Kansas MSN Programs
Fort Hays State University: RN to MSN Program Review
Fort Hays State University, 600 Park Street, Hays, Kansas 67601-4099
Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. It is the fourth-largest state university that was founded in 1902 as a normal school. The university is located at 600 Park Street, Hays, Kansas 67601-4099. Fort Hays State University offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program for nurses who want to pursue advanced nursing roles that require a graduate nursing degree. There are three masters degree nursing tracks, which are the Nursing Administration Track, Nursing Education Track, and the Family Nurse Practitioner Track.
Registered Nurses who are interested in pursuing an advanced degree at the university need to complete both the University Graduate School application and the Graduate Nursing Program application. Admission requirements include a baccalaureate degree with an upper division major in nursing and a grade point average of at least 3.0. Prerequisite courses include statistics and an undergraduate course in health assessment. Those interested in the program should have a current nursing license to practice in the United States. Professional liability insurance coverage and personal health insurance coverage are also required. Applicants must have BLS certification from American Heart Healthcare provider and must meet the health requirements of the program. Candidates for the Family Nurse Practitioner Track are also required to have at least one year’s experience as a registered nurse and an undergraduate pathophysiology course.
All students in the Nursing Administration and Nursing Education Tracks are required to complete a thesis. Family Nurse Practitioner students complete a project before graduation. All courses are delivered online through the Virtual College, and Family Nurse Practitioner students complete a hybrid program that combines online learning with in-class learning.
MidAmerica Nazarene University: RN to MSN Program Review
MidAmerica Nazarene University
2030 East College Way
Olathe, Kansas 66062-1899
MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU), located at 2030 East College Way, Olathe, Kansas 66062-1899, is a Christian institution that was founded in 1966. A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program is offered online as well as at the Olathe, Liberty, and North Kansas City locations of the university. The program is designed with some unique features designed to make pursuing the graduate degree in nursing easily attainable for the working nurse. Courses are in 7-week modules and students may begin the program at the start of any module. It is possible to complete the program in only one year. Classes are one day each week and are taught either online or in blended formats.
The MSN program degree tracks include the following:
Healthcare Administration Track
Nursing Education Track
Public Health Track
Healthcare Quality Management
To be considered for the program, applicants must have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a grade point average of 3.0 or better. Statistics at the undergraduate level is a prerequisite course that must be completed before beginning the program. Applicants must have licensure as a Registered Nurse that is active and unencumbered. In addition, two recommendation letters are required. Once admitted into the graduate nursing program, students must all complete the graduate nursing core curriculum.
The Public Health Track offered at MNU must take the Public Health Functional Area content courses. Students must also pick an area of emphasis. Emphasis in School Nursing, Occupational Health, or Infectious Disease Control is areas that students may choose from.
Newman University: RN to MSNA Program Review
Newman University
3100 McCormick
Wichita, Kansas 67219
Newman University is a Catholic liberal arts university located at 3100 McCormick, Wichita, Kansas 67219. The university began in 1902 as a girls’ school and became a women’s junior college in 1933. In 1998, it became Newman University. One graduate nursing program is offered, which is the Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia (MSNA). The program consists of a 24-month full-time curriculum consisting of six back-to-back semesters totaling 60 credits.
Requirements for program candidates are Bachelor of Science degree in nursing with a grade point average of at least 3.0. Applicants who do not have a bachelors degree in science are considered individually. Licensure as a Registered Nurse is required, and prerequisite courses of statistics and an undergraduate nursing research course must have been completed. Applicants must have Advanced Cardiac Life Support & Pediatric Life Support certifications and at least one year of full-time employment as a professional nurse in an intensive care unit, burn unit, or other critical care setting.
To apply to the program, candidates must take the GRE and must earn a score of at least 290 combined verbal and quantitative sections. Three professional recommendations are required plus a copy of the applicant’s official transcript. Once accepted into the program, a total of 60 credits must be completed along with 2,400 clinical clock hours.
Pittsburg State University: RN to MSN Program Review
Pittsburg State University
1701 South Broadway
Pittsburg, Kansas 66762
Pittsburg State University (Pitt State or PSU) is located at 1701 South Broadway, Pittsburg, Kansas 66762. It was founded in 1903 as a normal school and became Pittsburg State University in 1977. U.S. News & World Report named Pitt State Number 87 among Best Midwestern Universities in the Masters category. They also ranked students at the university 4th in Midwest Universities Masters category for the least amount of debt after graduation. The Department of Nursing at Pitt State offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program.
The Master of Science in Nursing program has two specialty areas that students may choose from. These are the Advanced Practice and Nurse Practitioner programs that share core courses before branching off into coursework unique to each specialty. Both special areas provide training for nurses who want to pursue careers in advanced nursing. The program consists of 45 to 47 credits for the Advanced Practice and Nurse Practitioner programs. In addition, if a student wants to complete eight additional credits, courses leading to Administrative Nurse Leader or Nursing Education may be completed as well.
To be considered for the masters degree program in nursing, applicants must have a grade point average on undergraduate degree work of at least 3.0. Applicants with grade point averages of 2.7 to 2.999 are admitted on a space available basis. Reference forms from an immediate supervisor, bachelors degree nursing program, and a professional reference must be submitted to the Department of Nursing. A baccalaureate degree in nursing is required, and a resume and documentation of work experience as a professional nurse are also necessary. Applicants must also complete a proctored writing sample, and a personal interview may be required. In addition, candidates must have a current Kansas Registered Nursing license, Basic Life Support certification, and must pass a background check.
University of Kansas Medical Center: RN to MS Program Review
University of Kansas Medical Center
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, Kansas 66160
The University of Kansas Medical Center is located at the University of Kansas (KU) at 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, Kansas 66160. The KU Department of Nursing was established in 1906, and today a Master of Science (MS) in nursing program is offered to nurses who want to files roles in advanced nursing that require masters degrees. Specialty Core Areas are the following:
Clinical Research Management
Nursing Informatics
Organizational Leadership
Public Health Nursing
To be considered for admission to the MS program, applicants must have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree with a minimum grade point average of 3.0. At least one year of clinical experience as a registered nurse is required, and applicants must have completed an undergraduate level physical/health assessment course. A graduate statistics course is also required. Admission to the program is competitive. Applicants must submit their graduate application and fee, plus official transcripts to the School of Nursing. A letter outlining career goals and three reference letters are also required, as is a resume/curriculum vitae. A phone or on-campus interview may also be required.
Those admitted into the program must attend the mandatory New Graduate Student Orientation and must have a criminal background check. Proof of licensure as a registered nurse is required in both Kansas and Missouri. New students must also meet all of the health and other requirements of new graduate nursing students.
Washburn University: RN to MSN Program Review
Washburn University
1700 SW College Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66621
Washburn University is located at 1700 SW College Avenue, Topeka, Kansas 66621. Founded in 1865 as Lincoln College, it was later named after Ichabod Washburn and later became Washburn University. U.S. News & World Report ranked the university as 7th in the Midwest in public Masters level universities. The university also ranks near the top among Masters degree institutions in endowment per student. The School of Nursing offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree with three specialty tracks. These are Adult Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and clinical Nurse Leader.
The Master of Science in Nursing Adult Nurse Practitioner program provides training for nurses who want to provide primary care for adults from teenage years through the elderly years. The curriculum consists of 45 credits that are completed plus a Graduate Project or Thesis. Professional nurses who are seeking training that prepares them to care for the entire family and who are enrolled in the Family Nurse Practitioner program must complete 50 to 56 credits. A Graduate Project or Thesis is also required for this track. Both nurse practitioner programs can be completed in two years on a full-time basis, and both a three-year and four year part-time programs are offered. The masters program in Clinical Nurse Leader requires three years of study.
Admission requirements to the MSN program include completion of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree with a grade point average of 3.0 or better and current licensure as a registered nurse in Kansas. Applicants must also complete the prerequisite course of graduate inferential statistics to be considered for the masters program.
Wichita State University: RN to MSN Program Review
Wichita State University
1845 Fairmount Street
Wichita, Kansas 67260
Wichita State University (WSU) is one of the six state universities in the state, and it is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. It was founded in 1895 and is one of three research universities in the state. U.S. News & World Report named WSU as a Tier 2 National Universities in the United States, and it was rated Number 70 and Number 88 in the USA in previous years. The university offers a masters degree in nursing with two concentrations. These are Nursing Education – Direct Care and Nursing Leadership and Administration. The previously offered Family Nurse Practitioner, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric mental Health Nurse Practitioner, as well as the CNS-Clinical Nurse Specialist are now offered on the doctoral level at the university.
The university is currently revising the curriculum for the MSN program. Interested nurses should contact the School of Nursing for the latest information. The phone number is (800) 516-0290.
