Registered Nurse to Master of Science in Nursing

Registered Nurse to Master of Science in Nursing Online

This online degree program is a flexible, convenient program designed to meet this 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.

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Start Date:

12/29/20
1/19/21
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Program Overview

$17,574*
Total Program Cost
as few as 36 months
Program Duration
58
Credit Hours

Our RN to MSN online prepares you to take on upper-management and leadership roles in a variety of health care 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.

The BSN and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree programs are fully accredited through 2025 by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), formerly known as National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), located at 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30326.

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The RN to MSN online 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 program: MSN in Administration and MSN in Education.

In this degree program, you will:

  • Develop the knowledge and skills you need to assume more of a primary care role as health care reform creates greater demand for access to quality care**
  • Gain expertise in strategic management; resource management; and creating a safe, supportive and inclusive practice environment
  • Learn core knowledge and teaching methodologies to help your students learn to deliver quality care
  • 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

The RN to MSN online 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 program: MSN in Administration and MSN in Education.

In this degree program, you will:

  • Develop the knowledge and skills you need to assume more of a primary care role as health care reform creates greater demand for access to quality care**
  • Gain expertise in strategic management; resource management; and creating a safe, supportive and inclusive practice environment
  • Learn core knowledge and teaching methodologies to help your students learn to deliver quality care
  • 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
Have questions or need more information about Lamar University’s online programs?
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Tuition

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

$17,574 Total Tuition*

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.

 

"In providing nursing care to patients, I can work with a limited number of patients each day. In teaching students how to become nurses, I can have a greater impact on patients who the students will care for in the future."

​Eileen Deges Curl, Ph.D. — Director of Nursing Research Center

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Calendar

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.

Upcoming Start Dates:

Apply by:12/29/20
Start Class:1/19/21
View full calendar

8 week coursesProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlinePayment DueLast Class Day
Fall 210/13/202009/22/202009/29/202010/06/202012/07/2020
Spring I01/19/202112/29/202001/05/202101/11/202105/11/2021
Spring II03/23/202103/02/202103/09/202103/16/202105/11/2021

Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online?
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Admissions

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.

Online Application

Submit your application and one-time $25 application fee online.

Associate Nursing Degree or Diploma

Graduation from an associate degree or diploma nursing program.

Cumulative 3.0 GPA

Overall grade point average of 3.0 or above. If a grade point average is between a 2.85 and 2.99, a MAT score will be required. A student with a 3.0 will be admitted into the program without the MAT.

Current RN License

Submit documentation of your current, unencumbered, state-issued nursing 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.

View Admission Requirements
  • Graduation from an associate degree or diploma nursing program
  • 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]

Courses

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 no 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
The study of six to ten works of British literature dating from its Anglo-Saxon origins to the present.
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 a comprehensive holistic health assessment as a component of the nursing process across the lifespan. RN-BSN students build on previously acquired assessment skills to identify health promotion, risk assessment and disease prevention behaviors, including sociological, psychological, cultural, and family aspects of a comprehensive assessment.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 5
Focuses on concepts needed to provide holistic client-centered nursing care to a variety of clients, families, populations, and communities in multiple settings from a global perspective by incorporating theories, evidence-based practice outcomes, and clinical reasoning. Explores and assesses the impact of multiple determinants of health status and healthcare, cultural and ethical influences, sources of health information, major local, state, national and global health issues and related health promotion/disease prevention, maintenance, restoration, and population risk reduction objectives among clients, families, populations, and communities. Incorporate research findings related to the community into evidence-based nursing practice.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 6
Explores advanced concepts of compromised multiple health states in the care of individuals and families. Emphasizes and demonstrates the developing role of the professional nurse, including patient advocate and interdisciplinary healthcare team member using clinical reasoning and judgment skills to provide compassionate, holistic and coordinated patient-centered care. Course integrates advanced technology, nursing theory, research and evidence-based practice as a foundation of patient-centered care.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 5
Explores and coordinates safe patient-centered care as a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team. Introduces and applies theories of leadership and management practices including the organization, planning, staffing, directing, and controlling of resources within the healthcare system. Models the role of the professional nurse as a patient safety advocate, healthcare planner, leader and manager.
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
Concepts of financial accounting. Emphasis is on the conceptual framework of accounting and preparation and uses of financial statements. Additional topics include, Managerial Accounting and Cost Concepts, Cost Volume Profit Analysis, Flexible Budgets and Standard Costs and Variance Analysis.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 2
Marketing orientation and concepts; marketing programs of domestic and global perspectives in the formulation and development of strategies with regard to price, product, channels of distribution, and promotion of goods and services within an ever-changing environment. Prerequisites: Graduate
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: 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. Prerequisites: MSNA 5320
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Develop knowledge and skills relevant to leadership in healthcare organizations. Emphasis is on role of the nurse as a nurse administrator. Prerequisites: MSNC 5310
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. Corequisite: MSNC 5321
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
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
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
Acute advanced knowledge of skills and principles of clinical pharmacology.
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.
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.
Duration: 8 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Develop knowledge and skills in measurement and evaluation of classroom and clinical instruction. Prerequisite or Concurrent: MSNC 5311.

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

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

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