Program Requirements
MSN majors require an average of 40 semester hours. Your individual program of study is designed to meet individual clinical interests, learning needs and career goals.
In addition, clinical and research experience forms an integral part of graduate study in nursing. Most MSN majors require a minimum of 600 clinical hours, but certain programs require more.
Most MSN students are required to take 10 core courses in Professional Development, Scientific Inquiry and Nursing Practice (for nurse practitioner majors). Learn more about our Transfer of Credit Policy. The general curriculum pattern is as follows.
Curriculum for Classes Starting After Fall 2015
Professional Development Core (6 courses)
| Course ID | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 431 | Psychosocial and Spiritual Dimensions of Advanced Nursing Practice | 2 |
| NURS 444A | Health Care Delivery, Legal and Ethical Issues in Advanced Practice: Ethical Issues | 1 |
| NURS 444B | Health Care Delivery, Legal and Ethical Issues in Advanced Practice: Finance | 1 |
| NURS 444C | Health Care Delivery, Legal and Ethical Issues in Advanced Practice: Policy and Legal | 1 |
| NURS 451 | Leadership for Quality Healthcare within Organizations and Systems | 3 |
Scientific Inquiry Core (3 courses)
| Course ID | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 405 | Inquiry I Theoretical Foundations | 2 |
| NURS 425 | Inquiry II The Research Process | 3 |
| NURS 502 | Inquiry III Evidence Based Nursing Practice | 2 |
Nursing Practice Core (3 courses) *
| Course ID | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 430 | Pharmacology and Therapeutics | 3 |
| NURS 453 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 4 |
| NURS 459 | Advanced Physical Assessment | 3 |
* For Nurse Practitioner majors. Other majors differ in their major-specific core requirement.