Introduction
An undergraduate baccalaureate education that is both liberal and professional provides the foundation for the master’s program. The master’s program prepares graduates for leadership roles in advanced practice nursing in order to meet the diverse health needs of society. Graduates will function as advanced practice nurses in the health care delivery system using skills of analytical thinking and clinical decision making—plus advanced knowledge of theories in nursing, the sciences, and humanities—to improve health care in a variety of settings. In addition to the use of nursing and related theory, graduates are prepared to use research to inform evidence- based practice and influence health policy.
The program fosters collegial collaborative relationships with other health professionals. Since adult learners have unique needs and abilities, the master’s program provides students with a wide range of options for learning that take into account diverse backgrounds, past experiences, and future goals while providing a foundation for lifelong learning and doctoral study. Students participate in selecting their clinical learning experiences.
Graduates of the MSN Family (Individual across the Lifespan) CRNP option are prepared to sit for national certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). Graduates of the MSN CNS Adult-Gerontology CNS option are prepared to sit for the American Nurses Credentialing Center national certification for adult-gerontology CNS or the American Association of Critical Care Nurses national certification for adult gerontology acute care CNS.
Student Learning Outcomes
With regard to expected student learning outcomes, MSN graduates will be able to:
- Apply nursing, science, humanities, and ethical theories and information in the analysis of clinical problems, illness prevention, and health promotion strategies across diverse populations.
- Analyze systems and work to create a culture of quality improvement and safety.
- Use leadership knowledge and skills in initiating and maintaining effective working relationships and analyzing the impact of systems on patient outcomes.
- Disseminate evidence-based practice decisions to advance clinical practice.
- Use current technologies to deliver and coordinate care.
- Analyze the political determinants of the system and how they influence health care system and patient outcomes.
- Collaborate with other health professionals to manage and coordinate care across systems.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of clinical prevention interventions that affect individual and population-based health outcomes that are culturally appropriate.
- Provide safe, quality care to diverse populations in a variety of settings and roles.
Admission
Applicants must submit evidence of the following:
- Completed online application.
- Bachelor’s degree in nursing or equivalent from an accredited program.
- Minimum of 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) in a BSN program.
- Official transcripts from all previously attended institutions of higher education.
- Completion of an undergraduate statistics/research course with a grade of C or better.
- Two recommendations, preferably from professional nurses with graduate degrees, regarding applicant’s practice and potential for graduate work in nursing.
- Valid U.S. license as a registered nurse. NP option requires PA State Board of Nursing licensure or as appropriate.
- Satisfactory scores (550 written and 213 computer-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for all applicants from non-English speaking countries.
- Current résumé.
- Goal statement.
Applicants who meet all admission criteria except the 3.0 grade point average are eligible to complete two courses as a nonmatriculated student. The student should complete the application and contact the advisor to discuss course selection. If the applicant completes two nonmatriculated courses and attains a grade of B or better admission will be considered.
Nonmatriculated students are not eligible for financial aid. Applicants must apply online by visiting Widener’s home page at www.widener.edu. All admission requirements, including an interview, must be received and completed before:
- June 1—for matriculation in the fall semester.
- November 1—for matriculation in the spring semester.
- March 1—for matriculation in summer sessions.
Additional Admission Requirements for International Applicants
International students should consult the International Student Services web page at www.widener.edu for international graduate student guidelines or contact the Office of International Student Services at Widener University; phone: 610-499-4499.
The School of Nursing requires a passing score on the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) Qualifying Examination. The CGFNS Qualifying Examination is a prerequisite for taking the Registered Nurse Licensing Examination in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Application materials are available from their website www.CGFNS.org, or:
CGFNS
3600 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19014-2651 U.S.A.
Phone: 215-349-8767
The registration deadlines are several months prior to their administration. Early application is essential.
Registration
Preregistration is conducted during the fall for the following spring semester and during the spring for the following summer and fall semester courses. Preregistration information is available on CampusCruiser.
Matriculation
A matriculated student is one who has been accepted officially into the master’s program. A nonmatriculated student is one who is taking a course for credit but has not yet been officially accepted into the master’s program. A nonmatriculated student may take up to six credits in the graduate nursing program prior to matriculation.
Nonmatriculated students who wish to take a course must submit undergraduate transcripts and a completed online application. Students who wish to matriculate must meet the admission requirements listed below. No more than six credits earned by a student in a nonmatriculated status may be applied toward the degree in the event of later acceptance into the graduate program.
Academic Progress
Continuous Enrollment
Following matriculation, students are required to be enrolled at least two semesters (fall, spring, or summer) per calendar year. Students who do not apply for a leave of absence and have not completed at least one course per two semesters during a calendar year will be dropped from the program.
Course Overload
Nine credits of course work in each of the fall and spring semesters and six credits in each summer session are recognized as a full-time course load for full-time students. Faculty believe students, as adult learners, have the right to make decisions related to their learning needs. However, faculty believe a course load above nine credits for fall/spring or six credits in a summer session has potential for creating academic jeopardy.
Students enrolling in more than twelve credits in the fall/spring semester or six credits in one summer session must have approval from the academic program director. Students are required to complete and sign the Course Overload Acknowledgment form (including rationale for request), which must also be signed by the faculty advisor and academic program director prior to enrolling in the courses. The form is intended to communicate to students written acceptance of their responsibility for this decision.
Independent Studies
Enrollment in an independent study course is an option available to students only when a required course is not available. An independent study course requires approval of the faculty member directing the independent study, faculty advisor, the academic program director, and the dean of the School of Nursing.
Leave of Absence
Matriculated students meeting the continuous enrollment policy must submit a written request for a leave of absence, with rationale, to the academic program director. An approved leave will extend the deadline for completion of the program by the length of the leave. However, the total cumulative leave time applied to extensions shall not exceed two years.
Reinstatement to the Program
Students who have been dropped from the program may petition for readmission by filing a new application. Such requests must be sent to the academic program director no later than 90 days prior to the start of the semester in which the student expects to enroll.
Time Limit
A maximum of five calendar years from the date of matriculation is allowed for completion of the master’s degree.
Special Academic Policies
General policies are stipulated in the Widener University Graduate Student Handbook. Other academic requirements and dismissal, readmission, and other policies specific to the School of Nursing are found online in the School of Nursing Master’s Student Handbook.
Transfer Students
Students who are matriculated in another nursing graduate program and wish to transfer will be considered on an individual basis.
Transfer Credit
A maximum of two approved courses (six credits) or the equivalent completed at an institution accredited for graduate study no more than five years prior to admission may be transferred upon admission. To be considered for transfer credit into a master’s program, the student must have received a grade of A or B, or pass if taken on a pass/no pass grading system. If transfer credit is requested in lieu of required courses in the program, a course syllabus must accompany the request.
After matriculation, up to six credits may be taken off campus. Students requesting to take a course off campus for transfer credit must submit a request via a Course Transfer Authorization form and course syllabus prior to taking the course. At the completion of the course, an official transcript reflecting the grade earned must be submitted to the Graduate Nursing Office.
Requirements for Clinical
Widener’s School of Nursing provides students with clinical education at a variety of hospitals and health care agencies in the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. These agencies and institutions require students to undergo background screening. Therefore, all students are required to complete a background screening, including criminal background check, child abuse check, and health clearance. Information about the preclinical requirements and screening process is available at www.CertifiedBackground.com. If you have questions please call 888-666-7788 or e-mail customerservice@certifiedbackground.com. A support representative is available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.
Grading and Dismissal from the Program
Students are expected to maintain satisfactory progress. A student’s graduate record begins with the first course credited to a degree or certificate and includes all subsequent courses.
- Master’s candidates are required to maintain at least a B (3.0) average. Only students with a B (3.0) average or better will graduate from degree and certificate programs. Courses for which grades lower than B (3.0) are received may be repeated. No more than two repetitions total and only one repetition of a particular course is allowed. Students must achieve a grade of B or higher in Advanced Pathophysiology (NURS 601 ), Advanced Health Assessment (NURS 608 ), and Advanced Pharmacology (NURS 639 ) in order to progress in any of the master’s options or in the DNP program. A student whose academic performance is considered inadequate will be dismissed from the program.
- Students who fail clinically and are dismissed may not apply for readmission.
- Conduct inconsistent with the ethical and professional standards of the discipline, whether it occurs before or after matriculation, is also grounds for dismissal from the program.
Such conduct includes academic fraud. A student dismissed for academic fraud may no longer enroll in the graduate programs of the university and may not apply for admission into another division of the university. Please see the section entitled “Standards for Academic Integrity .”
- If a course is repeated, both grades will be recorded on the transcript but only the most recent grade is used in calculating the grade point average. However, when a student is found to be in violation of Widener’s academic fraud policies, that student is prohibited from exercising the repeat-of-course option to remove the F grade (given as a result of fraud) from the GPA calculation.
- Pass/no pass grading is optional for elective courses. A maximum of two courses required for the master’s degree may be taken pass/no pass. Students must exercise the pass/no pass option prior to the second class meeting.
- Following a request by the student, including an explanation of the extenuating circumstances involved, an instructor may give a course grade of incomplete if circumstances justify an extension of time required to complete the course requirements.
- A student with an “incomplete” grade in any course that is prerequisite to another course will not be allowed to enroll in the subsequent course until the I in the prerequisite has been removed and replaced by a satisfactory grade.
- A student with an F in a required theory course must repeat that course at Widener in the next semester in which the course is offered. A grade of B (3.0) or better must be earned in the repeated course in order for the student to proceed with the program of study. A grade below C (including a C-) in a clinical course is considered a course failure and the course must be repeated. A second failure results in automatic dismissal from the program.
All requests for exceptions to these provisions should be referred to the academic program director. The following grades are used for graduate nursing courses:
| Letter Grade |
Quality Points |
Percentage Range |
| A |
4.0 |
93 – 100 |
| A- |
3.7 |
90 – 92 |
| B+ |
3.3 |
87 – 89 |
| B |
3.0 |
83 – 86 |
| B- |
2.7 |
80 – 82 |
| C+ |
2.3 |
77 – 79 |
| C |
2.0 |
73 – 76 |
| C- |
1.7 |
70 – 72 |
| F |
0.0 |
< 70 |
| I (Incomplete) |
|
|
| W (Withdrawn) |
|
|
| P/NP (Pass/No Pass)—for courses offered on a pass/no pass basis |
|
|
| AU (Audit: No credit) |
|
|
NOTE: Individual instructors may elect, at their discretion, not to use plus/minus grades.
The grade of I is given when a student has not completed course requirements because of excusable reasons. A student who receives a grade of I must arrange to make up all deficiencies with the instructor issuing the grade. If the work is not made up within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which the incomplete is received, the grade will be automatically converted to F. Upon completion of the requirements, the instructor will institute a change of grade. (Note: A student cannot register again for a course in which the grade of incomplete has been received.) A student cannot be awarded a degree when there is an outstanding incomplete grade on the transcript, even if the incomplete is in a course not required in the degree program.
Students may withdraw from a course at any time prior to the published date listed in the university’s “Academic Calendar” posted on CampusCruiser and receive the grade of W.
Degree Requirements
A master of science in nursing degree requires a minimum final GPA of 3.0. Clinical nurse specialist adult-gerontology (CNS) students are required to achieve a minimum of 41 semester hours to graduate. Family (individual across the lifespan) CRNP students must achieve a minimum of 46 semester hours to graduate. Nursing education and executive nurse leadership students must must achieve a minimum of 39 semester hours to graduate. Please note that a waiver of any requirement for the degree must be approved in writing by the academic program director.
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs of Study
Two advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) roles are available in the MSN degree program of study: clinical nurse specialist adult-gerontology (CNS) and family (individual across the lifespan) CRNP. The family (individual across the lifespan) CRNP option emphasizes primary care for individuals and families across the life span. Graduates of these two master’s degree options are eligible to sit for certification examinations as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).
NOTE: The clinical nurse specialist role is not recognized as an APRN role by the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing as it is in a number of other states. In addition to the degree programs, post-master’s (PM) certificates are available for each APRN specialty.
A MSN in nursing education, which focuses on both the clinical and academic education of nurses, is also available.
The following programs of study display a suggested progressive plan of study. Individual plans for student progression will be developed by the appropriate faculty advisor in collaboration with the student.
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