M.S. Degree Program in the Penn State School of Nursing
The M.S. degree program in nursing includes three advanced practice options and a general M.S. degree.
Advance Practice Options
- Clinical Nurse Specialist Option
- Adult Gerontology
Subspecialty: Gerontology Educator - Community Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Family Nurse Practitioner Option
- Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Option
General M.S. Degree
View details of the General M.S. degree.
Emphases
- Nurse Educator
- Nurse Administrator
- Community Health Policy and Management
- Clinical Trial Research
The master's (M.S.) program focuses on preparing nurses for (a) advanced practice roles as nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists; (b) for careers as nurse educators, nurse administrators (hospital or community health policy & management), or clinical trials researchers; (c) for careers as scholars who are competent to conduct, evaluate, use, and disseminate research; and (d) as candidates for doctoral study. The graduate program emphasizes the development of nursing knowledge and the translation of knowledge into practice. It provides advanced study in human health and development throughout the life span. Nursing’s role in providing health services in diverse care settings to individuals, families and communities of varied cultural, ethnic and racial backgrounds throughout the world is emphasized.
Graduates are qualified to sit for national certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and/or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Once nationally certified, the Nurse Practitioner Graduates are also able to be licensed and the Clinical Nurse Specialists certified by the State Board of Nursing.
In addition, a post-master's certificate program is available to prepare students for additional certification as a Nurse Practitioner or as a Gerontology Educator.
All nursing courses are delivered using synchronous videoconference modalities between University Park and Hershey and are extended to the Fayette, Altoona, Worthington Scranton and Mont Alto campuses (based on enrollment) with selected courses delivered using an asynchronous online delivery system.
Teaching faculty may be physically located at any site (most commonly University Park, Hershey, or Fayette) and often rotate the originating site for their presentation of lectures. Students at all locations have equal access through the videoconferencing system and are oriented to the system during new student orientation and in courses.
M.S. Curriculum
The General MS Curriculum is consist of three components:
- M.S. Program Core: 9 credits
- Capstone Course: 3-6 credits scholarly paper or thesis
- Electives that support emphasis area: minimum of 24 25 credits (BS-PhD minimum of 18 credits to receive a MS en route to the PhD)
The Advanced Practice Option Curriculum is made up of four components:
- M.S. Program Core: 9 credits
- Capstone Course: 3-6 credits scholarly paper or thesis
- Advanced Practice Nursing Courses: 9 credits
- Option-Specific Courses: 20-24 credits dependent on the option/specialty
Dr. Mona Counts, Eloise Ross Professor of Nursing stands by the mobile health unit, offering much needed healthcare to rural areas. Counts, founder of the Primary Care Center of Mt. Morris, acquired funding to secure the first and only mobile clinic in the area.
Both part-time and full-time studies are available.
Qualified students may enroll as nondegree students in selected courses. These courses may be transferred into the student's program after admission.
Nondegree students should not take more than 9 credits before being accepted into the master's program
On admission the student is assigned to a faculty academic adviser who will guide the student in course scheduling and selection of a thesis/scholarly paper topic. All faculty and staff stand ready to assist students in any way possible to make this program of study the richest experience possible. Pre-admission questions should be directed to the graduate office (814-863-2211). Post-admission questions should be directed to the academic adviser, option/program coordinator, or the associate dean of the graduate program.
For more information on graduate study in Nursing at Penn State, send an e-mail to nursgrad@psu.edu or call or write:
The Pennsylvania State University
School of Nursing Graduate Programs
203 Health and Human Development East
University Park, PA 16802
Telephone: 814-863-2211