Students will demonstrate both baccalaureate and master's outcomes at the conclusion of the program and must declare the graduate role option of their choice upon admission. The Department of Nursing is a participant in the Iowa State Board of Nursing Articulation Plan and offers baccalaureate nursing students options for receiving credit for prior education. All of the options are a part of the Department of Nursing's high-quality, flexible program, and each option values previous education and experience by granting as many as 62 credit hours for basic nursing education. The Master of Science in Nursing program prepares nurses for advanced nursing practice. Students synthesize knowledge from nursing theory, research, and practice to promote innovative, high-quality health care.
Students also participate in collaborative, multidisciplinary approaches to health-care delivery.
Fully accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission and the Iowa Board of Nursing, courses in this program emphasize critical analysis of political, legal, and cultural issues affecting health care. Students are prepared to evaluate creative strategies that contribute to improved health care, the advancement of the nursing profession, and the development of health policy. All students in the M.S.N. program must satisfactorily complete oral comprehensive examinations to fulfill degree requirements. Core courses, required of all students, include Introduction to Advanced Practice, Advanced Nursing Research, Theoretical Bases of Advanced Nursing Practice, Conceptual Models of Advanced Nursing Practice, and Seminar in Advanced Nursing Practice. This option prepares students to serve in management or leadership roles throughout the changing and dynamic health-care system.