Anatomy and Physiology I
A&P I lecture, the first science prerequisite on most lists.
Self-paced online Anatomy and Physiology I course (Biology 211). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →TexasNursing
Texas nursing prerequisites online: A&P with lab and statistics
Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
The short answer
Texas nursing prerequisites are set by each programme. Under 22 TAC 215.8 every programme writes its own admission policies. Most ask for Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab, Microbiology, and often Statistics, Lifespan Development, Nutrition and Pharmacology. UT Austin's Alternate Entry lets these be taken online and reviews unlisted courses. Ask your programme in writing first.
The rule
Under 22 TAC 215.8, each Texas professional nursing programme sets written admission and progression policies in its own student handbook, so the prerequisite list, grade minimums and time limits come from the programme you apply to, not from one state list.
The rule asks for Usually 6-8 prerequisite courses; A&P I and II with lab are 4 credits each (UT Austin Alternate Entry lists 7 courses). The legal source is 22 TAC 215.8.
| Point | What Texas programmes say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets prerequisites | Each programme, in its written admission policies. | [4] |
| Who approves the programme | Texas Board of Nursing. | [3] |
| A&P I and II | 4 credits each, lab required (UT Austin AE); BIOL 2401 and 2402 (ACC). | [1] |
| Time limit | 6 years for A&P and Pharmacology (UT Austin AE); 5 years for BIOL 2402 and 2420 (ACC). | [1] |
| Grade | C- or higher (UT Austin AE); C or better and 2.7 prerequisite GPA (ACC). | [2] |
| Online courses | Allowed at UT Austin AE; unlisted courses can be sent for approval. | [1] |
Who decides
Texas Board of Nursing approves programmes; each programme's admissions office decides prerequisites (for example UT Austin School of Nursing Graduate Student Services) decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Which credits count
What counts
- College courses on a transcript that match the programme's list, at the grade it asks for (C- at UT Austin Alternate Entry, C at Austin Community College).
- Anatomy and Physiology I and II with a lab component, inside the programme's time limit (6 years at UT Austin AE, 5 years for some courses at ACC).
- Online courses, where the programme says so: UT Austin's AE sheet says courses can be taken in person or online.
What does not count
- A&P without a lab, when the programme asks for lab.
- Courses older than the programme's time limit.
- Clinical hours, nursing courses or a fix for a Board of Nursing deficiency: prerequisites are general education and science courses only.
Each nursing programme sets its own prerequisite list, its own time limits for science courses and its own rule on which credits it takes. Read the programme's published list first and ask its admissions office in writing before you enrol in any course.
UPI Study does not yet offer Microbiology with lab, Nutrition or Lifespan Development. Our courses carry no clinical hours, and they do not clear a deficiency for a board of nursing.
Courses that fit
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of Texas Board of Nursing approves programmes; each programme's admissions office decides prerequisites (for example UT Austin School of Nursing Graduate Student Services).
Anatomy and Physiology I Lab
Lab component that pairs with A&P I.
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
A&P II lecture.
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 →
Anatomy and Physiology 2 Lab
Lab component that pairs with A&P II.
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 →
Principles of Statistics
Statistics, a prerequisite at UT Austin Alternate Entry and many BSN tracks.
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 →
Introduction to Psychology
General psychology, often required before lifespan development.
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 →The path via a college transcript
- Get your programme's listDownload the current prerequisite sheet for the exact track you want: ADN, BSN, alternate entry or accelerated. Note grade minimums and time limits.
- Ask before you enrolSend the course description and syllabus to the admissions office and ask in writing whether it will count for that prerequisite.
- Pick a college to post the creditStart with a partner college and read its transfer page, so the course can appear via a college transcript.
- Take the coursesUPI Study courses are online and self-paced, with ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit.
- Send transcriptsSend the official transcript that lists the course to the programme before its deadline.
TESU, UoPeople and Newlane are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; start with their own transfer pages, then any other college you already attend.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
What it costs
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study PRO | $99 a month, every course | $99 for each month you are subscribed; take as many courses as you finish in that time | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Austin Community College (in-district) | $85 per credit hour with fees, 2026-27 | A&P I and II are 4 credits each, so about $680 in-district for both; out-of-district adds $201 per hour | 15 Nov 2026 |
| StraighterLine | $99 a month plus $79 or more per course | On UT Austin's approved distance list for A&P with lab; check the lab course price on its page | 15 Nov 2026 |
Prices checked 15 Nov 2026 on each provider's own page. The college that posts outside credit may charge its own fees. Programmes may ask for a syllabus before they decide, which costs nothing but time.
What UPI Study cannot do here
- UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited, and it is not on UT Austin's approved distance list; any use there would be a course-by-course review by the programme.
- UPI Study has no Microbiology, Pharmacology, Nutrition or Lifespan Development course, so those must come from somewhere else.
- No course here gives clinical hours or fixes a Board of Nursing deficiency.
- We cannot tell you a nursing programme will count a course; each programme decides under its own policies.
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.
Confirm in writing first
Email the nursing programme's admissions office with the course description and syllabus and ask in writing whether it will count for the named prerequisite, before you enrol.
What Texas nursing programmes usually ask for
There is no single state prerequisite list for nursing in Texas. The Texas Board of Nursing approves programmes, and each programme writes its own admission policies under 22 TAC 215.8. In practice the lists look alike, because Texas community colleges share common course numbers and universities map their own courses to them.
UT Austin's Alternate Entry sheet shows a typical set of seven: Anatomy or A&P I with lab (4 credits), Physiology or A&P II with lab (4 credits), Microbiology (3), Pharmacology (3), Human Growth and Development across the lifespan (3), Human Nutrition (3) and Statistics (3). Austin Community College's Traditional Track ADN asks for BIOL 2401 and 2402 (A&P I and II), BIOL 2420 Microbiology and HPRS 2300 Pharmacology for Health Professions.
- Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab
- Microbiology
- Statistics (more common for BSN and alternate entry)
- Lifespan development, nutrition and pharmacology on many lists
Nursing prerequisites online in Texas: what is allowed
Some Texas programmes say plainly that online courses are fine. UT Austin's Alternate Entry sheet says courses can be taken in person or online, lists approved distance courses by provider, and says the list is not all-inclusive: other courses can be sent to Graduate Student Services for approval, and a syllabus may be required. It also says taking courses at UT Austin is not preferred.
Community college ADN programmes usually ask for a transcript from an accredited college and check each course against the common course number. Austin Community College asks for transcripts from every other school you attended. Online lab science is where programmes differ most, so ask about the lab before anything else.
Where UPI Study fits, and where it does not
UPI Study offers Anatomy and Physiology I and II, each with a separate lab course, plus Principles of Statistics and Introduction to Psychology, with ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. UPI Study is not on UT Austin's approved distance list, so any use there would go through the course-by-course review the sheet describes. We do not offer Microbiology, Pharmacology, Nutrition or Lifespan Development.
These courses become college credit only when a college reviews them and posts them via a college transcript. Then the nursing programme decides whether that transcript course meets its prerequisite. Two decisions, both outside our control, so ask both offices in writing before you start.
Time limits and grades to watch
Time limits catch many applicants. UT Austin's Alternate Entry wants A&P with lab and Pharmacology completed within six years of the planned start; ACC wants BIOL 2402 and BIOL 2420 within five years of its deadline. If your A&P is older than that, you will retake it wherever you study.
Grade rules differ too. UT Austin AE asks for C- or higher in every prerequisite; ACC asks for C or better and a prerequisite GPA of at least 2.7. ACC also says all prerequisites must be finished by the application deadline, while UT Austin AE needs five by 31 December of the year you apply and all seven before you enrol.
Questions people ask
What are the prerequisites for nursing school in Texas?
Each programme sets its own. Most ask for Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab and Microbiology; many add Pharmacology, Statistics, Lifespan Development and Nutrition. UT Austin's Alternate Entry lists seven courses; Austin Community College's ADN Traditional Track lists four science prerequisites. Get the current sheet for your exact track.
Can I take nursing prerequisites online in Texas?
Some programmes allow it. UT Austin's Alternate Entry sheet says prerequisites can be taken in person or online and lists approved distance courses. Others check each course against a transcript and may look closely at online labs. Ask your programme in writing before you enrol.
Does A&P need a lab for Texas nursing programmes?
Usually yes. UT Austin's Alternate Entry requires Anatomy with lab and Physiology with lab, 4 credits each. ACC's BIOL 2401 and 2402 are 4-credit lecture-and-lab courses. Check whether your programme accepts a separate lab course paired with a lecture.
How old can my anatomy and physiology be?
It depends on the programme. UT Austin's Alternate Entry wants A&P with lab and Pharmacology within six years of the planned start. Austin Community College wants BIOL 2402 and BIOL 2420 within five years of its application deadline.
What grade do I need in nursing prerequisites in Texas?
UT Austin's Alternate Entry asks for C- or higher in every prerequisite. Austin Community College asks for C or better and a prerequisite GPA of at least 2.7. Many programmes also rank applicants by prerequisite grades, so higher is better.
Does the Texas Board of Nursing set prerequisite courses?
No single Board list exists. The Board approves nursing programmes, and its rules require each programme to have written admission policies. The programme decides which courses count and at what grade.
Can UPI Study courses be used for Texas nursing prerequisites?
Only if your programme agrees. UPI Study courses carry ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit and need a college to post them via a college transcript. UT Austin's sheet allows unlisted courses to be sent for approval. Send the syllabus and ask in writing first.
Read next
- UT Austin's alternate-entry nursing prerequisites: which online courses are approvedUT Austin alternate entry nursing prerequisites are seven courses: A&P I and II with lab, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Lifespan Development, Nutrition...
- Texas ADN prerequisites and the common course numbers, explainedTexas ADN prerequisites are listed by common course number. BIOL 2401 and 2402 are Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab, BIOL 2420 is...
- How to get an unlisted online course approved by a nursing schoolNursing school course approval for an unlisted online course starts with one request: send the admissions office the course description, the full...
The same topic in nearby states
Ready when you have it in writing
A&P I and II with labs, Statistics and Psychology in one plan.
Sources
- UT Austin School of Nursing: Alternate Entry Prerequisite Course Equivalencies (revised 06/16/25) (official)Seven prerequisites (A&P I and II with lab 4 credits each, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Lifespan, Nutrition, Statistics 3 each); C- or higher; A&P with lab and Pharmacology within 6 years; courses can be in person or online; list not all-inclusive, other courses can be sent to Graduate Student Services for approval; syllabus may be required. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Austin Community College Health Sciences: Application Process for Traditional Track (ADN) (official)Prerequisites BIOL 2401, BIOL 2402, BIOL 2420 (or 2421) and HPRS 2300; BIOL 2402 and 2420 within 5 years of the deadline; C or better; prerequisite GPA at least 2.7; transcripts needed from other schools. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Texas Board of Nursing: Information for Students Seeking to Enroll in a Nursing Program (official)The Board approves nursing education programmes under the Nursing Practice Act; check the Board's approved programme list before enrolling. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- 22 Tex. Admin. Code 215.8, Students (Cornell LII copy)Programmes must have a Nursing Student Handbook with written admission, dismissal, progression and graduation policies; transfer and advanced placement credit is at the discretion of the dean or director. Amended eff. 11/30/2023. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Austin Community College newsroom: tuition freeze for 2026-27Price for Austin Community College (in-district), checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- StraighterLine: PricingPrice for StraighterLine, checked on 15 Nov 2026.