Registered Nurse to Master of Science in Nursing Online

For nurses with an Active RN License - This online degree program is a flexible, convenient program designed to meet the growing demand in the healthcare workforce. It allows you to expand your professional options and go farther, faster with advanced skills that are in high demand.

Apply by: 12/21/22
Start class: 1/17/23

Program Overview

Why our 100% online RN to MSN stands out

Our RN to MSN online nursing degree prepares you to take on upper-management and leadership roles in a variety of healthcare settings. This online program also saves you money and time by allowing you to earn both BSN and MSN credit for certain courses. You will be required to take 9 fewer credit hours in this program than you would if you earned your RN to BSN and your MSN separately.

Lamar University offers two tracks within the RN to MSN, MSN in Administration and MSN in Education.

In this program, you will:

  • Gain core knowledge, clinical skills and innovative healthcare practices that empower you to make a meaningful impact on the quality of patient care
  • Expand your knowledge of healthcare policy, patient education and health promotion
  • Learn how to implement advanced technology, nursing research, and evidence-based practices that create optimal and efficient care delivery
In this program, you will:+
  • Gain core knowledge, clinical skills and innovative healthcare practices that empower you to make a meaningful impact on the quality of patient care
  • Expand your knowledge of healthcare policy, patient education and health promotion
  • Learn how to implement advanced technology, nursing research, and evidence-based practices that create optimal and efficient care delivery

Career outcomes for the RN to MSN program include:

  • Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)
  • Clinical Research Nurse (CRN)
  • Public Health Nurse (PHN)
  • Certified Nurse Educator (CNE)
  • Executive Nurse Leader (ENL)
Career outcomes for the RN to MSN program include:+
  • Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)
  • Clinical Research Nurse (CRN)
  • Public Health Nurse (PHN)
  • Certified Nurse Educator (CNE)
  • Executive Nurse Leader (ENL)

+

Total Tuition $25,931*
Duration As few as 36 months
Credit Hours 58

*Price includes distance learning fee. Please contact one of our Enrollment Services representatives to learn more about the total program cost.

Accreditation

The Master of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing and program certificates in nursing at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX, are accredited through 2025 by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Contact ACEN by mail at 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326, by phone at 404-975-5000 or visit acenursing.org.

Apply Now

Need More Information?

Call 866-223-7675

Call 866-223-7675

Tuition

Find out how and when to pay your tuition

The following is the tuition breakdown for students pursuing the Registered Nurse to Master of Science in Nursing online. Our tuition is affordable and can be paid by the course.

View additional tuition information+
Program Per Credit Hour Per Program*
RN to MSN $329 $25,931

Tuition and fees are subject to change without notice due to action by the Board of Regents or the Texas State Legislature.

Ready to get started on your degree program online but need help finding ways to fund your education? We can help you discover student financing sources that include grants, loans and other payment options. Learn more about financial aid here.

Tuition breakdown:

Total Tuition $25,931*
Per Credit Hour $329

Calendar

Nursing degree program dates you need to know

Our Registered Nurse to Master of Science in Nursing online program features multiple start dates to accommodate your busy schedule. Find the start date that works best for you and apply before the application deadline associated with it.

View full calendar + 

8 week coursesProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlinePayment DueLast Class Day
Spring I1/17/2312/21/221/3/231/9/233/7/23
Spring II3/8/232/15/232/22/232/27/235/2/23

Now enrolling:

Apply Date 12/21/22
Class Starts 1/17/23

Have questions or need more information about our online programs?

Ready to take the rewarding path toward earning your degree online?

Apply Now

Admissions

Being admitted to our RN to MSN online program.

The Registered Nurse to Master of Science in Nursing online program has specific requirements that applicants must meet to enroll. Please read the admission guidelines to ensure you qualify.

Admission Requirements:

  • Submit your application and one-time $25 application fee online
  • Associate Nursing Degree or Diploma
  • Cumulative 3.0 GPA
  • Current RN License
View all admission requirements +

  • Graduation from an associate degree or diploma nursing program
  • Submit official transcripts from all high schools, colleges, and universities you have attended.*
  • Overall grade point average of 3.0 or above
    • If grade point average is between 2.85 and 2.99, a satisfactory MAT score will be required
  • Current, unencumbered RN license

* All applicants must submit official, sealed transcripts from each institution attended to the Admissions Office. All degrees must be from a regionally accredited institution. Send transcripts to: Lamar University Online Admissions, P.O. Box 10017, Beaumont, Texas 77710

Check to see if the program is offered to residents in your state before applying by clicking here.

RN to MSN Progression Policy

  • Students must earn a grade of B or above in each of the three MSN transition courses (MSNC 5310, MSNC 5311, MSNC 5315) available to eligible RN to MSN students. Earning a grade of C in any of the three MSN courses means the student is no longer in the RN to MSN track, but may choose to remain in the RN to BSN track. If a grade of D or below is earned in any of the three MSN transition courses, the student must reapply to take the corresponding RN to BSN course.
  • Prior to taking MSNC 5311 Research in Nursing, the student must successfully complete a statistics course with a grade of C or above
  • Sequencing of the three transition courses follows
    • MSNC 5310 Theories of Nursing is the first required course
    • MSNC 5315 Advanced Issues is taken as the concluding BSN course. These students will be eligible for a BSN degree when all requirements are met.
    • Progression in the RN to MSN track is dependent upon earning a grade of B or higher in all graduate courses.
      • Students earning a C or below are no longer eligible to continue in the RN to MSN track, but will be eligible for a BSN degree when all requirements are met.
    • Students in the RN to MSN track must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. RN to MSN track students with GPAs between 2.9 and 2.0 will no longer qualify for the RN to MSN track but may remain in the RN to BSN track if meeting RN to BSN progression policies.
    • After completing the three MSN transition courses, progression policies of the Graduate School apply.

Send all required documents to:

Lamar University Online Admissions
PO Box 10017
Beaumont, TX 77710

OR

Submit electronically to [email protected]

lamar-faculty-leAnn-chisholm

Search every day for your reason for being and you will find it.

Dr. LeAnn J. Chisholm, Lamar University Faculty

View Dr. LeAnn J. Chisholm's profile »

Courses

A look at the online RN to MSN curriculum

Below are required courses in addition to BIOL 2420 Microbiology, BIOL 2401 A&P I, BIOL 2402 A&P II and 3 electives. Once the BSN is conferred, students do not need to reapply for admission to the MSN program.

Expand All
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Basic forms of expository writing. Frequent themes. Collateral reading in articles and essays of a factual and informative type.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Forms of expository and analytical writing. Topics from composition suggested from wide reading in at least two of the three genres: prose fiction, poetry, and drama. Research paper required.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
United States history from the revolutionary period through reconstruction.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
United States history from the post-reconstruction period to the present.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Texas history from the beginning to the present time.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Linear and quadratic equations and inequalities, determinants, matrices, systems of equations, binomial theorem, exponential and logarithmic functions, theory of equations.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Non-calculus based introduction to statistics, statistical measures of data, statistical description of data, elementary probability, random variables, binomial and normal distributions, estimation, testing hypotheses.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Statistical concepts and techniques used in behavioral science research. Topics include graphs, measure of position, central tendency and dispersion, correlation and regression, probability, tests of significance and basic non-parametric techniques.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The national and Texas constitutions; federalism; political socialization and participation; public opinion and interest groups; parties, voting, and elections.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The legislative, executive, and judicial branches and the bureaucracy; policy formulation and implementation including civil rights and civil liberties, domestic and foreign policies.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduction to nutrition including functions, sources, characteristics and recommended intake of nutrients; digestion; absorption and metabolism; special needs during various phases of the life cycle; diet therapy and patient assessment, education, and counseling.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Emphasizes major aspects of psychological development through the life span. Aspects of development examined in the course will include cognitive, physical, social, moral, linguistic, and emotional change through childhood, early adulthood, middle adulthood, and older adulthood. Areas of focus include psychosocial, biological, and physical influences on psychological development. Normal processes of child and adult psychological development will be emphasized.
Three hours of communication required from the following.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Application of the fundamentals of speech production to the needs of the professional person. For non-communication majors only.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Principles and practices of public speaking.
Three hours of creative arts required from the following.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An introductory course emphasizing the understanding and appreciation of visual arts (painting, sculpture, and architecture).
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Survey of music for non-music students. Covers the major style periods from the Renaissance to the present with emphasis on the development of basic listening skills and critical thinking. Requires attendance at instructor-specified recitals or concerts.
Three hours required from the following.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Six-to-ten major monuments of world literature, from classical antiquity to the present century. Prerequisite: ENGL 1301 and either ENGL 1302 or 1374; or ENGL 1360 and 1361 Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Six to ten major works of American literature, including both the 19th and 20th centuries.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A survey of major knowledge systems with an emphasis on the scientific and humanistic methods of inquiry.
Three hours required from the following.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An introductory survey of the major areas of psychology such as learning, personality, social, testing, developmental and physiological. Emphasis is on psychology as the scientific study of behavior and includes both human and animal behavior.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An overview of major subjects in sociology, including sociological perspective, culture, social interaction, social stratification, gender, race and ethnicity, social groups, organizations, family, religion, population, urbanization and social changes.
Nursing Courses
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Emphasizes the assessment phase of the nursing process across the lifespan. Students perform comprehensive patient-centered holistic health assessments to identify health promotion, risk assessment, and disease prevention behaviors. Prerequisites: Admission to the RN-BSN Articulation Track; BIOL 2401, BIOL 2402, and BIOL 2420 with a grade of C or better.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 5
Focuses on concepts needed to provide safe, holistic, and compassionate client-centered nursing care to diverse clients, families, populations, and communities in multiple settings from a global perspective by incorporating theories, evidence-based practice outcomes, clinical reasoning, and clinical judgment. Explores multiple determinants of health status and healthcare, cultural and ethical influences, sources of health information, local, state, national and global health issues and related health promotion/disease prevention, maintenance, restoration, and population risk reduction outcomes among clients, families, populations, and communities. Incorporates research findings and current public health practices related to the community into evidence-based nursing practice. Prerequisites: NURS 4321, 4316, and 4391 or MSNC 5310 and MSNC 5311
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 6
Explores advanced concepts of compromised multiple health states in the care of adult patients and families. Emphasizes and demonstrates the developing role of the professional nurse, including patient advocate and a member of the interprofessional and intraprofessional healthcare team using clinical reasoning and judgment skills to provide safe, compassionate, holistic, multidimensional nursing care. Course integrates a systems-based approach, informatic technology, nursing theory, research, and evidence-based practice as a foundation of patient-centered care. Focus is on adult patients with compromised multiple health states and their families. Prerequisites: NURS 4321, 4316, 4391.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 5
Explores coordination of safe, ethical patient/client-centered care as a member of the interprofessional and intraprofessional healthcare team. Introduces theories of leadership and management practices including the organization, planning, staffing, directing, and controlling of resources within the healthcare system in an ever-changing global society. Focuses on the role of the professional nurse as healthcare planner, leader, and manager. Prerequisites: NURS 4321, NURS 4316, and NURS 4391 or MSNC 5310 and MSNC 5311 Co-requisites: None Companions: None
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examine theoretical foundations guiding advanced nursing practice. Prerequisites: Permission
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Analyze research methods, focusing on formulating a practice-related research problem, searching the literature, research design, sampling, and evaluation of research instruments, data collection strategies and analysis of data. Students are expected to analyze and critique research literature for scientific merit, and to discuss the practical application of scientific findings for practice. Prerequisites: MSNC 5310.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will analyze professional, social and workplace issues related to the advanced nursing role within the context of health care policy and a diverse health care system.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examine theoretical foundations guiding advanced nursing practice. Prerequisites: Permission
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Analyze research methods, focusing on formulating a practice-related research problem, searching the literature, research design, sampling, and evaluation of research instruments, data collection strategies and analysis of data. Students are expected to analyze and critique research literature for scientific merit, and to discuss the practical application of scientific findings for practice. Prerequisites: MSNC 5310.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will analyze professional, social and workplace issues related to the advanced nursing role within the context of health care policy and a diverse health care system.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Students in this course will develop a proposal using research methods to investigate a problem. Prerequisites: MSNC 5310, MSNC 5311 with a minimum grade of C in each
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will allow students to implement a project proposal and disseminate outcomes. Prerequisites: MSNC 5310, MSNC 5311 & MSNC 5395
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on healthcare at the aggregate and community level within the context of reducing health disparities and promoting equity and inclusion. Students will participate in a proposal for a health education program to improve population outcomes. Students will apply principles of nursing leadership that will enable them to deliver effective and safe patient care to diverse populations.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examine business principles important to nurse leaders such as financial and strategic management, communication and interprofessional collaboration, systems-based leadership skills, and professional ethics.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 2
Apply midlevel change and systems theory for planning and organizing healthcare delivery through a preceptored experience.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 2
Apply quality improvement models to work with human resources in a healthcare organization through a preceptored experience.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Develop knowledge and skills relevant to leadership in healthcare organizations. Emphasis is on the role of the nurse as a nurse administrator.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Use midlevel change and systems theory as the foundation for planning and organizing healthcare delivery. Emphasis is placed on analysis of the mission, philosophy, strategic planning and organizational structures.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines technology as it applies to the role of Nurse Administrator. Students will explore current trends and issues in the application of concepts related to nursing informatics and healthcare technology in nursing practice.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Use quality improvement models as the foundation for directing and controlling healthcare delivery. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of human resources and budgeting processes.
Duration: 15 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Apply teaching/learning theory and strategies to didactic and clinical preceptored instruction. Evaluate selected curriculum components related to teaching experiences. Prerequisite: MSNE 5353. Prerequisite or Concurrent: MSNE 5350 and MSNE 5352.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Apply measurement and evaluation concepts to didactic and clinical preceptored instruction. Examine course, level, and department components within the context of an academic system. Prerequisite: MSNE 5254. Prerequisite or Concurrent: MSNE 5351.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Develop skills to analyze and synthesize clinical concepts relevant to areas of advanced nursing practice. Prerequisites or Concurrent: MSNE 5310, MSNE 5311.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The primary focus is application of pathophysiology concepts to clinical practice using evidence-based knowledge and clinical reasoning to prevent, diagnose, and treat alterations across the lifespan.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Develop knowledge and skills relevant to teaching in institutions of higher education. Emphasis is on the role of the nurse as faculty member. Examine learning theories and teaching strategies foundational to classroom and clinical instruction in academic settings. Prerequisite or Concurrent: MSNC 5310. ( Prerequisite for MSN program only)
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Analyze curriculum components for contemporary nursing education in academic settings. Evaluation as a critical component of curriculum design is examined. Prerequisite or Concurrent: MSNC 5310. ( Prerequisite for MSN program only)
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Develop knowledge and skills in measurement and evaluation of classroom and clinical instruction. Prerequisite or Concurrent: MSNC 5311. ( Prerequisite for MSN program only)

**The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, The Institute of Medicine, 2010.

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