In keeping with its commitment to excellence and leadership in nursing, the College of Nursing offers a Master of Science in Nursing degree designed for nurses holding an Associate Degree (ADN) or a Diploma in Nursing. ADN or diploma nurses may complete the degree requirements in two to two-and one-half (2-2 1/2) years of full-time study. With this plan, students do not receive the baccalaureate degree, but after completing prerequisites they may proceed with the graduate-level courses. Students may elect to pursue the program of study on a part time basis. Students select an emphasis area on admission.
Admission Requirements
- an Associate Degree or Diploma in Nursing from a program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission
- evidence of an unencumbered registered nurse license
- a minimum of a C grade in each course applicable to the nursing curriculum (only one natural science course may be repeated once)
- a GPA of 3.0 in every nursing course (minimum grade of “B” in every nursing course)
- proof of immunization against the Hepatitis B virus
- proof of recent health examination
- tuberculosis skin test yearly
- current CPR certification
- submission of official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); TOEFL or IELTS if International applicant
- three letters of recommendation from persons qualified to assess the applicant’s readiness for graduate study sent to the School of Nursing
- criminal background check and drug screening
Plan of Study. Students must submit their signed, official Plan of Study Form to the Graduate School by the end of the first semester they are enrolled. The Plan of Study Forms are available at www.usm.edu/graduate-school/planofstudy.php - click on the “Plan of Study” link.
Research and Scholarly Integrity Education
All faculty holding Regular or Associate graduate faculty status, must complete CITI training modules required by the Graduate School and their departments. All graduate students must complete the CITI training modules required by the Graduate School and their departments the first semester they are enrolled in graduate school. The RSIE policy and training information are found on the Graduate School web page –www.usm.edu/graduate-school. Contact the Dean of the Graduate School if you have any questions regarding the policy of training information.
Program Requirements
The generic Master of Science in Nursing degree requires a minimum of 92 undergraduate credit hours that include 30 hours of credit for lower-division nursing courses. The student must complete 22 hours of upper division nursing courses with a GPA of 3.0 or better. Students declare their emphasis area at the time of admission to the program. All candidates for the degree must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework leading to the Master of Science in Nursing Degree. Students seeking admission to the Family Nurse Practitioner Program must meet the additional requirements for admission and complete a minimum of 45 semester hours of coursework. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner students must complete a minimum of 46 semester hours of coursework. Gerontological nurse practitioners must complete a minimum of forty-four (44) semester hours of coursework. Academic progression policies are the same for all master’s degree students. A comprehensive exam is required. The students must complete the entire program of study and have a 3.0 GPA in order to receive a degree.
If a student has a felony conviction, the student may not be able to complete the degree because the student may not be able to perform the clinical experience.
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