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 →OhioNursing
RN to BSN in Ohio: the general education credits you can finish online
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Ohio RN to BSN programmes pair a short upper-level nursing core with the university's general education. Statistics, composition, social science and humanities are the courses nurses most often still need, and general education is where online transfer credit is most often considered. Each university decides what it takes, so ask it in writing before you enrol.
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 usually short and upper-level. The rest of the degree comes from the associate degree, any credit the university grants for the RN licence, and general education. Ohio community colleges and universities, including Columbus State, run RN to BSN completion programmes.
Because of that, many nurses find the general education list decides how long the degree takes. A few missing courses can add a semester.
The RN licence matters too. RN to BSN programmes expect a current, unencumbered Ohio RN licence, or one you will hold by a set point in the programme. Some admit new associate-degree graduates who are waiting to sit the NCLEX-RN, on condition that they pass by a deadline.
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 an ethics or communication course. Universities sort general education into categories, so check which category each missing course must fill.
Ohio's public colleges and universities share transfer agreements for many general education courses taken at Ohio public institutions. Courses from other providers are reviewed under each university's own transfer policy.
- 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. Ohio universities decide their own transfer credit.
Use the university's transfer database or transfer guide, then ask the admissions or nursing office in writing about any course that is not listed.
Keep the plan small and confirmed. Two or three courses that the university has agreed in writing to place in its general education categories are worth more than a long list taken on hope. Start with the course that unlocks the most, which is often statistics.
Timing matters
Many RN to BSN programmes let you take some general education alongside nursing courses, while others want it done before the final semester. Ask whether statistics, for example, is a prerequisite for a nursing research course. That one answer often decides the order of your plan.
Watch residency rules too. Universities usually require a set number of credits taken with them, and transfer credit cannot fill that part of the degree.
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.
If the university uses a transfer credit evaluation after admission rather than before, ask for an unofficial review of the specific courses you plan. Many advisers will give one if you send course descriptions, and that review is what lets you enrol with confidence.
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
Do I need statistics for an RN to BSN in Ohio?
Many RN to BSN programmes list a statistics course, often before a nursing research course. Check your university's requirements and ask whether it can be taken during the programme 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 under its transfer policy. 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. Ohio public colleges share transfer agreements for many general education courses, but the RN to BSN university decides how your courses fit its categories. Ask it 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
- Columbus State Community College: Registered Nurse (ADN) (official)Five-semester Associate of Applied Science in Nursing with traditional, blended and advanced standing pathways; LPNs, paramedics and military medics get credit by individual evaluation of previous coursework; graduates apply to take the NCLEX-RN and need Ohio Board of Nursing licensure. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Ohio Administrative Code 4723-5-12: Program policies (official)Programmes must have written policies on student admission, readmission and progression, and on the process for determining the credit granted for advanced standing; military education is reviewed for substantially equivalent credit. Effective 1 Feb 2022; authority ORC 4723.07; amplifies 4723.06. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.