Biology is required for BSN?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I assumed that since you must take Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, and Chemestry that you wouldn't have to take Biology...I mean what's the point? But on the UCF website it says Biology 1 is required.

Is this for all schools? If so, would taking Biology after I have finished up A&P 1 and 2 be fine?

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It just depends...I would call them. For the BSN program I am applying to Biology 1 is required if you havent started your a&p series. Also, Biology 1 can be waived at the school I am applying to for your High School biology

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

Heres the dea, (at least what is was at my school). Bio 1 (basic biology) was a pre-req to anatomy, micro, physio. There was teacher that taught all three and would let students into his class without Bio 1 if you got him to sign a paper. This was at the JC. If you were only going to get a ASN then that was fine. But to get a BSN you needed the Bio 1 to fill a transfer requirement...sure you could get out of Bio 1 by getting this teacher to sign you off...but then you would have to take some other course to fill the transfer requirement, something totally unrealated to nursing (like a earth science, or animal science) so why not just take the Bio 1....

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Biology is a pre-requisite for A&P I in our school.

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General biology is a pre-req for all the A&P classes around here. You can't take A&P and then take Bio, it has to be the other way around. Additionally, many schools require Chem as a pre-req for A&P. Also, you can't take A&P II before taking A&P II around here either.

Now, that being said, most of the schools will take High school bio with a lab if you've recently graduated high school. (I think its a 5 yr limit on how long ago your high school bio could be taken). If your bio was taken before that 5 yr limit (like me..high school bio was ohh like 25 years ago) you're out of luck and have to take college gen bio.

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Specializes in hopeful ER/Surg.

The point of biology is cell structure and function- and perspective that is invaluable.

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@ DCCCD A&P(SCIT 1407) is a pre-req for Biology

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Specializes in Public Health.

how can you understand human anatomy and physiology or microbiology if you know nothing about biology itself?

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@ DCCCD A&P(SCIT 1407) is a pre-req for Biology

I may be missing something, but I didn't see SCIT 1407 (Applied Human Anatomy & Physiology I) as being a pre-req for Intro/General Biology. It's listed, along with BIOL 1406 (Introductory Biology for Science Majors I), as a pre-req for Anatomy & Physiology I/II (BIOL 2401/ 2402), and also for Microbiology I & II (BIOL 2420/2421). The gen bio course (BIOL 1406) is also a pre-req for Genetics (BIOL 2416); SCIT 1407 is not.

Essentially, GenBio teaches basic biological science concepts that are the foundation of courses in A & P, Microbiology, and Genetics, and, as doomsayer pointed out, it's an invaluable perspective. I think that SCIT 1407 is labeled as an A&P course, but probably is a more of a intro college biology course with an A&P overview.

BTW, a student doesn't have to take both SCIT 1407 and BIOL 1406 in order to register for these 2400-level sciences; students choose one OR the other. However, SCIT courses are WECM-designated (i.e., "workforce ed" courses); they transfer for credit within the state community college system, but may not qualify for transfer to 4-year state or private colleges/universities. While not an issue for a nursing student in an AAS-degree program, it may result in extra expense and coursework later on if the student decides to apply to an RN-to-BSN program/other advanced nursing course (particularly if it's in another state).

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Biology is not a nursing prereq at my school, although if you do take it, it satisfies the prereq for A&P. However, chemistry also satisfies the A&P prereq and that IS also a nursing prereq for the traditional BSN (but not for the ABSN)...so I would imagine many potential nursing students never take basic biology. So, you can still be successful in A&P without a basic bio class, but I am sure it would be a great advantage to take a basic bio class beforehand. I don't really see why you would want to take it after A&P..

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Chemistry isn't a pre-req for most of the nursing schools I've looked at. I had a year of chem quite a few years ago and the one school that I wanted to apply that required chem, says my chem is too old so I'd need to retake it.

For others that may not need to take chem, Biology is good to learn about the cells but our Bio also had an overview of Chem so it was good on that aspect as well. You also learn how to use the microscope which is critical for Microbiology.

If somehow you don't take a Bio class, then I'd probably recommend at least reading over a Bio review book just to get some of the basic concepts.

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it is not required to take at my school but was highly suggested to help with the a&p and micro classes..i was little bumed about taking something didnt have to have but i think the benifits to taking are going to be worth it...id rather take it and do better in the other classes than dont and struggle so thats my case...my advisor said the a & p instructors would make it a requirement if they could cause it is that helpful

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