Nursing Leadership and Administration, Nursing (MSN)

Degree: Master of Science in Nursing
Nursing Leadership and Administration Cognate
Program Code: 8613

About This Program . . .

The Master of Science in Nursing degree provides graduates with a foundation for practice as a clinical leader in health care systems or academic settings. Graduates of master’s degree programs in nursing are prepared with additional knowledge and clinical expertise building on baccalaureate nursing practice. The MSN program at Colorado Mesa University is based on the “Essentials of Masters Education for Advanced Nursing Practice” identified by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

The MSN program is designed for students already possessing a baccalaureate degree in nursing and adds the first graduate step on the nursing career ladder at Colorado Mesa University.MSN graduates will be prepared to advance to higher levels of nursing education including Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or Doctoral of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) programs.The program is a hybrid format, providing flexibility for students to remain in their current work positions and home communities in western Colorado using online course delivery methods.Opportunities for personal interaction are included with faculty and peers in focused intensive sessions at selected points during each semester.Clinical immersion experiences will be arranged in health care settings across the region.

Important information for this program:

• Admission to the program follows the general admissions policies & procedures for graduate programs outlined in the university catalog.
• A bachelor’s degree in nursing from a regionally accredited college or university is required, prior to beginning the program. Applicants must have maintained a GPA of 3.0 or better in baccalaureate nursing coursework.
• Applicants must hold a current, unrestricted license to practice as a registered nurse in their State of Practice.

All CMU masters-level graduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in specialized knowledge/applied learning, quantitative fluency, communication fluency, critical thinking, information literacy, and ethical reasoning. In addition to these campus-wide student learning outcomes, a graduate of this program will be able to:

1. Contribute to scholarly advancement in the chosen field by completing projects individually and collaboratively. (Specialized Knowledge)
2. Employ discipline-specific logical, mathematical, statistical methods, or other analytical processes to address a topic or issue. (Quantitative Fluency)
3. Create oral and written arguments or explanations, well-grounded in discipline-specific theories and methods, for specified audiences. (Communication Fluency)
4. Formulate and evaluate hypotheses as related to research problems, issues, concepts, and various perspectives. (Critical Thinking)
5. Synthesize, evaluate, or refine the information base of various scholarly sources. (Information Literacy)
6. Articulate moral, ethical, legal, or professional challenges within the discipline. (Ethical Reasoning)
7. Contribute to scholarly advancement in the chosen field by completing projects individually and collaboratively. (Applied Learning)

Institutional Graduate Degree Requirements

The following institutional requirements apply to all CMU graduate-level degrees. Specific programs may have different requirements that must be met in addition to institutional requirements.

• Graduate certificates consist of a minimum of 5 credit hours.  Master’s degrees consist of a minimum of 30 credit hours. Doctoral degrees consist of a minimum of 60 credit hours.
• All credits in a graduate program must be minimally at the 500-level.
• At least fifty percent of the credit hours must be taken at CMU.
• Students must achieve a 3.00 cumulative GPA or higher in all CMU coursework.
• Students may not apply coursework with a grade lower than a “B” toward graduation requirements.  
• A course may only be used to fulfill one requirement for each degree/certificate.
• Capstone exit assessment/projects (e.g., Major Field Achievement Test) requirements are identified under Program-Specific Requirements.
• The Catalog Year determines which program sheet and certificate requirements a student must fulfill in order to graduate. Visit with your advisor or academic department to determine which catalog year and program requirements you should follow.
• See “Graduate Degree Requirements” in this catalog for a complete list of graduation requirements.
• All policies for graduate degrees are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures Manual, Capstone Guidelines Manual, and Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines Manual, all of which are provided on the Graduate Studies website. 

Specific to this program:

• 36 semester hours are required for the Master of Science in Nursing degree, Nursing Leadership and Administration Cognate.

Program Specific Requirements

(36 semester hours, must pass all courses with a grade of “B” or better. It is recommended that students work closely with a faculty advisor when selecting courses and scheduling classes prior to registration.)

Advising Process and DegreeWorks

Documentation on the pages related to this program is intended for informational purposes to help determine what courses and associated requirements are needed to earn a degree. Some courses are critical to complete in specific semesters while others may be moved around. Meeting with an academic advisor is essential in planning courses and discussing the suggested course sequencing. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and fulfill the requirements for her/his intended degree.

DegreeWorks is an online degree audit tool available in MAVzone. It is the official record used by the Registrar’s Office to evaluate progress towards a certificate and determine eligibility for graduation. Students are responsible for reviewing their DegreeWorks audit on a regular basis and should discuss questions or concerns with their advisor or academic department head. Discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.

Graduation Process

Students must complete the following in the first two months of the semester prior to completing their degree requirements:

• Review their DegreeWorks audit and create a plan that outlines how unmet requirements will be met in the final semester.
• Meet with their advisor and modify their plan as needed. The advisor must approve the final plan.
• Submit the “Intent to Graduate” form to the Registrar’s Office to officially declare the intended graduation date and commencement ceremony plans.
• Register for all needed courses and complete all requirements for each degree sought.

Submission deadlines and commencement details can be found at http://www.coloradomesa.edu/registrar/graduation.html.

If your petition for graduation is denied, it will be your responsibility to apply for graduation in a subsequent semester. Your “Intent to Graduate” does not automatically move to a later graduation date.