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 →OregonNursing
RN to BSN in Oregon: the general education credits you can finish online
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
An Oregon RN finishing a BSN usually needs general education beyond the nursing courses: statistics, composition, social science and humanities. This is where ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit is most often reviewed. The BSN programme decides, so ask it for a written evaluation before you take anything.
Why general education is the gap
An associate degree in nursing focuses on nursing science and clinical work. A bachelor's degree adds general education and upper-level nursing courses. When an Oregon RN applies to a degree completion programme, the nursing licence and ADN usually cover the clinical side, and the remaining gap is often in statistics, writing, humanities and social science.
PCC's nursing prerequisites already point in this direction: they note that students who plan to move on to OHSU take Statistics, STAT 243Z, with a grade better than C-.
The exact gap depends on where your ADN was earned and how many general education courses it already included, which is why the first step is always an evaluation rather than a course purchase.
Courses that usually fill BSN general education
Every programme sets its own categories. These are common, and each is a UPI Study course included in PRO.
- Principles of Statistics.
- English Composition 1 and 2.
- Introduction to Psychology and Introduction to Sociology.
- Humanities: Principles of Philosophy, Art History, American Literature.
- Ethics: Business Ethics or Ethics in the Social Sciences, where an ethics course is asked for.
Questions for the BSN programme
Send these to the programme's admissions or transfer office before you choose courses.
- Which general education categories are still open after my ADN?
- Do you review ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses for them?
- How must the credit arrive: via a college transcript from a specific type of institution?
- Is there a limit on how many outside credits count, or a residency requirement?
- Do any of the courses have a time limit?
How to get a written evaluation
Before you take a single course, ask the BSN programme for an unofficial transcript evaluation. Send copies of every college transcript you already have, including your ADN, and ask the office to list each general education category with the credits already met and the credits still open. Most programmes will do this for applicants, and the list it returns becomes your shopping list.
Then send a second, shorter email naming the exact courses you plan to take, with their ACE or NCCRS recommendation, and ask which open category each would fill. Keep both replies. If the programme says it does not review recommended credit, you have lost nothing and can plan community college courses instead.
- Attach all prior transcripts, including your ADN.
- Ask for open categories and credits still needed.
- Name each planned course and its recommendation.
- Save the written replies with your application file.
Partner colleges
Thomas Edison State University, University of the People and Newlane University are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Each publishes its own transfer pages; read them and ask for a written evaluation. A partner considering the credit is not the same as your BSN programme counting it, so ask both if they are different schools.
Cost for a working nurse
A nurse working three 12-hour shifts a week can often finish one online course every two to four weeks. On PRO at $99 a month, the cost depends on time, not on how many courses you finish.
| Courses | Typical time | UPI Study PRO cost |
|---|---|---|
| 3 courses (9 credits) | 2-3 months | $198-$297 |
| 5 courses (15 credits) | 3-5 months | $297-$495 |
| 8 courses (24 credits) | 5-8 months | $495-$792 |
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
Do I need general education for an RN to BSN in Oregon?
Usually yes. A bachelor's degree has general education requirements, and an ADN covers only part of them. The BSN programme's evaluation of your transcript shows which categories are still open.
Which BSN courses can I take online before I apply?
General education such as statistics, composition, psychology, sociology and humanities is where outside credit is most often reviewed. Upper-level nursing courses are taken in the programme. Ask the programme in writing which of your planned courses it will review.
Does Statistics count for OHSU?
PCC's page says students planning to move on to OHSU take STAT 243Z with a grade better than C-. Ask OHSU in writing whether a statistics course from another source meets its requirement before you enrol.
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 Sociology
Self-paced online Introduction to Sociology course (Sociology 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.