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.
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Which North Dakota nursing programmes take online A&P labs? How to ask before you enrol
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
There is no single North Dakota answer. The Board of Nursing approves programmes but does not rule on where a prerequisite was taken, so each programme decides whether it takes an online A&P lab. Ask the nursing office in writing, naming the course, the lab format and the transcript it would arrive on, before you enrol.
Why the answer differs by programme
Under NDCC 43-12.1-17 the Board of Nursing approves programmes, and under 43-12.1-09 it licenses graduates of approved programmes who pass the exam. Neither section lists prerequisite courses or says how labs must be taken. Those choices sit with each programme's faculty and admissions office.
In practice, programmes differ on three things: whether they take transfer credit for lab sciences at all, whether an online or at-home lab is enough, and which kinds of college transcripts they review. A friend's experience at another programme does not tell you the answer for yours.
What North Dakota programmes list for A&P
NDSCS's LPN to RN degree lists Anatomy and Physiology I (BIOL 220, 3 credits) with a 1-credit lab (BIOL 220L), and Anatomy and Physiology II (BIOL 221, 3 credits) with a 1-credit lab (BIOL 221L), each needing a C or higher. NDSU's pre-licensure programme lists the same pair with labs, plus chemistry and microbiology.
Some programmes add a time limit. Bismarck State's catalog asks for A&P II within the last seven years. If your A&P is older, ask whether you must retake it.
| Course | Typical North Dakota code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A&P I | BIOL 220 | 3 |
| A&P I Lab | BIOL 220L | 1 |
| A&P II | BIOL 221 | 3 |
| A&P II Lab | BIOL 221L | 1 |
The email to send
Keep it to five lines. Name the programme and the term you plan to apply for. List each course you plan to take, with its provider, credit hours and whether the lab is online or in person. Say which college transcript the credit would appear on. Then ask one direct question: would the programme take each of these toward its prerequisites, and at what minimum grade?
Attach a syllabus if you have one. Programmes often look at lab hours and topics, so a syllabus that lists them helps the reviewer answer quickly.
- Programme and term
- Course, provider, credits, lab format
- Transcript it would appear on
- Minimum grade
- Syllabus attached
What UPI Study offers and does not
UPI Study offers Anatomy and Physiology I and II, each with a lab course. They carry an NCCRS credit recommendation, and credit reaches your record only when a college posts it via a college transcript. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, and Newlane is a third.
UPI Study has no Microbiology, Nutrition or Lifespan Development course, and it does not offer nursing courses or clinical hours. If your programme lists those, take them at a college or another provider the programme confirms in writing.
If the answer is no
Some programmes will say they want lab sciences from a college with in-person labs. That is a normal answer, not a closed door. North Dakota University System colleges offer A&P with labs in several formats, and many students take sciences there and general education online.
Ask the programme which local options it recommends. Then use online courses where the programme says they fit, such as statistics, psychology or composition.
Keep the answer
Save the programme's reply with your application records. If staff change or rules shift before you apply, a written answer with a date shows what you were told. Ask again if more than a year passes before you apply, because catalogs change each year.
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
Does the Board of Nursing approve online labs?
The Board approves nursing programmes, not individual prerequisite courses. Whether an online A&P lab counts is the programme's decision, so ask the programme's nursing office in writing before you take the course.
Do North Dakota programmes need a C in A&P?
Many do. NDSCS's LPN to RN asks for a C or higher in every prerequisite, and some programmes set higher GPA floors for prerequisites. Check your programme's catalog for its exact rule.
Can I take A&P lecture online and the lab in person?
Some students do, if the programme allows it. Ask whether the programme takes the lecture and lab from different providers, and whether both need to be on the same transcript.
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 →
Anatomy and Physiology 2
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 →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
- 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.
- NDSCS catalog: Registered Nursing (LPN to RN) AAS (official)Active LPN licence; C or higher in prerequisites; cumulative GPA 2.25; selection exam if under two years of LPN experience; prerequisites BIOL 220/220L, BIOL 221/221L, MICR 202/202L, NUTR 240, PSYC 250 and an English/communication elective, plus 14 LPN transfer credits (35 total); 61 credits in all; at least 16 of the final 24 credits at NDSCS; no time limit stated on the page. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.