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 Rhode Island nursing programmes take online A&P labs? How to ask before you enrol
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Whether an online anatomy and physiology lab counts for Rhode Island nursing is up to each programme. At CCRI, transferred A&P courses need approval from the Biology Department Chairperson, and the admission guidelines do not mention online labs. Email the programme with the course name and lab format, and wait for a written answer before you pay.
Why there is no single answer
Rhode Island's nursing board approves programmes under 216-RICR-40-05-3 but does not rule on where a prerequisite was taken. Each programme sets its own list and decides which courses count. That is why two Rhode Island programmes can give different answers about the same online lab.
Many nursing programmes are cautious about online science labs. Some refuse them outright. Some refuse ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit in the sciences. Others review each course on its own. You only find out by asking.
What CCRI's guidelines say
CCRI's associate degree admission guidelines state that the transfer of anatomy and physiology courses is subject to approval by the Biology Department Chairperson. A&P and physiology must be no more than six years old at application, with a C or better, and each prerequisite is limited to two attempts.
The guidelines also note CCRI does not offer a stand-alone physiology course. If you take Human Anatomy instead of A&P I, you need a 4-credit human physiology course with lab from another college. That is exactly the kind of course to ask about before you enrol.
- Ask who reviews transferred A&P: at CCRI, the Biology Department Chairperson.
- Ask whether an online or at-home lab is acceptable.
- Ask whether the credit must come from a college transcript.
- Ask how long review takes before an application deadline.
A sample email
Keep it short, name the course and attach the syllabus. You might write: I plan to apply to your nursing programme. I am considering Anatomy and Physiology I with an online lab, which carries an NCCRS credit recommendation and would reach you via a college transcript. Would you count it toward your A&P prerequisite? The syllabus and lab description are attached.
Send a separate question for each science course and lab, and keep every reply. A yes for the lecture is not a yes for the lab.
If the answer is no
A no on the sciences does not close every door. Take A&P at a college the programme approves, in person if it asks. Use online options for the general-education courses the programme confirms, such as Composition I or General Psychology, and later for RN to BSN completion, where general education is a larger share.
Also check the time limit. At CCRI, science courses older than six years at application do not count, so plan the timing so the course is still valid when you apply.
Where UPI Study fits
UPI Study offers Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs on PRO at $99 a month. They are NCCRS-recommended. We are not a college and not accredited, so the credit reaches a nursing programme only via a college transcript, and only counts if the programme agrees. Partner colleges such as Thomas Edison State University, University of the People and Newlane University consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; the nursing programme still decides. Ask first, then plan.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Before you enrol, email the nursing programme and ask in writing whether it will count the named course and lab, posted via a college transcript, toward its prerequisites, and keep the reply.
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
Is a lab with an at-home kit the same as an online lab?
Programmes may treat them differently. Describe the lab format exactly in your email, including any kit or virtual simulations, so the reviewer can give a clear answer for that course.
What if I already took A&P online years ago?
Check the time limit first; at CCRI it is six years at application. Then send the old transcript and syllabus to the programme and ask whether it will count.
Does a C count for anatomy and physiology at CCRI?
CCRI asks for a C or better in its anatomy and physiology prerequisites. Admission is competitive and grades earn points, so a higher grade helps your ranking.
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
Ask your nursing programme in writing first whether it will count the course and lab.
Sources
- Rhode Island Code of Regulations: 216-RICR-40-05-3, Licensing of Nurses and Standards for the Approval of Basic Nursing Education Programs (official)Active, effective 4 Jan 2022. RN applicants complete a Board-approved programme and pass the NCLEX; official transcripts sent from the school; Board acts within 90 days; approved programmes include general education in English communication, humanities, mathematics, natural sciences and social sciences; associate and diploma programmes need an articulation agreement with a Rhode Island baccalaureate nursing programme. No programme prerequisites or transfer rules set at state level. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- CCRI: Associate Degree Nursing Program Admission Guidelines (official)Prerequisites BIOL 2201 or BIOL 1010 plus BIOL 1020, ENGL 1010 and PSYC 2010, each C or better, two attempts; A&P and physiology no more than six years old at application; transferred A&P subject to the Biology Department Chairperson; HESI A2 with 80% reading and math, 75% vocabulary and grammar; 2.7 GPA; AP, CLEP, challenge exams and prior learning recognised. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.