Normal Program Length: Term-based modality - 3 years 6 months; Competency-based modality - 2 years
This program is offered online.
This program is not currently eligible for Title IV for new enrollments.
Jump to the RN to BSN/MSN curriculum
The Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Nursing (RN to BSN/MSN) is a program for nurses who want to increase their professional opportunities in the workforce. Experienced nurses who hold their registered nurse licenses (and RNs who hold bachelor's degrees in other fields) can apply their associate degree toward this program and will earn both a BSN and MSN. In the RN to BSN/MSN program, students first complete 21 credits of baccalaureate-level nursing courses. After they complete the 21 credits of undergraduate courses, they will proceed on to three graduate level core courses (N501PE, N505PE, N515PE), which are required for completion of the bachelor's degree. After completion of these courses, the bachelor's degree will be awarded, and the student will move forward into the master's degree program.
For more information about each MSN Specialization, visit our MSN specialization pages:
- Nursing Education Specialization
- Case Management Specialization
- Informatics Specialization
- Infection Prevention and Control Specialization
- Management and Organizational Leadership Specialization
The RN to BSN/MSN degree program is a post-licensure nursing program. This means that students must already be licensed as an RN to be accepted for admission and must maintain an active and unencumbered RN license throughout their enrollment in the program. The program is designed to expand graduates' knowledge base, to enhance their marketability as an RN, and to permit them to enjoy greater career stability as an RN. Some states may offer licensure or certification opportunities for nurses beyond RN, and individuals obtaining such licensures or certifications may be able to secure employment in a position other than RN. Our RN to BSN/MSN degree program is not designed to enable graduates to obtain any such licensure or certifications in any state, or to secure any form of employment that might require such licensure or certification. Prospective students should check with the applicable licensing authority in the state in which they expect to work in order to ensure that our accreditation and curriculum meet the state's eligibility requirements for the specific licensure or certification sought and that successful completion of our RN to BSN/MSN degree program will further their career interests.
Visit our State Authorization and Licensure page for more information.
There are two modalities (method of delivery) of learning in this program: term-based and competency-based. The learning outcomes, program specializations, and level of difficulty are the same for both modalities. The term-based RN to BSN/MSN program allows students to take courses in a traditional format. The RN to BSN/MSN Powered by SIMPath is a competency-based approach that allows students to move through each course at their own pace, demonstrating a mastery of skills utilizing an array of methods.
RN to BSN Program Learning Outcomes
- Assume leadership roles on multidisciplinary teams within healthcare organizations.
- Enhance professional nursing practice using research and evidence-based practice.
- Integrate methods of research and scholarship to make and prioritize diagnoses.
- Design care for individuals, groups, and communities.
- Incorporate methods of health promotion and education in nursing care of individuals, families, and groups with simple to complex healthcare needs.
- Accept accountability and responsibility for professional judgment and actions.
- Integrate professional values and role behaviors.
- Examine the problems of contemporary health and illness.
- Demonstrate the role of the global citizen.
- Collaborate with other groups to shape health policies that affect both individual and community health.
MSN Program Learning Outcomes
- Integrate roles as leaders and collaborators in various healthcare settings.
- Use theoretical knowledge to guide advanced nursing practice.
- Analyze models that expand the role of nurses in a global society.
- Evaluate legislation, policies, and economics as applied to the current healthcare environment.
- Appraise research to enhance professional nursing practice.
Curriculum
In the RN to BSN/MSN program, students first complete 21 credits of baccalaureate-level nursing courses in which they must earn a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale to be allowed to continue with the MSN courses. After they complete the 21 credits of undergraduate courses, they will proceed on to three graduate level core courses (N501PE, N505PE, N515PE), which are required for completion of the bachelor's degree. After completion of these courses, the bachelor's degree will be awarded, and the student will move forward into the master's degree program.
For term-based programs, at no time may a student be registered for more than four courses concurrently in a 16-week period. Concurrent course registration cannot violate progression or prerequisite requirements. Concurrent course registration is subject to course availability.
Many courses in the RN to BSN/MSN program require the completion of Practice Experience (PE) hours. These hours are activities replacing traditional schoolwork that students complete during their courses.
Learn more about Practice Experience hours on the additional nursing requirements page.
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