Master of Science in Nursing
Hernani Ledesma, Jr.
“As a lifelong learner, I have been blessed with many opportunities.”
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Greetings from the Graduate Programs in Nursing
Our graduate program the Masters of Nursing, is designed not only to further your professional development as a nurse but also your personal growth to provide you with the emotional skills to fully contribute to our community. All of us are cognizant of the complexities that our patients, families and friends encounter on a daily basis. As a registered nurse, we are quite often the first person to whom others seek assistance. Your decision to pursue graduate nursing studies is demonstration of your conviction to perform at the highest level. At Mount St. Mary’s College, we value the rigor and excitement of nursing research done together as a community of learners and we respect the dignity and value of the individual thus the emphasis on refining one’s emotional intelligence. A graduate nursing degree strengthens our ability to work with others and accept differences for this is absolutely essential as we dialogue and learn from one another.
Dr. Marsha Sato, Director of MSN Programs
- Program Objectives
- Mission and Curriculum
- Admission Requirements
- Course Listings
- Course Descriptions
- Specialty Tracks
- Faculty
- Office Staff
- Application Procedures
Request a Graduate Nursing Program Brochure
Program Objectives
The Master of Science in Nursing program prepares nurses in advanced nursing theory and provides them with experience in specialized nursing roles within the changing patterns of health care. Graduates are equipped to assume leadership roles in interprofessional health groups and conduct independent nursing research or clinical projects.
The graduate of the Master's Degree Nursing program will be prepared for the professional role as a Nurse Educator, Nurse Administrator, or Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist and will be able to: (Source - AACN Essentials of Master's Education, 2011)
- Integrate scientific findings from nursing, biopsychosocial fields, genetics, public health, quality improvement, and organizational sciences for the continual improvement of nursing care across diverse settings (Essential I).
- Use organizational and systems leadership skills in promoting safe and quality patient care, emphasizing ethical and critical decision making and effective working relationships (Essential II).
- Employ performance measures and standards related to quality to monitor outcomes and apply quality principles within an organization (Essential III).
- Apply research outcomes within the practice setting, resolve practice problems, work as a change agent, and disseminate results (Essential IV).
- Use patient-care technologies to deliver and enhance care and use communication technologies to integrate and coordinate care (Essential V).
- Participate in policy development in the organization and employ advocacy strategies to influence health and health care (Essential VI).
- Use effective communication, collaboration, and leadership skills as a member and leader of interprofessional teams to manage and coordinate care (Essential VII).
- Apply broad, organizational, client-centered and culturally appropriate concepts in the planning, delivery, management, and evaluation of evidenced-based clinical prevention and population care and services to individuals, families, and aggregates/identified populations (Essential VIII).
- Show understanding of advanced level nursing and relevant sciences, integrate knowledge to direct or indirect patient care areas, and intervene and influence healthcare outcomes for individuals, populations, or systems (Essential IX).
Mission and Curriculum
The Master of Science in Nursing program is based on Mount St. Mary’s mission of providing a superior education enhanced by an emphasis on building leadership and fostering a spirit to serve others. The curriculum incorporates the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's Essentials of Master's Education in Nursing.
Admission Requirements
- Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing or other baccalaureate degree. Clear and current license to practice nursing in the state of California. NUR 243 Theoretical Foundations of Leadership and Community Health (1 unit) is a required transition course for non-BSN degree holders.
- A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in the last 60 semester units or last 90 quarter units of undergraduate and/or graduate course work
- Complete Application and $50 fee
- Application Essay
- Two letters of recommendation
- One copy of an official transcript must be mailed directly to MSMC from ALL Colleges/Universities attended
All licensure, certification, malpractice insurance and health requirements which includes: Hepatitis B, MMR, Varicella, and TB must be provided. If you are positive for TB, negative Chest X-Ray results must be provided.
- Applicants have completed a minimum one year full-time continuous employment as a licensed Registered Nurse within the last five years. New RN graduates who do not meet the minimum of one year full-time continuous employment in an acute care setting as a licensed RN must be currently employed in an acute care clinical setting as a RN. If unable to meet the requirement, the student must enroll in the RN externship course (NUR 210) every term until approved RN employment is secured or experience requirement is met. (In order to be eligible for the RN Externship course, the student must be a new graduate which is defined as 12 months or less). The Admissions Committee of the MSN program will review and approve the quality of the experience.
Course Listings
The MSN program is offered year long and courses are offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer on weekends, during the weekday evening hours and online.
Financing Your Education
For Mount St. Mary's College Scholarship information please click here.
For outside scholarships, please consult the American Association of Colleges of Nursing website (http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education/financialaid.htm).
For Student Financing, please click here.