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2025 Graduate Catalog

RN to MSN

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 online RN to MSN degree provides Associate and diploma degree prepared Registered Nurses an accelerated pathway to obtaining a Master of Science in Nursing degree while also obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. The RN to MSN degree is designed to facilitate the immediate and lifelong professional and personal development needs of Registered Nurses in the three areas of Practitioner, Scientist and Leader. Graduates of the RN to MSN program will be prepared to be agents of change in today’s rapidly transforming healthcare industry.

Note: This program is currently not open for admission to residents of New York and Washington.

At this time, this program is not eligible for military tuition assistance; please speak with your Admissions Coach on other financial solutions.

This program has specific admission requirements.

Degree Program Objectives

In addition to the institutional and degree level learning objectives, graduates of this program are expected to achieve these learning outcomes:

  • Improve performance in the professional nursing role by developing leadership, management, sound clinical judgment, and communication skills to promote the health of individuals, families, and communities.
  • Utilize evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and leadership principles to promote a culture of safety and achieve outcomes that are grounded in institutional values and professional ethics.
  • Apply informatics and healthcare technologies to access critical information, to collaborate with other professionals, and to facilitate optimal patient-centered care.
  • Apply scientific principles and the nursing process to evaluate responses to therapies and changes in patient health status.
  • Integrate knowledge of human and organizational behavior to lead teams and to promote cultures of safety.
  • Analyze the impact of financial, regulatory, and political decisions on local, national and global health outcomes.
  • Synthesize knowledge of ethical, socioeconomic, and cultural factors to decrease health disparities, to advocate for diverse populations and to provide culturally relevant healthcare to individuals, groups and communities.
  • Employ a spirit of inquiry to embrace the value of lifelong learning and to participate in professional activities that promote and shape the future of nursing.
  • Apply the principles of ethical decision making to the practice of the master’s prepared nurse.
  • Demonstrate leadership skills to support safe nursing practices to continually improve patient-centered care.
  • Advocate for healthcare policies that improve healthcare outcomes across the lifespan.
  • Apply data management principles in the delivery of cost-effective care to improve health outcomes.
  • Analyze how healthcare policy and health care economics affect change within the healthcare system.

Programmatic Admission Requirements

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

To apply to this program, you must hold the following:

  • Associate degree or diploma from an accredited or board approved institution in nursing.
  • Current, active, unencumbered registered nursing (RN) license
  • Minimum GPA of 3.0
  • Signed statement of understanding
  • Current resume/CV
  • 500-600 word statement of purpose and goals for this master’s program

Please visit our AMU or APU graduate admission page for more information on institutional admission requirements.

Need help?

If you have questions regarding a program’s admission requirements, please contact the Admissions Team at 877-755-2787 or [email protected].

Degree at a Glance

Degree Program Requirements

Registered Nurse License (30 semester hours)

General Education (30 semester hours)

Major Required (30 semester hours)

NURS502, NURS504, NURS507 may not be taken until all courses, except NURS498, have been completed.

Elective Requirements (27 semester hours)

Final Program Requirement (BSN) (3 semester hours)

Total Degree Requirements for BSN Conferral = 120

Students must choose a concentration for this degree program and may select from a Concentration in Community and Public Health Nursing, Concentration in Nurse Educator Track, or Concentration in Nurse Leader Track.

Concentration in Community and Public Health Nursing (23 semester hours)

The community/public health nursing concentration prepares nurses to serve, protect, and promote the health of communities locally and globally through the application of three core functions of public health: assessment, policy development, and assurance. Students are prepared to serve as change agents practicing with a justice approach that is collaborative, promotes health and equity, and engages community gatekeepers and stakeholders. Graduates are equipped to analyze determinants of health using epidemiological data and other evidence. They are also prepared to apply social and behavioral science theories, models, and principles to develop or improve programs to address public health issues and to promote public health policies, programs, and resources that improve health outcomes.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Analyze social determinants of health that affect the health of a community.
  • Evaluate prevention strategies of communities to identify opportunities for improvement in health and disease prevention of vulnerable populations.
  • Enhance the health of a vulnerable population through interprofessional coordination, planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of a public health nursing intervention for a selected community
Concentration Requirements (23 semester hours)

Concentration in Nurse Educator Track (24 semester hours)

Looks at curriculum, instruction, and assessment in nursing education with a focus on teaching and evaluations for nurse educators.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Apply programmatic objectives to the nurse educator role in clinical or academic settings.
  • Create educational and curricular materials for a variety of audiences.
  • Evaluate effectiveness of teaching strategies and modalities.
Concentration Requirements (24 semester hours)

Concentration in Nurse Leader Track (24 semester hours)

Offers a focus in leadership, human resource management, and operational quality. Healthcare business and finance are also covered.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Apply programmatic objectives to the role of the nurse leader.
  • Advocate for business practices that promote healthcare quality and patient safety.
  • Synthesize knowledge of key business and human resources practices to lead healthcare teams.
Concentration Requirements (24 semester hours)

Final Program Requirement (3-4 Semester Hours)

  1. All literature courses require successful completion of ENGL101-Proficiency in Writing or ENGL110-Making Writing Relevant.

  2. All literature courses require successful completion of ENGL101-Proficiency in Writing or ENGL110-Making Writing Relevant.

  3. Taken once all other degree requirements have been met. Students who select a Concentration in Community and Public Health Nursing must take this course.

  4. Taken once all other degree requirements have been met. Students who select a Concentration in Nurse Educator Track or Concentration in Nurse Leader Track must take this course.

If you're ready to move forward, we're ready to take you there.

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