One class per semester?

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Hi everyone,

Here is my story: I am really interested in pursuing nursing as my future career, however, I have a husband who is in school for a masters program and we cant afford to have me in school full time.

The good thing is I have a Bachelor's in History so I'm able to transfer some of my courses over.

So my question is, is it possible to pursue one to two classes per semester? I understand that it'll take me a lot longer to graduate but I don't mind. I just want a head start ya know?

My other question is can a science course expire? For example, in the fall of 2016 I took a Human anatomy 1 class and then decided to take a break from school until 2020, will the school admit Human anatomy 1 as taken?

Thank you!

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You can take as many (or as few) prerequisites at a time as you'd like. The answers to your other questions will be specific to the program(s) you're interested in.

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Hi PANGEA,

The course I will be pursuing will be nursing, will it expire? Thank you for replying!

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Hi PANGEA,

The course I will be pursuing will be nursing, will it expire? Thank you for replying!

Different nursing programs have different requirements regarding how "old" your prerequisite classes can be.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
Hi PANGEA,

The course I will be pursuing will be nursing, will it expire? Thank you for replying!

Nursing is not a "course" with one set of guidelines to attain it. Nursing is a profession and there are as many different nursing schools out there as there are schools for teachers or engineers (actually, probably many more). Each school has its own policies for accepting transferred credits. In other words, your question cannot be answered unless and until you know which school of nursing you plan to use. Nor can you know for certain what prerequisites to take until you choose a school.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

In the area where I live, most nursing programs won't accept science prerequisite courses for transfer credit that were completed more than 5 to 7 years ago.

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Of course, a LOT of people take their pre reqs this way! I'm not sure if you are mainly take 1 class at a time due to monetary reasons (or the fact that you work full time I assume), but I take 2 classes at a time online. While it's hard, it's doable. Online classes are great if you have the discipline. With the non science pre reqs (ex, psychology) this could be a good option and you could likely find some at a community college.

What is your timeline for applying to actual nursing programs? I wouldn't worry about taking 1-3 years to complete pre reqs, as long as you plan to enroll in a program within 4-5 years. Many programs want your sciences to be no more than 5 years old, however I have seen as high as 10, and I have seen 1 or 2 with no real limit. You'll need to look into the programs you will be applying to and see what they have to say.

If your husband is going to take a few years to finish up, this seems to be the best option for you. Good luck!

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

Many people take pre-req courses one or two at a time for a variety of reasons. It is certainly possible to pursue your pre-req courses this way. Expiration deadlines vary from program to program. The most common I've seen is no time limit for English, Psychology, and other non-math/science courses. Most math and science courses are either 5 years, 7 years, or occasionally 10 year time limit. If you know which nursing programs you are likely to apply for you should be able to look up their time limits on pre-reqs and use that to guide when you take coursework.

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So my question is, is it possible to pursue one to two classes per semester?

It depends. Are you talking about prereqs? If yes, then yes. Are you talking about nursing courses? If so, then probably not. Nursing programs usually have a set course schedule that you have to take in sequence, unless you find a part time program.

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It depends. Are you talking about prereqs? If yes, then yes. Are you talking about nursing courses? If so, then probably not. Nursing programs usually have a set course schedule that you have to take in sequence, unless you find a part time program.

Ahh, I just assumed OP was talking about pre reqs.

HOWEVER, at a CC by me, there are both daytime and evening sections. ADN program tends to be less credits (nothing to turn your nose up at, however), thus easier to accommodate at least working part time. If keeping an income is required for your family, this might be a great option. Tuition is also much less. If you decided to pursue BSN after that, it can normally be taken online, part time, or a combination of both outside of working hours.

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Hi everyone,

I plan to pursue an associate in Nursing at Oklahoma's Community college aka OCCC. I'm not sure if it's a pre req or not.

The classes I need are: Human anatomy 1 and 2, general chem, lab for general chemistry/organic/bio chemistry, intro to nutrition, microbiology, and nursing process 1, 2, 3, & 4. I have a bachelors degree in another field, therefore I don't need the other classes as I've already taken it

As for Pangea's question, My husband just started his master's program in bilingual education and he will finish in 2018. We cannot afford simply because we are newly graduates plus I have a full time job.

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Most science classes like chemistry, microbiology etc... need lab and those are typically not online. They are in class. And most nursing programs tell you that you shouldn't work during the duration of the program because of clinicals.

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