Nursing Administration and Nurse Executive Leadership (M.S.N.)

Seton Hall University’s College of Nursing attracts nurse leaders who are passionate about integrating leadership, business skills and knowledge within today’s integrated healthcare systems. This program is designed to prepare nurse leaders to lead and assume roles which drive key business administrative and clinical decisions as well as formulate healthcare policy. Students will learn and apply innovative and creative strategies to direct and advocate for the provision of high-quality care across the spectrum of healthcare delivery systems. The curriculum focus is on the evolving set of skills required in an integrated healthcare delivery system including informatics, marketing, reimbursement, risk management, negotiation, and corporate integrity. The program also provides administrative practicums which foster and support immersive experiences with nurse executives in various healthcare settings. Students completing the curriculum are eligible to sit for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Nursing Administrator Examination; the Commission for Case Management Certification (CCMC) Examination and upon successful completion of all the requirements may apply and sit for the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Board of Governors Examination to advance as a Fellow.

Degree Requirements

• Baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing from an N.L.N.A.C., A.C.E.N., or C.C.N.E. accredited program; 
• For recent BSN graduates, acceptance will be granted post NCLEX passing by August 15th of the year admitted to the program; proof of one year full-time employment is required prior to the start of practicum courses (year 2).
• For students applying to the adult-gerontology acute care program, 1 year of professional nursing experience in an acute care setting is required at the time of application.
• Please note that there is a 3 and 4 year curriculum plan;
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above (3.2 or above for Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner), plus a “B” average in all nursing courses; 
• Statement of professional goals; 
• Registered professional nurse licensure in U.S. state of practice and in New Jersey if clinical performed in New Jersey; 
• Letters of reference (one professional, one academic) (2 professional letters may be used if applicant is out of school over 5 years);
• TOEFL scores (minimum scores of 22 in reading, 22 in listening, 26 in speaking, and 24 in writing) and WES reports for all nurses educated outside of the United States and/or educated in a language other than English;
• A $75 application fee; and
• Selected students will be invited for a personal interview.

Prior to enrollment in clinical courses, accepted students must complete Joint Commission and OSHA requirements for immunization, medical history, liability insurance, criminal background check and competencies including the American Heart Association Certification course for CPR (BLS for Healthcare Professionals). Acute Care students must be certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

Nurse practitioner track applicants must have a minimum of at least one year of relevant nursing experience (two years  experience for Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner students), prior to admission to the program.

Academic Prerequisites

The following areas of undergraduate study must be completed prior to the first graduate course in nursing and are not credited toward the graduate degree: Statistics, Nursing Research and an Undergraduate Physical Assessment course. Nurse practitioner students must complete a basic physical assessment refresher course no more than three years prior to enrolling in Practicum I (Acute Care students are required to complete a refresher regardless of when it was taken). 

Degree Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Theoretical Basis of Nursing		3
Forces in Health Care		3
Nursing Research		3
Didactic Nursing Courses		18
Clinical Nursing Courses		8
Total Hours		35

Nine to 12 credits per semester constitute a full-time load. Students enrolled with 6 credits of which at least 3 credits are clinical are considered full-time equivalent students. Students typically take 5-8 semesters to complete the MSN degree, depending upon the program. Part-time students may take up to six years to complete the requirements. If the program is not completed in six years, students must apply for an extension. Students’ programs will be revised, as necessary, to meet current degree requirements. 

Clinical Instruction

Clinical instruction in all majors of the graduate program follows the preceptorship model. At sites serving as placements for development of students’ clinical and functional role expertise, agency personnel collaborate with the faculty in identifying master’s and doctoral prepared personnel within the agencies who serve as onsite preceptors. Under this collaborative model of instruction, students’ learning experiences are guided and enhanced by the faculty members who have primary responsibility for students’ progress. The preceptors may include nurses, physicians or members of other disciplines with whom the nurse educator, administrator or advanced practice nurse interacts. The onsite preceptors are invaluable in helping each student to identify and take advantage of the learning opportunities available within an institution.

*** Out-of-state students should check with the Director of Graduate Admissions in the College of Nursing (see website)to ensure that securing a clinical rotation will not be a problem before applying to a program.

Curriculum Plan 

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
NURS 6123	Theoretical Basis for Advanced Nursing Practice	3
NURS 6124	Forces in Health Care	3
NURS 6224	Nursing and Health Systems Administration	3
NURS 6304	Care Management, Reimbursement Systems and Corporate Integrity	3
NURS 6305	Healthcare Economics, Finance and Business Models	3
NURS 6306	Legal, Contract Negotiation, and Risk Management Issues	3
NURS 7141	Nursing Research I	3
NURS 7310	Nursing Administration, Health Systems and Organizational Complexity *	4
NURS 9919	Using Research for Evidence-Based Practice	3
NURS 6501	Addressing Policy, Management and Economics for Population Focused Nursing	3
NURS 7311		4
Total Hours		35

*

Denotes clinical course.