MSN Overview
Become a leader in healthcare and take the next step in your nursing career with the Master of Science in Nursing online program from King University.
Designed for working nurses, the online accredited master’s in nursing program provides the training you need to find advancement opportunities and grow your professional profiles. The program offers you a direct track towards professional advancement through your choice of four in-demand concentrations:
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Leadership and Administration
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Your course of study covers a range of topics including research design, health informatics, global health awareness, theory, and social perspective on health. Program outcomes seek to help you:
- Synthesize theory, research, and values to effectively practice nursing
- Expand your critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning skills
- Practice reflective nursing in a way guided by expanded knowledge
- Demonstrate professional accountability
- Understand the role of nursing in local, state, national, and global healthcare policy
- Improve the quality of your specialty practice
- Take part in professional and personal growth
Offered fully online, the master’s in nursing is taught in a cohort model and utilizes team-based learning. This allows you to retain the flexibility you need to attend school on your schedule, while simultaneously moving through your degree with a community of your peers.
Candidates can enter the accredited Master of Science in Nursing online program externally or directly from King University’s RN to BSN program. Upon graduation, you will have the knowledge and skills to take on higher positions of management, as well as pursue doctoral education.
The M.S. Nursing Program is Designed for…
- Working RNs who have already earned their BSN degree who are seeking to advance their careers
- Graduates of King University’s RN to BSN program
- Nontraditional learners who want an accessible educational format
Courses and Requirements
Our accredited Master of Science in Nursing online requires 35-48 semester hours for completion, depending on the concentration selected. Concentration requirements can be found in the table below.
| Concentration | Specialized Credits | Total Program Credits | Clinical Practicum Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse Leadership and Administration | 20 semester hours | 35 semester hours | 395 |
| Adult Gerontology Acute Care | 30 semester hours | 45 semester hours | 600 |
| Family Nurse Practitioner | 30 semester hours | 45 semester hours | 600 |
| Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner | 33 semester hours | 48 semester hours | 600 |
| Course # | Title | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| NURS 5000 | Theoretical Basis of Nursing Practice | This is a core course that prepares students to critique, evaluate, and utilize theory within their practice. In addition to nursing theories, relevant theories from related disciplines are addressed. The goal is to help students conceptualize a theoretical basis for advanced nursing practice that is comprehensive and holistic, and has the potential to impact patient care delivery models and improve patient outcomes. | 3 |
| NURS 5001 | Research Design in Nursing | This is a core course which focuses on the knowledge and skills needed to critically analyze and evaluate research literature in order to answer clinical questions. The student will learn how to initiate a line of inquiry using comprehensive databases. Statistics and research methods will help the student to effectively critique the status of the existing evidence to determine if a change is indicated to improve nursing practice and patient outcomes. Students gain knowledge and skills in evidence-based practice by the collection, interpretation, and integration of the best available evidence. | 3 |
| NURS 5010 | Social, Cultural, and Political Perspectives on Healthcare and Delivery Systems | This core course provides an overview of social, political, and cultural issues impacting today’s global healthcare system, enabling students to explore and develop strategies to be influential in social and health policy formation and consumer health advocacy. Global awareness including an understanding of ethical and legal accountability, patient vulnerability, and culturally-sensitive care are emphasized. In-depth exploration of strategies for health promotion and disease prevention for communities are highlighted in this course. | 3 |
| NURS 5012 | Global Health Awareness | This course offers an introduction to the practice of global health nursing, the political, economic, and cultural processes of globalization, and their impact on population health and healthcare systems. Students will examine varying meanings of health as well as the range of factors that encourage the health of some and exclude it from others. The course includes the study of a global health ethical framework based on human rights, cultural diversity, and social justice. Students will have an enhanced understanding of the global dimensions of health and disease, various strategic health initiatives, and correlating healthcare interventions. Attention will be paid to a variety of topics including HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, infectious diseases, health in reproduction, social determinants of health, and more. | 3 |
| NURS 5014 | Healthcare Informatics | The focus of this core course is exploring and understanding the concepts relevant to healthcare informatics and the use of computerized information systems in healthcare organizations. A main focus is the use of computerized applications by nurses to support decision-making in clinical, administrative, and educational settings. The development of information management skills and the use of the internet are emphasized as a means to evaluate health, wellness, and illness, thereby, positively influencing patient outcomes. | 3 |
| Course # | Title | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| HCAD 5420 | Legal and Ethical Issues | Exposes the students to the legal system as it affects the healthcare industry. The course addresses the numerous legal and ethical issues raised by advances in technology, changing societal values, decreasing resources, and increasing professional liability. | 3 |
| BUSA 5410 | Healthcare Systems | An introduction to the structure and function of the medical care delivery system. Includes basic concepts and measures of health, disease, quality, values, needs and utilization; issues in healthcare manpower, institutions and system organization; general issues in policy, reimbursement and regulation; broad community, and organizational considerations in medical care organizations. | 3 |
| NURS 5058 | Transformational Strategies: Practicum I | This first practicum experience in a series of three practicums involves the analysis and integration of theory as it relates to the nurse executive’s role. Organizational assessment designs will be explored. Students will be provided with opportunities to participate in all phases of the executive role in an acute care delivery system and community-based systems settings under the guidance of a preceptor. This course includes 60 hours of clinical practice. | 3 |
| HCAD 5600 | Accounting and Financial Performance in Healthcare | Optimal patient care starts with financially secure healthcare organizations. In this course, students will explore topics such as insurance and reimbursement, financial accounting, case flows, profit analysis, cost allocation, service line costing, budgeting, debt, risk analysis, capital structure, and revenue cycles. Financial theories and practical tools needed to make crucial financial decisions are included. | 3 |
| NURS 5059 | Transformational Strategies: Practicum II | This second practicum is a continuation of integration of theory as it relates to the nurse executive’s role. Emphasis is placed on the strategic planning process. Students will continue the practicum in the same setting under the guidance of a preceptor. This clinical practicum consists of 120 hours. Prerequisite: NURS 5058 | 5 |
| HCAD 5700 | Applying Continuous Quality Improvement in Healthcare | This course covers the concepts and techniques necessary for improving the systems vital to the daily work of clinicians and the outcomes of patient care. Topics emphasized include: the role of policy, measuring process and system performance, a supportive environment, outside forces that affect quality, teamwork, collaboration, continuous improvement, high reliability accountability, and patient safety. | 3 |
| NURS 5060 | Transformational Strategies: Practicum III | This third and last practicum continues to expand on the first two practicums. Students will build on the information gained from the organizational assessment and strategic planning process in order to direct nursing practice as a nurse executive. Activities for this practicum are interdependently planned with the guidance of a preceptor. This practicum includes 60 hours of clinical practice. Prerequisite: NURS 5058, 5059 | 3 |
| NURS 5990 | Comprehensive Assessment | Final comprehensive competency demonstration in the MSN program consists of the graduating student’s ability to meet the expected outcomes as set forth by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Master's Education in Nursing. These essentials are core for all master’s programs in nursing, and delineate the outcomes expected of all graduates of master’s nursing programs. Completion of a final competency portfolio, which encompasses the core knowledge and skills outlined in the AACN essentials document, serves as demonstration of the MSN student’s mastery of the required competencies. The final competency portfolio is evaluated by a rubric and is pass/fail. | 0 |
View more information about courses here.
View more information about courses here.
Admission Requirements
Students applying for the online MSN program must meet the following requirements:
- A bachelor’s degree in nursing from a regionally accredited program.
- A minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale on all prior academic work.
- Students with a lower GPA may be considered and accepted on a conditional basis.
- Undergraduate coursework completed with a C grade or better in the following disciplines:
- Statistics
- Nursing research/evidence-based practice
- Health assessment
- Pathophysiology (highly recommended for Nurse Education students, but not required)
- Current unrestricted licensure to practice as a registered nurse in Tennessee (compact/multi-state accepted). The applicant may not be on probation and must report any past or current disciplinary action taken by a State Board directly to the Dean of the School of Nursing.
- Laptop computer with Microsoft Office 365, wireless and webcam capability is required. Microsoft Office 365 is available to all King students to load on the PC or Mac and is accessible at Office.com using their King University credentials. Chromebooks and many tablets will NOT meet the minimum requirements for the SON Programs.
Students applying for an online MSN program must submit the following materials:
- A completed online application.
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
- Three letters of recommendation, preferably one from an employer and one from a previous college professor. When applying online, students may submit the names and email addresses of individuals offering a recommendation to automate the process.
- A personal essay. Details will be provided by your enrollment counselor.
- Verification of current unencumbered registered nurse license from the Tennessee Board of Nursing or compact multi-state licensure with privileges to practice in Tennessee.
- Copies of all certificates in an area of clinical concentration, if applicable.
- A current curriculum vitae including professional organization memberships and activities and community service.
**Courses are applicable for transfer if they are applicable to the requirements of the program, and are approved by the specialty area faculty and the Dean of the School of Nursing. Courses being transferred must have been assigned a grade of B or higher and must have covered content which is required for a particular core course or specialty program.
Students completing the BSN degree from King University may apply for guaranteed admission to an MSN program during the final semester of the BSN program. Students applying for guaranteed admission must meet the following admission criteria in addition to those listed above:
- Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Submit three letters of recommendation (two academic and one professional)
- Have received no academic sanctions during BSN program
Guaranteed admission is contingent on the time of application and seats available per semester.
Career Outcomes
Professional nurses who graduate from King University’s online MSN program can increase their earnings and build a career in various areas of nursing and other related fields. Outcomes include:
- Healthcare administrator
- Clinical nurse educator
- Director of nursing
- Nursing faculty
- Nurse manager
- Director of staff development
- Pediatric nurse practitioner
- Quality improvement manager/director
Flexible Outcomes-Based Funding
King University is committed to ensuring that every student who seeks to further his or her career has that opportunity. To support this mission, King works with a host of mission-aligned partners that provide funding to support our high-outcome degree programs, such as the MSN program. After students have exhausted scholarships and grants, and as an alternative to PLUS loans and private loans, King’s MSN students have access to Income Share Agreements (ISAs) as another affordable funding option that never requires a cosigner, and where students only pay based on future earnings, while also gaining access to additional career support & resources! Learn more HERE.
The School of Nursing programs are fully approved by the TENNESSEE BOARD OF NURSING, and are a member of the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES OF NURSING.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at King University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Studying online prepares you for a successful future. Discover a learning format that offers:
- Flexibility and Convenience
- Personalized Academics
- Equal Excellence
- Opportunity for Self Insight