Complete your nursing school prerequisites online, on your shifts. Regionally accredited college credit through Upper Iowa University (HLC) — the same accreditation standard as a state university.
Community college works — if you have a fixed schedule, time to commute, and patience for the waitlist. Most CNAs and MAs don't. Here's what makes us different.
Every course on your transcript comes from Upper Iowa University, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The same accreditation standard as a state university — and stronger transfer signal than CLEP exams or ACE recommendations when applying to competitive BSN programs.
Study at 2 AM after your night shift. Take a week off when your kid is sick. Finish a course in 6 weeks or 6 months — your call. No fixed lectures to miss, no semester start dates, no cohort to keep up with. Healthcare shifts and education shouldn't fight each other.
Federal Section 127 allows your employer to provide up to $5,250/year tax-free for education. Most hospital tuition assistance programs cover regionally accredited coursework — and we are. We'll send you the documentation you need to submit for pre-approval.
Per BLS 2024 data and nursing workforce research, here's what's really at stake when a CNA or MA becomes an RN.
Every course in our catalog maps to a standard nursing program prerequisite. UIU transcripts, regionally accredited, self-paced.
The foundational course every nursing program requires. Cells, tissues, skeletal, muscular, nervous systems — with comprehensive virtual lab.
View course →The companion to A&P I. Cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems — with virtual lab.
View course →Bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites. Pathogen identification and infection control — the science behind everything you do at the bedside.
View course →Required by many BSN programs and some ADN programs. Acids, bases, equilibrium, thermodynamics, and intro biochemistry.
View course →Statistics for health sciences. Hypothesis testing, probability, distributions, regression — required for nearly every nursing program.
View course →Prefixes, suffixes, root words. The vocabulary you'll use in nursing school and on the floor. Quick win for working CNAs and MAs.
View course →Foundational human biology plus nutrition fundamentals. Often accepted as a science elective or nutrition prerequisite.
View course →Group behavior, attitudes, social influence. Accepted as a psychology requirement by most nursing programs.
View course →Psychological disorders, diagnostic criteria, treatment approaches. Strongly recommended for nursing applicants and BSN students.
View course →Need a different course? View the full course catalog →
No magic. No "become an RN in 12 months" hype. Here's what realistic looks like for a working CNA or MA.
Identify 2–3 nursing programs you want to apply to (BSN, ADN, or both). Look up their exact prerequisite requirements — different programs want different sciences. Save the requirement lists for reference.
Knock out 4–6 prerequisite courses on your own schedule. Most students take one course at a time, finishing each in 6–10 weeks. Submit your enrollment documentation to your employer's tuition assistance program for pre-approval.
Submit your UIU transcript with your applications. Sit for your entrance exam. Lock in interviews. Your CNA or MA experience plus completed prerequisites is a strong applicant profile.
ADN: about 2 years. BSN: about 3 years. Many students keep working as CNAs or MAs part-time during nursing school. Your hospital may also pay for nursing school tuition.
Pass your NCLEX-RN. Get your license. Realistic total from start to license: 3.5–4 years for ADN, 4–5 years for BSN. Median RN salary at $93.6K means lifetime earnings increase of $1M+ over a 30-year career.
Federal Section 127 allows employers to provide up to $5,250/year tax-free for education. Most hospital systems offer this — and many offer more. PrereqCourses qualifies under standard tuition assistance frameworks because of our regional accreditation.
Get the Tuition Assistance Guide →Almost always, yes. Most hospital tuition assistance programs cover regionally accredited coursework — and we are (HLC via Upper Iowa University). The federal Section 127 framework allows employers to provide up to $5,250/year tax-free. We'll send you the documentation to submit for your employer's pre-approval. If you work for HCA Healthcare, note that HCA uses Galen College of Nursing as their captive option — we're a better fit for everyone else.
Sophia is ACE-recommended (a credit recommendation, not the same as accreditation). Achieve Test Prep gets you a CLEP score — some nursing programs accept it, some don't. We give you actual college credit from a regionally accredited university (UIU, HLC). For competitive BSN programs that scrutinize where prereqs came from, regional accreditation carries the strongest transfer signal. Check your target school's policy before deciding.
Yes. Our A&P I (BIO 270), A&P II (BIO 275), and Microbiology (BIO 210) courses include comprehensive virtual labs that nursing programs accept. If your target nursing program has questions, we'll send them the syllabus and accreditation documentation before you enroll.
If you've already finished prerequisites and you're just waiting for a nursing program seat — no, you're done. But if you have prereqs still to complete (or want to apply to additional nursing programs to improve your chances), yes. The faster you finish prereqs, the earlier you can apply to more programs.
Most students complete a 3-credit course in 6–10 weeks. A full prereq stack (4–6 courses) realistically takes 8–14 months while continuing to work. Some students go faster, some slower. The pace is yours to set.
Same path. There is no true "MA-to-RN bridge" — MAs take the same prereq path as anyone else. The advantage: your clinical background makes you a stronger applicant than the average pre-nursing student. AAMA members may also have access to specific scholarship opportunities.
Most students cover the entire cost through their employer's tuition assistance program — out-of-pocket can be minimal or zero. Federal Section 127 allows employers to provide up to $5,250/year tax-free for education. We don't offer in-house payment plans, but if you have employer tuition assistance, we'll send you the documentation to submit for pre-approval before you enroll.
A 14-page guide written specifically for working CNAs and MAs. No fluff. No upsells inside. Just the realistic path, the math, and the steps.
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