For inquiries about the admissions process or to have information on any of these programs sent to you, please contact the Enrollment Center at (630) 829-6300, submit an information request or visit www.ben.edu/admissions/graduate (will open in a new window).

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

Introduction
The aging of America’s population is driving significant growth in the healthcare industry. At the same time, rapid innovation in healthcare technology and the growing complexity of delivery systems requires increasingly skilled nurses who can adapt to and shape the future of health care. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for nurses will grow more than 23 percent over the next decade. To meet this demand, and ensure the continued quality of nursing care, Benedictine University’s School of Health Sciences offers its Online Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) to prepare registered nurses to become administrators, leaders and educators. The M.S.N. program emphasizes interrelated academic preparation in areas of leadership, education, administration, and global health care. Nurses will study these content areas in the context of emerging demographic trends such as the expected increase in the elderly population and/or trends in caring for vulnerable populations including the homeless, those with chemical addictions, HIV/AIDS, the poor and those with catastrophic illnesses.

Overview
The Master of Science in Nursing curriculum is truly innovative. Unique relative to other online nursing degree graduate programs, the Benedictine M.S.N. curriculum combines an eight course core with the flexibility of four additional elective courses that can be combined to develop a custom area of focus. Integrated into the eight core courses are the critical skills necessary to lead, educate and administer in health care. But students also have the opportunity through the elective courses to reach across different academic disciplines to create a truly custom and inter-disciplinary Master of Science in Nursing degree.
Prior to the completion of the core nursing courses, students will work with a student advisor and the M.S.N. Program Coordinator to select specific courses from Benedictine’s Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Management and Organizational Behavior, and/or Master of Public Health programs to fulfill the elective requirements. The flexibility offered by the elective courses allows nurses in the M.S.N. program to “dive deep,” taking multiple elective courses in a specific discipline, or gain broad-based exposure to a number of different areas, taking one course from each discipline. This offers the student an opportunity for a truly personalized academic and career growth plan that also meets the skill demands of current and future professional settings.

Your advisor can also help you to choose elective options that support nursing certifications including:

 Certified Nurse Educator (National League of Nursing)
 Certified Nurse Executive (American Nurses Credentialing Center )
 Certified Nurse in Disaster Management (Benedictine University)

Elective options encourage in-depth cross-professional collaboration with students of business, health and human services and education programs, as well as students from the global community. Students will examine topics with colleagues and experts in the fields of:

 Business
 Finance/Accounting
 Leadership/Management
 Organizational Development and Design
 Public Health
 Health Service Administration
 Education
 Disaster Management

Students may take elective courses concurrently with the nursing core during the program which will accelerate completion from 24 months to approximately 16 months. Our Online M.S.N. can help current nurses in a number of professions including the following:

 Nurse Executive
 Nurse Leader
 Nurse Educator
 Nurse Administrator
 Care Coordinator
 Case Manager
 Managed Care Consultant

Curriculum
Benedictine's Master of Science in Nursing degree program can be completed in as little as 16 months. Electives can be taken concurrently with core nursing courses. Courses generally run eight weeks in duration and are taken one at a time in a laddered sequence. This unique approach allows students to become fully immersed in the subject matter of each course. The MSN program requires 36 semester hours of graduate coursework, which consist of 24 semester hours of required core course and 12 semester hours of approved electives. Students take an active role in their own learning process as they shape the direction of their curriculum. Benedictine's Online M.S.N. degree offers a dynamic curriculum. Courses include:

NRHL 510 (3) Transforming Nursing Roles: The Educator, Administrator and the Socially Sculptured Professional Nurse
NRHL 520 (3) Global Leadership: Foundations of Nursing and Health Care
NRHL 530 (3) Ethical and Culturally Competent Health Care Professional
NRHL 540 (3) Health Care Information Systems and Technology
NRHL 650 (3) The Teacher Scholar, Administrator, Visionary Leader
NRHL 660 (3) Measuring Quality in Health and Education Systems
NRHL 670 (3) Management, Human Resources and Financial Planning in Health and Education Systems
NRHL 680 (3) Synthesis and Transformation of Knowledge Capstone

Plus 12 Elective credits for a total of 36 credit-hours.

Faculty
Dr. Ethel Ragland, Ed.D., M.N., R.N.
Professor and Chair, Department of Nursing and Health School of Education and Health Sciences Benedictine University

Dr. Bonnie Beardsley, Ph.D., M.S.N, R.N.
Associate Professor, MSN Graduate Program Coordinator
Department of Nursing and Health, School of Education and Health Sciences, Benedictine University
PhD, Walden University
MSN, Lewis University
BSN, Olivet Nazarene University

Dr. Vicki J. Coombs, Vicki Coombs, Ph.D., RN
PhD, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
MSN, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
BSN, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

Dr. Deborah E. Jones, Ph.D., RN, MSN
PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Certificate Nursing Education, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
MSN, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
BSN, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

Dr. Toni A. Eason DNP, MS, APHN-BC
DNP, Leadership & Business of Healthcare, Rush University, Chicago, Ill.
MSN Health Policy;
MSN Community/Public Health Nursing, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
BSN, Howard University, Washington, DC

Dr. Mary Alkire Ed.D., MN. RN
EdD Educational Policy and Administration, University of Minnesota, MN
MS, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
BSN, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI

Dr. Daniel Berman, Ph.D., PsyD, MSN, RN, CPHQ
PhD Healthcare Administration, 2007 University of Phoenix
PsyD, Newport University, California
MSN, St. Joseph’s College of Maine, Maryland
BS, University of Massachusetts

Dr. Michelle Liken, Ph.D., MSN
Ed.D Curriculum & Instruction, University of South Carolina
PhD, University of Michigan
MSN, Michigan State University
BSN, University of Michigan-Flint

Dr. Bernice Roberts Kennedy, Ph.D., MSN
Post Doctorate Community Based Participatory Research/Health Disparities, 2005, University of South Carolina
PhD, Health Services, 1998, Walden University
MSN Nursing Mental Health/Administration, University of South Carolina 1998
BSN, University of South Carolina, 1975

Dr. Emily F. Keyes, Ph.D., MSN
PhD, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
MA, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
MA, Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA
BSN, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA

Dr. Constance A. Morrison, DNP, JD, MBA, ARNP, BC, PMHNP, LHD9nc) FAANP
J.D., New England School of Law 1986
DNP, Rocky Mountain University
Post Masters, University of Texas
MBA, Anna Maria College
M.S Forensic Nursing, Fitchburg State College, MA

Dr. Bobbie Whitworth, Ph.D., MSN, RNC
Ph.D. Organizational Management, Capella University
MSN, University of Southern Mississippi
BSN, University of Southern Mississippi

Dr. Carey Clark Ph.D., MSN,
PhD, California Institute of Integral Studies
MSN, California State University
BSN, Excelsior College
BS in Nutrition, Whittier College,
Licensed Public Health Nurse, California

Dr. Linda Beechinor, DNP, M.S. APN
DNP, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Ohio
MS, Family Nurse Practitioner, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii’
BSN, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Dr. Sharon Ware, Ed.D., MSN
Ed.D, Oklahoma State University, Tulsa, Oklahoma
MSN, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina
BSN, California State University

Dr. Susan Sanner, Ph.D., RNP, CNS
PhD, Georgia State University, Atlanta GA, Educational Policy Studies
Post Masters FNP, Emory University, Atlanta Georgia
MS, Georgia State University Adult Health
BS, Georgia State University

Starting the Program
Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) from a program accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency for nursing. Have attained a GPA 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and will submit the following as applicable during the application process.

 Proof of License as a registered nurse
 Computer skills-proficiency in word processing, email and library on-line searches
 Applicants whose first language is not English must score 600 (paper-based) or 250 (computer-based) or higher on the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL)
 Official transcripts from post-secondary institutions
 Statement of Goals - maximum of two pages describing goals and rationale for pursuing a master degree in nursing. Include past nursing experiences that have prepared you to pursue a new role following completion of the program.
 One letter of professional recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant’s competence in the practice of nursing and potential for successful graduate education.

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