MSN PROGRAM

MSN PROGRESSION AND DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

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Path to the MSN

Students in the MSN program choose from several different majors, but virtually all students must take at least ten core courses. Student must complete a required number of credit hours as well as clinical hours. The majors require an average of 40 credit hours, usually completed in three or four semesters (including summer). Most MSN majors also require at least 500 clinical hours; the anesthesia, midwifery, and flight nursing programs require more.

Courses are usually scheduled to meet once a week for several hours. This frees up other days for clinical hours or work. Students can choose either a part-time or full-time program, with full-time consisting of 9 or more credits per semester and part-time being anything less.

Course Grades

Progression in the MSN program is contingent on a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and passing grades in all courses (A, B, C, P, or S). If the cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 during any semester, the student will be placed on academic probation. To be removed from probation, the student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in the next academic semester he/she is registered. If the student fails to be removed from academic probation at this time, he/she may be separated from the FPB School of Nursing.

The grade of Incomplete (I) will be given at the discretion of the instructor for work not completed in the semester. The “Arrangement to Resolve a Grade of Incomplete” form must be completed prior to the end of the semester, or the instructor may assign a grade of U or F. A grade of I must be removed by the end of the semester following the one in which the course was taken or before the student enrolls in a course for which the initial course is a prerequisite. No credit is given for an I grade. The I will remain a permanent part of the transcript if the student fails to complete course requirements within the next semester, unless alternative arrangements are approved in writing.

A student who receives a grade of F or U for a required course must register for the course the next semester it is offered to continue in the MSN program. If the grade of U or F is in a course that is not required for the MSN program, the student may register for the same course or a substitute course and achieve a passing grade to continue in the MSN program. If the student receives a grade of F or unsatisfactory performance (F, U, and NP) in two courses, he/she will be excluded from FPB.

Degree Requirements

The MSN program requires a minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate credit for the student who enters with a BSN degree. Other degree requirements must be fulfilled for those entering with the portfolio or RN-MSN entry options. A maximum of nine (9) semester hours of credit in approved graduate courses, where the student obtained a grade of B or above, may be transferred to meet program requirements, and three (3) credits may be waived for a total of 12 credits. To be awarded an MSN degree, the student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and received satisfactory grades in all nursing courses taken for credit as a MSN student. Degree requirements must be completed within 5 years of initial enrollment.