Nursing: RN to MSN Pathway

To be admitted to the RN to MSN pathway at UNCP, you must meet these requirements:

Basic Eligibility

• Hold an associate degree or diploma in nursing from an approved program
• Have an unencumbered RN license to practice in North Carolina or a compact state

Academic Requirements

• Meet the undergraduate catalog's minimum requirements
• Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in undergraduate studies

Application Process

• Use the Apply Now button above to submit your application to UNCP.
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions

Note: Admission to the RN-MSN Pathway does not guarantee acceptance into a specific MSN specialization.

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Prerequisite Course Requirements

To join the RN to MSN program, you must complete most of the required prerequisite courses before admission. All general education courses must be completed before applying to the MSN program.

• You can take these courses at UNCP or any accredited college or university
• Credits are accepted if you earned a C or higher
• There is no expiration date for general education credits

Required Courses

You must complete all but 15 credits before admission:

• English Composition: 3 credits
• Arts/Humanities (Fine Art, Literature, History, or Logic): 12 credits
• Social Sciences (Economics, Geography, Psychology, Sociology, or Political Science): 9 credits
• Biological Sciences (Anatomy & Physiology I & II, Microbiology): 12 credits
• Natural Sciences/Math (Chemistry and College Math): 11 credits
• Statistics (Math, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, or Criminal Justice): 3 credits
• Physical Education: 1 credit
• NUR 2020: 1 credit
• Electives: 8 credits

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We're here to make transferring as smooth as possible for you. Here's everything you need to know about prerequisites, transcript reviews and what transfers to UNC Pembroke.

1. Choose the Right Checklist
   • Use a course checklist to see required courses.
   • Use the RN-BSN Checklist if you have:
     • An associate degree in applied science
   • Use the Second-Degree Seeking Checklist if you have:
     • An associate degree in arts or science
     • Any bachelor's degree
2. Check Which Courses Will Transfer
   • Use the Transfer Course Equivalency Tool:
     • Select your state, college and course subject
     • Compare your results to the RN-BSN or Second-Degree Seeking Checklists above
3. Submit Your Transcripts for Review
   • Apply and get admitted to UNC Pembroke
   • Your transcripts will be reviewed by the Office of Admissions and Registrar's Office
   • Transfer coursework will be added to your UNC Pembroke transcript after orientation

   Note: Transcript reviews are not available before admission or orientation

Special Circumstances

I already have a bachelor's degree. What courses do I need to take?

1. Review the Second-Degree Seeking Checklist
2. Once admitted, contact the McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing for a second-degree audit to determine which courses you still need

A course didn't transfer in. Why?

If you feel like a course you have taken previously should transfer to UNC-Pembroke, you will need to provide a copy of that course's syllabus to the chair or department head of the equivalent department at UNCP. The department head will make the final determination for transfer courses.

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Are you ready to teach the next generation of nurses? The Nurse Educator Track prepares you to teach in nursing programs, staff training and community health education. You'll develop skills to create and lead effective learning programs. With two years of teaching experience, you can also qualify for the NLN Nurse Educator certification exam.

Plan of Study

Fall Semester - 1^st Year

1st 8 Weeks
Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 5000	Adv. Nursing Concepts in Theory and Practice1	3
NUR 3100	Transcultural Nursing	3
NUR 5020	Advanced Pathophysiology2 (16 weeks)	3
Credits - 9

¹Replaces NUR 3000 Transition to Professional Nursing
²Replaces NUR 3250 Pathophysiology (8-week course)

2nd 8 Weeks
Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 4120	Leadership	5
Credits - 5
Semester Credits - 14

Spring Semester - 1^st Year

1st 8 Weeks
Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 3300	Gerontological Nursing	3
NUR 50403 (16 weeks)	Advanced Health Assessment	3
Credits - 6

³Replaces NUR 3200 Health Assessment

2nd 8 Weeks
Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 4350	Community Health	5
NUR 50104	Research Methods for Evidenced Based Practice	3
Credits - 8
Semester Credits - 14

⁴Replaces NUR 4000 Nursing Research & Theory

Summer 1 (5 weeks)

Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 45505	Professional Nursing Issues in Practice	3
Credits - 3
Total Credits - 31

⁵After Completion of the NUR 4550 course students will receive their BSN Diploma

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Fall Semester - 2^nd Year

1st 8 Weeks
Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 5310	Curriculum Theory & Design in Nursing Education	3
NUR 5320	Classroom Teaching & Integration of Technology	3
NUR 5030 (16 weeks)	Advanced Pharmacology	3
Credits - 9

2nd 8 Weeks
Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 5330	Clinical Teaching Strategies in Nursing Education	3
NUR 5340	Measure/ Evaluation	3
Credits - 6
Semester Credits - 15

Spring Semester - 2^nd Year

Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 5110	Policy, Organization, and Financing of Health Care	3
NUR 5350 (16 weeks)	Nurse Educator Capstone Practicum	3
NUR 5360 (16 weeks)	Master's Nurse Educator Research or Action Project	3
Credits - 12
Semester Credits - 12
Total Program Credits - 39

Courses marked with a footnote are graduate-level courses that replace their aligned undergraduate equivalent, allowing students to substitute up to 4 undergraduate courses with graduate coursework at undergraduate tuition rates.

More About this Track

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If you're passionate about improving community health, this track is for you. You'll focus on coordinating care and managing cases to help rural populations achieve better health outcomes. This program prepares you for leadership roles in health care settings. After gaining experience, you'll be able to pursue case management certification.

Plan of Study

Fall Semester - 1^st Year

1st 8 Weeks
Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 5000	Adv. Nursing Concepts in Theory and Practice1	3
NUR 3100	Transcultural Nursing	3
NUR 5020	Advanced Pathophysiology2 (16 weeks)	3
Credits - 9

¹Replaces NUR 3000 Transition to Professional Nursing
²Replaces NUR 3250 Pathophysiology (8-week course)

2nd 8 Weeks
Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 4120	Leadership	5
Credits - 5
Semester Credits - 14

Spring Semester - 1^st Year

1st 8 Weeks
Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 3300	Gerontological Nursing	3
NUR 50403 (16 weeks)	Advanced Health Assessment	3
Credits - 6

³Replaces NUR 3200 Health Assessment

2nd 8 Weeks
Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 4350	Community Health	5
NUR 50104	Research Methods for Evidenced Based Practice	3
Credits - 8
Semester Credits - 14

⁴Replaces NUR 4000 Nursing Research & Theory

Summer 1 (5 weeks)

Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 45505	Professional Nursing Issues in Practice	3
Credits - 3
Total Credits - 31

⁵After Completion of the NUR 4550 course students will receive their BSN Diploma

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Fall Semester - 2^nd Year

1st 8 Weeks
Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 5100	Rural Health Care: Theoretical Foundations	2
NUR 5120	Human Relations Management	3
NUR 5030 (16 weeks)	Advanced Pharmacology	3
Credits - 8

2nd 8 Weeks
Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 5130	Rural Population Health	4
NUR 5140	Epidemiology & Global Health	3
Credits - 7
Semester Credits - 15

Spring Semester - 2^nd Year

Course #	Course Name	Hours
NUR 5110	Policy, Organization, and Financing of Health Care	3
NUR 5150 (16 weeks)	Clinical Prevention & Population Health Capstone Practicum	6
NUR 5160 (16 weeks)	Clinical Prevention & Population Health Thesis or Action Project or Action Project	3
Credits - 12
Semester Credits - 12
Total Program Credits - 39

Courses marked with a footnote are graduate-level courses that replace their aligned undergraduate equivalent, allowing students to substitute up to 4 undergraduate courses with graduate coursework at undergraduate tuition rates.

More About this Track

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