5/27/2016
Recruitment has begun for Cumberland University’s newest degree program beginning this fall: the Master of Science in Nursing. The Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions is answering the demand for more nurses with a master’s degree.
CU’s M.S.N. program has one track, which is for nurse education. The classes are all online, except for a one semester practicum, which can be conducted where the student lives. The program is geared toward working nurses, as the degree can be completed in just five semesters or 36 credit hours. This M.S.N. degree will prepare nurses for a variety of advanced roles in administration and teaching. Nurses with a master’s degree may teach patients and their families, student nurses, staff nurses, or a variety of direct care providers. CU’s nursing program is built upon the AACN’s nine Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing, thus ensuring a top-notch education. In addition to these nine essential areas, coursework will include curriculum design and development, teaching methodologies, educational needs assessment, and learner-centered theories and methods.
There is a shortage in this country for nurse educators, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). An AACN report in 2015, “Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing,” revealed that a primary reason for U.S. nursing schools turning away thousands of qualified applicants each year was due to insufficient number of faculty. The AACN also reports that the nursing faculty shortage problem will be compounded by the large group of faculty members who are predicted to retire by 2020. Estimations predict an enormous demand for nursing faculty, and that is why Cumberland University’s M.S.N. degree will focus on the nurse educator track.
With Cumberland University’s program, students will receive “hands on” experience through a one-semester practicum where they live so they can learn to thrive within the academic or clinical education setting. There will be no more than 20 students per class, assuring more personal attention. Further, a personal support team will be available from enrollment through graduation. C.U.’s M.S.N. faculty are doctoral-prepared and experienced with online education, as the online R.N. to B.S.N. program began in 2013. Students will have access to online tutoring 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The admission requirements for the M.S.N. program are:
- Admission to Cumberland University.
- B.S.N. from a regionally-accredited university with a minimum 2.5 GPA.
- Students with less than a 2.5 GPA may complete 8 hours of graduate coursework. Final acceptance requires a grade of an A or B in the first 8 hour courses.
- Must be a registered nurse holding an unencumbered license.
- Must have completed an undergraduate statistics course.
- Two letters of professional recommendation.
- Upon admission, a criminal background check, current B.L.S. certification, and immunization verification.
Tuition is $525.00 per credit hour plus books and materials. Graduate students must have access to a personal computer. Scholarships and financial aid are available. Click here for more information.