Completing LPN-to-RN Science Prerequisites Online While Working- you can’t afford to stop working — and you don’t have to. Here’s how to finish the science prerequisites for your RN bridge around a full LPN schedule.

Quick answerThe science prerequisites for an LPN-to-RN bridge — Anatomy & Physiology I and II, and microbiology (chemistry at some programs) — can be completed online and self-paced through a regionally accredited institution, so you can keep working as an LPN while you finish them. The main things to confirm with your target program are whether it accepts an online lab and any science recency window. Self-paced delivery is what makes finishing these around full-time shift work realistic.

For most bridging LPNs, the science prerequisites are both the most important and the most logistically difficult part of the plan. They’re heavily weighted in admissions, they usually carry labs, and they demand real study time — which is hard to find when you’re working full-time shifts and can’t afford to stop. The solution isn’t to pause your career; it’s to complete these courses in a format built around it.

This guide focuses on the sciences specifically: which ones you need, how online science courses and labs work, and how to fit them around a working LPN schedule. It pairs with our complete LPN-to-RN prerequisite checklist. PrereqCourses.com delivers these courses through Upper Iowa University, a regionally accredited institution. For background, see the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

In this guide

The science prerequisites you need

LPN-to-RN bridge programs concentrate their science requirements on a small, predictable set — the foundation the nursing curriculum builds on:

• Anatomy & Physiology I and II. The most heavily weighted science requirement, almost always required with a lab. Two semesters.
• Microbiology. Commonly required, often with a lab — central to the infection-control focus of nursing.
• Chemistry. Required by some programs, especially on BSN bridge paths.

These sciences carry the most weight in a bridge application, so completing them with strong grades matters — both to get in and to prepare you for the nursing coursework that relies on them.

How online science courses work — including the lab

The question every bridging LPN asks about online sciences is the lab. Here’s how it works and what to confirm:

• Lecture is straightforwardly online. The lecture content of A&P, microbiology, and chemistry is well-suited to self-paced online study.
• Labs are delivered virtually or via kits. Online science courses deliver lab components through virtual labs and, in some cases, at-home lab kits.
• Acceptance varies by program. Most nursing programs accept online science prerequisites from regionally accredited institutions, but some have specific lab-format requirements. Confirm your program accepts the online lab before enrolling.

Confirm two things before you enrollFirst, that your target bridge accepts the online lab format for science prerequisites. Second, any science recency window — some programs require sciences within a set number of years, while others place no time limit at all. A quick email to admissions settles both and protects your investment.

Why self-paced is decisive for working LPNs

This is the heart of it. As an LPN, you’re likely working full-time and depending on that income — so the format of your science courses isn’t a convenience, it’s the deciding factor in whether the plan works at all:

• Study between shifts. Self-paced courses let you work through material on your own hours — after a shift, on days off, overnight — rather than around a fixed class time you can’t make.
• Keep your income. Completing sciences online means you never have to step away from the LPN wage you rely on.
• Pace the hard courses. Anatomy and physiology is demanding; self-paced study lets you give it the time it needs without a rigid semester clock.
• Apply your clinical experience. As a practicing LPN, much of the A&P and microbiology content connects directly to what you already see at the bedside — an advantage in absorbing it.

Browse the science prerequisite course options to complete A&P, microbiology, and chemistry around your work schedule.

A realistic plan for working LPNs

1. Confirm lab and recency policies. Verify your target program accepts online science labs and check any recency window.
2. Start with Anatomy & Physiology. It’s the most weighted and the foundation for the rest — begin here, and take I and II in sequence.
3. Pace to your shift schedule. Take one science at a time if needed; a sustainable pace beats an overload you can’t maintain alongside work.
4. Lean on your bedside experience. Connect the coursework to what you already do as an LPN to reinforce learning.
5. Finish before your application deadline. Leave time for official transcripts to reach the program before the cutoff.

Frequently asked questions

Which science prerequisites do LPN-to-RN bridges require?

Almost always Anatomy & Physiology I and II and microbiology, usually with labs, and chemistry at some programs (more often on BSN paths). These are the most heavily weighted prerequisites.

Can I take the science prerequisites online?

Yes. Most nursing programs accept online science prerequisites from regionally accredited institutions, with labs delivered virtually or via kits. Confirm your specific program accepts the online lab format before enrolling.

Will an online lab be accepted?

Often, but not always — it varies by program. Most accept online labs from accredited institutions, while some have specific lab-format requirements. Verify with your target program first.

Can I finish these while working full-time as an LPN?

Yes — that’s the main advantage of self-paced online courses. You study on your own hours around shifts and keep your LPN income, rather than fitting a fixed campus class around work.

Do the science prerequisites expire?

It depends on the program. Some apply a recency window to sciences; others place no time limit. Confirm your program’s policy, especially if your prior science credit is older.

Which science should I take first?

Anatomy & Physiology I — it’s the most heavily weighted, comes in a two-semester sequence, and is the foundation for the nursing curriculum.

Bottom line

The science prerequisites — anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and sometimes chemistry — are the most demanding part of an LPN-to-RN bridge, but you don’t have to stop working to complete them. Online, self-paced courses through a regionally accredited institution let you finish the sciences around your shifts and keep the LPN income you depend on. Confirm your program accepts the online lab and check any recency window, start with anatomy and physiology, pace it to your schedule, and use your bedside experience to your advantage. The science is the hurdle — and a flexible format is how working LPNs clear it.

Ready to start the sciences? Explore the online science prerequisite courses through HLC-accredited Upper Iowa University, and confirm online-lab acceptance with your program before enrolling.

Related LPN-to-RN guides

Plan your science prerequisites:

• LPN-to-RN Bridge Prerequisites: The Complete Checklist — the full requirement list, including all sciences.
• Which Gen Eds Transfer Into an LPN-to-RN Program? — what general education carries over.
• LPN-to-RN vs. LPN-to-BSN: Which Path Is Right for You? — choosing the right bridge.
• Online Prerequisite Courses — the science and gen-ed courses available to complete online.

Science prerequisite requirements, online-lab acceptance, recency windows, and grade minimums vary by LPN-to-RN bridge program and change over time. This guide is general information only and is not a guarantee of credit transfer or admission. Always confirm requirements, including online-lab acceptance, directly with the program you intend to attend.