MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NURSING
Admission Requirements | Procedure | Specialization | Clinical Experience
The graduate program in nursing leads to the Master of Science in Nursing degree (MSN). The curriculum has been developed especially for part-time study (8 or less credit hours per semester) or full-time study (9 or more hours per semester).
Opportunities are provided to study a variety of Clinical Specializations and to develop competency for roles in these areas:
- RN to BSN/MSN - Registered Nurse, Bachelors or Masters
- CNS - Clinical Nurse Specialist
- NP - Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse-Midwifery
- Nursing & Healthcare Systems Administration
- MSN & MBA - Dual Degree
- Postmaster Graduate Certificate
The masters curriculum has been structured to provide a rigorous program of study that meets the standards of the academic community, is responsive to the varied interests of the student body, and is cognizant of the economic realities of this time.
Students who complete clinical specializations are eligible for certification as Advanced Registered Nurse practitioner (ARNP) in Kansas as a Clinical Nurse Specialist or Nurse Practitioner. Graduates are qualified to sit for appropriate national certification examinations.
Admission Requirements
The following are admission requirements for the Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN):
Prerequisites: A recent statistics course accepted by the School of Nursing, and an undergraduate nursing research course are required. Prerequisite courses are not credited to the degree and are not included in the Plan of Study.
Note: Students will be required to have their own PDA during specialization clinical courses. Faculty advisors may be contacted for details.
In addition to the general university requirements for admission to graduate studies (see Graduate Catalog) the School of Nursing requires:
1. Admission to the WSU Graduate School.
2. A baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing from a nationally accredited school (NLN or CCNE). RN applicants with a degree in another discipline or those seeking the RN to BSN/MSN accelerated plan will be considered and counseled on an individual basis.
(See RN to MSN Program section.)
3. A grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or above in these areas:
- last 60 hours of undergraduate college work (or nearest semester or term break to this),
- undergraduate nursing courses,
- any graduate level courses taken, and in required MSN courses, if any,
- the following science courses: Microbiology, Anatomy & Physiology, Pathophysiology,
- and Pharmacology, and have earned a “C” or higher in each course.
- Applicants with lower than a 3.00 in any of these areas may be denied or considered on an individual basis for probationary or non-degree status.
4. Evidence of license as Registered Nurse in KANSAS.
5. Coverage by professional liability insurance. CNS and NP students MUST have NP student coverage PRIOR to enrollment in practicum coursework. Minimum coverage required: $1,000,000 single incident/$3,000,000 aggregate.
6. One year of nursing practice following professional licensure is highly recommended, but not required.
7. School of Nursing approval.
8. Computer literacy is an expectation of the Graduate Nursing Program. Skills should include: word processing, email, file attachments, and internet searches. If courses require Blackboard, students are highly encouraged to complete the Blackboard orientation. Students may elect to take Computer Science 105, or another basic computer skills course, to fulfill the computer literacy expectation.
9. A clinical learning background check is required for clinical experiences. See Practicum Requirements and Clinical Practice Information.
10. Technical standards as described in the MSN/DNP Student Handbook.
Admission Procedure
Admission to the MSN program may be for the fall, spring or summer semester. Application is made by sending the application and two official transcript copies of all BSN work to the WSU Graduate School, 1845 N. Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0004. Applications are available online at WSU Graduate School or a paper application is available from the School of Nursing Graduate Programs Office, (316) 978-5704 or (800) 516-0290.
The applications and transcripts go to the WSU Graduate School, 1845 N. Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0004. When application, application payment, and transcripts are received by the Graduate School the application will be forwarded to the School of Nursing for evaluation. The Graduate School will mail each student official notification of admission status.
Admission Requirement to a Specialization
AFTER admission to the graduate nursing program through the Graduate School, all students must apply to the specialization of their choice. Typically this is determined through planning the course of study and communication with the assigned advisor upon adminssion to the Graduate Nursing Program. All students except post-master’s DNP students must apply to a specialization within the School of Nursing after admission to the School of Nursing through the Graduate School. Applications may be obtained from a faculty advisor or from the Graduate Nursing Office in room 501 Ahlberg Hall.
Criteria Admissions Requirement to ALL Specializations
In addition to the School of Nursing graduate program admission criteria, students must meet the following criteria.
Mandatory Requirements for students applying to a specialization in the Graduate Nursing Program include:
1. Degree standing in a Graduate Nursing program.
2. Acceptable academic performance as measured by a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in the following areas.
- Last sixty (60) hours of undergraduate college work.
- Any graduate level courses and required MSN courses.
- All undergraduate nursing courses.
- Average GPA of 3.0 for all 4 science courses: Microbiology, Anatomy/Physiology, Pathophysiology and Pharmacology, and must have a “C” or
- better in each course.
3. Experience requirements:
- A minimum of two years of clinical experience as an RN within the past five years, to be completed by the semester of enrollment in
- specialization courses.
- For the ACNP specialization, one of the two years must be in acute care experience, with critical care, trauma, or emergency department
- experience preferred.
- Commitment to clinical experiences in concentrated blocks of time is required. The concentrated time blocks vary within each specialization.
- Experience must be documented in writing by a supervisor or personnel office.
Preferential Consideration may be given as described on the specialization application. Please obtain an application for details. Other items such as GPAs in other areas, course work taken, the type/length of work experience, etc., may be considered, if needed. Exceptions to a requirement may be requested based on portfolio review, if a valid reason exists. You may obtain an exception request form from the graduate nursing office.
Note: The criteria for admission to a specialization are subject to change.
Clinical Experience
While the School of Nursing will assist students in obtaining and gathering the information required by a health care facility, the cost of obtaining such information must be assumed by the student. What information will be required to permit the student to participate in a clinical setting learning experience will depend upon the respective health care facility. If a student is unable to fulfill the clinical experiences required by their program of study, the student may be unable to graduate.
Learning in clinical settings is an important aspect of programs of study in the School of Nursing Graduate Program. Many health care facilities require information on students engaged in clinical learning opportunities, including, but not limited to:
- Verification of name, address and social security number.
- Personal health information.
- Drug and alcohol testing.
- Criminal background checks.
- Verification of education.
- Listing on any registered sex offender lists.
- Listing on the U.S. Office of Inspector General's Excluded Individuals list and listing on the U.S. General Services Administration's
- (excluded Parties List).