Master of Science in Nursing

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program is designed to prepare registered nurses for advanced practice roles, leadership, and education in diverse practice environments. This dynamic hybrid program offers flexible pathways tailored to students’ career goals, with specialized concentrations leading to certifications in advanced practice nursing (NP), clinical nurse leadership (CNL), or nursing education (CNE). Students engage in a curriculum that integrates evidence-based practice, systems thinking, interprofessional collaboration, hands-on experience, online learning, and the effective use of technology to improve healthcare outcomes. Though graduates from MSN program are eligible for certification exams, they are encouraged to take additional preparation, such as a certification preparation course, before pursuing certification.

Mission

The mission of Norwich University’s School of Nursing is to prepare our students to be globally minded nurse leaders and scholars through innovative and diverse experiential education and research.

Purpose

The Master of Science in Nursing program prepares visionary nurse leaders who demonstrate advanced critical thinking, communication, and decision-making skills to ensure quality outcomes within the complex systems of the healthcare continuum. Graduates initiate and effectively utilize research findings to improve outcomes, as well as utilize knowledge of health promotion, health care policy and systems, change and finance to effectively manage available resources in the changing health care environment. Master's prepared nurses utilize this knowledge base integrated with theories from nursing and related disciplines to create and implement ethical practices and policies to improve the environment in which health care is delivered.

The Master's prepared nurse engages in an expanded scope of practice that is characterized by critical analysis of problems and creative problem solving, and application of theories in the decision-making process. The graduate manages change effectively and utilizes communication skills and technologies to create collaborative partnerships within nursing and across health care disciplines. Graduate education prepares the nurse to identify and evaluate personal and organizational values and to implement ethical decisions and strategies to improve outcomes.

Concentrations:

• Nurse Practitioner

  • Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP-AC)

  • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

• Nurse Educator

• Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)

The BS, Nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, (202)-887-8476.

The master's degree program in nursing and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Norwich University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

The BS and MSN programs are approved by the Vermont State Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Regulations, 89 Main Street 3rd Floor, Montpelier, VT 05520-2482, (802) 828-2396.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

The Master of Science in Nursing, with specializations in Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, is designed to prepare students for advanced practice. The requirements for professional licensure or certification vary by state. Norwich University has determined that the Norwich nursing program meets or does not meet the educational requirements for state licensure. Please review our Professional Licensure Disclosure.

Admission Criteria

• Master of Science in Nursing Applicants:

  • A bachelor’s degree in nursing from a nationally accredited school (either by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), or an equivalent degree from a foreign institution, as evaluated by a NACES approved agency.

  • A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale. (Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 must demonstrate a GPA of 3.0 or higher for the last 60 undergraduate hours of his/her nursing program.)

  • Completed undergraduate courses in statistics and research with a grade of C+, or higher.

• Post Graduate Certificate Applicants:

  • A master’s degree in nursing with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater from a nationally accredited school (either by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

  • A minimum of one year of active practice as an RN or NP during the last 5 years.

• All applicants:

  • Active, unencumbered RN license in the state of student’s practice and expected clinical study. License must be unencumbered throughout the entire course of study. If the license becomes encumbered, the student will be dismissed from the program.

  • Letter of Intent.

  • A letter of recommendation from a direct supervisor is required. There are two methods of submission available:

  • An email will be sent to each reference, requesting that they complete a brief online recommendation regarding your commitment to success in an online program. Please inform all recommenders that they must submit the form for your application to be considered complete. OR,

  • A digital or scanned letter of recommendation on an organization's letterhead with the recommender's signature and contact information.

  • The letter of recommendation will be waived for applicants who are Norwich graduates.

  • Graduate testing is not required.

  • If English is not your first language, proof of English language proficiency is required. This can be demonstrated in one of three ways:

  • TOEFL - a minimum score of 550 (paper-based test) or 80 (Internet-based test) is required.*

  • IELTS – a minimum composite score of 6.5 is required.*

  • The applicant holds a baccalaureate or master’s degree from a college/university/institution in which the primary language of instruction was English.

  • International applicants who are not licensed as registered nurses in the U.S. must achieve a passing score on both the English and nursing sections of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) examination

• For Post Graduate Certificate Students: A gap analysis will be conducted for each applicant who has earned a master’s degree in nursing to determine which coursework is necessary for certification in the desired area of practice.

• Guidelines for transfer credit:

  • Norwich University cannot guarantee that pathophysiology, pharmacology, or health/physical assessment courses taken at other institutions will fulfill state or certification body requirements. Applicants are responsible for verifying with the state board of nursing in their intended practice state and the specialty certifying body to ensure that any courses transferred into a Norwich University School of Nursing program meet the necessary requirements for licensure or certification.

  • A syllabus that contains the course description, course objectives, and matches the date listed on the applicant’s transcript for must be provided by the student upon application to the program for each course to qualify for consideration of the award of transfer credit.

  • The applicant must have earned a grade of B or higher for consideration of transfer credit.

  • A maximum of 15 credits may be awarded for transfer into the MSN program.

  • Unless an applicant has been practicing as a nurse practitioner in the last two years, the following courses must have been completed within the last 7 years for consideration of transfer credit: Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Physical Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning. All other proposed courses for transfer must have been completed in the last 10 years.

  • Applicants may refer to the Norwich University Transfer Evaluation System – TES® to determine whether a proposed course has met the requirement for transfer in the past. However, courses may change from time to time and thus are subject to approval by nursing leadership for every application. There is no guarantee that a course listed in the TES® database will still meet the requirements for transfer at the time of application review.

  • To be considered for transfer credit, the proposed course must match at least 70% of the content of the Norwich equivalent course at the time of application.

  • No track-specific courses are eligible for transfer from another institution.