Catalog Addenda

April 2025

Master of Science in Nursing

Program Description

The mission of the American Public University System’s Nursing Program is to “provide quality, affordable, and accessible higher education for professional registered nurses to foster lifelong learning through a spirit of inquiry in order to prepare students for service and leadership roles in a diverse and global society.”

The Master of Science in Nursing program helps to prepare you to be an effective leader in the nursing profession and to be an agent of change in the delivery of health care. The transformational changes occurring in healthcare today make advanced nursing practice essential to the provision of safe, patient-centered care. As a nurse educator or nurse leader, you can help lead the change to move nursing into the future.

The master's degree program in nursing at APUS is accredited by the  Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Note: This program is currently not open for admission to residents of the District of Columbia and Washington.

This program has specific admission requirements.

Programmatic Admission Requirements

This program is currently not open for admission to residents of the District of Columbia and Washington.

For this program, the following documentation is required and must be provided prior to course registration:

• Official transcripts showing a conferred Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from a program accredited by: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education ( CCNE), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing ( ACEN®), Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation ( CNEA®), or Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing ( CASN). 
• Current and active unencumbered registered nurse (RN) in a state or province where practicums will be conducted
• Minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the baccalaureate nursing degree
• Successful completion of an undergraduate level statistics course with a “C” or higher
• Current resume/CV
• Signed statement of understanding (SOU)
• 500-600 word statement of purpose and goals for graduate education*

*Writing style should be scholarly and coherent with no grammatical errors. Provide in 500-600 words a description of relevant work experience, and clearly articulated reasons for applying to the master’s program. Long-term goals or professional career aspirations should be included.

Note: You must complete this program within 5 years of starting your first nursing (NURS) course.

ACEN® is a registered trademark of the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc.

CNEA® is a registered trademark of the National League for Nursing