A&P/Micro Online Courses for California

Published

Hi all, I'm new to the Forums, although I've been lurking for a few months.

I'm one of those semi-mid-life career changers who is planning to enter Nursing after 15+ years in a different and completely unrelated field. Obviously, I'm anxious to get my prereqs out of the way so I can get on the waiting list for an ADN program. All I need to take are the three core science courses: Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology.

I've been doing some research on the various online schools (like CCCOnline, Edukan, etc) and am definitely interested in completing my three prereq courses through one of these routes. I'm familiar with online education, and have already earned an advanced certificate program in my current line of work via an online program.

My question is, do any of you have first-hand knowledge that ADN programs in Southern California accept A&P and Micro via an online course with labs? I'm specifically interested in Santa Monica College, Moorpark College, Los Angeles County College of Nursing, or other ADN programs in the Greater Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley area.

I will of course be calling several of these programs to confirm with them directly, but they're all out on Spring Break, and I'd LOVE to get a preliminary answer before next week.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Bump.

Anyone have any feedback?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Couplet Care/Newborn Nursery.

I would call and ask. I know CSULB will not accept courses that have the lab online. Western University of Health Sciences accepted my online APII class.

I guess it just depends on the college.

Just a head up- on my transcript it does not show the class was an online class. I'm taking APII at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and I REALLY like it there.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

In answer to my own question, I finally got a hold of someone at the Nursing program at Santa Monica College. She said that as long as the courses are at least 4 units, and they include a lab, there is no problem with transferability. She did suggest keeping a copy of the syllabus and course catalog description in case there were any questions.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Couplet Care/Newborn Nursery.

Sucks for us people in california....we have to pay out of state tuition to take these courses online. I searched and I couldn't find a community college in california that offered these classes online (lab and lecture).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Sucks for us people in california....we have to pay out of state tuition to take these courses online. I searched and I couldn't find a community college in california that offered these classes online (lab and lecture).

Totally. I must have spent hours yesterday trying to find an alternative, to no avail. I wonder why so many other states are embracing online technology, but California isn't. Frustrating!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

as27,

take it this summer at ocean county college in toms river new jersey. they have every pre-requisite course you need totally online. half the students in my microbiology online course are from out-of-state. all of their science courses include a hands on laboratory that is actually a lot of fun and transfers almost everywhere. the transcript does not say that the course is online or face-to-face.

you can get a&p i, a&p ii, introduction to chemistry or microbiology totally online during may and june. the seats are going quicky. you do pay out-of-state tuition and you do have to pay it at the time you register. the gas and hassle free environment is worth it. my friend is taking microbiology online in the summer first five week class which starts mid-may and ends late june. she will have the entire summer off with the kids.

here is the links to the courses and registration:

here is the website for the biol 232 microbiology dl course:

http://www.ocean.edu/micro.htm

here are the a&p i and ii courses:

http://www.ocean.edu/academics/programs_of_study/science/ap_online.htm

http://www.ocean.edu/academics/programs_of_study/science/apii_online.htm

you can contact the registration and records office at (732) 255-0304. tell them you are from out of state.

the jersey shore is springseen country! you will like it!

lucky latina

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I took A&P 1 online through Edukan and it sucked!! it did include the lab, the class wasn't too hard it was just that my teacher made us answer 25 to 30q's on each chapter and we had to retype the question and they were all way hard they included A B C parts to them :( it took me about 3hrs to type them all, including answers, I would always have to email her about 6 pages worth of typing. Well I passed it with a C and it was a 4hr acredited class. My advisor failed to do her research and for the nursing program that I was going to apply it needed to be a 5hr accredited class :s grrr!! so I cuzzed her out and found a different one, haha then I retook A&P-1 in the summer at a community college honestly when it comes to science classes I am terrible at them so for me the best way to go is to do them in the summer because the teachers don't care too much because they don't want to be there either so they are a bit more lineant (totally misspelled that) I also took micobiology in the summer. In the summer you don't do as many chapters as you would in the school year. Best of luck

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Maseca,

I talked to Moorpark. They are not accepting the online Micro as transferable due to the lab being online. They felt that there were too many specific techniques and safety issues that can not be effectively taught online. I'm also hoping to apply to LA County and they have the syllabus, course information and the professor's phone number... they've not gotten back to me with transferability.

My Physio course is online and everyone is OK with that one (Moorpark College's online physio class is actually very good and the labs are all simulated). Basically, they would have allowed online physio or online anatomy, but not online micro labs. I could do a distance lecture (where I log in and watch), but it must be an in-person lab.

I'm in the same boat as you are Maseca. Just finishing Anatomy & Physiology - only need Microbiology, but Moorpark's 6pm summer session Micro class was cancelled and my work won't allow me to leave in time for a 5pm class that's further away.

Good luck to you and I hope to meet you in nursing school very soon.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

That stinks about Moorpark.

I'm glad that I was able to confirm with Santa Monica College (directly from the nursing program) that the online courses are okay with them. I'm nervous that they'll change their mind or something before it's time for me to apply. I'm probably just being paranoid. SMC is my first choice of schools, but I'll definitely be applying to other nursing programs as well.

Since the classes don't show up on your transcripts as online classes though, how would the schools know? They just show up as 4 or 5 unit courses with labs.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi Maseca,

You have a good point about how it appears on transcripts. I know counselors are the ones that review your transcripts, so they might not realize it's online... if that's the case, Moorpark may let it slide... but if it's flagged and goes for ANY further review (by dept heads who are aware that it's online), they would deny it.

So SMC said yes for sure? That's awesome. Not sure what LA County will say... If I had not asked or sent them the syllabus, it would probably be transferable without any questions, but they are still reviewing the syllabus. I'm strongly considering taking the class anyway in hopes that counseling staff will approve it (at any school) since it's the 4 unit w/ lab and 200 level course. I'm signed up for Micro in the fall as a "back up" in case it's not approved though. And doing it this way risks having to take it twice...

Oh, and the instructor is very communicative at OCC - he's emailed me a couple times and is very informative and helpful.

Where in So Cal are you at? If we both take the same session, maybe we can get together to study and work on the labs. I work in the Thousand Oaks area right now.

Brandi

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I spoke with someone directly in the nursing program at SMC and she said it was fine. Because I'm paranoid, I just called and left a message with another counselor in the health sciences office. When I spoke with them previously, all they were concerned about was that the transcript notes the number of units and the fact that the course had a lab. Beyond that, they weren't concerned.

I'll be interested to see what you find out from LA County, because that's another program I'd be interested in applying to. SMC is still my first choice though, because their clinicals are at Cedars-Sinai and UCLA, and I'd love to get that kind of experience in clinicals.

I work in Westlake Village and live in Oak Park, so right around the corner from you. I'm taking my courses through Edukan (Platt Community College), but we might still be able to work out some sort of study group.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion