Are pre-requisites and electives the same thing?

[Nursing pursuit]

There is this BSN program that has a requirement of 40 credit hours before moving to the upper division nursing classes. What I want to know is if classes like algebra and biology count towards those elective credits?

[labdad1234RN]

A prerequisite is a class that is required in some core capacity in order for you to obtain your major. Lets say you had a certain number of classes in natural science like Chemistry, Micro Biology and Statistics. These are usually prerequisite or required classes for you to take before you major in some area of expertise like Nursing. Electives on the other hand require a certain number of credits in your program but you have more latitude in which classes to take. For example, a science elective you can take Introduction to Geology, a Humanities elective History of Glass Art (I do not know if there is really a class like that). Or other Electives, you can take foreign languages such as Spanish for healthcare professionals etc. It really depends on the program you are in.

It is best to ask your Academic or Program counselor what would be your best options. Good Luck!

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

NO there are required courses and then electives.

[LessValuableNinja]

Pre-requisites generally need to be done before applying to the program. General requirements/core generally needs to be done before graduating, but MAY also need to be done before entering the program (though not usually before applying). Guess who DOESN'T know the answer to your specific question: Any of us.

You need to talk to the school in question.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

"pre" is the key word here. You have to take math I or Spanish I before taking Math II or Spanish II. The "I" classes are the pre-reqs. An elective is a supporting class (most of the time-I took Art History) for core classes or a class to have a well rounded education. Pre-reqs are specific, electives are usually wide-ranging. In high school, I tool Jewelry Design-for 2 semesters. It was cool, we made our own jewelry!

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Your degree requires x number of total hours. Some will be pre-reqs, some required and a few hours left over that you can choose (electives).

One thing to know, if you transfer to another school, the pre-reqs and required may only transfer as electives to the next school as that school might not require them for the degree program. Whew!