Skip to main content

Recommended Courses for Nursing School

Pre-accelerated BSN course recommendations from your health careers advisors.

First, you can major in anything; you should pick something you are passionate about.  By taking courses you love, you will earn better grades, and this will improve your application.

There is substantially more variability between schools in the requirements for accelerated BSN programs than there is for many other health professions.  Once you have some schools of interest, you must research those schools to avoid missed classes.  Some general guidelines are given below to help you get started on your path.  Please keep in mind that most of the courses listed below have prerequisites.  Given the complexity in planning for this profession, you are encouraged to consult with the HCAB  nursing advisor as soon as possible.

The following courses are required by all or almost all accelerated BSN programs:

  • BIOL 230 (Human Anatomy and Physiology I)
  • BIOL 235 (Microbiology)
  • BIOL 260 (Human Anatomy and Physiology II)
  • INQ 240 (Statistical Reasoning)
  • PSYC 221 (Developmental Psychology)

The following courses are required at many nursing programs

  • One semester of chemistry (CHEM 111 is a good choice)
  • One semester of sociology (SOCI 101 is a good choice)
  • Nutrition (Not offered at Roanoke College.  Click here for suggestions on where you can get this course locally)

The following courses are required at some programs

  • One or two semesters of English composition (satisfied by INQ 110 and INQ 120)
  • One semester of English literature
  • One semester of ethics
  • One semester of humanities
  • Medical Terminology (Not offered at Roanoke College.  Click here for local suggestions on where you can get this course)