Nursing — MSN
Track Options:
The College of Nursing offers a Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN). MSN graduates are ready to lead in educator and advanced practice nursing roles in health-related services to diverse populations. The MSN Program has two program options: Nurse Educator (35 credit/semester hours) and Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (43 credit/semester hours). Both program options share a 24-credit hour core. The hybrid program is offered primarily online, but does require 1-2 on campus course meetings each semester. The program does not require a thesis. Students are required to complete a capstone paper that is typically a plan for an evidence-based intervention either in the educational or primary care practice setting.
Admission to all program options is competitive and all qualified applicants may not be admitted. All applications must meet the admission criteria for applications to be considered complete and to be considered for admission.
Admission Criteria
- Submission of all official transcripts directly to the Graduate School
- A Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from an accredited college or university or waiver request granted (see below)
- Nursing grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (students with GPAs lower than 3.0 may be considered for provisional admission if otherwise qualified)
- Current unencumbered license as a registered nurse in the state in which student plans to participate in any clinical experience or received request for waiver
- Three professional references for online recommendation form - References should be qualified to judge abilities to be successful in graduate studies
- 500 word Professional Goal Statement
- Current resume or curriculum vitae
- Successful completion (C or better) of an undergraduate statistics course
- Good academic standing from last university attended
College of Nursing Specific Admission and Progression Information
- If applicant is a student in the final semester of a BSN program at time of application, the applicant must submit a request to the Graduate Program Director for a waiver to apply. If waiver is approved, the applicant must successfully complete the BSN Program in good standing before admission and must obtain their RN nursing license during the first semester of study. These students will be admitted as provisional until the RN Nursing license is obtained. An official transcript indicating completion of the BSN Program must be sent directly to the Graduate School and proof of RN license must be provided to the College of Nursing in order to remove the provisional status. If a waiver is granted, these applicants will be considered based on their current Nursing GPA on their current transcript.
- Students may be interviewed by the Graduate Admission, Progression, and Graduation Committee and other faculty and/or community members.
- Students must accept enrollment within their application and complete the letter of intent by the date indicated on the admission offer.
- Students are required to submit required compliance documentation, including a background check and drug screen. All compliance requirements must be completed by the date indicated prior to course registration. Students who fail to satisfy all requirements for admission within the specified time period will be dismissed from the nursing graduate program.
- To progress through the program, all AUCON graduate students must receive a grade of at least a B in all courses. Students earning any two course grades of less than a B will be dismissed from the graduate program.
Applicants may be asked by the College of Nursing for additional information and may be required to interview with the Director of the Graduate Program, the Graduate Admission, Progression and Graduation Committee, and/or graduate faculty.
Full-time admission is summer semester only and part-time admission is summer, fall, and spring. Courses are offered only one time each academic year, therefore, changing status from full-time to part-time may impact planned graduation dates. Application deadlines are: (1) Summer Semester- March 1, (2) Fall Semester-June 1, and (3) Spring Semester-October 1. The application is completed online and may be found on the Auburn University Graduate School webpage and the Auburn University College of Nursing webpage.
Core Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 7110 | Adv Health/Physical Assessment | 3 |
| NURS 7230 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NURS 7240 | Advanced Pharmacology | 3 |
| NURS 7250 | Healthcar Policy & Eth Nur Ldr | 3 |
| NURS 7310 | Trans to Adv Practice Nursing | 2 |
| NURS 7340 | Advance Theory | 3 |
| NURS 7350 | Quality/Safety/Tech Healthcare | 3 |
| NURS 7430 | Evidence Based Nurs Pract | 2 |
| NURS 7540 | Imp/Eval-Evid Based Nurs Pract | 2 |
Nurse Educator Specific Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 7210 | Teac Strat-Methods, Desi, Tech | 2 |
| NURS 7260 | Transition-Clin to Nurse Edu | 2 |
| NURS 7320 | Curriculum Development/Eval | 4 |
| NURS 7810 | Nursing Education Practicum | 3 |
Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Specific Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 7220 | Roles and Issues of the PCNP | 3 |
| NURS 7330 | Diag Reasoning & Clin Mngt | 3 |
| NURS 7440 | Primary Care I | 3 |
| NURS 7550 | Primary Care II | 3 |
| NURS 7920 | Primary Care Practicum | 7 |