School of Nursing: RN to MS

The RN to MS program has two components:
[1]     Bridge Component – This component consists of 4 courses (2 semesters; 15 semester hours) plus 90 clinical hours to meet the AACN Baccalaureate Essentials and support the transition into the CNL component. By the end of the bridge component, students must successfully complete specific undergraduate general education courses with a GPA of 3.0 or above. Additionally, a 3.0 or above must be achieved in the bridge courses in order to advance to the CNL component. 

Note: Because students accepted to the RN to MS program are experienced RNs who have likely been providing care for many years, a process to petition for a waiver of two particular bridge courses has been established. See “Portfolio Review Packet” below for details. 

[2]     CNL Component – This component prepares the nurse to meet the AACN End-of-Program Competencies & Required Clinical Experiences for the Clinical Nurse Leader advanced practice role. It is 6 semesters (approx. 2 years) in length and consists of 42 semester hours of credit plus 500 hours of clinical experience.