Tennessee Board of Regents Nursing Program Review

Made up of 46 educational institutions and enrolling over 200,000 students, the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) is the country’s sixth largest public higher education system. The TBR was formed in 2001 and uses its network of schools to offer programs in 90 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. With six state universities, 13 community colleges, and 27 technical centers, the TBR offers something for everyone.

With the TBR, students must choose a home campus. This is the school where they will apply to for admission, register for courses, and be awarded degrees and certificates.

Nursing Programs

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

The MSN program curriculum is offered through the Regents Online Degree Program (RODP) at all six of the TBR universities: East Tennessee State University, Austin Peay State University, Tennessee State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University, and University of Memphis.

Students may choose to study one of the following concentrations for their MSN degree: Nursing Informatics, Nursing Administration, Nursing Education, or Family Nurse Practitioner.

To apply to the MSN program, students must submit an application to the RODP, and become enrolled in one of the six member universities. They will also need to have a current Registered Nurse (RN) license, have a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher, a resume and explanation of professional experience, career goals, and desire for pursuing graduate studies, and at least three recommendations.

The MSN program has been accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC).

RN to MSN Bridge Option

This program is for RNs who have a bachelor degree in a field other than nursing. They will need to meet the requirements for the MSN program listed above, and complete 12 credit hours of bridge courses, before they can begin their MSN program.

Post Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate

This program is the intermediate step between an MSN and a doctorate. It is also designed for students who already have an MSN degree in a different concentration.

To apply, students must have an MSN degree, a 3.0 GPA or better, a current RN license, a resume and explanation of professional experience, career goals, and desire for pursuing graduate studies, and at least three recommendations. They must also successfully complete the courses of Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pathophysiology, and Advanced Pharmacology at the master’s level.

Pre-Nursing Tennessee Transfer Pathway

This is a first year pre-nursing curriculum for students seeking a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. It was developed to allow students to take their first year of nursing studies at a community college, and then be able to transfer to a four year institution.

Students will take a prescribed set of courses including English Composition I and II, Fundamentals of Communication, General Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Probability and Statistics, and two History electives, for a total of 32 credit hours.

The curriculum ensures that they will be on par with students who take their first year of studies at the four year college. Students should be aware, however, that taking the pre-nursing curriculum does not guarantee they will be admitted to a BSN program.

Contact:
Tennessee Board of Regents
1415 Murfreesboro Road, Suite 350
Nashville
, TN 37217-2833