253.535.7672
www.plu.edu/~nurs
Terry W. Miller, PhD, Dean, School of Nursing
Purpose: The purpose of the graduate program in nursing is to prepare professional nurses as advanced practice clinicians, educators, managers, leaders, and scholars. The curriculum consists of a common core of master's level courses (theory, research, leadership, advanced health promotion, and scholarly inquiry/thesis) along with courses selectively focused for either of two concentrations of study: Family Nurse Practitioner or Care and Outcomes Manager. The graduate program is designed to facilitate full-time or part-time study. Full-time students can complete either concentration of study in two academic years.
Accreditation: The program is fully accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing (CCNE). Instructional units satisfy the American Nurses Credentialing Center's didactic eligibility requirements for Family Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist certification examinations.
Prerequisites for MSN: Completion of a course in descriptive and inferential statistics and scores from the Graduate Record Exam, taken within the last five years, are required before consideration for admission. Students are expected to have fundamental computer skills upon entry to the program. A minimum of one year of clinical experience within the last two years is recommended. Fluency in speaking, reading, writing, and comprehending graduate-level English is expected.
Admission: Applicants for admission to the Master of Science in Nursing programs must:
Application Deadline for Fall: Candidates are regularly admitted yearly. Priority admissions are completed by March 1 for the following fall semester. Early application is encouraged for priority standing relative to financial awards. Non-matriculated candidates, if approved, may enroll in up to 8 semester hours, but are not guaranteed admission.
Advance Deposit: There are limitations on the numbers of students accepted into the Family Nurse Practitioner or Care and Outcomes Manager Concentrations each year. Applicants accepted into the program are required to make a non-refundable $200.00 advance payment to confirm their acceptance of an offer of admission within two weeks of their acceptance date.
Advising: The Graduate Admissions Coordinator typically completes initial advising and program planning with each student.
Program Requirements: All admitted students must provide valid documentation of the following by August 15 and before enrollment in any practicum/clinical course:
Care and Outcomes Manager (COM)
This course of study allows students to focus on care management using
outcomes approach skill set necessary for being responsive in a
continually changing health care environment. The program prepares the
student for an advanced practice role as a clinical nurse specialist
(CNS), clinical nurse educator for schools or agencies, or nurse
administrator at the systems level (e.g., case managers, utilization
review coordinators, risk managers, and nursing informaticists).
This concentration prepares students to provide quality, cost
effective care in a defined context, participate in the design and
implementation of an evaluation and outcomes model, assume a leadership
role in managing health care resources, and integrate clinical and
evaluation competencies for care and outcomes management.
Care and Outcomes Manager: Education Systems
(35-37 semester hours)
Fall - Year One
523 Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse (3)
525 Theoretical Foundations (3)
526 Leadership and Management (3)
January - Year One
524 Advanced Health Promotion (2)
Spring - Year One
527 Evaluation and Outcomes Research (3)
XXX Approved Cognate Related to One's Focus (3)
533 Informatics in Nursing (2)
Fall - Year Two
530 Resource Management (3)
531 Care and Outcomes Manager Practicum I (5)
Spring - Year Two
532 Care and Outcomes Manager Practicum II (3)
538 Program Development (3)
596 Scholarly Inquiry (2) or
598 Thesis (4)
Care and Outcomes Manager: Clinical Nurse Specialist
(39-41 semester hours)
Fall - Year One
523 Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse (3)
525 Theoretical Foundations (3)
526 Leadership and Management (3)
January - Year One
524 Advanced Health Promotion (2)
Spring - Year One
527 Evaluation and Outcomes Research (3)
533 Informatics in Nursing (2)
580 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
582 Advanced Health Assessment (2)
Fall - Year Two
530 Resource Management (3)
531 Care and Outcomes Manager Practicum I (5)
583 Clinical Pharmacotherapeutics (2)
Spring - Year Two
532 Care and Outcomes Manager Practicum II (3)
538 Program Development (3)
596 Scholarly Inquiry (2) or
598 Thesis (4)
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
This course of study focuses on client-centered clinical practice. This
primary care program prepares nurses to: respond to the needs of
today's and tomorrow's health care consumers; manage direct care based
on advanced assesment and diagnostic reasoning; incorporate health
promotion and disease prevention interventions into health care
delivery; and recognize their potential for professional growth,
responsibilty and autonomy.
Successful completion of the Family Nurse Practitioner program will qualify students to sit for the certifying examination, which qualifies them under Washington state law for ARNP licensure.
Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration
(37-39 semester hours):
Fall - Year One
523 Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse (3)
525 Theoretical Foundations (3)
526 Leadership and Management (3)
January - Year One
524 Advanced Health Promotion (2)
Spring - Year One
527 Evaluation and Outcomes Research (3)
580 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
582 Advanced Health Assessment (4)
Fall - Year Two
583 Clinical Pharmacotherapeutics (2)
584 Family Nurse Practitioner I (6)
Spring - Year Two
585 Family Nurse Practitioner II (6)
596 Scholarly Inquiry (2) or
598 Thesis (4)
A minimum number of students may be required before a class is offered.
MSN Sequence for Non-Nursing BA/BS Graduates (Entry-level MSN): The entry-level MSN is a cohort program designed to prepare candidates with a previous bachelor's or master's degree to take the NCLEX-RN for RN licensure and to continue with the regular School of Nursing 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 the 15-month immersion they take the licensure exam in Washington State and continue in the MSN program. The deadline for applications is January 15 with decisions being made in February. A limited cohort will be admitted, and admission is competitive.
Prerequisites For Entry-level MSN:
Admission: Criteria for consideration of admission:
Contact the School of Nursing at 253.535.7672 for more information or to make an appointment with the Graduate Coordinator.
Entry-Level MSN (56-78 semester hours)
Foundation Curriculum
Summer - Year One
220 Nursing Competencies I (4)
270 Health Assessment/Health Promotion (4)
320 Nursing Competencies II (2)
580 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
Fall - Year One
260 Professional Foundations I (4)
330 Pharmacology and Therapeutic Modalities (4)
340 Situations with Individuals: Adult Health I (4)
350 Situations with Individuals: Mental Health (4)
January - Year One
380 Situations with Families: Childrearing (4)
Spring - Year One
370 Situations with Families: Childbearing (4)
430 Situations with Communities (5)
440 Situations with Individuals: Adult Health II (4)
441 Situations Seminar (1)
Summer - Year Two
480 Professional Foundations II (2)
499 Nursing Synthesis (6)
After completing the foundational curriculum students continue the Entry-Level MSN curriculum with specialization in one of two concentrations. Admission to the ELMSN program does not guarantee admission into either the FNP, or the COM program.
This program is for the highly committed student wanting
a graduate degree in nursing, as well as the clinical skills and
exposure necessary for success as a registered nurse. This program
prepares qualified appliants with an earned baccalauteate degree in a
non-nursing field to complete Pacific Lutheran University's Master of
Science in Nursing (MSN) degree.
The cohort program may be completed in 36 months with the first 15
months requiring full-time, intensive study.
The subsequent months are 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.
The 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 at completion of the program. Students are expected to complete the entire 36-month program with their cohort. Any student leaving the program prior to completing the MSN may not be able to obtain or sustain RN licensure, and is not quaranted admission into the BSN program of into the next ELMSN cohort.