The Department of Nursing offers a graduate program leading to a Master of Science in Nursing. The program is designed to prepare nurse educators who are leaders in the practice of population health promotion. Graduates are prepared to teach, practice, lead, and serve in culturally diverse, pluralistic communities, delivering expert nursing care in various settings including academic, clinical, and community-based environments. Graduates will work collaboratively with other health care providers and participate effectively in interprofessional health care delivery.

CSUSB MS in Nursing Requirements:

A "B" (3.0) average is required to remain in good standing in the CSUSB MS in Nursing program.

MSN courses (except for clinical practicums and internships) are offered fully online. Practicum courses are typically project-focused in nature. 

Admission to the Program

In addition to the general requirements of the university, specific requirements for admission to classified graduate status are:

1. A baccalaureate degree in nursing from a CCNE-accredited program, OR a regionally-accredited baccalaureate degree in a discipline related to nursing;
   1. Applicants with non-nursing baccalaureate degrees or with a baccalaureate degree in nursing from a Department of Education-recognized accrediting body other than CCNE must meet competencies as defined in the AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education which include but are not limited to:
      1. Health assessment
      2. Research
      3. Leadership
      4. Community/public health

Competency may be verified through completed courses, credit by examination, certification, or documented professional expertise in the subject. Applicants are encouraged to discuss options with the Graduate Coordinator.

1. 3.0 ("B") minimum GPA calculated according to recommended practice of the CSUSB Graduate Council;
2. Current California registered nurse (RN) license, unencumbered, unrestricted, with no disciplinary action pending or imposed.
3. Two (2) satisfactory letters of professional recommendation;
4. Personal statement;
5. Successful completion of an undergraduate statistics course.

Applicants may consult the information on the Department of Nursing webpage for details about the significant clinical compliance requirements that must be met upon admission to the MS in Nursing program.

Advancement to Candidacy

In order to be advanced to candidacy, the student must have:

1. Achieved classified status;
2. Completed at least 20 semester units of course work with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 ("B"), approved by the Graduate Program Coordinator;
3. Filed an approved Program Plan for completion of the graduate degree. The degree program must be prepared in consultation with the faculty advisor and approved by the Graduate Program Coordinator and the Dean of Graduate Studies;
4. Demonstrated professional competence and integrity in academic and clinical practice settings.

Requirements for Graduation

In addition to the general requirements of the university:

1. Advancement to candidacy for the MS degree in nursing;
2. Fulfillment of the semester units and clinical hours;
3. Maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 ("B") for each individual course;

4. The Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement is met by one of the following options:
   Earn a grade of B or better in an upper division undergraduate writing course
   Achieve an acceptable standardized test score on the Writing section of the Graduate Record Exam;

5. Successfully complete the comprehensive examination, which includes completing and NURS 6980 and NURS 6902.

Degree Requirements (38 units)

Core Requirements (28)
NURS 5544	Integrated Pathophysiology, Health Assessment, & Pharmacology	3
NURS 6005	Intro to Advanced Nursing Practice	2
NURS 6010	Epidemiology & Biostatistics	3
NURS 6015	Application of Theory and Research for Evidence Based Practice & Quality Improvement	3
NURS 6020	Population Health Promotion I: Ethical Leadership in Practice and Policy	3
NURS 6205	Nurse Educator: Curriculum & Instruction	4
NURS 6210	Nurse Educator: Assessment & Evaluation	3
NURS 6215	Nurse Educator: Technology for Instruction & Evaluation	2
NURS 6225	Nurse Educator: Clinical Educator Internship	1
NURS 6335	Nurse Educator: Academic Teaching Internship	2
NURS 6902	Preparation for Culminating Experience	2
Concentration (10)		10
Culminating Experience (0)		0
Total Units		38

Culminating Experience (0 units)

NURS 6980	Comprehensive Examination	0
Total Units		0

The written comprehensive examination is an integrative examination designed to assess the student's ability to think critically, integrate knowledge of the discipline of nursing, and demonstrate mastery of core and specialty/concentration competencies. Students may enroll in the examination no earlier than the last term in which coursework is taken and must be advanced to candidacy one term before taking the comprehensive examination. Students who do not receive a passing score may petition the Department of Nursing Graduate Affairs Committee to retake the exam within one year. After an exam failure, the candidate and advisor will discuss actions necessary for remediation of shortcomings. For more information related to the comprehensive examination process and scheduling contact the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Concentration (10 units)

Population Health Leadership for Nurse Educators

NURS 6120	Population Health Promotion II: Assessment of a Population's Health	4
NURS 6220	Population Health Promotion III: Health Program Planning	4
NURS 6320	Population Health Promotion IV: Integration Practicum	2
Total Units		10