Master of Science in Nursing: Nursing Education

All courses are online; however, a student is required to complete two practicum courses. One 30-hour Advanced Clinical Practicum and another 120-hour Academic Nurse Educator practicum. Both practicums are completed with an approved, self-selected preceptor.

While much of the learning takes place online, MSN-ED students will need to complete their practicum hours in an approved state. Please contact your state board of nursing to verify if our program meets their educational requirements.

Transfer credit may be given for up to 6 credit hours for the Education and Transformational Leadership tracks and up to 9 credit hours for the FNP and Post-Graduate FNP tracks of graduate credit with a grade of B- or higher for any of the MSN core courses listed below. Courses may be accepted as a substitute for comparable core courses in programs that permit transfer credit if work was completed within five years of a student’s Olivet matriculation. Note: For a transfer credit request similar to the NRSG 679/680 (four total credit hours) course, the maximum credit hours that can be transferred is three credit hours. Course transfers convert the credit hours achieved from a course at another college/university to credit hours at Olivet. Transfer credit may be given for the following Olivet courses after review for syllabi similarity.

• NRSG 626: Moral/Ethical Decision Making
• NRSG 628: Nursing Informatics
• NRSG 653: Theoretical & Professional Foundations of Nursing
• NRSG 679: Evidence-Based Practice I
• NRSG 680: Evidence-Based Practice II

All students must submit a “Request to Transfer Credit” form, the course description(s), and a copy of the catalog cover, and the course syllabus to the program director/coordinator prior to beginning a graduate program. To determine transferability of credit, please contact the appropriate program director to receive a recommendation for transfer.

In addition to the General Admissions Requirements, the applicant must:

• Complete an application.
• Submit an official transcript from a regionally accredited college or university showing an earned Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
• Submit transcripts from any accredited institutions attended, where pre-requisites for a nursing program and BSN nursing courses were completed, and any completed nursing graduate coursework.
• Have attained a BSN undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 or better (4.0 scale).*
• Submit a current, unencumbered registered nurse (RN) license in a geographical jurisdiction of the United States.*
• Have successfully completed (defined as a grade of C or above) an approved undergraduate statistics course. An official transcript for same should be submitted.
• Submit a signed consent regarding criminal background and drug screening requirements.
• Submit evidence of having worked as an RN for at least 2,000 hours prior to starting the respective clinical/practicum tracks (ED: NRSG 634, FNP: NRSG 665, & TL: NRSG 648).**
• Students may not be admitted to the Olivet MSN program who have been dismissed from another MSN program.

*Students who do not meet these criteria, please speak with an Admissions Counselor about a possible conditional admission.

** Students who do not meet these criteria, please speak with an Admissions Counselor about a possible conditional enrollment.

When choosing your career path, an MSN degree with a concentration in Education offers students ample opportunities to teach in a nursing school/program/university at various levels, such as LPN, ADN, and BSN programs. There is a growing demand for nurse educators in academia. Faculty typically make less than other graduate prepared roles there is an overwhelming need for educators.

• “According to a Special Survey on Vacant Faculty Positions released by AACN in October 2018, a total of 1,715 faculty vacancies were identified in a survey of 872 nursing schools with baccalaureate and/or graduate programs across the country (85.8% response rate). Besides the vacancies, schools cited the need to create an additional 138 faculty positions to accommodate student demand. The data show a national nurse faculty vacancy rate of 7.9%. Most of the vacancies (90.7%) were faculty positions requiring or preferring a doctoral degree.”

Discounts are available for our practice partners, alumni, and faculty. Upon completion students should check out government loan repayment programs such as the Nurse Faculty Loan Repayment Program. For a compiled list of available scholarships click here!

Upon completion of this track, students are educationally prepared to sit for the Certified Nurse Educator examination from the National League for Nursing. For more information, please refer to the CNE Handbook.

Our school is dedicated to supporting MSN-ED students throughout their practicum placement process. Initially, students are encouraged to leverage their personal and professional networks to find a preceptor and practicum site, allowing them the opportunity to choose a location and preceptors with whom they might already be familiar or prefer. This autonomy in selection is highly beneficial, as it allows students to align their practicum experience with their specific interests and geographical preferences.

However, we also recognize that finding a preceptor can be challenging. If a student is unable to secure a preceptor after 30 attempts, our MSN/FNP Practicum Director will provide substantial assistance. At this stage, the MSN/FNP Practicum Director works closely with the student, employing the school’s resources and networks to ensure a placement is found. While this collaborative effort prioritizes securing a quality educational experience for the student, it may not always align with the student’s preferred location. The emphasis shifts towards the importance of completing the practicum at a site that offers a comprehensive learning opportunity, even if it means considering locations beyond the student’s initial preferences.