ABSN Prerequisites and Education Requirements

Our Accelerated BSN program in Portland is rigorous, so it is important to feel as confident and prepared as possible before you enroll. Many of our students enter the program after being away from the school environment for a few years. Therefore, we require prospective ABSN students to complete certain prerequisite courses before starting the core nursing curriculum.

Your ABSN prerequisites lay the foundation for your success in our nursing program and are an essential part of your overall preparation as a nurse.

List of ABSN Prerequisite Courses

Required Prerequisites Courses

Prerequisite courses must be completed prior to admission with a C grade or higher. Cumulative GPA must be 3.0 or higher.

All science prerequisites must be current within seven years from the date of application. All math prerequisites must be current within ten years. General education requirements transferred from another institution do not expire. Please contact an enrollment specialist for more information.

General Education Requirements

Students are required to complete 31 semester credit hours in general education in the content areas below. General education courses are eligible for equivalent transfer credit with a D grade or higher. Math and composition course requirements must be completed prior to beginning nursing core coursework. General education requirements may be satisfied by prerequisite requirements.

1. Transfer Foundation, 14 credits
2. Spiritual Foundation, 6 credits
3. Intercultural Experiences, 5 credits
4. Studies in Arts and Sciences, 6 credits

Students should work with an Academic Advisor to determine their individual path to completion.

Transfer Credit Guidelines

Concordia University-Portland will accept college-level credit hours from regionally accredited institutions. Concordia Portland does not give credit for experiential learning (life experience). Only courses with a grade of D or above will be accepted for transfer credit of general education courses and D- or above for elective courses. Students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours at Concordia University-Portland. A minimum of 45-semester credits must be completed at the 300 or 400 level. The GPA of coursework that is over ten years old will not transfer to Concordia University-Portland.

If you have completed your transferable Associate’s degree, Concordia University-Portland recognizes the following Block Transfer Degrees as fulfilling all General Education Requirements except REL 401N and HUM 351N (which must be completed at Concordia University-Portland):

• Oregon: The Associates of Arts Oregon Transfer Degree (AAOT); Associate of Science Oregon Transfer in Business (ASOTB)
• Washington: The Washington Transfer Associates of Arts (WTAA) also known as the Direct Transfer Agreement (AA-DTA and AS-DTA)
• California: Any associates degree if you also met the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) requirements and earned the IGETC certificate.