You don’t need years or a huge budget to finish your healthcare prerequisite classes. Follow our 10-month roadmap to discover different ways to complete these prereqs while saving money and staying stress-free.

Why Online Healthcare Prerequisites Work Differently

Traditional colleges usually expect you to take every prerequisite on campus at their pace.

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Online schools often play by different rules, for example:

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• Western Governors University (WGU): For WGU healthcare-related degrees, apply first, then finish missing prereqs before your start date.
• ‍Grand Canyon University (GCU): At GCU, you can get admitted as a general student while you complete prereqs.
• ‍Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU): SNHU often builds prerequisites directly into the degree plan.

You usually don’t need to take prereqs where you’ll earn your degree. Many accept up to 90 transfer credits, including from Study.com, Sophia Learning, and StraighterLine.

How to Finish Healthcare Prerequisites Faster in 10 Months: A Practical Roadmap

In this guide, you’ll learn a step-by-step, 10-month plan to finish key healthcare prerequisites faster and cheaper with less stress.

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Month 1: Learn the Rules and Build Your List

Month 1 is all about strategy, not speed. Start by:

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• Pulling the prerequisite list for your target healthcare program
• Carefully reading the school’s transfer-credit policy
• Noting which courses can transfer, how many credits they’ll accept, and whether they recognize providers like Study.com, Sophia, or StraighterLine

Next, map your situation:

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• List every prereq your program requires
• Mark what you’ve already completed
• Highlight what you can still take through alternative credit providers

📧 Quick tip: Email an advisor your planned course list and ask, “Will these transfer exactly where I need them?”

Month 2: Ease Back in With General Education Courses

In Month 2, you start earning credits but not with the hardest sciences.

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Begin with general education courses such as:

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• English
• ‍Psychology‍
• Introduction to Communication

These classes help you relearn what school feels like, without dropping you straight into complex lab content.

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Because many alternative providers are self-paced, this is a chance to figure out your rhythm. Find out when you study best, how long a module takes, and how many lessons you can realistically handle in a week.

Month 3: Rebuild Your Science Foundation

Month 3 is prep time for the heavy sciences every healthcare degree requires, like:

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• Anatomy and Physiology‍
• Microbiology
• ‍Chemistry

Instead of jumping straight into those, use this month to rebuild your “science brain.” That might mean an intro biology course, a basic chemistry refresher, or a targeted review of major concepts you haven’t seen in years.

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The aim is simple: when you hit A&P or Chemistry, you’re not learning complex content and basic vocabulary at the same time.

Month 4: Tackle Your First Major Science Prerequisites

Month 4 is where the real action starts. This is usually the time to tackle your first major science prerequisites.

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💡Tip: To protect your energy and grades, pair heavy science courses with either a very light class or no second class at all.

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Because you spent Month 3 rebuilding fundamentals, this course will feel challenging but doable. When you pass that first big science requirement, you prove to yourself that the rest of the prereq list is possible.

Months 5: Find Your Pacing

By Month 5, you know your pace:

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• How long chapters take
• How many quizzes you can handle weekly
• Whether you focus best before work, late at night, or in short bursts.  

Many students gently accelerate here by adding a second course or finishing a remaining gen-ed.

Month 6: Hit Your Stride

By Month 6, you’re in full stride, ready for classes like Anatomy & Physiology II with lab, Microbiology, or other lab-heavy sciences. At this point:

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🔍 Your study systems are sharper

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⏲️ Your time management is stronger

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🧬 You’re tackling complex science content with more confidence

Month 7: Finish Supporting Courses

By Month 7, shift to supporting courses like:

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• Lifespan developmental psychology
• ‍Science of nutrition
• ‍Statistics ‍
• Medical terminology

These still matter but are usually less stressful than lab sciences, making them ideal when you want to progress without burnout.

Month 8: Tie Up Loose Ends

Month 8 is about tying loose ends and logistics. Finish any remaining gen-eds (like English or stats) and finalize your transfer plan: request official transcripts from alternative credit providers, send them to your chosen school, and confirm how each credit applies to your degree.

Months 9: Strengthen Your Application

By Month 9, your prereq work is mostly done. Now it’s all about your application.

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Focus on:

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✅ Polishing your personal statement

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✅ Updating your résumé with relevant experience

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✅ Making sure your story matches what your transcript shows

Month 10: Submit Your Job Applications

Month 10 is the payoff. You’ve followed a focused plan, used flexible online options, and protected your time and budget.

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Submitting your application feels like the natural next step. When that acceptance email arrives, it isn’t luck; it’s the result of intentional planning.

Turning a Long Road Into a 10-Month Plan Towards Healthcare

Cranking out healthcare prerequisites doesn’t have to be a multi-year saga. By understanding how online schools accept transfer and alternative credits, and by following this 10-month, month-by-month plan, you can become program-ready faster without burning out or overspending.

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From here, explore more Degree Hacked guides on alternative credit, transfer strategies, and time-saving study techniques to keep shortening your path to a healthcare career.