Registration
Registration is conducted during the fall for the following spring semester and during the spring for the following summer and fall semester courses.
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 nine 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, depending on program of study needs and resources available. Independent study approval is at the discretion of the faculty member directing the independent study, the academic program director, Associate Dean for Graduate Nursing, 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 but not limited to criminal background check, child abuse check, and health clearance. Information about the preclinical requirements and screening process will be provided in advance of the clinical rotation.
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 B, not a B- or lower, in all courses. Students 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; not B-) or better must be earned in the repeated course for the student to proceed with the program of study. Students must earn a passing grade in all clinical courses (theory and clinical) to progress in the program. 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” 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 40 semester hours to graduate. Family (individual across the lifespan) CRNP students must achieve a minimum of 46 semester hours to graduate. Nursing education students must achieve a minimum of 39 semester hours to graduate. The executive nurse leadership student must earn a minimum of 41 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 specialization 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 several 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. An MSN specialty in Executive Nurse Leadership is also available.
Individual plans for student progression will be developed by the appropriate faculty advisor in collaboration with the student.
The program of study that appears here applies to students who were admitted for the summer session of this catalog year and later. Students admitted prior to that term should select the appropriate catalog year of their admission. Choose previous catalogs from the Home, Graduate, or Undergraduate Catalog Page at http://Catalog.widener.edu.