Master of Science in Nursing

The core curriculum includes thirty (30) semester hours of coursework in epidemiology, research design and methods, theoretical perspectives, legal and ethical issues, current trends in health care, nurse administrator role, principles of hazards and emergency management, design and management of preparedness in mitigation systems, fiscal management, and research thesis/project. An additional nine (9) semester credit hours will be completed in either the nursing administration or emergency management specialty concentration areas.

The objectives of the graduate program in Nursing Administration and Emergency Management (NAEM) include:

1. Preparing graduates to assume administrative roles in a variety of health care systems, including hospitals, and community, military, and government agencies.
2. Providing a program of study that addresses the technical competencies and interpersonal skills needed to assume leadership roles in planning and coordinating emergency response strategies.
3. Providing opportunities for students to formulate solutions to important problems of interest to nursing through analysis, synthesis, and application of current research.
4. Preparing graduates to be innovative leaders.

Unconditional Admission

Students are eligible to apply for unconditional admission to the Master of Science in Nursing degree program if they meet all the following requirements:

1. Applicants must meet the admission requirements for Graduate College.
2. Applicants must have graduated from a Commission on Collegiate Education (CCNE) or Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) accredited nursing program.
3. Applicants must have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.00.
4. Applicants must have an unencumbered license to practice as a registered nurse without a history of disciplinary action of any kind.
5. Applicants must submit recent scores for either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogy Test (MAT) to the Graduate College.
6. Applicants must have completed a three (3) credit general statistics course with a grade of 'C' or better.
7. Approval from the MSN Admissions Committee.

RNs with a bachelor's degree in a field other than nursing will be required to complete NURN 4003 Scope of Professional Practice, NURN 4024 Community Health Nursing, and NURN 4034 Leadership and Management in Professional Practice.

Conditional Admission

Applicants who fail to meet the above requirements may be admitted conditionally by the Graduate Admissions Committee to earn a maximum of twelve (12) graduate credit hours. If a student was admitted conditionally based on grade point average, the condition will be met if upon completion of twelve (12) semester hours a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better is achieved.

Academic Advisors

The Nursing Graduate Studies Committee will assign a faculty advisor to each student admitted to the Nursing degree program. The advisor will assist the student in the design of a curriculum of study that leads to the fulfillment of degree requirements. Additionally, the academic advisor and the Graduate College will monitor the student's progress. It remains, however, the student's responsibility to understand and to satisfy all degree requirements. RNs with a bachelor's degree in a field other than nursing will be required to complete NURN 4003 Scope of Professional Practice, NURN 4024 Community Health Nursing, and NURN 4034 Leadership and Management in Professional Practice.

Degree Requirements

Thirty-nine credit hours are required for completion of the MSN Degree. Thirty hours shall be completed in a professional core component, including six (6) hours of research methods and 3-6 hours of research thesis/project (application). Nine (9) hours shall be completed in one of two specialty concentration areas: Nursing Administration (including six (6) hours of practicum) or Emergency Management.

Core Curriculum (30 hours)

NUR 6103 Theoretical Perspectives 
NUR 6203 Research Design and Methods 
NUR 6213 Epidemiology 
NUR 6303 Law, Ethics, and Policy in Healthcare 
NUR 6313 The Role of the Nurse Administrator 
NUR 6513 Fiscal Management in Health Care System 
EMHS 6063 Principles of Emergency Management 
EMHS Electives - Three (3) hours (5000-6000 Level)

NUR 6403 Non-Thesis Project AND
Three (3) hours of Electives
-Or-
NUR 6993 Research Thesis
NUR 6993 Research Thesis

Nursing Administration Concentration Area

NUR 6503 Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management 
NUR 6526 Nursing Administration Practicum 

Emergency Management Concentration Area

EMHS 5000 -6000 Elective - Nine (9) hours

MSN Track for registered nurses who have a bachelor's degree in a field other than nursing

The additional nine (9) hours of prerequisite courses for students in this track include the following:

NURN 4003 Scope of Professional Practice 
NURN 4024 Community Health Nursing 
NURN 4034 Leadership and Management in Professional Practice 

1. A cumulative grade point average of a 3.00 or better must be achieved in all graduate work attempted at Arkansas Tech University, with a maximum of six (6) hours of "C" grades. A student receiving more than six (6) hours of "C" or grades lower than "C" should refer to the section of the catalog on Academic Probation and Dismissal.
2. Twenty-Seven hours of graduate work must be taken while in residence at Arkansas Tech University.
3. The master's degree program must be completed within six (6) years from the time of admission to the graduate program.

Degree Works

Degree Works is a software tool utilized by Arkansas Tech University designed to detail academic progression. It allows both students and advisors to monitor course progress towards degree completion and clearly indicates which course requirements have been met as well as how courses transfer into a program. Transfer courses must be approved through the use of a substitution/waiver form available via the Registrar for progress to display correctly within Degree Works. 

Degree Works will display course progression based on the current program of study, but a "what-if" scenario can be generated for any program to see how progression looks with the courses currently completed and in progress. Note that if you have applied to and been admitted to a graduate program while still finishing your undergraduate program, Degree Works will show your new program of study in the graduate program and you would have to generate a "what-if" query to see your undergraduate degree progress.

Application for Graduation

In addition to satisfying all degree requirements, a candidate for a degree must file an Application for Graduation online or at the Graduate College.  Students must apply for graduation upon completion of fifteen (15) graduate credit hours.

Special Conditions of Graduate Credit

Graduate Credit Taken Prior to Admission to Arkansas Tech University

A maximum of nine (9) semester hours of graduate credit with a grade point average of "B" or better may be transferred from an accredited graduate school if deemed appropriate to the graduate program by the head of the student's major department and the Graduate College Dean. Students must send a written request to the head of their major department to petition an acceptance of the transfer credit prior to requesting admission to candidacy to the graduate program. Graduate credit earned six (6) years prior to the completion date of all degree requirements may not be applied toward the degree without the approval of the appropriate program director and the Graduate College Dean. Credits earned by correspondence courses or for remedial purposes will not apply toward the graduate degree. No undergraduate course may be repeated for graduate credit.

Graduate Credit Taken After Admission to Arkansas Tech University

If after admission to graduate study, a student wishes to take a course at another institution to count toward degree requirements at Arkansas Tech University, the student must (in advance of enrollment) obtain written approval from the program director and the Graduate College Dean.