Master of Science in Nursing
RN to MSN Pathway
Point of Contact
Susan Swett
Assistant Dean, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
703-993-1925
sswett@gmu.edu
This pathway allows registered nurses who have completed 63 general education credits and have demonstrated substantial involvement in professional nursing within the past two years to earn the M.S.N. degree with a minimum of undergraduate course work. Three credits of the 63 credits are earned from a computer course. Students entering a track through this pathway must meet all the requirements for admission to that track.
Admission Requirements
In addition to fulfilling admission requirements for degree status in the university, applicants to this pathway must
- hold a current license to practice nursing;
- be graduates of an accredited nursing program;
- have earned a 3.000 GPA in 63 general education credits in an accredited institution; and
- demonstrate substantial involvement in professional nursing within the past two years as a registered nurse in clinical practice.
Registered nurses who have earned a baccalaureate degree in a discipline other than nursing can earn a Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) with minimum repetition of undergraduate course work by enrolling in the RN - Non-Nursing Baccalaureate Degree - MSN Pathway.
Program of Study
All courses in the track to which the applicant is admitted plus the following bridge courses.
- NURS 623* (3:2:1)
Clinical Concepts in Community Oriented Primary Care
(Bridge Course)
* Successful completion of NURS 623 gives students six (6) advanced placement credit for the following courses:
- NURS 440 (3:3:0)
Community Health and Epidemiology - NURS 453 (3:3:0)
Research in Nursing and Health Science
Total = 9 credits
Explanation of Credit Hours
Course titles are followed by numbers in parentheses (0:0:0), separated by colons.
The numbers have the following significance:
- First Number: credits for the course
- Second Number: hours of lecture or seminar per week for the course
- Third Number: hours of laboratory for the course
For independent study, readings, topics, or similar courses, individual instructors set hours.
A completed Hepatits B Immunization series is required before enrollment in clinical and practicum courses.
After completion of the bridge course, students choose one of the three tracks and meet all requirements of the graduate program. These tracks are: