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.
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RN to BSN in North Dakota: the general education credits you can finish online
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
North Dakota RN to BSN programmes pair a short nursing core with the university's general education. UND's online RN to BSN is 30 nursing credits, plus all UND Essential Studies, 120 credits in total, 36 upper-division and 30 at UND. General education, such as statistics, composition and social science, is where online transfer credit is most often considered; the university decides.
How an RN to BSN is built
An RN to BSN takes a registered nurse with an associate degree or diploma to a bachelor's. The nursing part is short. At UND it is 30 credits of nursing coursework, which full-time students can take in about a year. The rest of the 120 credits comes from the associate degree, the RN licence credit a university grants, and general education.
Because of that, many nurses find the general education list decides how long the degree takes. A few missing courses can add a semester.
| UND RN to BSN rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Licence | Current, unencumbered RN licence |
| Nursing coursework | 30 credits at UND |
| Total credits | 120 |
| Upper division | 36 credits at 300 level or above |
| UND credits | 30 |
| Progression | 2.75 overall GPA each semester |
Common general education gaps
Statistics is the most common gap. Others are a second composition course, a humanities or arts course, a social science, and sometimes a communication or ethics course. North Dakota universities sort general education into categories, so check which category each missing course must fill.
UND lists its Essential Studies requirements, and NDSU's RN to BSN catalog lists 39 credits of general education in set categories. Minot State says students who have met all general education can finish in as few as two semesters.
- Statistics
- Second composition course
- Humanities or arts
- Social science
- Ethics or communication
Where online courses fit
General education is the part of an RN to BSN where online transfer credit is most often considered. Courses with ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations reach a transcript only when a college posts them. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, and Newlane is a third. North Dakota universities decide their own transfer credit.
Use the university's transfer database and its transfer requirements page, then ask the admissions or nursing office in writing about any course that is not listed.
Timing matters
UND considers RN to BSN applications received by 1 July for the following fall, and you must be admitted to UND before applying to the programme. If you plan to finish general education first, work back from that date. Some courses, such as statistics, may be allowed during the first semester; ask whether that applies to you.
Watch the residency rule too: 30 credits must be UND credits. Transfer credit fills other parts of the 120, not the 30.
What to send the university
Send official transcripts from every college you attended and a list of the general education courses you still need. Ask the university to confirm in writing which of your planned courses would fill which category. Keep the reply with your records, and check again if a year passes before you enrol.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
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.
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 long is the UND online RN to BSN?
UND says the nursing coursework is 30 credits. Students can finish the full-time track in about a year or the part-time track in about two years, provided their general education and other graduation requirements are complete.
Do I need statistics for an RN to BSN in North Dakota?
Many RN to BSN programmes list a statistics course. Check your university's prerequisites and ask whether it can be taken during the first semester or must be done before you start.
Can general education transfer from online providers?
Only once a college has posted the credit on a transcript, and only if the university agrees. Ask the university in writing which courses it would take and in which general education category.
Does my associate degree cover general education?
Often in part. Some North Dakota universities treat a completed associate general education programme from a regionally accredited college as meeting lower-division general education. Ask yours to confirm in writing.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
English Composition 1
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Introduction to 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 →Start when you have it in writing
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.
Sources
- University of North Dakota: RN to BSN Requirements (official)Current unencumbered RN licence; 30 credits of UND nursing coursework; all UND Essential Studies requirements; 120 credits to graduate, 36 upper division, 30 UND credits; 2.75 overall GPA for progression; applications by July 1 for fall. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- North Dakota Century Code chapter 43-12.1, Nurse Practices Act (official)43-12.1-09: licensure by examination needs an official transcript verifying completion of a board-approved nursing education programme and a board-approved examination. 43-12.1-17: the board sets standards for and approves in-state nursing education programmes. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.