| Accreditation | Admission | Degree Requirements |
Approved Courses |
| Entry-Level MSN |
Care and Outcomes Manager Concentrations |
Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration |
253.535.7672
Terry W. Miller, Ph.D., RN, Dean and Professor, School of Nursing
The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree prepares professional nurses for advanced roles such as family nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, clinical nurse educator, and clinical nurse leader. The program also prepares the graduate for doctoral studies. The MSN curriculum is evidence-based and practice-oriented, and consists of a common core (theory, advanced practice roles, evaluation and outcomes research, leadership and management, as well as advanced health promotion), specialty didactic and clinical/practicum experiences, and a capstone course (scholarly inquiry or thesis). Each MSN student completes coursework leading to either the Family Nurse Practitioner concentration or the Care and Outcomes Management concentration. The latter may be further differentiated through focus areas, including clinical nurse specialist, clinical nurse leader, informaticist or clinical nurse educator.
The School of Nursing offers two program options leading to the Master of Science in Nursing degree. The regular Master of Science in Nursing program is designed for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) prepared registered nurses. The Entry-Level Master of Science in Nursing program is an accelerated program designed for students with a prior non-nursing baccalaureate degree to gain RN licensure and complete the MSN degree in 36 months of study.
Graduate-level nursing classes are structured to accommodate the part-time working nurse. MSN core and concentration requirements may be completed in four to five full-time semesters over two years. Part-time study is an option for students in the BSN to MSN route; Entry-Level MSN students must maintain a full-time status throughout their entire program of study.
The School of Nursing is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission. The Master of Science in Nursing program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Both the Family Nurse Practitioner and the Care and Outcomes Manager curricula meet the requirements for several national certification examinations, including Advanced Register Nurse Practitioner-Family Clinical Nurse Specialist (various specialties) and Certified Nurse Educator.
MSN candidates may apply for admission at any time during the year; however, application and admission well in advance of the entry date will enhance the applicant's potential for arranging financial assistance.
The following are the minimum criteria for consideration of admission to Master of Science in Nursing program (BSN to MSN and Entry-Level MSN options). Admission to the School of Nursing programs is selective; meeting mimimum criteria does not gurantee admission.
All prerequisite courses must be completed at an accredited college or university with a minimum grade of 3.00 ('B') or higher on a 4.00 scale before beginning the nursing program. Prerequisites vary for the two MSN options:
There are limitations on the numbers of students accepted into the MSN programs and concentrations each year. Applicants accepted into the program are required to make a non-refundable advance tuition payment to confirm their acceptance of an offer of admission within two weeks of their acceptance date.
All admitted nursing students must provide valid documentation of the following by designated dates and before enrollment in any praticum/clinical course:
In addition to the above requirements, all BSN to MSN and Entry-Level MSN students in MSN concentration coursework must also provide documentation of:
The Graduate Admissions Coordinator typically completes initial advising and program planning with applicants and admitted students. MSN applicants are strongly encouraged to seek advising prior to applying to the program. Upon matriculation, all students are assigned a graduate faculty advisor.
BSN-prepared registered nurses may enroll in up to nine semester credits of MSN courses on a non-matriculated basis with School of Nursing approval. Non-matriculated students are not guaranteed admission into any School of Nursing programs. For more information on non-matriculated status, see Graduate Studies, Policy and Standards, section of this catalog.
The Entry-Level MSN (ELMSN) is a cohort program designed to prepare candidates with a previous bachelor's or higher degree to gain RN licensure and the MSN degree. The sequence of study recognizes the academic success of the non-nursing graduate by providing a focused immersion into nursing followed by graduate study. Students do not receive a BSN degree, but following successful completion of the first 15-months of study, they are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN for registered nurse licensure and to continue in the MSN program. A limited cohort is admitted each year and admission is competitive.
The ELMSN program is clinically and academically intensive to assure the student of adequate exposure to the RN role and responsibilities, as well as to develop an advanced practice role (clinical leader, clinical educator, family nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist) at completion of the ELMSN program. Students are expected to complete the entire 36-month program with their cohort.
Please note: Students withdrawing from the ELMSN program after RN licensure, but before completing the graduate degree, may not be able to sustain licensure in the State of Washington and other states.
| Summer - Year One |
| NURS 220: Nursing Competencies I (4) |
| NURS 270: Health Assessment and Promotion (4) |
| NURS 320: Nursing Competencies II (2) |
| NURS 580: Advanced Pathophysiology (3) |
| Fall - Year One |
| NURS 260: Professional Foundations I (4) |
| NURS 330: Pharmacology and Therapeutic Modalities (4) |
| NURS 340: Situations with Individuals: Adult Health I (4) |
| NURS 350: Situations with Individuals: Mental Health (4) |
| January - Year One |
| NURS 380: Situations with Families: Childrearing (Peds) (4) |
| Spring - Year One |
| NURS 370: Situations with Families: Childrearing (OB) (4) |
| NURS 430: Situations with Communities (5) |
| NURS 440: Situations with Individuals: Adult Health II (4) |
| NURS 441: Situations Seminar (1) |
| Summer - Year Two |
| NURS 480: Professional Foundations II (2) |
| NURS 499: Nursing Synthesis (6) |
After completing the pre-licensure curriculum and successfully obtaining RN licensure, students continue the Entry-Level MSN curriculum with specialization in one of two MSN concentrations. Admission to the ELMSN program does not guarantee progression into either the FNP or the COM concentration. The advanced practice portion of the curriculum is structured for the student to be able to work part-time as a registered nurse while completing the remaining credits required for the MSN degree.
This course of study allows students to focus on care management, using an outcomes approach skill set necessary for being responsive in a continually changing health care environment. The program prepares the student for an advanced role as a clinical nurse specialist, clinical nurse educator for schools or agencies, or clinical nurse leader/administrator at the systems level (e.g., case manager, utilization review coordinator, risk manager or nursing informaticist).
This concentration prepared students to provide quality, cost effective care in a defined context, to participate in the design and implementation of an evaluation and outcomes model, to assume a leadership role in managing health care resources, and to integrate clinical and evaluation competencies for care and outcomes management. Successful completion of the COM concentration in the clinical nurse specialist or clinical nurse educator focus qualifies graudates to sit for national certifying examinations in their respective specialities (i.e., Clinical Nurse Specialist (various areas) or Certified Nurse Educator.
This course of study focuses on client-centered clinical practice, and prepares nurses to respond to the needs of today's and tomorrow's health care consumers, to manage direct care based on advanced assessment and diagnostic reasoning, to incorporate health promotion and disease prevention interventions into health care delivery, and to recognize their potential for professional growth, responsibility and autonomy.
Successful completion of the Family Nurse Practitioner program qualifies students to sit for national Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner certifying examinations for family practice, making them eligible under Washington State law for ARNP licensure.
- Introductory Statistics (including inferential and descriptive)
- NURS 523: Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse (3)
- NURS 524: Advanced Health Promotion (2)
- NURS 525: Theoretical Foundations (3)
- NURS 526: Nursing Leadership and Management (3)
- NURS 527: Evaluation and Outcomes Research (3)
- NURS 596: Scholarly Inquiry in Nursing Practice (2)
- Or NURS 599: Thesis (4)
Required Courses (19 to 23 semester credits):
- NURS 530: Resource Management (3)
- NURS 531: Care and Outcomes Manager Practicum I (5)
- NURS 532: Care and Outcomes Manager Practicum II (3)
- NURS 533: Informatics in Nursing (2)
- NURS 538: Program Development (3)
Role Specialization Course(s) - 3 to 7 credits
- Clinical Nurse Education - 3 semester hours
- NURS 550: Curriculum, Instruction and Evaluation (3)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist - 7 semester hours
- NURS 580: Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NURS 582: Advanced Health Assessment (2)
- NURS 583: Clinical Pharmacotherapeutics (2)
- Clinical Nurse Leader - 5 semester hours
- NURS 580: Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NURS 582: Advanced Health Assessment (2)
Additional courses may be taken for other COM role specializations.
Required Courses - 21 semester credits
- NURS 580: Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NURS 582: Advanced Health Assessment (4)
- NURS 583: Clinical Pharmacotherapeutics (2)
- NURS 584: Family Nurse Practitioner I (6)
- NURS 585: Family Nurse Practitioner II (6)
To view Nursing Graduate Approved Courses