MSN Curriculum

Plans of Study

Check out the plans of study for each of our MSN Advanced Practice Areas here:

CLINICAL CORE COURSES +

APRN

NURS 715. Pathophysiology for Advanced Nursing Practice. 3 Credits.
This course explores the physiologic functions in humans throughout the lifespan. The broad-based content integrates pathophysiological concepts with emphasis on advanced practice nursing.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School; Corequisites, NURS 750 & NURS 752; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 720. Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing Practice. 3 Credits.
This course will examine the principles of pharmacotherapeutic decision-making in advanced nursing practice, with application to the clinical management of common health problems specific to all age groups, encompassing a life span approach.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School; Pre- or corequisite, N715; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 750. Advanced Health and Physical Assessment for Advanced Nursing Practice. 3 cr (2 didactic, 1 lab)
Applies knowledge of evidenced-based clinical research and principles of anatomy, physiology/pathophysiology, with psychosocial and cultural assessment skills necessary for advance health assessment and clinical decision making with an emphasis on health promotion/disease prevention and shared decision making, relationship-centered care — across the lifespan.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School; Nursing majors only. Pre-or co-requisite NURS 715.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 752. Advanced Diagnostic Reasoning and Management. 2 credits.
This course introduces the process of advanced diagnostic reasoning as a framework to synthesize comprehensive assessment, disease prevention, and management of common health conditions throughout the lifespan.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School; Pre- or Co-requisite 715; Corequisite, NURS 750; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

RESEARCH CORE COURSES +

NURS 740. Evidence-Based Practice and Research. 3 Credits.
This course provides the essential concepts and strategies for research and quality improvement, and the impact of these methodologies on patient populations and care systems.
Requisites: Admission to the Graduate School; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 992. Master’s Paper (3 cr)

PROFESSIONAL CORE COURSES +

NURS 790i. Population Health: Interprofessional Management in a Changing Healthcare System. 3 Credits.
This interprofessional education course focuses on preparing healthcare professionals with the foundational skills needed to work in teams to effectively collaborate and coordinate care in population health.
Requisites: Admission to the Graduate School; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 746. Health Care Policy and Leadership. 3 Credits.
This course examines the role of nursing in health care leadership and policy. Students will gain competencies in the application of micro- and meso- level leadership tools. Students will apply these skills to health policy development and advocacy as a means of impacting the health of populations at the local, state, and national and/ or international level.
Requisites: Admission to the Graduate School; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

ADULT-GERONTOLOGY PRIMARY CARE NURSE PRACTITIONER +

NURS 810. Primary Care of Adolescents and Adults. 6 Credits (4 lecture and 2 clinical).
This course will focus on advanced assessment, diagnosis and management of adults seen in primary care settings.
Requisites: 
Prerequisite, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, & NURS 752; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 812. Care of Adults with Complex Health Problems. 6 Credits (2 lecture and 4 clinical).
This course focuses on care of adults with complex health problems. Students will develop skills to assist with the successful transition into the role of an AGPCNURS P into health care systems.
Requisites: 
Prerequisite, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, NURS 752, & NURS 825, NURS 824; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 819 (OR 823). Practicum in Primary Care Management. 2 Credits.
A clinical practicum in an ambulatory care setting that provides experience in the delivery of healthcare from age 13 through end-of-life, to individuals and their families.
Requisites: 
Prerequisite, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, NURS 752, NURS 810; Co-requisite: NURS 825. Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 824. Advanced Concepts in The Clinical Care of Older Adults. 4 Credits (2 lecture and 2 clinical).
This course focuses on the clinical management of older adults and their families emphasizing interdisciplinary care. Content includes physiologic, pathological, psychosocial and functional changes associated with aging; including social gerontological issues.
Requisites: 
Prerequisite, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, NURS 752, NURS 810, NURS 819, NURS 825; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 825. Sexual and Reproductive Health for Advanced Nursing Practice. 2 Credits (2 lecture).
This course examines the principles of primary care management of sexual and reproductive health focusing on wellness and pathophysiologic disorders.
Requisites: 
Prerequisite, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, NURS 752, and NURS 810; Co-requisite: NURS 819. Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER +

NURS 810. Primary Care of Adolescents and Adults. 6 Credits (4 lecture and 2 clinical).
This course will focus on advanced assessment, diagnosis and management of adults seen in primary care settings.
Requisites: 
Prerequisite, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, & NURS 752; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 825. Sexual and Reproductive Health for Advanced Nursing Practice. 4 Credits (2 lecture and 2 clinical).
This course examines the principles of primary care management of sexual and reproductive health focusing on wellness and pathophysiologic disorders.
Requisites: 
Prerequisite, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, NURS 752, NURS 810; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 827. Primary Care of Infants, Children and Adolescents. 4 Credits (2 lecture and 2 clinical).
This course will focus on developmentally appropriate advanced assessment, diagnosis and family-centered management of infants, children and adolescents seen in primary care settings.
Requisites: 
Prerequisite, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, NURS 752, NURS 810, NURS 825; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 828. Primary Care Across the Lifespan with Advanced Clinical Practicum. 6 Credits (2 lecture and 4 clinical).
This capstone course emphasizes the comprehensive, whole-person approach to the clinical management of primary health care needs across the lifespan in the context of the individual, the family and/or the community.
Requisites: 
Prerequisite, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, NURS 752, NURS 825, NURS 827; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

PEDIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER – PRIMARY CARE +

NURS 840. Pediatric Primary Care I. 6 Credits (4 lecture and 2 clinical).
This course concentrates on clinical management of pediatric primary care patients and their families with a continuing focus on advanced diagnostic reasoning.
Requisites: 
Prerequisite, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, & NURS 752; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 841. Pediatric Primary Care II. 4 Credits (2 lecture and 2 clinical).
This course focuses on advanced clinical management of pediatric primary care patients, emphasizing concepts of family-centered health care in increasingly complex child and adolescent health problems.
Requisites: 
Prerequisite, NURS 715, NURS 750, NURS 752, NURS 720, NURS 849, and NURS 840; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 842. Clinical Management of Children with Complex Health Conditions. 6 Credits (3 lecture and 3 clinical).
This course focuses on advanced clinical management of pediatric primary care patients, emphasizing concepts of family-centered health care in increasingly complex child and adolescent health problems.
Requisites: 
Prerequisite, NURS 715, NURS 750, NURS 752, NURS 720, NURS 840, NURS 849, NURS 841; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 849. Clinical Practicum in Pediatric Advanced Nursing. 2 Credits.
Supervised practicum in an advanced practice role in a selected health care setting that provides primary care to infants, children, or adolescents.
Requisites: Prerequisite, NURS 715, NURS 750, NURS 752, NURS 720, NURS 840; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade

PSYCHIATRIC-MENTAL HEALTH NURSE PRACTITIONER +

NURS 723. Psychiatric Diagnosis and Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan. 3 Credits.
This course provides concepts in evidence-based psychopharmacological management of individuals across the lifespan for advanced nursing practice. Topics include neurobiological concepts, psychiatric diagnosis and treatments, rational decision-making, and the initiation, monitoring, and discontinuation of psychotropic medications in the treatment of psychiatric and substance abuse disorders in a variety of settings. Students will explore recent advances in neurobiology, genomics, and psychopharmacology.
Requisites: Prerequisites, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, & NURS 752; Co-requisite NURS 860. Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 860. Biopsychosocial Care 1: Psychiatric Mental Health Interventions Across the Lifespan. 5 Credits (3 lecture and 2 clinical).
This course is the first of four in the sequence of intervention and case management courses. It builds on the skills of psychiatric mental health diagnostic formulation and provides a foundation for management of common behavioral health problems, psychiatric illness, and substance use disorders across the lifespan within a biopsychosocial framework.
Requisites: Prerequisites, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, & NURS 752; Co-requisite NURS 723. Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 865. Biopsychosocial Care 2: Psychiatric Mental Health Interventions with Children. 3 Credits.
This course is the second of four in the sequence of intervention and case management courses for the PMHP. It focuses on management of common psychiatric illnesses in childhood using a biopsychosocial framework.
Requisites: Prerequisites, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, NURS 752, NURS 723, NURS 860. Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 864. Biopsychosocial Care 3: Psychiatric Mental Health Interventions in the Context of Relationships. 6 Credits (3 lecture and 3 clinical).
This course is the second of four in the sequence of intervention and case management courses for the PMHNP. It focuses on management of common psychiatric illnesses in childhood using a biopsychosocial framework.
Requisites: Prerequisites, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, NURS 752, NURS 723, NURS 860, NURS 865; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 868. Biopsychosocial Care 4: Management of Complex Psychiatric Mental Health Problems Across the Lifespan. 6 Credits (2 lecture and 4 clinical).
This capstone course builds on and synthesizes knowledge gained in the previous semesters. Psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological interventions are integrated in the identification and management of complex psychiatric/mental health issues for diverse clients across the lifespan.
Requisites: Prerequisites, NURS 715, NURS 720, NURS 750, NURS 752, NURS 723, NURS 860, NURS 865, NURS 864; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

HEALTH CARE LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION +

NURS 870. Principles of Health Informatics: Data, Information, and Knowledge. 3 credits.
This course provides an overview of computer and information science concepts, including virtual collaboration; data retrieval and management, appraisal of online health information resources used to shape healthcare decision-making.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 872. Managing Human Resources in Complex Health Care Systems. 3 credits (2 lecture and 1 clinical).
This course explores the knowledge and skills required for effective human resource management with emphasis on behaviors that promote and sustain an interdisciplinary professional health care practice environment.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 873. Financing for Value-Based Health Services and Systems. 3 credits.
This course focuses on fundamental financial management concepts in health services organizations. Emphasis is placed on the financial environment and application of financial and managerial accounting and budgeting principles and methods to prepare nurse leaders and entrepreneurs for decision-making in simple to complex health services organizations.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 874. Improving Quality, Safety, and Outcomes in Health Care Systems. 3 credits (2 lecture and 1 clinical).
Explores theories and methods for improving the quality, safety, and outcomes of care at patient and organizational levels, emphasizing the quality and patient safety movement, improvement science, and evidence-based practice.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 877. Organizational Theory for Managing Complex Health Care Systems. 3 credits.
This course explores complex health care systems’ distinctive structures, processes, and outcomes and how internal and external environmental factors influence health care and nursing practice.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 878Health Care Leadership and Administration: Residency and Integrative Seminar. 6 credits (1 lecture and 5 clinical).
This course provides an opportunity to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based strategies within health care systems, related to the management of resources, information systems, policies, and delivery of quality, relationship-centered care.
Requisites: Prerequisite or Co-requisite, NURS 870, NURS 872, NURS 873, NURS 874, NURS 877; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

RN-MSN BRIDGE COURSES +

NURS 491. Improving Nursing Practice: Application of Concepts, Theories, and Research. 3 credits.
This course emphasizes analysis of clinical problems that affect the nursing care of selected populations. Students also apply the nursing process, therapeutic communication skills, and teaching- learning principles in clinical situations.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 492. Conceptual Bases of Professional Nursing Practice. 3 credits.
Selected concepts, theories, and models are synthesized, appraised, and applied as a basis for making judgements and decisions in nursing practice.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 494. Community Health Nursing for the Public’s Health. 6 credits (3 lecture and 3 clinical).
Prepares RN students for population- focused practice in the community health nursing. Analyses and applications of selected theories, and health promotion/ protection and disease prevention strategies are emphasized.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School; Nursing majors only.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE NURSING EDUCATION +

(3 courses required; total of 9 cr)

NURS 875. Teaching Principles and Practices for the Nurse Educator. 3 credits.
This course will prepare students for teaching in diverse healthcare and educational settings. Emphasis will be placed on the development of skills for teaching in nursing and healthcare to promote ethical, safe, and quality care.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 876. Curriculum Development in Nursing and Health Care Education. 3 credits.
This course will examine curriculum development and evaluation in healthcare education for academic and clinical settings. Emphasis is placed on current contextual influences that facilitate curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation in diverse healthcare educational settings.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 822. Clinical Teaching and Evaluation in Nursing Education. 3 credits.
Prepares students for clinical teaching in diverse nursing education settings. Emphasis will be placed on the development of evidence-based clinical teaching skills designed to facilitate student learning and evaluation as well as safe, ethical, relationship-centered clinical practice of students.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School.
Grading Status: Letter grade.

NURS 950. Analysis of the Academic Role in Nursing Education. 3 credits.
This course examines knowledge, theories and skills necessary for transition into an academic teaching role in university schools of nursing. Particular emphasis on the teaching-learning process as utilized in higher education.
Requisites: Prerequisite, Admission to the Graduate School.
Grading Status: Letter grade.