Master of Science in Nursing
CIP Code
51.3802 (MS.NE, MS.NMEL), 51.3801 (MS.NL), 51.3805 (MS.NP). 51.3810 (MS.PMHNP)
The University offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in five tracks: Nursing Management and Executive Leadership, Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), Clinical Nurse Leader, and Nursing Education. Students may choose to study on a full- or part-time basis; however, they must complete their plan of study within six years. An RN license and BSN degree are required for admission to the FNP and PMHNP program tracks. An RN license and a bachelor's degree are required for admission to all other MSN tracks.
Family Nurse Practitioner
The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track is designed to prepare students to successfully pass the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner’s National Certification Examination as a Family Nurse Practitioner. In addition, a 30-hour advanced pharmacology course allows students to apply for an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse license in the state of Connecticut. Graduates of the program possess the necessary educational and experiential background to provide primary care across the lifespan, and to deliver care in numerous healthcare settings.
Sacred Heart University College of Nursing is required to meet state higher education requirements and state board of nursing regulations for all online MSN/FNP students. Students are responsible to verify the status of state authorization and Board of Nursing or equivalent approval in their state of residence.
Due to requirements of the New York Office of the Professions, Sacred Heart University College of Nursing is restricted from offering clinical placements for APRN licensure programs in the state of New York. Students from the state of New York or any other state, including Connecticut, may enroll in the Online MSN/FNP Program but MAY NOT complete any clinical practica in the state of New York. If students from the state of New York enroll in the Online MSN/FNP Program, it is with the understanding that all clinical hours MUST be accrued in a practice site in a state other than New York.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
This program is an online Master of Science in Nursing program that prepares graduates for a career as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. The PMHNP is to assess, diagnose and treat the mental health needs of patients, including psychotherapy and prescribing medications for mental health conditions and substance use disorders. PMHNPs may also provide physical and psychosocial assessments, emergency psychiatric care and treatment effectiveness evaluations. The PMHNP track is designed to prepare students to successfully pass the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Certification Examination as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
This program will be offered fully online, with the exception of a yearly daylong residency each year, and the clinical hours, which will also be in person, or occasionally via telehealth as directed by the preceptor. Students will need to achieve passing grades in both clinical and coursework to graduate from the program. Due to requirements of the New York Office of the Professions, Sacred Heart University College of Nursing is restricted from offering clinical placements for APRN licensure programs in the state of New York. Students from the state of New York or any other state, including Connecticut, may enroll in the Online MSN/FNP Program but MAY NOT complete any clinical practica in the state of New York. If students from the state of New York enroll in the Online MSN/FNP Program, it is with the understanding that all clinical hours MUST be accrued in a practice site in a state other than New York.
Clinical Nurse Leader
The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) track prepares nurses who have a Bachelor's degree in nursing, or registered nurses with a Bachelor's degree in another discipline, to practice across the continuum of care within any healthcare setting as a CNL. The CNL was developed to address the critical need to improve the quality of patient care outcomes. The CNL is a clinical leader at the point of care who focuses on care coordination, outcomes measurement, transitions of care, interprofessional communication and team leadership, risk assessment, implementation of best practices based on evidence and quality improvement. Students will be prepared to sit for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing CNL Certification Examination. The major roles of the CNL are clinical-care coordinators, outcome managers, patient advocates, educators, information managers, and care team leaders. The Clinical Nurse Leader track may be done in an accelerated RN-to-BSN-to-MSN program as well.
Nursing Education
The Nursing Education track prepares nurses who have a Bachelor's degree in nursing, or registered nurses with a Bachelor's degree in another discipline, to assume leadership roles as vibrant faculty members in baccalaureate and associate degree programs, staff-development educators, and continuing and community-education programs. The role practicum will develop the student's knowledge and skills to apply to a teaching role in a focal area of expertise. The Nursing Education track may be done in the accelerated RN-to-BSN-to-MSN program as well.
Nursing Management and Executive Leadership
The Nursing Management and Executive Leadership (NMEL) track prepares nurses who hold baccalaureate degrees for positions of administrative responsibility in healthcare organizations. Graduates of this program are prepared to be professional leaders and creatively advance the practice of nursing and facilitate the delivery of cost-effective care through the application of administrative knowledge and skills. Emphasis is placed on the integration of finance, business management, information management, and program evaluation. The NMEL track may be done in an accelerated RN-to-BSN-to-MSN program as well.
Program Formats
Many of the graduate programs are offered online. Nursing Management and Executive Leadership, Clinical Nurse Leader, Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Nursing Education tracks can be taken exclusively online, with the exception of the clinical experience or role practicum. The Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner online track does require a campus orientation and two onsite competency residencies during the program.
AACN Essentials
The AACN Essentials are the framework for the MSN program curricula.
The student learning outcomes are derived from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essential ten domains designed to reflect the discipline of professional nursing (AACN, 2021, pp. 10-11). The Essential Domains with descriptors can be located at the following link: The Essentials: Competencies for Professional Nursing Education.
- SLO 1: Translate into action knowledge from the philosophical and theoretical traditions of nursing science and other disciplinary perspectives to facilitate the ethical integration of evidence-based practice to advance nursing scholarship. (AACN Domains 1 & 4)
- SLO 2: Lead collaboratively within the interprofessional team to develop and evaluate plans of care with evidence-based, person-centered care principles promoting quality and safety outcomes. (AACN Domains 2, 5, & 6)
- SLO 3: Collaborate with strategic partners to implement health policy while advocating for equitable and sustainable population health care. (Domain 3)
- SLO 4: Integrate complex systems-based practice to develop innovative and evidence supported equitable solutions to improve health outcomes across the lifespan of diverse populations. (Domain 7)
- SLO 5: Apply best practices of informatics and communication technologies in diverse care settings to collect, analyze, and synthesize data to promote quality and safe health care outcomes. (Domain 8)
- SLO 6: Demonstrate professional behaviors reflecting current regulations, policies, and practice integrating professional concepts including ethics, compassion, diversity, equity, and inclusion. (Domain 9)
- SLO 7: Model leadership within the nursing profession that embraces self-care, a spirit of inquiry, advocacy, change, mentorship, and service to others. (Domain 10)
Admission Requirements
Students are admitted to the MSN program upon review and recommendation by the Admissions Committee based on the academic, course prerequisite, and professional requirements listed below.
Admission criteria include:
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an accredited college or BA/BS in related field, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 for all MSN tracks.
- Copy of current unencumbered U.S. RN license in your home state and a copy of license in state of practice
- Copy of individual and professional liability insurance coverage that meets current state requirements
- Completed criminal background check
- Completed application, statement of professional goals, résumé, two letters of recommendation (one from a supervisor from a current or recent position in healthcare and one from a professional nursing peer), and official copies of transcripts of all prior nursing and academic work
- Undergraduate statistics course required
- Undergraduate research course recommended
- Undergraduate health assessment course (30 hours or greater required)
Degree Requirements
MSN students must complete a program track-specific plan of study with a minimum GPA of 3.0 to earn the degree. The plan of study varies depending on the track the student pursues. The Nursing Management and Executive Leadership track requires 36 credits. The online Family Nurse Practitioner track requires 42 credits. The online Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track requires 42 credits. The Clinical Nurse Leader track requires 39 credits. The Nursing Education track requires 39 credits.
Prerequisite Courses
MSN applicants must have successfully completed an undergraduate statistics course. Applicants for all five tracks must also have successfully completed an undergraduate health assessment course. (30 hours or greater required). An undergraduate nursing research course is recommended.
Required Graduate Core Courses
All MSN students are required to take the following:
| NU 501 | Healthcare Policy & Ethics for Contemporary Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NU 530 | Theory & Professional Roles for Contemporary Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NU 601 | Principles of Healthcare Research for Contemporary Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NU 602 | Evidence-Based Practice for Quality Care | 3 |
| NU 603 | Principles of Healthcare Research for Evidence-Based Nursing Practice | 3 |
NU 603 is for FNP and PMHNP students only in lieu of NU 601 and NU 602
Total: 9–12 credits dependent on track
Family Nurse Practitioner Track
In addition to the core requirements and capstone, students in the MSN program in the Family Nurse Practitioner track are required to complete the following plan of study:
Required Courses
| NU 550 | Family & Community Context for Health Care | 3 |
| NU 551 | Advanced Pharmacology for the Nurse Practitioner | 3 |
| NU 552 | Advanced Health Assessment for NP | 3 |
| NU 561 | Primary Care I: Comprehensive Primary Care of the Adult | 6 |
| NU 566 | Advanced Pathophysiology for Nurse Practitioners | 3 |
| NU 606 | Primary Care of Children | 4 (3 didactic/1 Clinical - 90 clinical hours) |
| NU 607 | Primary Care for Women | 4 Credits (3 didactic/1 Clinical - 90 clinical hours) |
| NU 621 | Primary Care II: Advanced Primary Care of Families in Complex Systems | 7 |
Capstone incorporated into NU 621.
Clinical Hours: Minimum of 540
Lab Hours: 10 (completed during residency 1)
Total Specialty Hours: 33 credits
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Track
In addition to the core requirements and capstone, students in the MSN program in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track are required to complete the following plan of study:
Required Courses
| NU 550 | Family & Community Context for Health Care | 3 |
| NU 551 | Advanced Pharmacology for the Nurse Practitioner | 3 |
| NU 552 | Advanced Health Assessment for NP | 3 |
| NU 566 | Advanced Pathophysiology for Nurse Practitioners | 3 |
| NU 509 | Advanced Psychopharmacology for the PMHNP | 3 |
| NU 571 | Role Development for the PMHNP I | 6 (3 didactic/3 clinical - 180 clinical hours) |
| NU 572 | PMHNP II: Care of Children and Families | 6 (3 didactic/3 clinical -180 clinical hours) |
| NU 573 | PMHNP III: The PMHNP in Complex Systems | 6 (3 didactic/3 clinical -180 clinical hours) |
NU 573: Capstone incorporated into NU 573
Clinical Hours: Minimum of 540
Lab Hours: 10 (completed during residency 1)
Total Specialty Hours: 33 credits
Clinical Nurse Leader Track
In addition to the core requirements, students in the MSN program in the Clinical Nurse Leader track are required to complete the following plan of study:
Required Courses
| NU 550 | Family & Community Context for Health Care | 3 |
| NU 553 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NU 554 | Application of Comprehensive Health Assessment Methods | 3 |
| NU 575 | Healthcare Information Systems | 3 |
| NU 605 | Advanced Pharmacology for the Nurse Leader | 3 |
| NU 611 | Care Management & Resources Across the Continuum | 3 |
| NU 612 | Disease Management & Outcomes Assessment | 3 |
| NU 680 | Clinical Nurse Leader Role Practicum | 3 |
| NU 681 | Capstone: Clinical Nurse Leader | 3 |
Role Immersion Hours: Total of 400 clinical hours across 6 courses
Total Specialty Hours: 27 credits
Nursing Education Track
In addition to the core requirements and capstone, students in the MSN program in the Nursing Education track are required to complete the following plan of study:
Required Courses
| NU 553 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NU 554 | Application of Comprehensive Health Assessment Methods | 3 |
| NU 575 | Healthcare Information Systems | 3 |
| NU 588 | Theoretical Basis of Teaching & Learning in Nursing Education | 3 |
| NU 589 | Curriculum Development & Evaluation in Nursing Education | 3 |
| NU 605 | Advanced Pharmacology for the Nurse Leader | 3 |
| NU 619 | Principles of Patient & Staff Education | 3 |
| NU 690 | Nursing Education Role Practicum | 3 |
| NU 691 | Capstone: Nurse Educator | 3 |
Education Role Practicum Hours: Minimum of 180
Total Specialty Hours: 27 credits
Nursing Management and Executive Leadership Track
In addition to the core requirements and capstone, students in the MSN program in the Nursing Management and Executive Leadership track are required to complete the following plan of study:
Required Courses
| NU 511 | Role Development for Nursing Management and Executive Leadership | 3 |
| NU 521 | Creating a Professional Work Environment | 3 |
| NU 575 | Healthcare Information Systems | 3 |
| NU 576 | Management of Financial Resources | 3 |
| NU 617 | Health Care Delivery Systems | 3 |
| NU 665 | Quality and Safety in Practice | 3 |
| NU 672 | Nursing Management and Executive Leadership Practicum | 3 |
| NU 673 | Capstone: Nursing Management and Executive Leadership | 3 |
Practicum Hours: Minimum of 120
Total Specialty Hours: 24 credits
Graduate Capstone
The graduate capstone project is a culminating experience beyond the specified coursework and represents the student’s ability to formulate a project and implement it using a combination of conceptual, technical, and applied knowledge and skill defined by the Graduate program competencies. The capstone is required to demonstrate competence in the scholarship of the student’s selected master’s track and the ability to work independently and to present the results of his or her investigation effectively. The capstone project is incorporated into course requirements for the last role practicum or role immersion courses (NU 672, NU 673, NU 680, NU 681, NU 621, NU 573, NU 690, NU 691 for the NMEL, CNL, FNP, PMHNP, and NE students).