University of West Florida

This innovative and flexible online program prepares the professional nurse for leadership, advanced nursing roles, and doctoral studies (including a cooperative doctorate with the University of Florida). The M.S.N. consists of 39 semester hours (sh) of coursework. Students may select from the two areas of specialization. Nursing Education  prepares students for employment in an academic or community/hospital/agency setting, while Nursing Administration  prepares students for employment in an administrative/management position in the health care industry.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the University graduate admission requirements described in the Admissions section of the catalog, the department bases decisions for regular admission on a holistic review of credentials in which the following criteria are used to assess the potential success of each applicant: 

• An earned Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from an NLN or CCNE accredited nursing program with a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale OR a 3.0 (GPA) on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 hours of coursework on the BSN.
• Submission of one of the following graduate admission tests:
  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores on the Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing sections. The test must have been taken no longer than five years prior to application.
  •  Miller Analogies Test (MAT) score. The test must have been taken no longer than five years prior to to application. 
• Completion of an undergraduate statistics course with a grade of "C" or better.
• Submission of a statement addressing how an M.S.N. will help you attain your professional and personal goals.
• Three professional/academic recommendation letters
• Students who, for academic or disciplinary reasons, are not eligible to register in the college or university last attended will not be admitted for graduate study.
• Possess a current unencumbered Registered Nurse license to practice nursing in a state or territory of the United States.
• Curriculum vitae (CV) or resume.
• Approval by the Nursing Department Graduate Admissions Committee.

If an applicant is unable to meet the above criteria, they may petition the Nursing Department Graduate Admissions Committee and request a special review.   

Please note that upon admission the M.S.N. student will receive information concerning current UWF Nursing Department requirements for enrollment. These include, but are not limited to:  physical examination and immunizations; Level 2 criminal background check; drug screen; VECHS fingerprinting; AHA BCLS certification; proof of professional liability insurance; and proof of personal health insurance.

Degree Requirements

Students wishing to earn a M.S.N. must complete both the core courses and the specialty courses.