Advisement for the program is available from the School of Nursing .
Graduate education in nursing builds upon generalized preparation at the undergraduate level and previous experience in nursing. Graduate nursing education builds advanced knowledge and competencies for specialized areas of nursing. Salisbury University offers a master’s program with tracks preparing students for roles as healthcare leaders and nurse educators.
Students seeking the Master of Science in Nursing must complete an approved program of study, including a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit. Current master’s tracks provide 36-39 semester hours of graduate credit to meet state requirements.
All graduate nursing students must complete a core of courses that prepare them for evidence-based practice. Core courses include NURS 515 - Epidemiology , NURS 542 - Qualitative Research in Health Care , NURS 544 - Quantitative Research in Health Care , MATH 502 - Applied Statistics and completion of an NURS 592 - Internship . Each concentration then has additional courses focused on competencies required for healthcare leadership or nursing education.
Students can transfer no more than one-third of the total number of program credits. All transferred credits must have a grade of B or better.
Preparation for advanced practice roles is offered in the healthcare leadership (HCL) or nurse educator (NE) tracks. Graduates of the NE concentration are eligible to take the National League for Nursing (NLN) Academic Novice Nurse Educator certification (CNE®n) examination.Graduates of the HCL concentration may be eligible to take the American Organization of Nurse Examiners (AONE) Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP) exam and may also receive a Post-Baccalaureate Healthcare Management (HCM) certificate if the required courses are completed.
The time required for completion of the master’s degree program depends on the individual student’s course load, the selected concentration, and the course rotation schedule. Generally, the master’s degree can be completed in two to three academic years. Part-time or full-time options are available for most semesters. The master’s curriculum is comprised of core courses, taken by students in all concentrations, and specialty courses for the selected concentration.
M.S.N. Program Admission
Admission to the master’s program requires acceptance to the University for graduate study, as well as acceptance into the Master of Science in Nursing Program. Admission to the program is based on review of the following requirements:
- B.S. in nursing from a nationally accredited program with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (except eligible RN-MSN students)
- Current and unencumbered United States Registered Nursing (RN) license from a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) states
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
- Current resume or curriculum vitae
- Brief scholarly essay describing academic and professional goals reviewed by the School of Nursing’s Graduate Program Committee admission’s sub-committee
- Two academic or professional references/letters of recommendation
- Residency/Domicile Information form (for those students applying for in-state tuition)
- Fulfillment of University requirements for international students as outlined in the catalog
- Completion of an interview by the Graduate Program Director or member of the Graduate Program Committee (GPC)
- Review of completed items by the GPC admissions sub-committee
Clinical experience is not required; but students are encouraged to work in professional RN roles during the program, and an active license must be maintained.
M.S.N. Enrollment Requirements
After acceptance into the nursing program and prior to beginning the program, students must:
- Meet all School of Nursing health and technical requirements.
- Provide evidence of current certification in basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by the American Heart Association for healthcare providers.
- Provide evidence of current RN licensure in the state of Maryland or a NLC state.
M.S.N. Progression Requirements
In theory courses, the student may receive no more than one grade below a B. Students who receive a grade lower than a B in any course may repeat one course one time to achieve a better grade. Students whose cumulative grade point average falls below a 3.0 in any semester will be placed on academic probation according to University policy. Students must achieve a grade of B or better in all practicum and internship courses (NURS 562 , NURS 572 , NURS 577 , NURS 578 and NURS 592 ) to complete the program, and these courses cannot be repeated.
M.S.N. Program Policies
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A minimum of 30 semester hours is required in the prescribed sequence according to the track selected for the master’s degree.
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Depending on the track, a minimum 27 of these semester hours must be completed at SU.
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Graduate Nursing Program Grading Policy: A grade of B is required in courses for the program not listed here. The program allows one C/C+ if it is earned from one of these courses required for the master’s health care leadership track: NURS 515 , NURS 525 , NURS 526 , NURS 542 , NURS 544 , NURS 560 , NURS 561 , NURS 570 or NURS 571 . A grade of B or better is required in the following courses without possibility of repeating if a grade of C/C+ or lower is earned: NURS 562 , NURS 572 and NURS 592 .
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Students whose GPA falls below a 3.0 in any semester will be placed on academic probation according to University policy.
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Students must maintain a valid license as a registered nurse in the State of Maryland or a compact state. If a clinical site is in a non-compact state, additional R.N. licensure and preceptor or faculty oversight for that state is necessary.
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Students must maintain current clinical and health requirements.
Internship Information
Registration for the culminating NURS 592 - Internship requires permission of the Graduate Program director and faculty advisor.
Checklist
This checklist is an unofficial tool for planning. Matriculated students and advisors should consult the Academic Requirements Report in GullNet before and after registering for classes each semester to track academic progress.
