Graduate Program
Prepare For an Advanced Nursing Career Meeting Families' Health Care Needs
IU South Bend's Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program prepares registered nurses to become leaders in advanced nursing practice. We are excited to offer two new tracks: MSN Nursing Education and Nursing Administration along with our MSN Family Nurse Practitioner Track. We have also added a Post Masters FNP Certificate Track. Nurses expand their knowledge in health promotion, disease prevention, health education and counseling. Ultimately, through the accomplishments of our MSN graduates, it is our goal to improve regional health care delivery and the overall health of our local people and communities.
The Master's degree program in nursing at IU South Bend is accredited by the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education.
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MSN Tracks:
Complete a 36–42 credit hour, post-baccalaureate graduate degree designed to meet the scheduling needs of employed RN's.
Undertake MSN studies as part of a small, cohesive cohort who remain together throughout the course of their graduate training.
Graduate from a highly competitive master's program. Attend an affordable, public university master's program that offers an exceptional education to graduate nursing students.
Post Masters Certificate Track:
Complete 15 credit hours and 600 clinical hours as a post-masters graduate.
Be a part of a small, cohesive cohort who remain together throughout the course of their graduate training.
Graduate from a highly competitive master's program. Attend an affordable, public university master's program that offers an exceptional education to graduate nursing students.
MSN - Family Nurse Practitioner Track Highlights:
Participate in a program that includes two major learning sections:
- preclinical scholarly application courses that provide a core foundation for advanced practice
- clinical courses that build on the preclinical foundation and add knowledge and applications used during direct clinical experiences
Learn from talented nurse instructors who are highly experienced both in the classroom and the clinic.
Study in a graduate nursing program that runs year-round. The one stipulation: all MSN requirements must be completed within six years of program enrollment.
Complete 600 clinical hours under the guidance of faculty members and preceptors.
Experience a variety of family practice health care settings in keeping with the student's individual career goals and the program's learning objectives.
Post Masters Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate Track Highlights:
The Post-MSN graduate certificate option is available if you already hold an MSN degree and are seeking to become certified in an additional specialty area.
Post-MSN certificates are available in the FNP track. This certificate can be completed in four semesters. The number of credit hours required to earn the certificate varies based on your previous education.
Study in a graduate nursing program that runs year-round. The one stipulation: all MSN requirements must be completed within six years of program enrollment.
Complete 600 clinical hours under the guidance of faculty members and preceptors.
Experience a variety of family practice health care settings in keeping with the student's individual career goals and the program's learning objectives.
MSN – Nursing Education Track Highlights:
An M.S.N. degree prepares registered nurses with advanced nursing knowledge in the areas of nursing administration. Nurses with this advanced knowledge will enhance health care for the community and impact the health care delivery system. Serving in leadership and administrative roles will provide opportunities for enhanced health care delivery systems and ultimately improved health for citizens. Nurses with masters’ preparation are and will continue to be in strong demand. Health care is a growth industry. Continued regional growth in health care cannot be sustained without advancements in the level of nursing care.
The Nursing Education track will prepare you for faculty roles at universities and colleges, addressing the existing nationwide shortage of nurses and well-prepared nursing faculty. This track also prepares nurses to function as staff educators for various healthcare institutions and community health settings.
MSN – Nursing Administration Track Highlights:
A M.S.N. degree with the Nursing Education track prepares registered nurses with advanced nursing knowledge in the areas of nursing education. Nurses with this advanced knowledge will enhance health care for the community and impact the health care delivery system. Serving in education, leadership, practice and administrative roles will provide opportunities for enhanced health care delivery systems and ultimately improved health for citizens. Nurses with masters’ preparation are and will continue to be in strong demand. Health care is a growth industry. Continued regional growth in health care cannot be sustained without advancements in the level of nursing care.
The Nursing Administration track will enable you to function in advanced level management positions requiring an advanced nursing degree. Hospitals, clinics, surgery centers, extended care facilities, and nurse managed health centers as well as a multitude of community agencies are potential employers of advanced practice nurses.
Program Outcomes
The graduate of the MSN degree program will be prepared to do the following:
- Model excellence in nursing leadership to improve nursing practice within a complex health care system
- Perform advanced nursing practice within ethical-legal guidelines, professional policies and regulations, and standards of practice associated with a specialty area of practice
- Synthesize knowledge from nursing as well as biological, behavioral, social, administrative, educational, and communication sciences for application to a chosen domain of advanced practice nursing
- Demonstrate scholarly inquiry and reflection that exemplifies critical, creative, and systems thinking to advance the practice of nursing
- Frame problems, design interventions, specify outcomes and measure outcome achievement while balancing human, fiscal, and material resources to achieve quality health outcomes
- Use information technology and knowledge-based resources to manage and transform data that informs clinical practice
- Systematically apply knowledge from research findings and best evidence to answer clinical questions, solve clinical problems, and develop innovative nursing interventions and health policies for selected patient populations.
- Demonstrate collaborative practice and interpret nursing science within an interdisciplinary context
- Articulate the effects of culture, diversity, values, and globalization in the design, delivery, and evaluation of health services
- Engage in life-long learning activities that contribute to professional development as well as the advancement of nursing
The U.S. Department of Education* requires the nursing program to inform students that:
1. the curriculum for the MSN program meets the requirements for certification as a FNP in 46 of 50 states.
2. the curriculum for the MSN program does not meet the requirements for certification as a FNP in Arkansas, Kansas, and Washington.
3. we have not determined if the curriculum for the MSN program meets the requirements for certification as a FNP in Kentucky and all the U.S. territories.
Please feel welcome to respond to any questions that you may have by contacting Assistant Dean of Nursing Barbara White, whitebj@iusb.edu.
*Regulation 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v)