Program Description

The Master of Science in Nursing program with a direct entry pathway prepares students who have earned a non-nursing baccalaureate degree to obtain a registered nurse license and practice as an MSN nurse generalist in a variety of settings once state licensure is attained. The program focuses on care for patients across the lifespan and in diverse environments. Learning will include didactic, simulation, laboratory, and clinical learning opportunities. The program emphasizes the use of innovative technologies and preparation for assuming leadership roles. Clinical opportunities will provide the students to become an effective member of the interprofessional healthcare team through practice experiences that provide direct patient care in diverse areas.

Prior to enrollment, individuals considering a Master of Science in Nursing program should check with their applicable state board of nursing before enrolling in any graduate nursing program for any specific state requirements.

Students enrolled in this program are not eligible to receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Core MSN Program Outcomes (Student Learning Outcomes)

Upon completion of this program, the student should be able to:

1. Integrate scientific evidence from nursing and biopsychosocial disciplines, genetics, public health, quality improvement, and organizational sciences when designing and implementing outcome measures in diverse settings and through the lifespan.
2. Demonstrate leadership skills that emphasize ethical and critical decision-making, fiscal responsibility, inter-professional relationships that promote safe, quality care within a systems framework.
3. Apply methods, tools, performance measures, and evidence-based standards when evaluating quality indicators within an organizational system.
4. Synthesize theories, models and research findings inherent to nursing practice, education and management to guide an organization or healthcare system towards achieving successful outcomes.
5. Apply client/patient care technologies and informatics to coordinate and ensure safe quality care and promote effective communication among members of the inter-professional healthcare team.
6. Analyze ethical, legal and sociocultural factors to influence policy development and healthcare delivery systems that promote the health of individuals and populations.
7. Articulate a leadership role within inter-professional teams through effective communication, collaboration and consultation with other professionals to manage, coordinate care and provide safe, quality family-centered and population-based care.
8. Incorporate organizational and culturally sensitive client and population centered concepts in the planning, delivery, management, and evaluation of direct and indirect evidence-based health promotion care and services to specified individuals, families and populations.
9. Implement scholarly activities in selected individuals, populations, and systems.

Pre-Licensure Program Outcomes (Student Learning Outcomes)

Upon completion of this program, the student should be able to:

1.  Prioritize patient-centered care using clinical judgment and the nursing process. (Knowledge for Nursing Practice, Person-Centered Care)
2.  Collaborate with patients, families and team members to provide safe and culturally competent care. (Population Health, Quality and Safety)
3.  Integrate evidence-based practice within diverse clinical settings to deliver optimal care. (Scholarship, Systems-Based Practice)
4.  Minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both systems effectiveness and individual performance. (Quality and Safety)
5.  Use informational technology to communicate, mitigate error, support decision making, and manage patient care. (Informatics and Healthcare Technologies)
6.  Evaluate quality improvement processes to enhance patient outcomes. (Quality and Safety)
7.  Integrate professionalism and advanced leadership skills within the interdisciplinary healthcare environment. (Interprofessional Partnerships, Professionalism, Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development)
8.  Analyze national and global policies, legislative concepts, and economics to address population outcomes. (Professionalism)

Program Content

A minimum of 60.00 semester credit hours is required for graduation.

• A minimum of 77.00 semester credit hours is required for students who have not met the undergraduate pre-requisite core courses.

Third Party Testing

Assessment and remediation are critical components of nursing education. Students in the nursing program may be required to take third-party, standardized, proctored exams in an electronic format throughout the curriculum. Students may be required to go to a third-party testing site to complete exams. Standardized tests are valid and reliable predictors of success on the NCLEX examination and provide valuable feedback concerning student strengths and weaknesses. Student learning outcome data identifies content areas that require remediation, allowing faculty to personalize student support and intervention. Courses that utilize third-party exams will incorporate the points earned on the test as a percentage of the final grade earned for the course as specified in the course syllabus.

RN Exit Exam

The exit exam will cover content from all nursing courses, is reflective of NCLEX readiness and is administered in the final semester. Students will take practice assessments during the NSG 635 course , in conjunction with individualized remediation and completion of assignments focused on NCLEX readiness. This is followed by a final exit exam. Students who are unable to reach the *benchmark score on the exit exam will receive an Incomplete (I) grade for their NSG 635 course and will be required to successfully reach this benchmark on the final exit exam by the second week of the subsequent semester to resolve the (I) grade. 

If they are unable to resolve the (I) grade by the second week of the subsequent semester, the grade will convert to an (F) grade and the student will be placed on “Approved Break” for the remainder of the semester, during which time they must remain actively engaged in formal remediation. This will cause a delay in program completion and graduation. Students should discuss the implications of being on “Approved Break” with their financial aid advisor.

*Threshold benchmark scores required to pass the exit exams are based upon national student performance data and may be changed at any time by the university.

Statement on the Importance of Proficiency in Dosage Calculation in Nursing Programs

Proficiency in dosage calculation is a critical competency for nursing students and a foundational requirement for safe and effective patient care. Accurate dosage calculations are essential to ensure that patients receive the correct amount of medication, minimizing the risk of adverse drug events and medication errors, which can have serious or even life-threatening consequences.

In recognition of the vital role that dosage calculation plays in clinical practice, nursing programs require that students demonstrate mastery in this area before they are eligible to participate in clinical experiences. This ensures that nursing students are adequately prepared to handle the responsibilities of medication administration in real-world healthcare settings.

Validating proficiency in dosage calculation is not only a measure of academic achievement but also a safeguard for patient safety. By upholding this standard, nursing programs affirm their commitment to producing competent, confident, and responsible nursing professionals who are equipped to deliver high-quality care. Please refer to syllabi for specific requirements for individual courses.

Clinical Readiness Requirement

This program requires completion of a clinical readiness  preparation.