RN to MSN entry option:
RN to MSN at Western Carolina University
Purpose: to assist selected RNs with good academic records to move smoothly through the RN Capstone curriculum directly into MSN study for advanced nursing roles. Normally, the student would take 10 semester hours of WCU undergraduate upper-division electives to complete the BSN. These electives would be replaced with up to 10 hours of WCU MSN graduate-level work, reducing the time needed to complete both degrees by one or two semesters.
Students interested in the RN to MSN should consult with both their RN to BSN advisor and the MSN Director, Dr. Judy Mallory.
Application requirements:
–Associate degree or diploma in nursing from an approved nursing program
–Current unrestricted license to practice as an RN in NC
–A total of 65 semester hours of credit before starting the Capstone RN track, including
–Completion of all 5 nursing prerequisites with a grade of C or better(22 hours) (BIOL 291/292, CHEM 132 or 140 or 133, HSCC 260, PSY 150)
–Completion of the WCU Liberal Studies requirements (42 hours)
–Electives as needed to total 65 semester hours
–Note: previous nursing course credits are not included in this total
–Completion of at least 11 of the required 22 hours of Capstone NSG courses, with projected completion of the remaining hours before or during the semester of application to the WCU MSN program.
The two popular plans of study are:
Full-time
Sem 1: NSG 301, 302, 384, 399 (11 hrs)
Sem 2: NSG 460, 470, 475, 483 (11 hrs)
Part-time
Sem 1: NSG 301, 399 (5 hrs)
Sem 2: NSG 460, 483 (6 hrs)
Sem 3: NSG 302, 384 (6 hrs)
Sem 4: NSG 470, 475 (5 hrs)
–Capstone RN students receive 31 hours of equivalency credit for their lower-division nursing courses on successful completion of NSG 399
–Additional criteria as normally required for competitive admission to the MSN:
–Completed application submitted by February 15
–GRE submitted with acceptable scores
–Statistics course completed
–GPA of 3.00 on last 60 hours or cumulative post-secondary GPA of 2.85
Enrollment in the RN to MSN entry option does not guarantee admission to the MSN program. Admission of the RN to MSN applicant is provisional until the BSN is successfully completed. Available MSN tracks are Family Nursing Practitioner and Nurse Educator. Students interested in the CRNA track should consult with that coordinator.
If RN students are admitted provisionally to the MSN program at WCU, this entry option drops the 10 hours of WCU undergraduate upper-division electives needed for the RN to BSN track and replaces them with up to 10 hours of MSN graduate credits. The BSN is then awarded by WCU.
If RN students are admitted provisionally to the MSN program at WCU but elect not to finish it, they may apply any combination of WCU undergraduate upper-division electives with WCU MSN graduate credits for a total of 10 hours to complete the BSN.
If RN students are not admitted provisionally to the MSN program at WCU, they may still complete the BSN by taking 10 hours of WCU undergraduate upper-division electives.
Additional Information
On successful completion of NSG 399, 31 hours of credit by exam are granted in lieu of NSG 340 and 466, ND 338, and portions of NSG 353, 357, 383, 385, 468, and 486.
Semesters 7 and 8 involve full-time study in 32 hours of upper-division courses offered by WCU. The online courses will usually involve class meetings in Asheville at the start and end of each term. The shortest possible plan is laid out above.
Many RN to BSN students prefer part-time study, in order to manage the demands of work and family. The 2-semester plan laid out above can be stretched out over 3, 4, or more semesters, probably including some summer elective courses.
Students should consult as early as possible with the NCCC Director of the nursing program and the NCCC Counselor who advises nursing majors to determine eligibility for and initiate application to the nursing program. If admission to the nursing course sequence (item 1) must be delayed, the student should actively pursue the courses for the Gen Ed Core (item 2). Many of the Capstone requirements (item 3) will be incorporated into these studies. If admission to the nursing course sequence (item 1) is immediate, the student should plan an additional year of full-time study to complete items 2 and 3.
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