Master of Science in Nursing
OKWU’s Master of Science in Nursing program is designed to help students push their careers forward with a degree that explores advances in nursing technology and healthcare best practices, all from the foundation of a Christian perspective. Designed for working adults, this program provides three tracks of specialized coursework – Nursing Administration, Nursing Education, and Nursing Informatics – to let you customize your program to your career ambitions.
We’ve designed this curriculum for experienced nurses seeking roles that require advanced practice skills in order to function as providers and organizers of the healthcare delivery process, or as faculty members in a nursing education program.
Experienced Registered Nurses with a Bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field can enter the program to obtain their MSN. Furthermore, nurses who have completed Vizient AACN Nurse residency programs can earn course assignment credits.
Earning Potential
A multitude of nursing career paths beckons those with advanced education beyond the baccalaureate level, offering enticing prospects and lucrative salaries. Nursing administrators, for instance, enjoy a median salary of $101,340, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, showcasing the rewarding nature of leadership roles
within the field. Nursing informaticists, crucial in leveraging technology to enhance healthcare outcomes, boast mean salaries ranging from $75,000 to $125,000, as per the HIMSS Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey. Meanwhile, nursing educators, vital for shaping the next generation of nursing professionals, earn an average
salary of $82,040, though figures vary widely, depending on the state and size of the educational institution or clinical facility, as indicated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics higher than baccalaureate prepared nurses.
Job Satisfaction
As indicated by the 2023 State of Nursing Report, nurses with higher levels of education report a higher degree of job satisfaction. There is a higher availability positions with more structured scheduling, including remote opportunities, that provided more work life balance.
Career Promotion
In alignment with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) report, employers are actively seeking nurses with advanced expertise in evidence-based practice, quality improvement processes, and system changes. Our MSN program not only addresses these critical needs but also prepares you for leadership roles where such
knowledge is indispensable. Moreover, the AACN reports a staggering 2,166 full-time faculty vacancies, emphasizing the demand for qualified
educators. With a faculty vacancy rate of 8.8% and most positions requiring a minimum of a master’s degree, our MSN program positions you at the forefront of opportunities, equipping you to meet the evolving demands of the healthcare industry while opening doors to influential teaching roles.
Career Path
- Average pay for nurses with their MSN is $100,000
- A 6% employment growth in nursing is projected from 2022 to 2032.
- 88.9% of nurses are actively employed in the nursing field in hospitals, extended care, home health services, government institutions, schools, pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing companies or wholesalers, and many other areas
Earn your MSN at OKWU
- Simple Online Application
- Continue to Work Full Time
- 100% Online
- NNEI Applications Accepted
- CCNE Accredited
- One Course at a Time
- Transfer-friendly
- Federal financial aid is available for those who qualify
- Corporate reimbursement accepted
- Students are organized into cohorts and go through our program together.
- Asynchronous Format: Students can log into coursework 24/7 online.
Why Nursing Matters
The OKWU MSN is designed for experienced nurses who are seeking roles that require advanced practice skills to function as providers and organizers of the health care delivery process or as faculty members in a nursing education program. The program consists of 12 hours of core courses for all students and 21 hours of specialized courses in either Nursing Administration or Nursing Education. Nurses must be committed to life-long learning and be willing to assume responsibility for planning their professional careers, which increasingly will include graduate study as the route to advancement.
Taught by Experts
Taught by doctoral prepared nurses working in highly qualified healthcare settings. A variety of diverse learning opportunities that enhance the nurse’s ability to analyze data from a systems perspective.
Emerging Opportunities
Exciting and diverse opportunities abound for Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) graduates, with emerging roles that reflect the evolving landscape of healthcare. Nursing informaticists, for instance, find themselves in demand for positions such as clinical informatic coordinators, nursing informatic educators, and health IT consultants, among other burgeoning areas where their expertise in leveraging technology to enhance patient care is highly valued. Similarly, MSN-prepared nurses can pursue rewarding paths in nursing administration, stepping into roles as nurse managers, supervisors, quality improvement coordinators, residential care facility administrators, or even healthcare consultants, where their leadership and management skills are instrumental in driving organizational success. Moreover, nurse educators have a myriad of options, specializing as clinical educators, nursing professors, staff development coordinators, healthcare consultants, or even writers, as they play a pivotal role in shaping the future generation of nursing professionals.
Tuition Per Credit Hour
| Estimated Cost | Estimated Total |
|---|---|
| Registration Fee | $50 |
| Graduation Fee | $100 |
| Total Resource Fee | $1,650 |
| Technology Fee @ $65 per term | $390 |
| Student Health Fee* | $352 |
| Tuition | $18,150 |
| Total Estimated Cost | $20,692 |
*Students may opt out of the health fee.
Tuition and fees are subject to change at anytime. Changes to your course schedule may result in an increase in the estimated total cost.
Experience the OKWU Difference
In addition to providing our students with a mastery of their craft, we desire to instill a firm foundation of Christian values and ethics consistent with the mission of OKWU. We prepare our graduates to be true leaders in the field of nursing.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Oklahoma Wesleyan University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (ccneaccreditation.org).
How does it work?
- Students are organized into cohorts and go through our program together.
- Asynchronous Format: Students can log into coursework 24/7 online.
What are the benefits?
- Entirely online. No classroom requirements.
- Transfer-friendly.
- Federal financial aid is available for those who qualify.
- Corporate reimbursement accepted.
- CCNE accreditation
- NNEI applications accepted.
Degree at a Glance
- Course length: Eight weeks
- Program length: 88 weeks
- Delivery format: 100% online
- Style: Accelerated course style with flexible learning choices
- Total program credit hours: 33
- Credit hours to graduate: 33
CLINICAL PRACTICE EXPERIENCES
Indirect and direct practice experiences take the place of the traditional clinical rotation learning experience in the MSN program. Students complete an in-depth project as evidence of learning in addition to their normal classroom assignments. These integrative practice-focused learning experiences are imbedded in courses and allow students to apply, integrate, and synthesize knowledge and practice at an advanced level of nursing practice. Direct practice hours occur for the MSN student final 2 courses, the Graduate Nursing Practicum (NURS6413) and Graduate Nursing Capstone (NURS6423). Completion of these hours are flexible and are be designed to work around the students’ personal schedule.
Examples include:
- Advanced Health Assessment – High fidelity screen-based simulations
- Health Care Systems- Analysis and Comparison of health care delivery systems
- Health Care Informatics Literacy- Systems Analysis Consultation Presentation
- Graduate Nursing Practicum& Capstone- Planning, implementation, and evaluation of a quality improvement project.