If you already have a bachelor’s degree and want to become a nurse, the Villanova ABSN prerequisites are the first thing to check. Villanova University’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing runs a Second Degree Accelerated BSN with two tracks: a 14-month Express track that starts in May and a 23-month Flex track that starts in August. Both ask for the same nine prerequisite courses, 31 credits in all.
Two details make this program easier to plan for than many. You can apply before your prerequisites are finished, as long as they are all done before you start. And Villanova’s FAQ says online courses from accredited institutions are acceptable. With the Express second deadline on Dec. 15, 2026, that leaves room to apply now and finish courses over the winter and spring.
Where self-paced coursework can fill a gap, PrereqCourses offers online courses through Upper Iowa University (UIU), which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Credit appears on a UIU transcript. PrereqCourses does not guarantee that Villanova will accept any course, and admission decisions rest entirely with Villanova.
Table of contents
Villanova ABSN prerequisites at a glance
The admission page lists nine courses. The Villanova catalog names the in-house course each one is compared against.
| Prerequisite | Credits | Villanova equivalent |
| Anatomy and physiology 1 with lab | 4 | BIO 1205 Human Anatomy & Physiology I |
| Anatomy and physiology 2 with lab | 4 | BIO 1206 Human Anatomy & Physiology II |
| Chemistry with lab | 4 | CHM 1135 General, Organic & BioChem |
| Microbiology with lab | 4 | BIO 1185 Human Genetics/Microbiology |
| Statistics | 3 | STAT 1250 Stats in Health Care Research |
| Human development (lifespan) | 3 | PSY 3200 Human Development |
| Nutrition | 3 | NTR 2120 Principles of Nutrition |
| Pathophysiology | 3 | NUR 2108 Human Pathophysiology |
| Theology or religious studies | 3 | THL 1000 Faith, Reason, and Culture |
Every prerequisite needs a grade of C or higher to transfer. Villanova asks for a 3.0 GPA from your previous degree and “strong science prerequisite grades.” The GRE and TEAS are not required, and clinical experience is helpful but not required.
Your first degree also earns 25 general elective credits toward the BSN. Add the 31 prerequisite credits and 77 nursing credits, and you reach the 133 credits the degree requires.
Express vs Flex: which track and which deadline
Villanova’s program page describes two tracks with the same prerequisites and the same nursing courses.
| Item | 14-month Express | 23-month Flex |
| Start | May | August |
| Finish | August of the following year | 23 months after starting |
| Pace | Full-time, fast | Built for students who may work part-time or manage other responsibilities |
| Application deadlines | Sept. 15 (first, scholarship priority) and Dec. 15 (second) | March 15 |
| Decisions | Nov. 1 or Feb. 1 | April 15 |
| Seat deposit due | Dec. 15 or March 1 | May 15 |
As of Oct. 20, 2026, the Sept. 15 deadline has passed, so Dec. 15 is the live Express deadline for a May 2027 start. The program page also showed the Flex application as not yet open, so Flex applicants will be aiming at March 15, 2027 for an August 2027 start.
The FAQ describes the program as a full-time day program, excluding weekends, so if you plan to keep working on the Flex track, ask how its schedule works before you commit.
Course by course: what Villanova compares your classes against
Villanova decides transfer credit by comparing “the course description from the catalog of the outside institution” with the description of its own course, and it reviews syllabi if necessary. That makes the catalog equivalents above worth reading closely, because they show what each of the Villanova ABSN prerequisites is really measured against.
Anatomy and physiology
Villanova wants a two-course sequence with labs. BIO 1205 covers the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, and endocrine systems, and BIO 1206 covers the cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, reproductive, and immune systems. A standard A&P I and II sequence with labs should line up well.
Chemistry with lab
The admission page simply says “Chemistry (with lab),” 4 credits. The catalog equivalent, though, is CHM 1135, a combined general, organic, and biological chemistry course. If your chemistry course was general chemistry only, it will likely count, but ask about it in your transfer credit evaluation. Our guide to online general chemistry with lab explains what to look for in a lab course.
Microbiology and the genetics question
The admission page lists “Microbiology (with lab),” 4 credits. The Villanova equivalent, BIO 1185, is a combined Human Genetics/Microbiology course that also covers inheritance patterns, DNA technology, and genetic variation. Villanova does not list genetics as a separate prerequisite, so a standard microbiology course with lab is the requirement on paper. If your evaluation comes back asking for more genetics content, that is when a separate genetics course makes sense. For lab format questions, see online microbiology with lab.
Statistics, human development, and nutrition
Statistics is 3 credits, and Villanova’s version covers descriptive and inferential statistics and hypothesis testing. Any standard introductory statistics course should be a good match. Our guide to statistics for nursing school covers the basics.
Human development must be lifespan. Villanova’s PSY 3200 covers changes “from infancy through old age,” so a child psychology course alone may fall short. See lifespan development for nursing school for how schools usually define it.
Nutrition is 3 credits. Villanova’s catalog entry for NTR 2120 does not include a full description, so if your course mixes nutrition with other biology, send the syllabus with your evaluation request.
Pathophysiology
Not every accelerated program asks for pathophysiology before you start, but Villanova does. Its NUR 2108 covers the mechanisms of human disease and requires A&P I and II first. Most pathophysiology courses build on A&P the same way, so plan to take it after anatomy and physiology.
Theology or religious studies
Villanova asks for 3 credits of theology or religious studies. Its equivalent, THL 1000 Faith, Reason, and Culture, looks at the sources and thinkers behind basic religious questions. A general religious studies course should be a reasonable match, but confirm it. Ethics is not a prerequisite: Villanova teaches an ethics course for health care professionals inside the nursing curriculum. Our ethics course requirement for nursing school guide covers schools that do require it up front.
Can you take Villanova prerequisites online?
Yes, with one caveat. Villanova’s FAQ says: “Prerequisites may be completed at any accredited college or university.” It then adds: “Online courses are acceptable from accredited institutions. All grades must be a C or higher to transfer in.”
That is one of the clearer online course statements among the ABSN programs we have covered, and it applies to all of the Villanova ABSN prerequisites. The caveat is labs. The FAQ does not carve out an exception for online labs, but it does not mention them specifically either. Four of the nine prerequisites need a lab, so ask about lab format when you request your transfer credit evaluation, and send the syllabus. Our article on whether nursing programs accept online labs explains how schools usually judge them.
Courses through PrereqCourses are offered by Upper Iowa University, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, so they come from the kind of accredited institution Villanova’s FAQ describes. Whether a specific course transfers is still Villanova’s call.
Applying before your prerequisites are finished
Villanova says: “All of the above courses must be taken prior to starting the Accelerated BSN. You may apply to the program before finishing all prerequisites.”
Here is how that works in practice:
- Get a transfer credit evaluation. Villanova’s enrollment counselor for the program, Kristin Barkdoll (Kristin.Barkdoll@villanova.edu), handles transfer credit evaluations. Copies of transcripts are fine for the preliminary review, and your remaining prerequisites will be outlined in that evaluation.
- Apply with courses in progress. Villanova’s checklist notes that you do not have to list courses in progress. It does not publish a cap on how many prerequisites can be outstanding when you apply.
- Finish before the start date. For a May 2027 Express start, every prerequisite must be done before May. Ask when final transcripts are due.
One exception: applicants with a degree from outside the United States must have all prerequisites completed before their application is reviewed.
GPA, grades, and the rest of the application
Villanova reviews applications holistically. The FAQ says the committee “takes into strong consideration your overall GPA paying special attention to your science GPA.” It also looks for strong writing in your essay and considers letters and experience.
- GPA: 3.0 or higher from your previous degree program. Villanova does not publish a separate minimum science GPA, so strong grades in the four lab sciences matter.
- Grades: C or higher in every prerequisite.
- Tests: No GRE, TEAS, or other test scores.
- Essay: “Why are you choosing to enter the field of nursing at this time in your life or career?”
- Resume and two letters of recommendation.
- Official transcripts from every college you attended, sent to 2nddegreetranscripts@villanova.edu. High school transcripts are not required.
- Fee: $25, nonrefundable. Villanova says virtual information session attendees receive an application fee waiver code.
- International applicants: TOEFL scores if your degree was earned outside the United States, plus a foreign transcript evaluation.
Villanova does not publish a recency limit for prerequisites, and it does not address Pass/Fail, AP, or CLEP credit. If an older science course or an unusual grade is on your transcript, raise it in your evaluation.
Deadlines and the Conway scholarship
| Track and deadline | Apply by | Decisions | Aid packages | Seat deposit |
| Express, first (passed) | Sept. 15 | Nov. 1 | Dec. 1 | Dec. 15 |
| Express, second | Dec. 15 | Feb. 1 | Feb. 15 | March 1 |
| Flex | March 15 | April 15 | May 1 | May 15 |
Villanova’s Conway Scholarship Program offers merit and need-based awards to Second Degree Accelerated BSN students. Submit the scholarship application at the same time as your admission application, by the same deadlines. Need-based awards ask for a 3.0 GPA in prerequisite courses, documented financial need, and a FAFSA filed by Dec. 1. Merit awards are based on prior academic performance. Conway Scholars are expected to take part in health care community service.
If you are targeting Dec. 15, file the FAFSA by Dec. 1 so you stay eligible for need-based Conway funds.
How to fill missing Villanova ABSN prerequisites with UIU courses
Here is how PrereqCourses courses through UIU line up with Villanova ABSN prerequisites. Prices are $675 for three-credit courses and $695 for four-credit courses with a lab.
| Villanova requirement | UIU course | Credits | Fit |
| Anatomy and physiology 1 with lab | BIO 270 | 4 | Strong |
| Anatomy and physiology 2 with lab | BIO 275 | 4 | Strong, take after BIO 270 |
| Chemistry with lab | CHEM 151 | 4 | Likely, confirm (Villanova’s equivalent is a general, organic, and biochemistry course) |
| Microbiology with lab | BIO 210 | 4 | Strong for microbiology |
| Statistics | MATH 220 | 3 | Strong |
| Human development (lifespan) | EDU 142 | 3 | Likely, confirm |
| Nutrition | BIO 165 | 3 | Likely, confirm |
| Pathophysiology | BIO 370 | 3 | Strong |
| Theology or religious studies | REL 120 | 3 | Likely, confirm |
If your evaluation asks for genetics content alongside microbiology, BIO 282 covers genetics. EDU 142 covers growth and development from conception through late adulthood, BIO 165 combines human biology with nutrition, and REL 120 compares major world religions, so send those syllabi with your evaluation request.
Courses are self-paced and online, and new sections start on the first of each month, with the next start on Nov. 1, 2026. Here is a sample plan for someone applying by Dec. 15 who still needs A&P I, A&P II, pathophysiology, and lifespan development:
| Start | Course | Goal |
| Nov. 1, 2026 | BIO 270 and EDU 142 | Courses in progress when you apply by Dec. 15 |
| Jan. 1, 2027 | BIO 275 | Aim to finish by early spring |
| March 1, 2027 | BIO 370 | Aim to finish before the May start |
Check each UIU course’s own prerequisites on its product page and syllabus before you plan the order. You can browse all biology courses and chemistry courses.
How Villanova compares
Villanova’s list is longer than some ABSN lists because it adds pathophysiology, nutrition, and theology. For other Pennsylvania options, see our guide to Pennsylvania nursing prerequisites. For more on accelerated programs, start with accelerated nursing programs and our nursing prerequisite checklist. School-specific comparisons include Johns Hopkins ABSN prerequisites, NYU Meyers ABSN prerequisites, Northeastern ABSN prerequisites, and Duke ABSN prerequisites. If you are still building your school list, you can also browse programs on My Nursing Schools.
FAQ
Can I apply to Villanova’s ABSN before finishing my prerequisites?
Yes. Villanova says you may apply before finishing all prerequisites, but every course must be done before you start. International degree holders must finish first.
Does Villanova accept online prerequisites?
Villanova’s FAQ says online courses are acceptable from accredited institutions. It does not address online labs specifically, so confirm lab courses in your transfer credit evaluation.
What GPA do I need for the Villanova ABSN?
Villanova asks for a 3.0 GPA from your previous degree and strong science prerequisite grades. Every prerequisite needs a C or higher.
Does Villanova require the TEAS or GRE?
No. Villanova says test scores are not required for second degree applicants.
What is the next Villanova ABSN deadline?
For the 14-month Express track, the next deadline is Dec. 15, 2026, with decisions on Feb. 1. The 23-month Flex track deadline is March 15.
Next steps
- Compare your transcript against all nine Villanova ABSN prerequisites, starting with pathophysiology, nutrition, and theology.
- Email Kristin Barkdoll for a transfer credit evaluation, with copies of your transcripts and syllabi for any online or lab courses.
- Decide between Express (Dec. 15) and Flex (March 15), and file the FAFSA by Dec. 1 if you want need-based Conway funds.
- Draft your essay, update your resume, and line up two recommenders.
- If you need courses, look at a Nov. 1 start on PrereqCourses so you can finish before a May start.
Admission and acceptance of any course always rest with Villanova, so confirm first and plan your Villanova ABSN prerequisites with care.
