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 →OregonNursing
LPN to RN in Oregon: prerequisite checklist and time limits
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
An Oregon LPN moving to RN usually needs the same prerequisites as any applicant: A&P with lab, Microbiology, Nutrition, human development, writing and math, with sciences inside a 7-year limit at OHSU and PCC. Check your programme's own list and dates, and confirm in writing before using online courses.
The prerequisite checklist
This list combines what OHSU and PCC publish. Your programme's list is the one that counts; tick each line against it.
- Anatomy and physiology with lab covering all body systems (OHSU: 12 quarter / 8 semester credits).
- Microbiology with lab.
- Nutrition.
- Human development across the lifespan.
- English Composition I and II.
- Math 95 (intermediate algebra) or higher.
- Social science electives.
The 7-year limit, worked through
OHSU says A&P, Microbiology and Nutrition must be taken no more than seven years before your intended start date; a waiver form exists. PCC applies a 7-year expiry to its sciences, Nutrition, Human Development and MTH 95, and names 2020 as the oldest year for the 2027 application.
LPNs often finished A&P for their practical nursing programme years ago. Count back from the start date of the RN programme you want, not from today.
If you are unsure which date a programme counts from, ask it in writing: some count from the application deadline, some from the start of the first nursing term.
| Programme start | Oldest science year (7-year rule) |
|---|---|
| Fall 2027 (PCC 2027 application) | 2020 |
| Fall 2028 | about 2021 |
| Fall 2029 | about 2022 |
Grades and GPA
OHSU asks for a C- or better in each prerequisite and a 3.0 prerequisite GPA. PCC asks for a C or higher in each and a 3.0 prerequisite GPA, using the most recent grade when you repeat a course. OHSU notes A&P can be taken only twice in seven years.
Deadlines that shape your plan
PCC wants 30 of its 45 prerequisite credits, including A&P I and the math course, done by the end of its fall term. OHSU asks for prerequisites done by the end of fall term for Ashland, Monmouth and Portland and by the end of winter term for Klamath Falls and La Grande. Leave time for transcripts to arrive.
Planning the order of courses
Because the 7-year clock runs on the sciences, the order you take courses in matters. If your A&P is close to expiring, retaking it last keeps it fresh for longer, but it also puts the hardest course right before the deadline. Many applicants take the writing, psychology and math courses first, then A&P, then Microbiology and Nutrition, so each science is recent when the application is reviewed.
Write the plan on one page with the programme start term at the top and each course's latest acceptable year beside it. Check it against the programme's own list every term, because prerequisite pages change between application cycles.
- Non-science courses first: writing, psychology, math.
- A&P with lab next, inside the 7-year window.
- Microbiology and Nutrition at a college, close to applying.
- Transcripts sent well before the deadline.
Where online courses fit for an LPN
If your A&P is out of date, ask the programme in writing whether it reviews an ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended A&P course and online lab, sent via a college transcript. If it says no, take A&P at a community college and use online courses for writing, psychology or statistics where the programme agrees. UPI Study does not offer Microbiology, Nutrition or Lifespan Development, and no course of ours provides clinical hours or affects your LPN or RN licence status with the board.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Email your nursing programme's admissions office and ask, in writing, whether it will review an ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended course, and an online lab, for the exact prerequisite 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 my LPN programme A&P still count for RN school in Oregon?
Only if it is inside the programme's time limit. OHSU and PCC both use a 7-year limit on sciences, counted to the programme start or application year. If yours is older, ask about a waiver or plan to retake it.
Is there an LPN to RN bridge in Oregon?
Programmes differ, and some give credit for LPN coursework. Ask the specific programme what it offers to licensed practical nurses and which prerequisites still apply, and get that answer in writing.
How many times can I take A&P for OHSU?
OHSU's admissions information says A&P can be taken only twice in seven years and that it uses the most recent grade if you retake it. Check the current page for your application year.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Anatomy and Physiology 2 Lab
Self-paced online Anatomy and Physiology 2 Lab course (Biology 212L). NCCRS recommends 2 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
Ask your programme in writing first, then take only the courses it said it will review.
Sources
- OHSU School of Nursing: 3-year B.S. in Nursing classes and requirements (official)28 quarter / 19 semester prerequisite credits: A&P with lab 12 qtr, Microbiology with lab 4, Nutrition 3, lifespan development 3, writing 6; sciences within 7 years; C- or better; 3.0 GPA; any accredited college. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Portland Community College: Nursing prerequisites (official)45 prerequisite credits incl. A&P I-III, Microbiology, Nutrition, Human Development, WR 121Z/122Z; 30 by end of fall term; 7-year limit (2020 for the 2027 application); C or higher; 3.0 GPA. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.