GRADUATE NURSING PROGRAM

   Admissions Requirements

After receipt of the required application information, the Graduate Admissions Office will forward the information to the MSN Program Chairperson. A careful review will be completed.  The MSN Program Chair may conduct a pre-admission interview by phone or in person if necessary. The MSN Program Chair will review the admission request with the faculty members and will forward a recommendation to the Graduate Dean. After the recommendation for admission is approved by the Graduate Dean, a formal letter of admission is sent to the student.

 

Contact Sheryl Schneeberg in the Graduate Admissions Office with any specific questions or needed assistance.

 

Sheryl Schneeberg

Graduate Admission Counselor

262.243.4306

 

 

Entrance Criteria

 

1. Graduate of a National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC)* and/or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)** accredited baccalaureate in nursing program with an overall grade point of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Letters of reference may be requested.

2. Two letters of reference are requested.  Letters of reference must be provided by employer and/or clinical referees showing knowledge of applicant in professional settings. 

3. Successful completion of a 3 credit undergraduate statistics course covering both descriptive and inferential statistics. This requirement may be completed at Concordia or another institution of higher learning. It is recommended that the course in graduate statistics be taken in the Department of Psychology. Math and Business statistics courses may be acceptable but often the examples are not easily transferable to nursing constructs.  Students may remove this deficiency during their first semester of enrollment. Concordia's Adult Education program offers an acceptable 6-8 week statistics course titled "Statistical Methods".  For more information contact Adult Education at 262.243.4399.  A fall BSN-Completion stats course is also offered on Conocordia's campus.  For more information on this statistics course, contact Karen Kentopp at 262.243.4374 or Carol Lueders-Bolwerk at 262.243.4233.  Students must complete the statistics requirement prior to enrolling in MSN 540/840 Nursing Research. 

4. Successful completion of a 3 credit health assessment course including both health history and physical assessment within 5 years of admission to the MSN program. Applicant must exhibit competence in the performance a full range of health assessment skills including ophthalmologic examination, full cardiovascular, respiratory, neurologic, musculoskeletal and pelvic examinations. Students may remove this deficiency during their first semester of enrollment. No student will be allowed to enroll in the clinical practicum until this criteria is met. This prerequisite course may be taken at CUW or at another institution of higher learning. However, to assure all necessary components are covered, the student benefits by receiving advanced approval from the MSN program Chairperson before beginning on a course of study.

5. Current licensure as a registered nurse.

6. A minimum of 2 years of clinical experience practicing as a registered nurse.

7. Current CPR certification.

8. Recent physical examination demonstrating the absence of communicable diseases.

9. A commitment to PRACTICE as a primary care advanced practice nurse or nurse educator.

10. A clean criminal background check if a resident of Wisconsin or doing clinicals in Wisconsin.

 

**Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One DuPont Circle, NW, Suite 350, Washington DC 20036-1120, phone 202-887-6791

 

Transfer of Credit

 

The Graduate School will accept up to 6 transfer credits into the MSN program based on the following criteria:

1. Course work must have been completed within two years prior to admission to the program.
2. Courses transferred must be comparable in scope and subject matter to courses offered in the MSN program. The student will need to provide a course description and possibly a course syllabus for any course requested for transfer. A transfer of credit form must be completed and submitted to the Graduate Nursing Office for approval.
3. Grades in transferred courses must be at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

4. All transfer credits must be certified by the Registrar and approved for the degree by the Dean of Graduate Studies and the Director of the Graduate Nursing program.

 

Transfer credits will not be applied to the cumulative grade point average the student develops while in Concordia's MSN program.