Master of Science in Nursing - Graduate Certificates in Nurse Education, Nurse Leader, and Informatics, Evidence-Based Practice & Project Management/Strategy {25-26}

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Master of Science in Nursing

Description
The Master of Science in Nursing Program prepares registered nurses for advanced roles in healthcare through a flexible, fully online curriculum designed for working professionals. This 31-credit core program emphasizes leadership, education, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex healthcare challenges. Students may choose to specialize with an additional 9-credit emphasis in Nurse Educator or Nurse Leader (40 credits total). The program also offers a dual enrollment option with the Master in Health Administration (MHA) and is nationally accredited for excellence in nursing education. Multiple pathways support diverse learner backgrounds, including the traditional MSN, accelerated RN-BSN-MSN, and RN to MSN bridge track.

Admission Requirements

MSN Program and Accelerated RN-BSN-MSN Pathway
To be admitted to the MSN Program (including Accelerated RN-BSN-MSN Pathway students), the applicant must meet the following minimal requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited nursing program
• MSUM RN-BSN students can be admitted pending BSN degree completion (in their final BSN semester)
• Documentation of current unencumbered RN license in the U.S.
• Undergraduate total cumulative local GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in undergraduate courses at the institution where the baccalaureate nursing degree was awarded.
• Provisional admissions are provided on a case-by-case basis for those students who do not meet the minimum GPA; however, additional application materials may be required.

RN-MSN Bridge Track
To be admitted to the RN-MSN Bridge track, the applicant must meet the following minimal requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a non-nursing discipline
• Associate Degree in Nursing from an accredited nursing program
• Documentation of current unencumbered RN license in the U.S.
• Undergraduate total cumulative local GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in undergraduate courses at the institution where the associate nursing degree was awarded.
• Provisional admissions are provided on a case-by-case basis for those students who do not meet the minimum GPA; however, additional application materials may be required.

Non-Minnesota Applicants
A student applicant who is not currently a Minnesota resident is not fully admitted until the Department of Higher Education in the applicant's state of residence has approved distance education/online programs from the state of Minnesota. Other state approvals, including, but not limited to the state’s Board of Nursing, must also be in place. Students must check with the Graduate Program Coordinator prior to accepting admission. If the student moves after application to the program, it is the student’s responsibility to check with the Graduate Program Coordinator whether continuation in the program is possible in the student’s new location

Post-Admission Requirements
To maintain enrollment in the graduate nursing program, students must:

• Hold an active and unencumbered RN license from a state within the US. If clinical practica will occur in a state other than Minnesota or North Dakota, the student must have an unencumbered RN license in the state where practica will be completed.
• The Department of Higher Education, the Board of Nursing, and possibly other agencies where the student will have their practica (Department of Higher Education, Board of Nursing, others) must first agree with MSUM offering distance nursing education in the state. It is the student's responsibility to check with the Graduate Program Coordinator whether clinicals in a state other than MN are possible.
• Stay in compliance with the graduate nursing Verifications Policy.
• A statistics course at the undergraduate or graduate level is required before registering for NURS 615/MHA 615. The course cannot be older than 10 years from the time of entry into the MSUM graduate program. Students who do not meet this requirement must take the NURS 502/MHA 502 Healthcare Statistics Foundations course (1 credit, pass/fail, online course) before NURS 615/MHA 615.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Human Flourishing - Demonstrate leadership and facilitate change by effectively integrating current and emerging evidence from nursing and related disciplines to enhance human flourishing and continuously improve healthcare outcomes across diverse populations.
• Professional Identity - Cultivate a professional identity by leading ethically and employing a systems approach to strategically allocate resources, guide ethical decision-making, and promote evidence-based practices that ensure high-quality, safe nursing care.
• Spirit of Inquiry - Demonstrate a spirit of inquiry by formulating research questions, evaluating the impact of evidence-based interventions, and applying quality improvement tools and methods to enhance quality and safety within healthcare organizations.
• Nursing Judgment - Exercise nursing judgment by integrating research, clinical reasoning, and patient values to make evidence-based decisions, resolve practice problems, and disseminate results to optimize health outcomes.
• Informatics and Technology Integration - Evaluate current and emerging patient care, informatics, and communication technologies to enhance healthcare delivery and coordinate across diverse settings, ensuring alignment with best practices and improving healthcare outcomes.
• Health Policy, Ethics, Advocacy, Healthcare Equity, and Social Determinants of Health - Facilitate system-level initiatives to enhance healthcare outcomes through policy development, advocacy, and ethical decision-making, emphasizing healthcare equity and addressing social determinants of health to reduce disparities and improve access to care.
• Interprofessional Collaboration - Collaborate effectively as a leader and member of interprofessional teams to optimize care management and coordination, employing strong communication skills to build therapeutic relationships.
• Holistic Care including Prevention and Population Health - Design, implement, and evaluate evidence-based strategies for clinical prevention and health promotion, addressing the diverse needs of individuals, families, communities, and populations.
• Lifelong Learning and Professional Integrity - Integrate advanced nursing knowledge and competencies to influence health outcomes at individual, family, population, and systems levels, while demonstrating a commitment to lifelong professional growth and integrity.

Program Delivery Mode
Online Exclusive: must be completed entirely online; no face-to-face options available

Core Requirements ( 31 credits )

NURS 600 Ethical, Transcultural, and Healthcare Theories (3)
NURS 605 Healthcare Quality, Safety, and Regulatory Management (3)
NURS 610 Holistic Health Promotion & Disease Prevention (3)
NURS 615 Research and Evidence-Based Practice (3)
NURS 628 Healthcare Delivery Systems, Policy, and Reimbursement (3)
NURS 629 Educational Foundations and Teaching Strategies in Healthcare (3)
NURS 638 Health Information Systems (3)
NURS 650 Organizational Strategy and Systems Leadership (3)
NURS 662 Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, & Physical Assessment for Healthcare Professionals (3)
NURS 695 Professional Portfolio (Plan B) (1)

Choose one, three (3) credit practicum course (for the MSN Generalist track):

NURS 642P Advanced Nurse Educator Practicum Capstone I (3)
NURS 643P Advanced Nurse Educator Practicum Capstone II (3)
NURS 644P Nurse Leader Practicum Capstone I (3)
NURS 645P Nurse Leader Practicum Capstone II (3)

Program Requirements

MSN Program

The following are the degree requirements for a Master’s of Science in Nursing (including Accelerated RN-BSN-MSN pathway [once admitted to the MSN portion of the pathway] and RN-MSN Bridge track):

• Once admitted to the MSN program, all students must complete the program within ten (10) years.
• Students progress at a rate they are comfortable with. Most students are also working in nursing practice; therefore, the program is intentionally flexible to adapt to part-time progression.
• A maximum of nine (9) graduate semester credits from nursing, all of which must be related to the program, may be transferred from other appropriately accredited colleges or universities with the approval of the Graduate Nursing Program Coordinator. The transfer credits must be no older than seven (7) years by the time of MSUM graduate nursing program/certificate completion and carry a grade of B or better.
• A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required to continue and graduate from the program. If the GPA falls below 3.0, the student is placed on probation for the next semester in which courses are taken. If the GPA remains below 3.0 at the end of the next semester, the student is suspended from the graduate school.
• No more than two courses with a grade of C (including C+ and C-) may be applied to the program of study.
• A successful oral examination of the student as evaluated by the student’s committee, following completion of the portfolio and the majority of coursework, is required.

Further information on degree requirements may be found in “General Degree Requirements” near the beginning of the MSUM Graduate Bulletin.

Accelerated RN-BSN-MSN Pathway

In addition to the above requirements, RN-BSN majors admitted to the Accelerated RN-BSN-MSN Pathway will be able to substitute up to ten (10) graduate core credits (NURS 502, NURS 615, NURS 610, NURS 662) toward the requirements for the RN-BSN program.

These 10 credits will be substituted within the Accelerated RN-BSN-MSN Pathway.
RN-BSN Program Requirements:

• NURS 342 Interdisciplinary Care of Diverse Populations (3)
• NURS 370 Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice (4)
• NURS 462 3 Ps for the BSN: Pathophysiology, Pharmacology & Physical Assessment (3)

Accelerated RN-BSN-MSN Pathway graduate courses that will substitute for the above 10 credits include:

• NURS 610 Holistic Health Promotion & Disease Prevention (3) - taken in place of NURS 342
• NURS 615 Research and Evidence-Based Practice (4) and NURS 502 Healthcare Statistics Foundations (1) - taken in place of NURS 370
• NURS 662 3 Ps for the BSN: Pathophysiology, Pharmacology & Physical Assessment (3) - taken in place of NURS 462

RN-MSN Bridge Track

RN-MSN Bridge students will take the 12 credits of undergraduate nursing bridge coursework along with the required MSN courses (depending on their chosen MSN emphasis - Generalist, Nurse Educator, or Nurse Leader)

RN-MSN Bridge Courses (12 Credits)

• NURS 301: Transitions (4 credits)
• NURS 348: Public Health (4 credits)
• NURS 303: Holistic Family Nursing (4 credits)

Emphasis in Nurse Educator

Program Requirements ( 9 credits )

An optional Nurse Educator (NED) emphasis can be added to the 31 credit MSN Generalist degree by taking an additional 9 credits, for a total of 40 degree credits.

Nurse Educator Emphasis Required Courses:
NURS 639 Curriculum/Course Design and Evaluation in Healthcare Education (3)
NURS 649 Assessment, Testing, and Evaluation Strategies in Healthcare Education (3)

Students adding the NED emphasis must take a total of two practicum courses. 

PLEASE NOTE - Students must take a different practicum course than the one taken to meet their MSN Generalist requirements.

Choose a second, three (3) credit practicum course:
NURS 642P Advanced Nurse Educator Practicum Capstone I (3)
NURS 643P Advanced Nurse Educator Practicum Capstone II (3)

Nurse Educator Emphasis Goals:

• Facilitate meaningful learning by integrating educational theory, evidence-based strategies, innovative technology, and reflective practice to meet diverse learner needs.
• Create learner-centered, inclusive educational experiences that foster professional growth, self-awareness, and socialization into the nursing profession.
• Develop and implement evidence-based, valid, and reliable assessment and evaluation strategies to measure learner performance and guide educational improvement.
• Participate collaboratively in curriculum design, implementation, and evaluation to advance innovative educational programs responsive to healthcare trends.
• Demonstrate leadership and change-agent skills through active engagement in academic and healthcare settings to improve education and patient outcomes.
• Commit to continuous quality improvement and lifelong learning to advance nursing education, scholarship, and the professional development of self and others.
• Engage in scholarship that advances the science of nursing education and informs practice, including research, quality improvement, and evidence dissemination.
• Demonstrate professionalism, ethical conduct, and leadership while navigating the complexities of academic environments and fostering an inclusive, supportive educational climate.

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Emphasis in Nurse Leader

Program Requirements ( 9 credits )

An optional Nurse Leader (NL) emphasis can be added to the 31 credit MSN Generalist degree by taking an additional 9 credits, for a total of 40 degree credits.

NL Emphasis Required Courses:
MHA 618 Healthcare Law and Ethical Decision-Making (3)
MHA 619 Applied Financial Management (3)

Students adding the NL emphasis must take a total of two practicum courses. 

PLEASE NOTE - Students must take a different practicum course than the one taken to meet their MSN Generalist requirements.

Choose a second, three (3) credit practicum course:
NURS 644P Nurse Leader Practicum Capstone I (3)
NURS 645P Nurse Leader Practicum Capstone II (3)

Nurse Leader Emphasis Goals:

• Apply advanced leadership, communication, and relationship management strategies to foster interprofessional collaboration and guide ethical decision-making, enhancing patient care quality and healthcare outcomes.
• Analyze the impact of healthcare economics, reimbursement, policy, legal frameworks, and population health trends to lead system-level initiatives promoting quality, safety, and equity in healthcare delivery.
• Integrate systems thinking and transformational leadership principles to initiate and manage organizational change, foster a culture of safety, and optimize healthcare outcomes across diverse settings.
• Exemplify professional integrity, accountability, and ethical leadership by fostering continuous personal and professional development and cultivating environments that support legal compliance, ethical practice, and reflective lifelong learning.
• Employ business acumen and data-informed decision-making to strategically manage human, fiscal, and technological resources, leveraging informatice and analytics for operational excellence and strategic planning in healthcare organizations.

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Nurse Educator Graduate Certificate

Description
The Nurse Educator (NED) Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Certificate prepares registered nurses holding a baccalaureate degree in nursing at the certificate level in nursing education within the academic and clinical arenas. The certificate is built upon the art and science of nursing education within the changing contexts of health care, nursing, higher education, and evidence-based practice. The certificate provides students with a basic understanding and evidence-based application of the nurse or healthcare educator role. Credits earned can be applied toward the Master of Science in Nursing (Nurse Educator Emphasis) for students who would like to earn a graduate degree.

Admission Requirements

In order to be admitted to the Graduate Nursing Program, the applicant must meet the following requirements:

• A bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited nursing program
• Current unencumbered registered nurse (RN) license in the US (does not need to be MN).
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in undergraduate courses at the institution where the baccalaureate degree was awarded.

Provisional admission may be granted individually for students not meeting the GPA requirement. Additional documentation may be required.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Facilitate meaningful learning by integrating educational theory, evidence-based strategies, innovative technology, and reflective practice to meet diverse learner needs.
• Create learner-centered, inclusive educational experiences that foster professional growth, self-awareness, and socialization into the nursing profession.
• Develop and implement evidence-based, valid, and reliable assessment and evaluation strategies to measure learner performance and guide educational improvement.
• Participate collaboratively in curriculum design, implementation, and evaluation to advance innovative educational programs responsive to healthcare trends.
• Demonstrate leadership and change-agent skills through active engagement in academic and healthcare settings to improve education and patient outcomes.
• Commit to continuous quality improvement and lifelong learning to advance nursing education, scholarship, and the professional development of self and others.
• Engage in scholarship that advances the science of nursing education and informs practice, including research, quality improvement, and evidence dissemination.
• Demonstrate professionalism, ethical conduct, and leadership while navigating the complexities of academic environments and fostering an inclusive, supportive educational climate.

Program Delivery Mode
Online Exclusive: must be completed entirely online; no face-to-face options available

Core Requirements ( 9 credits )

NURS 629 Educational Foundations and Teaching Strategies in Healthcare (3)
NURS 639 Curriculum/Course Design and Evaluation in Healthcare Education (3)
NURS 649 Assessment, Testing, and Evaluation Strategies in Healthcare Education (3)

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Nurse Leader Graduate Certificate

Description
The Nurse Leader (NL) Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Certificate prepares early career and current nurse leaders in the areas of nursing and healthcare leadership. The certificate program emphasizes the key areas of leadership essential to successfully navigating complex healthcare systems while in a leadership role. Credits earned can be applied toward the Master of Science in Nursing Nurse Leader emphasis track for students who would like to earn a graduate degree.

Admission Requirements

In order to be admitted to the Graduate Nursing Program, the applicant must meet the following requirements:

• A bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited nursing program.
• Current unencumbered registered nurse (RN) license in the US (does not need to be MN).
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in undergraduate courses at the institution where the baccalaureate degree was awarded.

Provisional admission may be granted individually for students not meeting the GPA requirement. Additional documentation may be required.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Apply advanced leadership, communication, and relationship management strategies to foster interprofessional collaboration and guide ethical decision-making, enhancing patient care quality and healthcare outcomes.
• Analyze the impact of healthcare economics, reinbursement, policy, legal frameworks, and population health trends to lead system-level initiatives promoting quality, safety, and equity in healthcare delivery.
• Integrate systems thinking and transformational leadership principles to initiate and manage organizational change, foster a culture of safety, and optimize healthcare outcomes across diverse settings.
• Exemplify professional integrity, accountability, and ethical leadership by fostering continuous personal and professional development and cultivating environments that support legal compliance, ethical practice, and reflective lifelong learning.
• Employ business acumen and data-informed decision-making to strategically manage human, fiscal, and technological resources, leveraging informatics and analytics for operational excellence and strategic planning in healthcare organizations.

Program Delivery Mode
Online Exclusive: must be completed entirely online; no face-to-face options available

Core Requirements ( 6 credits )

MHA 619 Applied Financial Management (3)
MHA 618 Healthcare Law and Ethical Decision-Making (3)

Restricted Electives ( 3 credits )

Choose One (3 credit) Restricted Elective Course
NURS 605 Healthcare Quality, Safety, and Regulatory Management (3)
NURS 628 Healthcare Delivery Systems, Policy, and Reimbursement (3)
NURS 650 Organizational Strategy and Systems Leadership (3)

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Informatics, Evidence-Based Practice & Project Management/Strategy Graduate Certificate

Description
The Informatics, Evidence-Based Practice, and Project Management/Strategy (IEPMS) Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Certificate prepares students to implement and lead healthcare practice projects in a strategic manner using quality indicators, dashboards, informatics-based data, national guidelines, and other forms of evidence. Credits earned can be applied toward the Master of Science in Nursing or Master of Healthcare Administration for students who would like to earn a master’s degree.

Admission Requirements

Nursing, Health Administration, and Related Disciplines Applicants 

Student Learning Outcomes

• Analyze current/emerging patient care, informatics, and communication technologies to deliver and enhance healthcare outcomes.
• Apply safety and quality principles, methods, performance measures, and standards to transparently improve healthcare outcomes across the continuum of care.
• Integrate research, evidence, theory, clinical reasoning, and patient values to positively impact patient and population healthcare outcomes.
• Utilize a systems approach as an organizational leader to effectively plan resource use, promote evidence-based practice to improve systems, and assure safe, high quality healthcare outcomes.
• Incorporate concepts, issues, and techniques for effectively managing projects.

Program Delivery Mode
Online Exclusive: must be completed entirely online; no face-to-face options available

Core Requirements ( 15 credits )

NURS 638/MHA 638 Health Information Systems (3)
NURS 605/MHA 605 Healthcare Quality, Safety & Regulatory Management (3)
NURS 650/MHA 650 Organizational Strategy and Systems Leadership (3)
NURS 615/MHA 615 Research and Evidence-Based Practice (3)
MBA 685 Project Management (3)

Restricted Electives ( 3 credits )

3 credits required. Elective Choices:

NURS 628/MHA 628 Healthcare Delivery Systems, Policy, and Reimbursement(3)
MHA 618 Healthcare Law and Ethical Decision-Making (3)
MHA 651 Healthcare Operations Management (3)
NURS 600 Ethical, Transcultural, and Healthcare Theories (3)

Note: Other options available with Program Coordinator Approval

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Integrative and Holistic Health Graduate Certificate

Description
The Graduate Certificate in Integrative and Holistic Health is designed to provide current and future healthcare professionals with an understanding of integrative health practices to holistically care for individuals, families, communities, and health systems to achieve optimal health and well-being. Within this integrative approach to care, the healthcare provider combines complementary and alternative therapies with conventional medical treatments to provide a more comprehensive and person-centered approach to healthcare. An integrative and holistic health certificate can lead to various career opportunities and complement existing healthcare careers.

Admission Requirements

To apply, you must be admitted to graduate studies.
• A bachelor's degree (BS, BA, or higher) from a regionally accredited institution.
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in undergraduate coursework at the institution where the degree was awarded.

Provisional admission may be granted individually for students not meeting the GPA requirement. Additional documentation may be required.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Apply integrative and holistic health principles to promote the well-being of individuals, families, communities, and health systems.
• Incorporate a variety of evidence-informed integrative and holistic modalities and therapies to achieve optimal care outcomes.
• Formulate integrative and holistic interventions to positively impact health behavior, health promotion, disease prevention, and condition-related symptoms.
• Integrate person-centered care considering the mind-body-spirit connection to foster resilience and healing.
• Demonstrate high standards of ethical and legal conduct when utilizing integrative and holistic practices.
• Employ a collaborative, holistic approach to ensure the attainment of diverse and culturally unique health needs and preferences.

Program Delivery Mode
Online Exclusive: must be completed entirely online; no face-to-face options available

Core Requirements ( 9 credits )

NURS 610 Holistic Health Promotion & Disease Prevention (3)
NURS 654 Foundations of Integrative and Holistic Care (3)
SOC 661 Historical Trauma and Resilience (3)

Restricted Electives ( 3 credits )

Choose one course below:

NURS 552 End of Life (3)
HLTH 580 Mindfulness (3)