2024-2025 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Master of Science in Nursing
Website: gvsu.edu/kcon
Grand Valley State University's Master of Science in nursing (M.S.N.) is offered through the university's Kirkhof College of Nursing. The M.S.N. program prepares professional nurses to serve as leaders at the point of care. Students who complete the M.S.N. are prepared as advanced generalists for practice across the continuum of care within any health care setting.
The M.S.N. curriculum is designed to provide students with leadership, quality improvement, and clinical outcomes management skills, advanced clinical knowledge, and an understanding of health care systems. These skills are essential for the integration of evidence-based practice into interprofessional care. Students become immersed in methods to monitor and improve the quality of care, and successfully coordinate care delivery processes to improve client outcomes in a cost-effective, fiscally responsible manner. Graduates are eligible to take the Clinical Nurse Leader certification examination.
Accreditation
The M.S.N. program is accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), a national accreditation agency. Graduating from a nationally accredited program is required for students to sit for the Clinical Nurse Leader certification exam.
Admission
Admission to the M.S.N program requires the following:
- Complete the GVSU graduate application specifying the M.S.N. option
- Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate programs that verify completion of baccalaureate in nursing from a CONE-, CCNE, or NLN-accredited school. GPA will be calculated using all college coursework. 3.0/4.0 is required
- Current curriculum vitae or résumé
- Educational and professional goal statement. Statement must articulate an area of focus (advanced generalist) and describe how attaining a graduate nursing degree will facilitate goal achievement. Statement should be approximately two typed, double-spaced pages
- Submit a scholarly writing exercise using the guidelines in the online application
- Participate in a qualifying interview with KCON faculty
- Test scores from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), PTE (Pearson Test of English Academic), or MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery) for applicants whose native language is not English; only original score reports will be accepted
Full admission is contingent on the following:
- Current licensure to practice in Michigan
- Successful completion of a required criminal background check and drug screen
- Compliance with health record, immunization, and other KCON graduate program requirements
Students must complete comprehensive health compliance requirements including, but not limited to, a criminal background check, fingerprinting, and drug screening. Clinical sites can refuse to accept students who have not successfully completed all GVSU health requirements. It is the responsibility of the student to establish and maintain all compliance requirements.
Please note: If there is illegal activity in the background check/fingerprinting or if there is evidence of one or more prohibited substance(s) in the drug test, the clinical sites have the right to refuse a student's placement which may negatively impact a student's ability to progress in the program and subsequently graduate. Evidence of unencumbered RN licensure in the state of residency is also required prior to beginning as well as during enrollment in KCON graduate clinical courses.
Program Requirements
The following programs are available: