College Algebra
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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LPN to RN in South Dakota: prerequisite checklist and time limits
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
LPN to RN in South Dakota means meeting your chosen RN programme's prerequisites. Southeast Tech's RN form, for example, lists Chemistry, Physiology, Microbiology, a mathematics course and a social science, each with a C or better, with Physiology and Microbiology within seven years. Ask each programme how an LPN licence changes its path.
The checklist
This uses Southeast Technical College's RN prerequisite form, updated in October 2023 and read on 15 Nov 2026. Other programmes differ, so check the current list for each one you apply to.
| Item | Southeast Tech RN programme |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | CHEM 106, C or better |
| Physiology | PHGY 210, C or better, within seven years |
| Microbiology | MICR 231, C or better, within seven years |
| Mathematics | Mathematics requirement, C or better |
| Social science | Social sciences requirement, C or better |
| Transfer | Official sealed transcript; accredited institution; registrar review |
Time limits
At Southeast Tech, Physiology and Microbiology must have been completed within seven years of starting the RN courses. If you took them as part of your LPN training years ago, check the dates. An older course may need retaking before you start.
Other South Dakota programmes set their own limits, and some apply them to more courses. Ask each programme for its time limits in writing.
- Physiology: within seven years of starting RN courses.
- Microbiology: within seven years of starting RN courses.
- Other courses: ask the programme.
Questions for any LPN to RN programme
An LPN licence can shorten an RN path at some colleges. Southeast Tech's RN AAS runs in 12-month and 18-month formats; ask the college which format fits an LPN and what your licence changes.
- Does my LPN licence or experience give advanced placement?
- Which of my LPN courses count toward your prerequisites?
- Which entrance exam do you use, and what score is needed?
- Will you count an online general-education course posted via a college transcript?
A sample timeline
Work back from the start date you want. Southeast Tech's online lectures start in January and August, and its form lets students take prerequisites there in the semester before. So a nurse aiming for August might finish general education in the spring and science in the summer.
Give yourself room. Transcripts from another college can take weeks to arrive and be reviewed, and a C is the minimum, not the target.
- Six to nine months out: get the programme's list and ask about each outside course.
- Four to six months out: finish mathematics and the social science.
- Two to four months out: finish any science the programme approved.
- Before the start: send official sealed transcripts.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most delays come from small things: a course that is a year too old, a grade just under a C, or a transcript that arrives after the deadline. Check each item against the programme's current form, not a friend's list from another year or another college.
- Assuming A&P meets a physiology requirement without asking.
- Letting a science course pass its time limit.
- Sending an unofficial transcript instead of a sealed one.
- Paying for a course before the programme confirms it in writing.
Where UPI Study fits
UPI Study offers College Algebra, Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Sociology and Chemistry on PRO at $99 a month. They are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended. We are not a college and not accredited, so the credit reaches a programme only via a college transcript, and Southeast Tech, for example, takes transfer credit only from accredited institutions after registrar review. We do not offer Microbiology or a stand-alone Physiology course. Ask your programme in writing before you enrol.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Before you enrol, email the nursing programme's admissions office or registrar 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
Can I take prerequisites at Southeast Tech before the RN programme?
Yes. Its form says students may take some or all prerequisite courses at Southeast Tech in the semester before the programme starts, for example in the fall before a January start.
Do my LPN-school science courses count toward RN prerequisites?
They may, if they match the programme's list, meet the grade and fall within its time limit. Send the official transcript to the registrar and ask for a written review well before the application deadline.
Is a C enough for RN prerequisites?
At Southeast Tech a C is the minimum for prerequisites and for transfer credit. Higher grades help if admission is competitive, so aim above the minimum where you can and plan time to retake a course if needed.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
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 →
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 nursing programme in writing first whether it will count the course.
Sources
- Southeast Technical College: Registered Nurse prerequisite form (updated 25 Oct 2023) (official)Prerequisites: mathematics requirement, social sciences requirement, Physiology (PHGY 210), Microbiology (MICR 231), Chemistry (CHEM 106); C or better before any NURS course; Physiology and Microbiology within seven years of starting RN courses; official sealed transcripts; only C or better credit from an accredited institution can transfer; all transfer credit reviewed by the Registrar. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Southeast Technical College: Registered Nurse program requirements (official)RN AAS in 12-month and 18-month formats with fall, spring and summer starts; online lectures start in January and August; labs and clinicals face to face; background check required. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.