Prerequisites Online then transfer them to a local community college?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by northpen, Nov 11, 2009.

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  1. northpen

    northpen New Member

    Hello :)

    My short-term plan is to get my AA in Nursing (long-term, BASN then possibly becoming a Physicians Assistant).

    Would it be ok if I did all my prerequisites for my AA online (somewhere like UND)?

    I know in order go through the nursing program I need to physically attend a school, but before I do that, is it ok to do all the prereq's and then transfer those credits to the school?

    I am thinking of doing the AA Nursing program at Austin Community College (TX) or Bellevue Community College (WA).

    These are the prereqs I'd like to do online:
    BIOL& 241 Human Anatomy & Physiology I 6
    BIOL& 242 Human Anatomy & Physiology II 6
    BIOL& 260 Microbiology 6
    CHEM& 121 Introduction to Chemistry 6
    CMST 280 Intercultural Communication 5
    ENGL& 101 English Composition I 5
    MATH 130 Introduction to Statistics 5
    PSYC& 200 Lifespan Psychology


    I apologize in advance if this is a simple question. I am pretty new to the online learning but I did homeschool through high school so I am at least used to learning at my own pace.
     
  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    It makes perfect sense to me. Since you have a good idea which school you'll eventually be attending, it would probably be a good idea to run it by them as well. One thing that might be a bit of a problem is those Biology courses. It's not always easy to find a school that offers lab courses through distance learning. However, if anyone can find them, it's degreeinfo members.
     
  3. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    You may be able to earn an associates degree in nursing on line from Excelsior College
    https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/School_Of_Nursing/AS_and_AAS_in_Nursing_Degrees
    You would need to read Excelsior's requirements to see if you qualify.

    Also it is possible (at least in California) to become a PA without a nursing degree by attending a community college plus passing a state administered exam. See here for an exampl. But not available by distance learning.
    http://www.rcc.edu/academicprograms/pa/index.cfm
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 11, 2009
  4. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    All of these courses are available online and you should be able to take them from a regionally accredited college and transfer them into your nursing program. Having dealt with thousands of students over the years (many of them in health fields), their testimony is that Anatomy and Physiology was their hardest prerequisite course, so plan your schedule accordingly.

    Judging from both my research and observation of homeschooled college students, you should have an advantage over most of your peers when it comes to higher education.
     
  5. northpen

    northpen New Member

    Thanks everyone for the replies. I will just make sure then that my courses will transfer to whatever community college I attend. It seems like the "big three" may be good place to start.

    Anthony Pina- Thank you very much for your reply. Do you have any recommendations on where I could find the courses online for biology? I have been looking most of the day but haven't found anything since they require labs.

    I have a few additional questions if anyone could help :)

    1) Is it possibly to get Fafsa money for online learning or will I have to go the student loan route? I doubt I can get a company to pay for my education because I currently work as a web designer and it's a career change. I'm only 22 years old so it's more of a career start then a change ;)

    2) When I apply for the nursing programs, will it look weird if my prerequisites are from different schools? For instance, I have already taken English at a local community college, and then I would be taking the additional classes at online schools to fill all my prereqs.

    Also, if anyone knows of any courses online where I can do the labs for Biology please let me know :)


    Thanks!
     
  6. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    Try BYU Independent Study. They have one of the largest programs (hundreds of courses) and several people who post on Degreeinfo have taken classes from them. You do not have to be a member of the LDS Church to take courses. Here is a link to the General Biology course

    http://ce.byu.edu/is/site/courses/description.cfm?subject=Biology&course=BIO100Principles%2520of%2520Biologypversion

    Yes, there is federal financial aid available for online learning. You should fill out your FAFSA, as you may be eligible for a pell grant, depending on your financial situation and the number of credits that you take.

    Not really. It is commonplace for people to take classes at more than one college.

    Try BYU. It may be your best bet.
     
  7. northpen

    northpen New Member

    Thank you so much Anthony! I never saw BYU Online earlier but it looks like they have exactly all I need. Prices seem pretty reasonable too.

    Time to get the Fafsa ball rolling and get this journey going.

    Thanks again!!
     
  8. Shawn Ambrose

    Shawn Ambrose New Member

    A note of caution - generally students who are enrolled in Independent Study are NOT eligible for Federal Student Financial Aid. The Federal System is tied to semesters, credits completed/credits earned, etc.

    If you are looking for an inexpensive online option, try Clovis Community College. They have many online courses, including Biology, Chemistry, etc. Plus if you apply for admission, you could receive Federal Student Aid if you meet the requirements. Good luck!

    Shawn
     
  9. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    However you may be able to use tax benefits. See this publication (2009 version not yet available). I use these most years.
    http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p970.pdf
     
  10. northpen

    northpen New Member

    Thanks guys. I've emailed clovis to see if their labs are done online. I'll let you know what they reply with.
     
  11. Shawn Ambrose

    Shawn Ambrose New Member

    I can tell you that for Biology and Chem for Gen Ed online, that the labs are done at home and then the student turns in a written lab report.

    Shawn
     
  12. northpen

    northpen New Member

    Enrolled with Clovis and I am setup for the BIOL course in the Spring. I haven't heard back from Bellevue or Austin CC to see whether the credits transfer. I'm assuming for now that they will since from what I read Clovis is regionally credited.

    Going to take the Math courses through BYU. Since it's independent study I can avoid having to take a few of the prerequisites for Math that Clovis requires.

    Thanks again everyone
     
  13. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef



    That's what I'm doing! Just check with your college, they may already offer some of these online- and if not, be sure that you get the thumbs up from an advisor. I noticed you are in quarter credits, so when you take a class elsewhere, it might not be exactly the same number of credits- be sure to check that out. Also, ask if you can take the CLEP for Lifespan psychology- that's a very doable exam and you can skip the class.
     
  14. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

     

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