Nursing - M.S.N., and Ph.D. Download to print

The Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree comprises numerous concentrations in the Nursing major, as outlined below. The MSN degree meets the educational eligibility requirements for national certification in the respective concentration.

• Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner coursework provides a knowledge base in providing advanced nursing care to adults with complex, acute and chronic illnesses. Clincal practica occur in a variety of healthcare settings such as specialty clinics, emergency departments, and acute, sub-acute, and intensive/critical care areas.
• Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist concentration fosters acquisition of Clinical Nurse Specialist role competencies with adult patients and their families. Class and clinical experiences focus on the health conditions ranging from wellness to acute care in a variety of settings with adult and gerontological populations. Students develop knowledge and skills in promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and organization effectiveness through competencies in direct care, consultation, education, program planning and evaluation.
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse: Nurse Practitioner Family students in this concentration acquire advanced practice nursing competencies to provide continuity of health care to persons across the life span and to maximize the effectiveness of community and health care system services through collaboration with other health professionals. Clinical experiences are offered in a variety of ambulatory care settings and specialty clinics in primary care offices including family practice, internal medicine, managed care offices, emergency departments, long-term care facilities, and academic and occupational health settings.
• Nurse Educator students in this concentration acquire advanced nursing knowledge in curriculum design, instruction and evaluation, apply educational theories and principles in curriculum development and evaluation and acquire skills in role development as an educator. Learning experiences occur in academic and healthcare settings.
• Nursing Healthcare Management students in this concentration integrate management and nursing knowledge and skills through courses and practica in management, health care leadership and advanced nursing.
• Primary Care Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates promote health, prevent illness, identify illness risk and provide acute and chronic care of children from birth to age 21. Pediatric clinical nurse specialist students are prepared to plan and individualize care for children and groups of children within the context of their families and communities to improve the quality of their lives. The clinical nurse specialist advanced practice role differs from the nurse practitioner role in that the focus is population-focused care family management and education and nursing staff support, rather than direct treatment. Pediatric clinical nurse specialists often provide education and support to staff nurses regarding implementation of evidence-based practice and new technology.
• The focus of the Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioners concentration includes health promotion, illness prevention, risk identification and the acute and chronic care of infants, children and adolescents. During clinical experiences, students learn to provide advanced practice nursing to children within the context of their families and provide individualized and culturally competent care. Clinical experiences occur in settings such as doctor's offices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, specialty clinics, home health care and schools
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse: Nurse Practitioner Adult - Gerontology Primary Care concentration students develop advanced practice nursing competencies in health promotion, risk detection, illness prevention, and management of acute and chronic illnesses in adults and older adults. Clinical experiences involve direct care in collaboration with other health professionals to maximize the effectiveness of community and health care system services. Clinical practica include primary care offices, such as internal medicine and family practice, clinics, managed care offices, emergency departments, free clinics, and occupational health settings.
• Psychiatric Mental Health Family Nurse Practitioners concentration provides knowledge and skills in comprehensive psychiatric mental health assessment and diagnosis, medication management, and the use of advanced psychotherapeutic modalities, such as individual, family, and group psychotherapy.  The DNP degree in PMH Family NP prepares the student to deliver advanced nursing practice, using health policy, leadership, education, case management, and consultation
• Women's Health Nurse Practitioners concentration prepares the student to provide the highest level of primary nursing care for women involving health promotion and disease prevention. Students gain competency in advanced nursing management of common acute and chronic conditions.  Students practice in direct care and in collaboration with other health care professionals. Clinical experiences foster development of clinical judgment and primary care skills through faculty mentorship and clinical preceptors in a variety of ambulatory care settings and specialty clinics. 

Dual Degree with the Master of Business Administration is for experienced nurses whose career goals include assuming middle or executive management positions in health services agencies or in health-related companies, or who are interested in starting their own businesses. It combines the strengths of advanced nursing preparation with the practical management knowledge needed to develop significant leadership capabilities.

The Ph.D. degree in Nursing is offered jointly between Kent State University and the University of Akron.

Applicants to the master's program must have:

• An active, unrestricted RN license in the state in which practice will be completed. Proof of the appropriate licensure must be obtained within the first semester of the student's program or prior to beginning practicum hours, whichever comes first
• A baccalaureate and/or graduate degree from an accredited registered nursing program. An RN with a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field will be considered based on review of a portfolio submitted with the application
• A minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 point scale
• The successful completion of an undergraduate level statistics course
• Professional experience in nursing as evidenced by: a resume or curriculum vitae and a pre-admission interview
• Three letters of reference from a health care professional or academic faculty who can speak to the applicant's professional and academic abilities; and completion of an admissions essay, describing professional goals and reasons for seeking the master's degree in the identified specialty
• International applicants must show evidence of one of the following:
  • a minimum internet TOEFL score of 83
  • a paper based TOEFL score of 560
  • a MELAB score of 78
  • a PTE minimum score of 55, or a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 for admission

The MSN/MBA concentration requires applicants to complete the GMAT or GRE. Students selected for admission to the nursing program must meet the College of Nursing's Clinical Compliance Policy.

For more information about graduate admission, please visit the Graduate Studies website.

Admission into the Ph.D.: official transcript(s) from an accredited nursing program; BSN and MSN or master's in a closely related health field (a bachelor's degree in a closely related health field and MSN also will be considered); 3.0 GPA; GRE; current resume or curriculum vitae; three letters of recommendation; statement of career goals; statement of research interests; sample of written work; current unrestricted Ohio RN license or legal ability to practice nursing in country of origin; and 550 TOEFL (PBT) for international students (applicants with scores greater than 525 but less than 550 will be considered for conditional admission).

For more information about graduate admission, please visit the Graduate Studies website.

M.S.N.: The program requirements vary by concentration and by the dual-degree programs; however, all concentrations are four to five semesters (two full-time academic years) and typically require between 33-56 semester credit hours and 500-700 clinical hours. In most of the curriculum designs, 12-24 semester credits of courses are related to the area of clinical concentration, 9 semester credit hours to advanced nursing practice courses, and 10 credits to core courses related to theory development, research, ethics and culture, and health policy. The university mandates a six year time limit in obtaining a master’s degree. Under selected circumstances and upon the consent of the advisor, petitions for extensions of an additional one year to completion may be submitted to the Concentration Director. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required for graduation.
 

Grade Point Requirement
The college of Nursing complies with the University standard for Grade Point Average. Please refer to the University Catalog section on Academic Standing - Graduate Studies.

Ph.D.: The Ph.D. program in nursing is a post-master’s degree requiring 72 semester credit hours including the dissertation. It consists of five components: (1) Nursing Knowledge Component (9 credit hours), (2) Research Methods, Designs and Statistics (24 credit hours), (3) Cognates (6 credit hours), (4) Health Care Policy (3 credit hours), and (5) Dissertation (30 credit hours). Students must earn a course grade of B (3.000) or higher. If the student retakes the course and does not earn a B (3.000) grade, the student may be dismissed from the nursing PhD program. Before the student retakes a course, the student cannot take other courses requiring as a prerequisite. At the conclusion of coursework, students sit for the candidacy examination. The examination provides the basis for evaluation of the student’s readiness for completing the dissertation. Successful defense of the dissertation is required for graduation.
 

Graduates from the M.S.N. program will be able to:

1. Acquire educational eligibility to meet standards for advanced practice certification or other advanced professional distinction.
2. Acquire competencies based on professional standards to assume advanced roles in nursing and for leadership and career advancement, including doctoral study.
3. Communicate, integrate and apply advanced nursing knowledge and skills to provide evidence-based, culturally sensitive nursing care and promote quality outcomes in nursing and health care.

Graduates from the Ph.D. program will be able to:

1. Generate new knowledge that contributes to the advancement of health, health care and nursing science.
2. Disseminate advances in scientific knowledge.
3. Use collaborative, interdisciplinary and innovative approaches to knowledge generation.
4. Assume leadership roles in health care and education as researchers, educators and advanced clinicians.
5. Serve as stewards of the body of knowledge for the discipline of nursing.

M.S.N.: The thesis is optional.

Ph.D.: A dissertation is required.

The College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education