Prerequisite Cross-Reference — Accelerated Nursing Programs
This document identifies which prerequisite courses satisfy the most programs simultaneously. The goal is to help SpaceCat choose ~10 courses that:
- Satisfy prerequisites for the widest set of accelerated nursing programs
- Constitute her “most recent 30 credits” for GPA calculation (see gpa-strategy.md)
- Are achievable with a strong GPA
Only active second-entry/accelerated programs are included. Programs that are suspended (Ottawa, Saskatchewan) or paused (Memorial St. John’s) are noted but not counted.
How Many Programs Require Each Subject?
Counted across the 15 active second-entry programs: U of T, McMaster, Queen’s, Western, York, TMU, Brock, Trent, UBC, U of Alberta, U of Manitoba, UNB, Dalhousie, StFX, UPEI.
| Subject | # Programs Requiring It | Which Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Human Physiology | 15 / 15 | All programs require it (sometimes as part of combined A&P) |
| Human Anatomy | 14 / 15 | All except U of T (which allows physiology-only if it’s 1.0 credit) |
| Statistics | 14 / 15 | All except UBC |
| Microbiology | 10 / 15 | U of T, McMaster (as science elective), York, TMU, Brock, U of Alberta, U of Manitoba, UNB, Dalhousie, StFX, UPEI. NOT required: Queen’s, Western, Trent, UBC |
| Psychology (Intro) | 10 / 15 | McMaster, Queen’s, York, TMU, Brock, Trent, U of Alberta, U of Manitoba (elective), UPEI, Memorial. NOT required: U of T, Western, UBC, Dalhousie, StFX, UNB |
| English / Writing | 6 / 15 | Dalhousie, StFX, UBC, UNB (high school), UPEI, Memorial |
| Developmental Psychology | 3 / 15 | Brock, UPEI, (McMaster accepts as “human psychology”) |
| Nutrition | 2 / 15 | UPEI, (Saskatchewan — on hold) |
| Research Methods | 1 / 15 | Brock only |
| Pathophysiology | 1 / 15 | UNB only |
| Science Electives | 4 / 15 | U of T (1.0 cr), McMaster (6 units), U of Manitoba (9 cr), Dalhousie (3 cr) |
| Social Sci / Humanities | 3 / 15 | U of T (1.0 cr), TMU (2.0 cr), U of Manitoba (12 cr electives) |
Recommended Course Plan — The “Top 10”
Based on the cross-reference above, here are the 10 courses that maximize coverage across all programs. Courses are listed in priority order.
Must-Take (satisfy nearly every program)
| # | Course | Satisfies Prereqs For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Human Anatomy (with lab) | 14/15 programs | Lab component required by UPEI, StFX, Dalhousie. Take a version with lab to keep all options open. |
| 2 | Human Physiology (with lab) | 15/15 programs | Lab required by UPEI, StFX. Must cover ALL body systems (cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine, respiratory, digestive, reproductive, renal/urinary, musculoskeletal, immune). Programs are specific about this. |
| 3 | Statistics | 14/15 programs | Any introductory university statistics course. Does not need to be science-specific. |
| 4 | Microbiology | 10/15 programs | Must be university-level. U of T specifies detailed topic coverage (bacteria, viruses, antimicrobial resistance, epidemiology, immunity). Take a comprehensive course. Lab preferred (UPEI requires lab). |
| 5 | Introductory Psychology | 10/15 programs | Standard Psych 101. McMaster, Queen’s, Brock, UPEI all require it. Also satisfies U of T’s “Social Sciences” prereq. |
Strongly Recommended (satisfy several programs + GPA padding)
| # | Course | Satisfies Prereqs For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Developmental Psychology | 3 programs directly (Brock, UPEI, McMaster) | Also satisfies McMaster’s “human aspects of psychology” and counts as a second psychology course for Queen’s and UPEI. Helpful for programs requiring 2 psychology courses. |
| 7 | English / Academic Writing | 6 programs (Dalhousie, StFX, UBC, UPEI, UNB, Memorial) | SpaceCat’s BA from Dalhousie likely satisfies this at many programs. Check whether her existing English credits transfer before taking another. StFX has specific requirements (40% of grade from formal writing, two 10+ page assignments). |
Good Strategic Additions (fill remaining slots)
| # | Course | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Science Elective (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Nutrition) | Satisfies U of T’s “Life/Physical Sciences” (1.0 cr), McMaster’s “science electives” (6 units), U of Manitoba’s “science electives” (9 cr), Dalhousie’s “science elective.” Nutrition is ideal because it also satisfies UPEI’s nutrition prereq. |
| 9 | Second Science Elective (e.g., Biology or Chemistry) | Same rationale as #8. Together with #8, satisfies McMaster’s 6-unit science elective requirement and U of T’s 1.0 credit science requirement. Trent requires biology and chemistry at some level. |
| 10 | Social Science or Humanities Elective | Satisfies U of T’s Social Sciences/Humanities (1.0 cr), TMU’s Social Sciences/Humanities (2.0 cr), U of Manitoba’s general electives. Could also use a second psychology course here if not taking developmental psych separately. |
Minimum Grade Targets
Different programs set different minimums for prerequisite courses. To keep all options open, SpaceCat should aim for the highest minimum across all programs:
| Minimum Grade Required | Programs |
|---|---|
| B (73-77%) | York (B in each prereq), Brock (B in each prereq) |
| C+ (65%) | U of Alberta (Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology only) |
| 65% | StFX (each prereq) |
| C- / 60% | U of T, McMaster, Western, Queen’s, TMU, Trent, UPEI (per course), UNB, Dalhousie |
| C (60%) | U of Manitoba |
Target: Aim for at least 77% (B+) in every course. This clears the bar for all programs, including York and Brock’s B requirement, and contributes to a strong “most recent 30 credits” GPA.
Prerequisite Time Limits
Prerequisites expire at different rates. Taking courses now (2026) keeps them valid for:
| Time Limit | Programs | Valid Until (if taken 2026-2027) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 years | U of T, McMaster, TMU, UBC, U of Alberta (science courses) | 2031-2032 |
| 6 years | Ottawa (suspended) | 2032-2033 |
| 7 years | Queen’s | 2033-2034 |
| 10 years | Western, Trent, UNB, Dalhousie, StFX, UPEI, U of Manitoba, U of Saskatchewan | 2036-2037 |
| Not specified | York, Brock, Memorial | Unclear — confirm with programs |
Taking prereqs in 2026-2027 keeps them valid through at least 2031 for all programs.
Can Prerequisites Be Taken Online?
This matters because SpaceCat may want to take courses while continuing to work.
| Status | Programs | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Explicitly accepts online | U of T, McMaster, York, StFX, UNB | Athabasca University courses specifically mentioned by U of T and York. UNB offers its own online versions of all prereqs. |
| Likely accepts online | Dalhousie, TMU, Trent, U of Alberta, U of Manitoba | Accept transfer credits from other institutions; online not explicitly addressed but not excluded. |
| Lab requirement may limit online | UPEI, StFX (but virtual labs accepted) | UPEI requires labs for Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology. StFX notes virtual labs are acceptable. |
| Not stated | UBC, Western, Brock, Queen’s | Would need to confirm directly. |
Recommended Online Providers
Based on what programs explicitly accept:
- Athabasca University — Explicitly accepted by U of T (BIOL 325 for Microbiology) and York (BIOL 235 for A&P). Offers: Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II (BIOL 235/237), Microbiology (BIOL 325), Statistics (MATH 215), Psychology (PSYC 289/290).
- UNB Centre for Learning Futures — Offers online versions of its own prereqs: Anatomy (BIOL 1719), Physiology (BIOL 1789), Microbiology (BIOL 2259), Pathophysiology (BIOL 2509).
- Thompson Rivers University (TRU) — Mentioned by York as accepted.
Programs Where SpaceCat’s Dalhousie BA Already Covers Prerequisites
SpaceCat has a BA from Dalhousie. Depending on what courses she took, some prereqs may already be met. Common BA courses that might transfer:
| Likely Covered | Maybe Covered | Unlikely Covered |
|---|---|---|
| English/Writing (most BAs require this) | Statistics (if she took a stats course) | Human Anatomy |
| Social Sciences/Humanities electives | Introductory Psychology (common BA elective) | Human Physiology |
| General electives | Microbiology | |
| Developmental Psychology | ||
| Nutrition |
Action item: SpaceCat should pull her Dalhousie transcript and check which of the above she has already completed, paying attention to the time limits (courses older than 5-7 years may have expired for some programs).
Summary: The Optimal Course Year
If SpaceCat takes the following 10 courses in 2026-2027 and achieves strong grades (B+ or better), she will be eligible to apply to every active accelerated nursing program in Canada:
- Human Anatomy (with lab)
- Human Physiology (with lab)
- Statistics
- Microbiology (with lab if possible)
- Introductory Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- English / Academic Writing (unless covered by BA — swap for another elective)
- Introductory Nutrition (covers UPEI; doubles as science elective for U of T, McMaster)
- Science elective (Biology or Chemistry — covers Trent, McMaster, U of T)
- Social Science or Humanities elective (covers U of T, TMU, U of Manitoba)
These 10 courses = 30 credits = her “most recent 30 credits” for GPA calculation at UBC, U of T, UPEI, StFX, Dalhousie, and Memorial.