Close

Admission Requirements

In addition to the graduate program application requirements, students seeking admission to the MSN program must:

  1. Submit official transcripts from higher education institution(s) where the original nursing degree was earned (Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Science, and/or Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree), and any subsequent coursework thereafter.
  2. Possess a degree in nursing at the bachelor’s level or higher with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for full admission or a minimum 2.3 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for provisional admission from a professionally-accredited (ACEN or CCNE) program and an institution that is approved/accredited by a historically regional accreditor. An applicant with a minimum of 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) from an institution that is approved/accredited by a historically national accreditor may be granted provisional admission.
    1. Provide additional transcripts, if an applicant has less than 40 credit hours on the bachelor degree granting transcript.
    2. Submit official transcripts from the bachelor degree-granting higher education institution and all graduate-level transcripts.
  3. Provide proof of an active unencumbered RN license.
  4. Submit a current professional resume or curriculum vitae.

Health Requirements

The College requires all students entering programs which include a clinical component, practicum, or field experience (health program) to comply with specific health requirements, such as documentation of positive titers, vaccinations, or other health requirements. Students may request waivers or extensions of vaccinations and other health requirements, which may be approved or denied by clinical facilities. If waivers/extensions are denied, it will prevent placement in clinical experiences and progression in the academic program. The College will make a reasonable attempt to find alternate clinical placements for students seeking waivers or extensions of vaccinations, but it is at the discretion of clinical sites whether students are permitted to participate in clinical experiences. The requirements may vary depending on the program of study and the clinical agency. Students in such programs can find information on criminal background checks, drug screens, and health requirements at https://www.mercycollege.edu/background. Current information is maintained on the College website and is subject to change. Students are responsible for all costs associated with criminal background checks, drug screens, and health requirements. Students who do not meet listed health requirements may not be able to fulfill the clinical, practicum, or field experience requirements and complete their program of study.

Please see the program administrator with questions regarding documentation for health records, including titer and vaccination requirements.

Attend an online information session to learn more about elevating your career in nursing

Degree Requirements

The MSN curriculum is a 36-credit hour program of study that is designed to be completed in six semesters. Courses are offered in 7-week sessions, so students can take one course at a time, with the exception of the courses offered in the final semester which include the Leadership or Education Practicum and Leadership or Education Capstone II course that are offered over 10 weeks.

Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
NUR 510 Theoretical Foundations for Professional Nursing Practice 3
NUR 515 Research and Evidence-Based Practice 3
NUR 520 Healthcare Policy in the Global Community 3
NUR 525 Population-Based Healthcare 3
NUR 530 Informatics and Healthcare Technologies 3
NUR 536 Teaching and Learning Strategies in Nursing Education 3
NUR 541 Advanced Nursing Curriculum Design 3
NUR 546 Evaluation Methods in Nursing Education 3
NUR 551 Integrated Advanced Pathophysiology, Physical Assessment, and Pharmacology 3
NUR 556 Education Capstone I 3
NUR 561 Education Practicum 3
NUR 566 Education Capstone II 3

NUR 525 and NUR 561: Practicum hours are based on a 15-week semester and are calculated as one credit hour for every 40 hours. Example: Education Practicum is 2.5 credit hours. Practicum hours are calculated as: 2.5 X 40 = 100 total hours.

Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
NUR 510 Theoretical Foundations for Professional Nursing Practice 3
NUR 515 Research and Evidence-Based Practice 3
NUR 520 Healthcare Policy in the Global Community 3
NUR 525 Population-Based Healthcare 3
NUR 530 Informatics and Healthcare Technologies 3
NUR 535 Leadership and Strategic Management for Advanced Nursing Roles 3
NUR 540 Healthcare Systems and Organization for Nurse Leaders 3
NUR 545 Strategic Management of Human Resources 3
NUR 555 Financial Management in Healthcare 3
NUR 550 Leadership Capstone I 3
NUR 560 Leadership Practicum 3
NUR 565 Leadership Capstone II 3

NUR 525 and NUR 560: Practicum hours are based on a 15-week semester and are calculated as one credit hour for every 40 hours. Example: Leadership Practicum is 2.5 credit hours. Practicum hours are calculated as: 2.5 X 40 = 100 total hours.