Step 3: Plan your prerequisites

Most nursing programs ask you to finish certain courses before you apply. Science courses such as anatomy, physiology and microbiology are common examples, along with English and math. Each program sets its own list, grade rules and time limits.

What to do

• Pull the prerequisite list from each program on your short list.
• Look for overlap. One set of courses can often cover several programs.
• Check grade minimums and whether a course has to be recent.
• Ask how each program treats retakes and online labs.
• Map your courses by term so you know when you’ll be ready to apply.

What SEAPHE’s data shows

SEAPHE has course-by-course prerequisite lists for 138 programs, each from the school’s own page (checked Oct 9–12, 2026). Across those lists, the courses that show up most often are:

• Anatomy: 137 programs
• Physiology: 137
• Microbiology: 134
• English composition: 123
• Statistics: 93
• Communication (speech): 91
• Psychology: 83
• Sociology or anthropology: 63

Recency rules are less common. Of the individual course requirements in our data, about one in five states a time limit. The rest say nothing about recency or say there isn’t one. So it’s worth asking.

How long it takes

Varies with how many courses you still need and how many you take each term. Science courses often have their own prerequisites, so plan the order.

Typical costs

Varies; check with the school. Community college and university per-unit fees are set by each college.

Two school examples

These are the first ADN and BSN programs, alphabetically, in SEAPHE’s verified data with a full course list.

• American River College (ADN, public). Lists anatomy and physiology (BIOL 430 and 431), microbiology (BIOL 440 or 442), English, nutrition and psychology, each with a C or better. It asks for a 3.0 science GPA and a 2.5 non-science GPA (ARC prescreening packet, checked Oct 9, 2026).
• American University of Health Sciences (BSN, private). Lists general chemistry, anatomy, physiology and microbiology, each with a lab, plus math, composition, sociology, psychology and critical thinking. Each needs a C or better, with a 2.5 GPA across the four sciences (AUHS BSN admissions, checked Oct 9, 2026).

Both include anatomy, physiology and microbiology. The other courses and the GPA rules differ. Notice that one counts a nutrition course and the other counts critical thinking and sociology. If both programs are on your list, a plan that covers the union of the two lists lets you apply to either.

Common mistakes

• Planning for one program only. Building around the overlap keeps more doors open.
• Missing a course’s own prerequisite. Chemistry or biology may come before anatomy or microbiology.
• Assuming any lab counts. Some programs specify labs or in-person labs. Ask.
• Not checking grade and GPA rules. Some programs count only certain courses toward a science GPA.
• Waiting to ask about older courses. If a course is several years old, ask before you plan around it.
• Overloading one term with sciences. Lab sciences take time. Spreading them out can help you keep your grades where the program needs them.

Your SEAPHE tool

• Prerequisite planner: see what programs require and plan your terms.

Next step: Step 4, Take the TEAS.