School of Nursing
Rhodes Tower 915
(216) 687-3598
http://www.csuohio.edu/cehs/departments/nursing/msn.html
Vida B. Lock, Director, School of Nursing
Programs of Study
MSN Degree
Population Health: Specialized Populations
Population Health: Forensic Nursing
Population Health: Clinical Nurse Leader
Population Health: Nursing Education
Population Health: Nursing Executive
MSN/MBA Degree
Introduction
The MSN program is based on the principles of population health and is designed to prepare graduates with advanced knowledge, competencies, and skills in the nursing care of populations (aggregates). The graduate will have in-depth skills in population assessment, demography, epidemiological assessment and data analysis, evaluation of research, survey research, data projections, cost-benefit analysis, and the ability to apply nursing theory, population theory, ethics, cultural awareness, and political strategies to design, implement, and evaluate population health programs. Students may select from five tracks available, according to their interests and professional goals. In keeping with the rules and regulations of the Ohio Nurse Practice Act, the program does not prepare nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists; graduates are not eligible to apply for a certificate of authority in the State of Ohio.
Accreditation
The graduate program in Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Faculty Research
Program faculty members have research specializations in a wide variety of areas, allowing them to help graduate students explore many potential research topics.The many partnerships in which the School of Nursing is involved also provide opportunities for collaboration with practitioners in community settings.
Current faculty information can be located on the Cleveland State University Faculty Profile page.
Financial Assistance
Graduate assistantships (registration for a minimum of nine credit hours per semester) are available on a competitive basis to full-time students who apply and are eligible. Assistantships cover tuition and provide stipend support. Assistants may be involved in three types of graduate assistantships: teaching, research, and administrative. Each type of assistantship is designed to meet the needs of the University and to assist in the professional development of students.
Non-Degree Status
A total of nine credits of graduate nursing courses may be taken as a non-degree graduate student, with permission of the Nursing faculty after admission to the Graduate Catalog as a non-degree seeking student. No nursing course may be taken beyond this limit. Students who wish to progress in nursing course work must reapply for admission as a degree seeking student to the College of Graduate Studies and to the MSN program.
Admission Information
Applicants to the Master of Science in Nursing program must meet the minimum requirements established by the College of Graduate Studies and the MSN program faculty. Applicants are advised to begin the admissions process by scheduling an advising appointment with the Department’s Recruiter/Advisor at (216) 687-3810. The general requirements for admission are:
- A baccalaureate degree in nursing.
- A valid, active license as a Registered Nurse in Ohio.
- An undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 or above, documented through submission of official academic transcripts from all schools attended.*
- Completion of a graduate or undergraduate level statistics course with a grade of B or better.
- Submission of the names of two individuals along with contact information (telephone number and email address) whom the admission committee can contact to discuss the applicant’s ability to be successful in graduate study.
- Identification of a population on which the student will focus during his or her program of study.
- Submission of a three-to-five page typed essay explaining why the applicant wants to earn an MSN; how such a graduate degree fulfills the applicant’s personal and professional goals; and the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and competencies that the applicant hopes to develop during the educational process.
- Applicant to the MSN/MBA program must meet the admission requirements of both the MSN and the MBA programs; GMAT scores are an additional requirement.
*An applicant who does not meet the minimum 3.0 GPA requirement may still be considered for admission as a non-degree graduate student. See the requirements set forth by the College of Graduate Studies which appear in this Catalog.
Applicants must submit the Cleveland State University application for Graduate Admission with a check or money order for the $55 admission application fee. All application materials should be submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office. The admissions office will forward materials to the School of Nursing.
Apply Now: http://www.csuohio.edu/gradcollege/admissions/apply.html
Applications for fall semester are reviewed by the School of Nursing Graduate Committee beginning March 1. Applications received after that date are considered for fall semester on a space-available basis.
Students may pursue the program on a full- or part-time basis. The University mandates a six-year time limit to complete master’s degree requirements.
Annual Documentation
Once accepted into the program, each student is required to present, at the time of entrance and annually thereafter, documentation of licensure as a registered nurse, professional liability insurance, CPR certification, and current immunizations. This information is required by clinical sites, as well as accrediting agencies. Students are responsible for their own transportation to clinical sites.
Clinical Placement
Students admitted to Phase II of the MSN Program (600 level) take courses which include a lecture and clinical component. In the clinical component, students develop competencies enacting the roles of the population health nurse expert with their population of focus in several different care environments. During these learning experiences, graduate students interact with members of their population, health care professionals, interest groups, and others who are involved with their population. These opportunities enable the student to use the Precede- Proceed Model, nursing theory, and other concepts, theories, and frameworks to promote the health of aggregates. Students are encouraged to identify their population of interest soon after they enter the program to facilitate identification of clinical sites for optimal learning.
Students in the forensic track interact with law enforcement officials, attorneys, medical examiners, crisis specialists, correctional facility officials, and other nursing professionals involved in the promotion of health/ nursing care of victims/perpetrators of crime, violence, or traumatic events.
Students in the nursing education track will interact with their population in their cognate area, and develop skills and competencies in the application of teaching-learning strategies and the clinical supervision of nursing students.
Exit Requirements
There is no thesis requirement for the MSN program. Graduation is based on the successful completion of the required courses and clinical experiences. NUR 606 or NUR 626 Practicum in Population Health Care are the capstone courses for the program. Students are expected to plan and implement a clinical project to address the needs of their population of focus. Each student is expected to make an oral presentation of his or her project and develop a manuscript for submission to a refereed journal.
Students may, however, elect to substitute a thesis for the practicum course as part of their program of study. The thesis option requires the student to plan and carry out a research project, or develop a scholarly essay. Any student who selects this option will develop and submit a paper for publication to a refereed journal and publicly present and defend the thesis.
A student who chooses to complete a thesis should select a thesis advisor early in the program, preferably by the completion of Phase I courses (500 level courses). The advisor helps the student establish an Advisory Committee of faculty from the student’s area of interest and an external member from a cognate area. After the committee has been established, the student prepares a research proposal that must be approved by the Advisory Committee. The committee members also monitor the thesis project.
Students should enroll in NUR 699 each semester in which they are involved with their thesis. See the Academic Regulations section of this Catalog for additional information on Thesis requirements.
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