Prerequisite Courses

Why it matters: The foundation of nursing. You'll use A&P every single day — understanding how the body works under normal and abnormal conditions is essential for clinical reasoning. Every nursing diagnosis and intervention connects back to physiology.

Tip: Take A&P I before A&P II. The lab component is important — many programs require both lecture and lab. Don't take A&P online if you can avoid it; the lab experience matters.

Why it matters: Infection control, immune response, and pathogen identification are central to nursing practice. Understanding how bacteria, viruses, and fungi cause disease shapes how you care for infected patients.

Tip: Most programs require Microbiology after A&P I. The lab teaches culture and sensitivity concepts you'll see in clinical settings. This is often where students first encounter true scientific reasoning.

Why it matters: Evidence-based practice — the foundation of modern nursing — requires you to read and interpret research. Statistics teaches you to evaluate whether a study's findings actually support its conclusions.

Tip: College Algebra or Pre-Calculus may satisfy the math requirement at some ADN programs instead of Statistics. Confirm with your program. Statistics is generally more relevant to nursing practice.

Why it matters: Pharmacology and physiology build heavily on chemistry — acid-base balance, solubility, chemical reactions, IV tonicity. Understanding chemistry at a basic level makes pharmacology make sense.

Tip: Some BSN programs accept a lower-level chemistry course. Confirm with the specific program before enrolling. If chemistry is genuinely difficult for you, give it the time it needs early.

Why it matters: Foundational for psychiatric nursing, therapeutic communication, and understanding patient behavior. The principles of motivation, stress response, and mental health underlie much of holistic nursing care.

Tip: General/Introductory Psychology satisfies most programs. Developmental Psychology is a separate course required by some BSN programs — confirm what's needed.

Why it matters: Clear, accurate writing is a professional nursing skill. Clinical documentation, care plans, SBAR communication, and eventually nursing research all require strong writing ability.

Tip: Don't skip or take this lightly. Many nursing students underestimate how much writing the BSN program requires.