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 →TennesseeNursing
LPN to RN in Tennessee: prerequisite checklist and time limits
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
LPN to RN in Tennessee means meeting your chosen programme's prerequisites and LPN rules. Nashville State's pathway, for example, asks for 27 credit hours finished before you apply, a C or higher in A&P I and II, Microbiology and Statistics, a 2.8 GPA, ATI TEAS at Proficient and an active, unrestricted PN licence.
The checklist
This uses Nashville State Community College's LPN to RN Bridge Program page, read on 15 Nov 2026. Other programmes differ, so check the current list for each one you apply to.
| Item | Nashville State LPN to RN |
|---|---|
| College admission | Already admitted to Nashville State |
| Hours | 27 required credit hours, finished before applying |
| Core science and maths | BIOL 2010, BIOL 2030, BIOL 2230, MATH 1530; C or higher |
| General education | ENGL 1010, PSYC 1030, humanities, one more from a list |
| GPA | 2.8 on the 27 hours |
| Exam | ATI TEAS Proficient; waived for TCAT grads within 3 years of the LPN exit exam |
| Licence | Active PN licence, no restrictions |
Time limits
Nashville State recommends, but does not require, that your science courses were taken within the last five years. That makes it more flexible than many programmes, but a recommendation is a hint about how applicants are compared.
Other Tennessee programmes may set a firm limit on A&P and Microbiology. Ask each programme for its rule in writing, and if your sciences are old, ask whether a refresher or retake would help your application.
How the pathway runs
LPN to RN students at Nashville State start in the second semester. The first courses are Mental Health Nursing, Pharmacology I and Transition to Professional Nursing. After the transition course, students receive 13 credit hours for earlier nursing courses, then follow the traditional sequence.
Applications open and close by term; the page showed the Spring 2027 application as closed when read. Check the next window early.
- Second semester start.
- Credit for 13 hours of earlier nursing courses after the transition course.
- Then the traditional nursing sequence.
Questions for any LPN to RN programme
Bring your licence number, PN transcript and the dates of every science course to the first conversation.
- Which of my LPN courses count toward your prerequisites?
- Do you require sciences within a set number of years?
- Which entrance exam do you use, and is it waived for any graduates?
- Will you count an online general-education course posted via a college transcript?
A sample timeline
Work backwards from the application window. If the programme needs all 27 hours finished and graded before you apply, list each course you still need, the term you will take it and the date the grade posts. Leave a buffer for transcripts, which can take a few weeks to reach the college.
Plan the sciences first, since A&P I usually comes before A&P II and Microbiology, and those are the courses most likely to need a local college. Fit general education around them, and only in the formats the programme has confirmed in writing.
- Term 1: A&P I, English composition, and psychology.
- Term 2: A&P II, statistics, and a humanities course.
- Term 3: Microbiology and the last general-education course, then send every transcript.
Where UPI Study fits
UPI Study offers English Composition I and II, Introduction to Psychology, Principles of Statistics and Principles of Philosophy 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 only counts if the programme agrees. We do not offer Microbiology, Nutrition or Lifespan Psychology. Ask in writing before you enrol.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Before you enrol, email the nursing programme's admissions office 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 apply to Nashville State's LPN to RN pathway with courses still in progress?
Its page says the 27 required credit hours must be completed before applying. Plan your general education and sciences so they are finished and graded before the application window opens.
Is the TEAS required for Tennessee LPN to RN?
Nashville State asks for ATI TEAS at Proficient, waived for TCAT graduates within three years of their LPN exit exam. Other programmes may use a different exam or score, so check each one.
Does my PN licence need to be from Tennessee?
Nashville State asks for an active PN licence with no restrictions, checked with the Tennessee Board of Nursing. Ask the programme in writing how it treats a multistate or out-of-state licence.
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 →
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 →Start when you have it in writing
Ask your nursing programme in writing first whether it will count the course.
Sources
- Nashville State Community College: LPN to RN Bridge Program (official)Admitted to NSCC; 27 required credit hours before applying; ATI TEAS Proficient (waived for TCAT graduates within 3 years of the LPN exit exam); 2.8 GPA on the 27 hours; active PN licence with no restrictions checked with the Tennessee Board of Nursing; ENGL 1010, a humanities elective, PSYC 1030, one of COMM 2025, ENGL 1020, PSYC 2130, BIOL 1215 or a humanities elective; BIOL 2010, BIOL 2030, BIOL 2230, MATH 1530 (15 hours) with C or higher; science within 5 years recommended, not required; pathway starts in the second semester; Spring 2027 application closed. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.