Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.)

The Master of Science in Nursing degree prepares registered professional nurses for practice in nursing education, nursing administration, a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) or as a primary care family nurse practitioner (FNP). The graduate program assumes a foundation of concepts and skills acquired in undergraduate programs in nursing.

Admission Requirements*,**

1. Completed application for graduate admission to the MSN program.
2. BSN and a cumulative GPA of 3.00 (based on a 4.00 scale) in all nursing and prerequisite coursework
3. College statistics course with a grade of C or higher equivalent to approved SVSU courses.
4. Required for FNP applicants only: College chemistry with grade of C or higher, 3 credit course, general, organic, or biochemistry.
5. Current unencumbered RN licensure in Michigan or eligible for Michigan license.
6. Resume.
7. One page essay of academic and professional goals.
8. Interview.

*Additional admission criteria (e.g., standardized test results and/or recommendation letters) may be required based on interview and record review.

International Student Admission Requirements**

Additional requirements include:

1. Completed international application for graduate admission.
2. An academic report is required from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (http://cgfns.org).
3. Official TOEFL results with a score of 92 (Internet-based) or an IELTS score of 7.0 in each skill area.
4. Evidence of financial support.

Graduate Nursing Admission Status

Applications to the MSN program are accepted by Graduate Admissions and processed for admission by the Graduate Nursing Coodinator using criteria approved by the Nursing Department throughout the year. The options for granting admission status to applicants include:

• Full admission - all admission requirements have been completed successfully.
• Provisional admission - student’s file is missing certain admission requirements. Students with this admission status may take a limited number of nursing courses while they fulfill the admission requirements, as outlined in their official plan of study.
• Post-graduate admission - a student with a graduate degree in nursing is admitted to complete the requirements for a concentration and receive a certificate to that effect.

Program Requirements

The MSN program at Saginaw Valley State University consists of a minimum of 36 to 49 credits of required and elective courses. Students who have prior graduate credits may be able to enter with advanced standing.  This includes RN to BSN graduates and ADN to BSN graduates who took approved graduate nursing courses as elective credit in their program and earned a grade of B (3. 0) or better. A maximum of 9 credits can be applied to an undergraduate program and graduate program. A maximum of 12 credits graduate level courses may be transferred from another college or university. The time limit for completing the degree is seven years from the beginning of the first course in which credit was earned toward the MSN at SVSU.

Other specific requirements students must meet to complete the MSN program include:

Prior to clinical courses, a criminal background check, evidence of current immunizations, physical exam, finger printing,CPR, liability insurance and drug testing are required as described in the Graduate Nursing Handbook.

Academic Regulations

In required MSN courses, students must earn a grade of “B” or better to remain in good standing.

If a grade of “I” is earned in a pre-requisite course, subsequent courses may not be taken until course requirements are satisfied. 

A required nursing course can be repeated only once. Failure of a repeated course or a second required nursing course results in dismissal from the program.