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 Washington nursing programmes take online A&P labs? How to ask before you enrol
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
No public list says which Washington nursing programmes take online anatomy and physiology labs; each programme decides. Highline College recommends finishing biology and chemistry sequences at one institution, and UW asks for a lab with Microbiology. Email your programme, name the course and lab, and ask whether it would evaluate them via a college transcript.
What Highline and UW publish about labs
Start with what the programmes themselves say. Highline College's 2025-26 RN packet lists BIOL& 241 and BIOL& 242, Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, among its nine prerequisites. Each class must come from a regionally accredited college or university, carry at least 4.5 credits and earn at least a 3.0. In its FAQ, Highline answers a question about taking biology and chemistry through other colleges that offer online options: it recommends completing the full course sequences at one institution, for consistency and to avoid knowledge gaps.
The UW School of Nursing BSN worksheet lists Human Anatomy or A&P I and Human Physiology or A&P II at 5 quarter credits each. It says these can be taken as a series or as separate anatomy and physiology courses. For General Microbiology it says that at many schools the lab is part of the class, and if not you should enrol in a separate lab course. The worksheet does not, in the version we read, state a rule on online labs either way.
Neither page names an online lab policy that would settle your case. That is the reason to ask, and to ask before you pay for anything.
Why the answer has to come from the programme
The Washington State Board of Nursing approves programmes under WAC 246-840-510. It does not rule on where an individual student took a prerequisite. That leaves the decision with the programme's admissions or advising staff, and they can change it between application cycles.
UW says a formal audit happens at application and that its worksheet is a guide. Highline says all prerequisites must be complete by the application deadline. Both points mean a late surprise is costly: if a programme decides at audit time that an online lab does not meet its standard, there may be no time to retake it before the deadline. A written answer early removes that risk.
The questions to send
Keep the email short and specific. Name the programme, the start term and each course. Attach the syllabus for each lecture and each lab if you have it. Then ask:
- Would you evaluate Anatomy and Physiology I and II, with their separate online lab courses, if a regionally accredited college lists the credit on its transcript?
- Does a separate lab course count together with its lecture, or must lecture and lab be one course?
- What is the minimum number of credits for each class, and does a 3 semester credit course meet it?
- Do you need the lab to include in-person work, and if so how much?
- Is there a time limit on science courses for my start term?
- Who should I contact if the answer changes before I apply?
Reading the reply
A useful reply names the course and says yes, no or what would be needed. A reply that only says the programme evaluates transcripts at application is not a yes. Ask a follow-up that names the course again. Save every reply as a PDF with the date, and keep it with your application papers.
If the programme says it would review the courses, the next step is the college that will list the credit. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Ask them how they would evaluate each lecture and lab and how many credits they would post. UPI Study's Anatomy and Physiology courses and labs are NCCRS-recommended; UPI Study is not accredited, so the credit reaches your programme only via a college transcript.
If the answer is no
Take the course where the programme wants it. Washington's community and technical colleges charge up to $1,697 for a 15-credit quarter of resident lower-division tuition in 2026-27, per the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, so a single 5-credit lab science is a smaller cost than a wasted term. You can still use online courses for other prerequisites the programme said it would review, such as Statistics or English Composition, if it confirms that in writing.
Remember the gaps as well: UPI Study has no Microbiology with lab, Nutrition, Lifespan Psychology or Organic Chemistry, and no clinical hours. Those come from a college or the nursing programme whatever the answer on A&P labs.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your Washington nursing programme in writing whether it would evaluate each course, including each online lab, before you enrol, 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
Does Highline College allow online lab courses for nursing prerequisites?
Highline's packet does not give an online lab rule. In its FAQ it recommends completing biology and chemistry sequences at one institution. Email Highline's nursing admissions office with the course names and ask before you enrol.
Does UW nursing need a separate microbiology lab?
The UW BSN worksheet says the lab is often part of General Microbiology; if it is not, you should enrol in a separate lab course. UPI Study does not offer Microbiology, so plan it at a college.
What should I attach when I ask about an online A&P lab?
Attach the syllabus for the lecture and for the lab, name the college that would list the credit, and ask for a yes or no on each course. Keep the reply with the date.
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 programme first; then study only the courses it said it would consider.
Sources
- WAC 246-840-510: Approval of initial (new) in-state nursing programs (official)The board approves new in-state nursing programmes in phases, ending in full approval once the programme meets the nursing education standards; the rule governs programmes, not individual prerequisite courses. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Highline College: Registered Nurse, AAS information packet 2025-26 (official)Nine prerequisite classes from a regionally accredited college or university, at least 4.5 credits and a 3.0 grade each (2.7 for math), at most 3 attempts; all done by the application deadline; prerequisite classes do not have a time limit; quarter credits = semester credits x 1.5; recommends completing biology and chemistry sequences at one institution; the 1-year LPN-RN programme is no longer offered. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- UW School of Nursing: BSN prerequisite courses worksheet (updated October 2024) (official)No expiration date for prerequisite courses; 2.0 minimum grade in each; 3 natural sciences at a 3.0 cumulative GPA or 4 at 2.8 to apply; 6 natural sciences and 28 quarter credits (General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, A&P I, A&P II, General Microbiology with lab, Nutrition); Statistics, Lifespan Growth and Development, English Composition; 74-81 prerequisite credits and 90 quarter credits before the start date; formal audit at application. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- SBCTC: Tuition and fees (official)2026-27 resident lower-division tuition ceiling of $1,697 for a 15-credit quarter and $5,092 for a 45-credit year; rates vary slightly by college. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.