RN-BSN Prerequisite Courses

Non-Nursing Prerequisites
Students are encouraged to begin the preparatory work of prerequisites and electives in order to begin the clinical series in the summer or fall semester. Other courses required to complete a BSN degree depend upon the equivalent non-nursing prerequisite and elective courses students have previously completed in their diploma or ADN program. Always obtain approval from the academic adviser of the RN-BSN Outreach Option before enrolling in any course. All non-nursing courses must be completed before a student enrolls in his/her last nursing course. To see a list of courses, click here.

1. Advanced Standing Credit
Students may choose to earn advanced standing credit for some of the required general education and foundation courses by satisfactorily completing College Level Exam Program (CLEP) examinations. Testing is completed at Parker Hall (Testing and Counseling), (573) 882-4801/4802.

Students who fail to achieve satisfactory test results after two attempts are required to enroll in the course. The cumulative grade point average will not be affected by the examination results.
Students are not eligible to take an advanced standing exam for any course in which they received a grade of less than a C.

2. Independent Study/Correspondence Courses
A maximum of 30 credit hours may be completed through the University’s Center for Distance and Independent Study.

Independent study catalogs and application forms are available from the Center for Distance and Independent Study, (573) 882-2491 or toll free (800) 609-3727, or view them on the Web at http://cdis.missouri.edu.

3. Internet Courses
To obtain a listing of MU academic credit courses offered by the Internet, contact MU Direct, 103 Whitten Hall, University of Missouri-Columbia,
Columbia, MO 65211. (573) 882-3598 or call toll free (800) 545-2604, or view them on the Web
at http://mudirect.missouri.edu/courses/index.htm.

4. Local College or University
Other prerequisites may be available through a local college or university.

Transferring Credit
Students applying to the School of Nursing may transfer general foundation non-nursing course work from accredited two or four year institutions as long as the course work is determined to be equivalent to MU’s nursing requirements.

Transfer of credit is not complete until the credit is showing on the official MU transcript. Upon completion of a course, have an official transcript sent to: MU Admissions, 230 Jesse Hall, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211.

There is no time limit imposed on courses eligible for transfer into the School of Nursing. If students wish to transfer equivalent courses earned more than 10 years ago, it is recommended they assess their current knowledge of the subject and initiate a self-study program if indicated.

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