do not clear a deficiency for a board of nursing.
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of North Dakota Board of Nursing (programme approval and licensure); each North Dakota nursing programme (prerequisites and transfer credit).
A&P I appears on almost every North Dakota prerequisite list; ask whether the programme takes it.
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 →
The lab that goes with A&P I; online labs are the most common question.
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 →
A&P II, also on almost every list.
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 →
Statistics is common in RN to BSN general education.
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 →
Often a general education psychology course; it does not replace Developmental Psychology.
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
The English requirement on most lists.
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; Newlane is a third. North Dakota nursing programmes decide their own transfer credit. Ask the programme in writing before you enrol.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study PRO | $99 a month, every course | $99 for each month you are subscribed; take as many courses as you finish in that time | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month, or $799 a year | General education only, such as statistics or psychology; about $99-$198 a course | 15 Nov 2026 |
| StraighterLine | $99 a month plus $79 a course | About $178-$277 a course over 1-2 months | 15 Nov 2026 |
Many nursing programmes prefer lab sciences taken at a college, so price the local college's A&P and Microbiology too, and ask the programme which it prefers before you pay for anything.
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.
Email the nursing programme and ask in writing whether it would take each course you plan, from the transcript you would send, before you enrol.
The North Dakota Board of Nursing approves nursing education programmes under NDCC 43-12.1-17 and licenses nurses under NDCC 43-12.1-09. To sit for the licensing exam, an applicant needs an official transcript showing completion of a board-approved programme. The Board does not publish a list of prerequisite courses for every programme.
Prerequisites, grade minimums, time limits and transfer rules belong to each programme. That is why two North Dakota programmes can ask for different courses, and why the first step is always to read your own programme's catalog and ask it in writing.
NDSCS's LPN to RN degree is a good example. It lists Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs, Concepts of Microbiology with lab, Principles of Nutrition, Developmental Psychology and an English or communication elective, with a C or higher in each and a cumulative GPA of 2.25. Other programmes add chemistry, statistics or pharmacology, and some set time limits on sciences, such as seven years for A&P.
RN to BSN programmes look different. UND's online RN to BSN is 30 credits of nursing coursework, but students must also complete UND's Essential Studies, reach 120 credits, and take 36 upper-division and 30 UND credits. General education is where students most often have room to choose.
Online general education, such as statistics, composition and introductory psychology, is the area programmes most often consider. Lab sciences are where programmes are strictest; some want them from a college transcript with in-person labs. Ask before you pay.
UPI Study has no Microbiology, Nutrition or Lifespan Development course, so those must come from another provider. UPI Study cannot provide nursing courses or clinical hours. Its A&P courses carry an NCCRS credit recommendation, and any credit reaches your record only when a college posts it via a college transcript.
Each programme sets its own. Common lists include A&P I and II with labs, Microbiology with lab, Nutrition, Developmental Psychology and English, usually with a C or better. Read your programme's current catalog and confirm with its nursing office.
No. The Board approves nursing programmes and licenses graduates who pass the exam. Each programme decides its prerequisites and which transfer credit it takes, so ask the programme in writing.
Some programmes consider online A&P and labs and some do not. Ask the programme in writing whether it would take the specific course and lab you plan, from the transcript you would send, before you enrol.
Some programmes set time limits; for example, Bismarck State's catalog asks for A&P II within seven years. NDSCS's LPN to RN page does not state one. Check your programme's rule before relying on older courses.
No. UPI Study has no Microbiology, Nutrition or Lifespan Development course, and it does not offer nursing courses or clinical hours. Take those at a college or another provider your programme confirms in writing.
It varies. NDSCS's LPN to RN asks for a C or higher in prerequisites and a 2.25 cumulative GPA. UND's RN to BSN needs a 2.75 overall GPA to progress each semester. Check your own programme.
Take statistics, psychology, composition and A&P with ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations, moved via a college transcript, after your programme confirms in writing what it will take.