Master of Science in Nursing
The Master of Science in Nursing Program (MSN) provides registered nurses (RN) with advanced knowledge and clinical skills to serve as primary care providers for individuals of all ages and their families. FNPs practice in a variety of rural and urban ambulatory settings such as physician offices, outpatient clinics, health maintenance organizations, community health clinics, and specialty clinics. Graduates are eligible for national certification and state specialty certification.
The MSN program consists of 45 credit hours and includes 720 supervised clinical hours. Courses are delivered using a mix of on-campus and online methods. On-campus courses are scheduled one day per week. Clinical practicum hours may be completed in the student's community with an approved preceptor.
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Program Objectives
The graduate program objectives were developed from and reflect the mission and philosophy of the department.
A successful graduate of the MSN program will:
- Synthesize knowledge from nursing and other disciplines to provide holistic and culturally competent care.
- Apply critical thinking and evidence-based models of care to improve health care delivery and patient care outcomes.
- Develop and utilize leadership strategies that foster professional role development.
- Integrate the principles of effective communication when using written, verbal, nonverbal and information technology modes in advanced practice roles.
- Demonstrate a commitment to the professional values and standards of advanced practice nursing.
- Acquire a foundation for and affirm the value of further education and professional development.
| MSN Curriculum Time Line: Three-Year Plan | |
| Year 1: Fall Semester | |
| NE 501 Nursing Science & Concepts of Nursing | |
| NE 540 Professional Role Development | |
| Total | |
| Year 1: Winter Semester | |
| NE 510 Nursing Research | |
| NE 541 Advanced Health Assessment | |
| NE 587 Research Practicum/Scholarly Project or | |
| NE 599 Thesis | |
| Total | |
| Year 1: Summer | |
| NE 512 Statistics for Health Care Professionals | |
| Total | |
| Year 2: Fall Semester | |
| NE 552 Advanced Clinical Pathophysiology | |
| NE 554 Advanced Pharmacology | |
| NE 587 Research Practicum/Scholarly Project or | |
| NE 599 Thesis | |
| Total | |
| Year 2: Winter Semester | |
| NE 542 Primary Care Management-1 | |
| NE 543 Practicum-1 (16 hours of clinic/week) | |
| Total | |
| Year 2: Summer Semester | |
| NE 506 Issues | |
| NE 587 Research Practicum/Scholarly Project or | |
| NE 599 Thesis | |
| Total | |
| Year 3: Fall Semester | |
| NE 544 Primary Care Management-1 | |
| NE 545 Practicum-2 (16 hours of clinic/week) | |
| Total | |
| Year 3: Wnter Semester | |
| NE 547 Practicum-3 (16 hours of clinic/week) | |
| NE 587 Research Practicum/Scholarly Project or | |
| NE 599 Thesis | |
Courses Required for Degree
Click here for program policies and the list of courses, descriptions, credits and sequences required for the MSN degree.
Post-Master's Certificate
The post-master's nurse educator certificate is designed for nurses who already possess a master's in nursing (MSN) degree and who wish to become nursing faculty at the community college, college or university level. All candidates must make an application to the program and must meet the admission requirements for the MSN program. The course of study is individualized based upon previous course work.
Candidates, who are already certified nurse educators and are seeking additional certification, will need to meet different requirements from those MSN graduates seeking NP certification for the first time. A portfolio must be submitted to verify previous work/clinical experiences. The portfolio will be used to individualize a program of study.
National Certification
Students who succesfully complete the FNP curriculum are eligible for national certification and Michigan specialty certification. National certification as a board certified FNP is required to practice in Michigan and many other states.
Application and Information Packets
MSN Application
MSN Handbook
Recommendation Form
Recommendation Cover Sheet
Research Guidelines
