Master of Science in Nursing Education

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Teach, guide and inspire the next generation of nurses.

Form the Future of Nursing

If you鈥檙e a registered nurse with a bachelor鈥檚 degree who has ever considered teaching, now is the time! Nursing educators are needed to teach, guide and inspire the next generation of nurses.

Our online MS in Nursing Education will prepare you to teach in both clinical and academic settings. The ACEN-accredited curriculum focuses on creating a student-centered learning environment that promotes compassionate care and population-based health in a diverse setting.

Courses are a combination of 8 and 15-week long and fully online, giving you the freedom to work at your own pace. The content includes learning theories, teaching strategies, curriculum development, and more, which culminates in a capstone project.

Nursing educators are in high demand! According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), U.S. nursing schools turned away more than 92,000 qualified applicants in 2025 due to a lack of faculty.

Bonus Opportunities

If you鈥檙e a registered nurse without a bachelor鈥檚 degree, see our RN to MS in Nursing Education
精东影业 is home to Tau Kappa-at-Large, a chapter of Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society for baccalaureate and graduate nursing students.

See if the MS in Nursing Education is the right program for you: Review our program requirements.

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PROGRAM DETAILS

Online MS in Nursing Education

Degree Requirements 38 Credits

Major Core38 Credits

What courses will I take?

Degree Pathway

Master of Science in Nursing Education

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 1 - Term 1
This course focuses on the theoretical foundations of nursing practice through the exploration of nursing theories, organizational change models, and learning theories. The application of theories relevant to nursing practice will be emphasized. The examination of multiple theories and their implications on nursing knowledge development and practice will serve as a foundation for future graduate courses. In addition to the classroom discussions and written assignments, students will engage in a 1-hour practice experience that will support new understanding of professional practice. This is an 8-week 3-credit hour course requiring a minimum of 18 hours of course engagement each week (refer to the Credit Hour Calculation Policy found in the Student Handbook.) Course engagement includes student activities such as discussions, reading, study time, practice experience, and assignments.

Prerequisites
Active and unencumbered RN license.

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
Year 1 - Term 2
This course explores historical knowledge development through the examination of nursing as an art and a science. The science of nursing will be examined through the fundamental patterns of knowing and the science of knowing. The masters-prepared nurse will develop the ability to apply ethical and moral reasoning, evidence-based competencies, and leadership strategies to promote innovation and to transform nursing practice. Students will use the spirit of inquiry, combined with personal creativity, and the translation of evidence to enhance interprofessional collaboration.

Prerequisites
Active and unencumbered RN license. NUR502 Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice.

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
Year 1 - Term 3
This course focuses on the development of the nurse as a role model and mentor for the translation and generation of health care evidence in clinical practice. The goals of research, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement will be highlighted, and the principles of each will be applied to the clinical setting. Students will examine personal practice in relation to policy and current evidence, and explore grant writing. The integration of theory, evidence, cultural considerations, leadership, ethics, and clinical judgement when implementing change will be emphasized. The student will develop a knowledge base that will prepare them to collaborate with inter-professional teams and embrace leadership roles that initiate, implement, and evaluate innovative practice changes.

Prerequisites
Active and unencumbered RN license.

Credit Hours
4

Major Requirement
Year 1 - Term 4
This course examines public policy, political ideology and ethics as they shape health policy across populations. Political ideology, social and health policy are considered within the lens of population-based health and reducing health disparities. The role of the master s prepared nurse to lead and advocate within the public policy arena is explored and discussed. Contemporary issues in health policy viewed from the perspective of ethics and the social and material determinants of health are considered. A primary focus of the course is consideration and development of the knowledge and skills that the master s prepared nurse needs to be a change agent in health policy. This is an 8 week 4 credit hour course requiring a minimum of 18 hours of course engagement each week (refer to the Credit Hour Calculation Policy found in the Student Handbook.) Course engagement includes student activities such as discussions, readings, study time, and assignments.

Prerequisites
Active and unencumbered RN license.

Credit Hours
4

Major Requirement
Year 1 - Term 5
This course is an in-depth study of the pathophysiologic basis of disease as it affects individuals across the life cycle. Emphasis will be placed upon endogenous and exogenous factors which contribute to altered functional balance at the cellular, tissue, organ, and system levels. National and global health disparities caused by genetic, developmental, and environmental factors will be discussed. Assessment findings, diagnostic testing, and interventions specific to selected health problems are explored to begin the development of critical thinking skills for pathophysiologic causes and treatments of given disease processes.

Prerequisites
Active and unencumbered RN license.

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
Year 1 - Term 6
The purpose of this course is to examine pharmacotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of illness and the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of wellness in diverse individuals across the lifespan. This course will provide the foundation for safe, effective drug therapy and the role of the nurse in health promotion, disease prevention, and management. Emphasis will be placed on the fundamentals of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics as they relate to practice experience. This course includes 9 hours of practice experience through digital virtual patient activities simulating a real patient via Shadow Health.

Prerequisites
Active and unencumbered RN license.

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
Year 2 - Term 1
This course focuses on the advanced comprehensive assessment of individuals. It builds on the students knowledge and skills and provides a foundation for the advanced practice nurse to evaluate the health of individuals and provide health promotion interventions. The interactions of developmental, biopsychosocial, and socio-cultural contexts resulting in health effects for individuals provide the structure of the course. Students obtain the practice skills necessary for advanced communication (i.e., clinical interviewing, focused history taking), biopsychosocial and physical assessment, critical diagnostic reasoning, differential diagnosis, and clinical decision-making through course readings, dialog, discussions, videos, simulations, and practical examinations. This course includes 45 hours of practice experience hours using virtual clinical simulation.

Prerequisites
Active and unencumbered RN license.

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
This course focuses on the creation of teaching-learning environments and the integration of the role of faculty/educator, uniqueness of the learner, the setting and context within which the learning occurs, the teaching learning strategies used to achieve learning outcomes, and evaluation of the effectiveness of this process.

Prerequisites
Active and unencumbered RN license, all Nursing Phase I courses.

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Major Requirement
Year 2 - Term 3
This course focuses on curriculum and syllabus/program development, including theoretical frameworks and design, philosophical foundations, and selection of learning experiences to achieve outcomes.

Prerequisites
Active and unencumbered RN license, all Nursing Phase I courses.

Credit Hours
3

Major Requirement
Year 2 - Term 4
This course is designed to introduce the student to the evaluation process, including test construction, clinical performance assessment, program evaluation, and strategies for evaluating learning outcomes.

Prerequisites
Active and unencumbered RN license, all Nursing Phase I courses.

Credit Hours
3

Zero Textbook Cost

Major Requirement
Year 2 - Term 5
The graduate nursing capstone is a culminating experience designed to provide learners with an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills acquired throughout the program of study focusing on the competencies of the graduate level nurse. This 6-credit course consists of several integrated components: discussion, reflective journal, scholarly paper, 135 practice experience hours, and project presentation. Assessment of the learner fs attainment of program competencies is built into these components. No additional hours will be awarded beyond the 135 hours. 6.00 Credits. 3 credits allocated to didactic/course work and 3 credits allocated to practice experience.

Prerequisites
Active and unencumbered RN license. Capstone is the last course taken, and all major core courses must be completed prior to beginning the capstone. Students can only take an elective or concentration course with the capstone.

Credit Hours
6

Major Requirement

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精东影业 knows Nursing

For over 50 years, 精东影业 has served the needs of new and established nurses by providing access to a high-quality, accessible, and affordable online nursing education.

A top producer of nurses in New York state, 精东影业 has a network of over 60,000 nursing alumni across the nation. These professionals serve and lead the nursing profession in a variety of capacities. They are a testament to our mission of "preparing highly competent, practice-ready nurses who are equipped to meet the complex needs of diverse populations and communities."

Explore Common Careers

I have worked hard to obtain my bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees. I have been able to successfully create protocols, develop curricula, understand evidence-based practice, and incorporate the education needs of all health care providers to better understand victims of violence in a trauma-informed way.

Kaylin Dawson
Master of Science in Nursing Education, 2020
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 2012

Accreditations & Recognitions

Institutional Accreditation

精东影业 is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE or the Commission) . 精东影业鈥檚 accreditation status is accreditation reaffirmed. The Commission鈥檚 most recent action on the institution鈥檚 accreditation status on June 23, 2022 was to reaffirm accreditation. MSCHE is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education to conduct accreditation and pre-accreditation (candidate status) activities for institutions of higher education including distance, correspondence education, and direct assessment programs offered at those institutions. The Commission鈥檚 geographic area of accrediting activities is throughout the United States.

精东影业鈥檚 academic programs are registered by the and/or have Florida-based licensing with the Commission for Independent Education, Florida Department of Education (License No. 12928).

ACEN Accreditation

The RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Administration of Health Care Systems, Master of Science in Nursing Education, Master of Science in Nursing Informatics, RN to Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Administration of Health Care Systems, RN to Master of Science in Nursing Education, and RN to Master of Science in Nursing Informatics programs at 精东影业 located in Albany, NY, are accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
404-975-5000

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the RN to bachelor鈥檚 program, master鈥檚 nursing program, and RN to master鈥檚 nursing programs is continuing accreditation. View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding these programs at .

FAQ

How is an MS in Nursing Education different from a general MS in Nursing?

A general master鈥檚 degree program in nursing prepares nurses for a broader range of advanced practice roles like clinical leadership, management, or specializing in a specific clinical area, whereas an MS in Nursing Education program specifically focuses on training nurses to become educators, equipping them with the skills to teach other nurses in various settings like academic institutions or clinical environments.

Do I need nursing experience before applying?

Yes, to apply to this program, you must hold an active and unencumbered U.S. Registered Nurse (RN) license or the equivalent and have completed a bachelor鈥檚 degree program in nursing from a regionally accredited college or university, or the foreign equivalent, at an institution that was approved by ACEN, CCNE, or CNEA at the time of your attendance.

Does an MS in Nursing Education program require clinical hours?

No, 精东影业鈥檚 MS in Nursing Education program does not require clinical hours.

Will an MS in Nursing Education help me transition into leadership roles?

An MS in Nursing Education program can help you develop the critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, and management skills you need to help your career transition into more senior roles.

What jobs can I get with an MS in Nursing Education?

Here are some common careers for those with an MS in Nursing Education:

Nurse educator
Nurse administrator
Clinical nurse leader
Health care policy advocate

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Frequently Asked Questions