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Online Master's Degree MS in Nursing (MSN)

Advance your Nursing Career with a Master’s in Nursing Online Degree

The nursing field faces so many challenges while touching so many lives. New therapies, technologies and complex medical treatments are introduced on a daily basis. Healthcare legislation and regulation are more stringent than ever before. To keep quality of care aligned with the industry's expectations and demands, hospitals and doctors need highly educated nurses to fill leadership roles.

Southern New Hampshire University's online Master of Science in Nursing can prepare you for these advanced positions with critical-thinking and leadership skills centered on patient care. This affordable master’s in nursing online degree can also start you on the road to becoming an advanced practice nurse.

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See Yourself Succeed in Nursing

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) online program at SNHU prepares today’s nurses with the key competencies necessary for continuous improvement of the safety and quality of healthcare systems. You may choose to customize your degree and with specialty knowledge electives within the MSN or choose the Clinical Nurse Leader or patient quality and safety programs for specialized education needs that align to your desired career path.

As a private, nonprofit university, SNHU has one mission – to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of earning your MSN online at SNHU include:

  • Accredited. The Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Nursing programs at Southern New Hampshire University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
  • Affordability. Take advantage of some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation
  • Convenience. Attend class when it’s convenient for you – online education means 24/7 access
  • Efficiency and flexibility. With five terms per year, you can complete your MSN degree in 20 months
  • Expert instruction. Learn from instructors with relevant, real-world experience
  • Minimal requirements. No GMAT or GRE required for admission
  • Networking. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni for tips and career opportunities
  • Student support. Count on the ongoing support of dedicated academic and career advisors specialized in your area of study

Admission Requirements

Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our five graduate terms. You can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials. To apply, simply contact an admission counselor, who can help you explore financial options. Your counselor can also walk you through the application process, which involves completing a graduate application ($40 fee) and providing undergraduate transcripts.

MSN students must have:

  • An active unencumbered RN license equivalent to NCLEX-RN examination. If a student holds active licenses in more than one state/jurisdiction all licenses must be unencumbered.
  • A minimum 3.0 GPA from an accredited BSN program Provisional acceptance may be extended to applicants with an undergraduate GPA between 2.67 and 2.99

At this time SNHU is not enrolling nursing students from Washington state.

Career Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of nursing positions that require a master’s degree will skyrocket by more than 31 percent by 2022. A report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) titled ''The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health'' identifies a growing demand for qualified nurses who are prepared to meet the complex and changing needs of the 21st-century healthcare workforce. The National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice has recommended that at least two-thirds of the workforce hold baccalaureate or higher degrees in nursing.

Top treatment centers – including ANCC Magnet hospitals – are actively looking for nurses with advanced degrees to take their patient care to the next level. A master's in nursing online degree can expand your nursing career employment and leadership opportunities and prepare you to serve as a clinical nurse leader, clinical nursing faculty member and a nursing administrator.

Upon completion of the master’s in nursing program, you’ll be able to:

  • Propose informatics systems initiatives and technologies that facilitate effective decision-making in delivering upon and enhancing patient care
  • Employ research practices, methodologies and a spirit of scholarly inquiry to motivate change and drive real-world improvement in healthcare
  • Create client-centered, culturally appropriate health prevention and promotion initiatives that improve the health, safety, and quality of life for people and their communities
  • Generate data-driven solutions for operational challenges that navigate the intersection of quality and cost in ensuring excellence in healthcare across diverse settings
  • Advocate for ethically responsible policies and effective systems that empower practitioners and meet the needs of healthcare consumers
  • Model leadership and professional practices in healthcare by building effective working relationships and facilitating ethical and strategic decision-making across organizations

Curriculum

The master's in nursing online degree will provide you with the opportunity to acquire key competencies necessary for advanced nursing practice.  The MSN electives allow you to customize your degree with specialty knowledge in the areas of continuous improvement, quality, and safety of healthcare systems, patient-centered care, inter-professional collaboration, and evidence-based practice.

Degree Courses
NUR 507 Transition to Graduate Nursing Practice

This course is designed to assist the registered nurse with a BSN degree to transition to graduate study in order to maximize their performance and opportunities for success. The course will cover such topics as the standards for scholarly writing, using evidence, study habits, and managing a graduate-level workload. The role of the Master's-prepared nurse as a clinical scholar, clinical expert and as leader in evidence-based practice and transformation of health care will be emphasized. The course will introduce the final capstone course and the development of a professional portfolio.
NUR 515 Advanced Nursing Concepts

In this course, students will analyze the history and evolution of nursing conceptual models and theories. Students examine the linkages between empirical, aesthetic, ethical, personal, and sociopolitical patterns of knowing with the conceptual models and paradigms of nursing. Students will explore the components of conceptual-theoretical-empirical structures for theory-generating, theory-testing research, and application to practice. Students who successfully complete the course (B- or better, course work & projects) will receive 45 indirect practice hours.
NUR 601 Advanced Pathophysiology

Students build upon prior knowledge of physiology and pathophysiological processes to acquire advanced knowledge of the relationships between normal physiology and specific system alterations produced by injury and disease to foster clinical reasoning skills. Focus is placed on etiology, pathogenesis, developmental, genetic, environmental influences, and clinical manifestations of major health problems across the lifespan.
NUR 506 Evidence-Based Practice

Graduate nursing students build upon previous learning of nursing research and evidence-based practice in order to become proficient in critiquing, generating, translating research evidence into practice, and disseminating results to advance nursing knowledge. Emphasis is placed on identifying a researchable practice question, analysis of research findings for evidence-based practice, and ethical issues in nursing research. Students demonstrate proficiency in selection of methodologies which may be used to generate research evidence for practice.
NUR 602 Advanced Pharmacology Across the Life Span

Content focuses on current concepts in the pharmacologic therapies of common health care problems seen in primary and acute care health care. Basic pathophysiology, clinical pharmacology, modes of therapy, and monitoring parametrics are explored. Diagnosis and management of health care problems and their treatment regimens are discussed. Case studies are utilized to clarify, reinforce, and correlate therapeutics with specific health care problems.
NUR 607 Advanced Health Assessment

In this course, students will build on previous clinical experience, as well as undergraduate course work to master health assessment skills and communication strategies. Students conduct comprehensive, evidence-based health assessments encompassing environmental, genetic, multicultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors. Students also explore ways of adapting their communication style to meet the specific needs of their audience. The course also focuses on mastering the physical and mental health exam and formulating plans to ensure effective patient-centered care. Periodic hands on simulation assignments will be utilized formatively to practice knowledge and skill acquisition. *This course may incur additional costs for practice simulation software.
NUR 682 Generalist Nursing Capstone

Explore the MSN/Generalist role with an authentic demonstration of program outcomes and competencies. Students synthesize prior learning to implement a scholarly project to facilitate change in a healthcare setting of their choice. Analysis of the project's results and dissemination of findings in a comprehensive written summary and presentation complete the successful achievement of program outcomes.
IHP 501 Global Health and Diversity

This course provides students with broad foundation in the structure of healthcare delivery systems; the political, financial and social constructs affecting the healthcare systems; and how policy and social determinants of health influence access, equity and outcomes in health. Utilizing this foundation and authentic real world scenarios, students will evaluate the efficacy of existing policy and interventions as well as lead interdisciplinary teams in the design of culturally relevant strategies to prepare students to advance the health for a specific population.
IHP 525 Biostatistics

This course provides students with a basic foundation of biostatistics and its role in public health and health sciences. The course covers the statistical principles that govern the analysis of data in public health and health sciences. Included in this course are exploratory data analysis, probability theory, confidence interval testing, hypotheses testing, power and sample size determination, and multivariable methods.
IHP 604 Healthcare Quality and Improvement

Gain a broad view of US healthcare quality including its evolution and trajectory given the dynamic US healthcare landscape and changing demographics. Explore key concepts including the integration of health information and technologies to promote healthcare quality at the organizational level.

Select one (1) course from the following:
IHP 505 Leadership in Clinical Microsystems

This course covers clinical microsystem concepts, tools, techniques, and processes. This course uses current theories to approach issues related to the redesign of healthcare services to improve quality, add value, reduce variation and improve morale, by empowering frontline caregivers.
NUR 530 Systems Leadership and Collaborative Practice

This course provides students with the strategies and tools necessary for leadership roles in systems management and inter-professional practice. Ethical leadership concepts, analysis of diverse organizational systems across the healthcare continuum, change agency and communication skills are emphasized in the processes of coalition building, negotiating conflict, workforce planning and inter-professional team relationship building to produce quality patient outcomes. The course will enhance student ability to think systematically and develop comprehensive understanding of core competencies required to initiate and sustain change in organizations.

Select two (2) courses from the following:
IHP 610 Health Policy and Law

Students in this course examine the role of health law and policy in the healthcare system. Students explore concepts and principles of law, public health, health law, health policy, finance, legal control, and risk management, as well as their application to the healthcare environment through the lens of the professional discipline. Students evaluate the impact of health law and policy and multicultural, socioeconomic, and political factors on access disparities. Students examine ways to articulate the needs of individuals, communities, and vulnerable populations to consumers, health system officials, and government officials. Students also focus on the opportunities for key stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, to shape health laws and policies.
IHP 640 Measurement, Analysis, & Models for Performance Improvement

This course examines the principles of measurement, analysis and models for performance improvement to promote continuous quality improvement. Design and data collection will be explored including sampling methodology, operational definitions, establishment of benchmarks, and data integrity and differentiating between structure, process and outcome measures. Topics for measurement and analysis examined include using statistics to describe data (e.g. mean, median, standard deviation); using statistical process control charts to identify trends and distinguish between common and special cause variation; using tools to evaluate a process or display data (e.g. fishbone, run charts, Pareto chart, control chart, etc.); and evaluating data to support decision-making. Students will also explore models for performance improvement including PDSA, Six Sigma and Lean. Nursing students who successfully complete the course with a B- or better will receive 45 indirect practice hours.
IHP 645 Regulatory Compliance, Accreditation and Promoting a Patient Safety Culture

This course explores the history of the patient safety movement, regulatory requirements and accreditation standards for healthcare organizations. Principles of patient safety and error science will include methods for risk assessment and safety improvement and analysis of errors through Serious Reportable Events, Root Cause Analysis and Failure Mode Effects Analysis. Students will be introduced to advanced communication strategies including group dynamics, power structures, team and team roles, hand-offs, chain-of-command, and error disclosure. Utilizing a systems thinking approach students will explore change management, collaborative practice, human factors, just and punitive cultures, and creating a high reliability organization through standardization of processes and transparency. Nursing students who successfully complete the course with a B- or better will receive 45 indirect practice hours.
NUR 603 Epidemiology

This course provides and in-depth exploration of the concepts and methods of epidemiological research. Students will critique the principles of epidemiology with an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention research. Epidemiologic concepts, bio-statistical principles and research design strategies are emphasized. Students will critique current epidemiologic study designs and develop an epidemiologic proposal with implications for health promotion.
NUR 650 Care Coordination and Outcomes Management

This course is designed to prepare CNL students to lead and collaborate with members of the healthcare team to deliver high quality, coordinated care to diverse populations of patients as they transition through a variety of healthcare settings. The course will focus on the relationship between care coordination, the patient experience, and the national quality outcomes that hospitals and nursing professionals should be meeting. Students will explore concepts related to transition management, team-based care, and quality improvement measures across healthcare settings, with care coordination as a central element of the patient-centered experience.

Program Outcomes

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer a 25 percent tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Online Graduate Programs Per Course* Per Credit Hour*
Degree/Certificates $1,881 $627
Degree/Certificates
(U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty) 		$1,410 $470

*Tuition Rates are subject to change and are reviewed Annually.

Additional Costs:

$40 Application Fee, $150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)

Students enrolled in MSN programs may be subject to ongoing licensure checks through a third party vendor, additional fees will apply and may vary by state.

University Accreditation

Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges as well as several other accrediting bodies. More...