Missouri Southern State University – Joplin Nursing School Review

Founded in 1937, Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) has kept to it mission of giving international education, professional and liberal arts programs and the lifelong learning that comes with delivery of education.  From the status of a junior college to the four-year large state supported university it is today, it has nothing but outstanding milestones of developments to show. It serves the residents of Southern Missouri and beyond through its four-well organized schools and academic departments offering over 200 academic programs.

Nursing Degrees at Missouri Southern State University

The school of technology, one of the four schools of Missouri Southern State University is home to the department of nursing. The nursing department has both undergraduate and graduate degree programs to offers to qualified candidates. Of the three programs offered, two are baccalaureate nursing tracks while one is master level degree track. Programs have been accredited by the National League in Nursing Accrediting Commission and approved by Missouri State Board on Nursing. More information is given below:

Undergraduate Nursing

Three undergraduate nursing tracks are on offer at Missouri Southern State University namely:

Bachelor of Science in nursing

This program welcomes freshmen candidates who are recent high school graduates. It is a pre licensure program that prepares student nurses to meet the requirement of eligibility to write the NCLEX-RN exam to become registered nurses. It is available only in a full time format from the main campus in Joplin. Students take 79 nursing major credits and 47 general education credit hours to be allowed to graduate.

RN to BSN Track

This is a completion program that had been initially designed for associate degree graduates of Southern State. However, the associate nursing program was discontinued and hence the RN to BSN track welcomes all candidates who are already registered nurses. The diploma or associate degrees must from a state approved program otherwise; students from a non accredited program are challenged to take a level 300 Transition in Nursing Course.

A registered nurse license for the State of Missouri is also required for students to be allowed to receive the 31 credit validation towards the Bachelor of Science in nursing. Students can receive more credits if they opt to take an additional nursing challenge courses upon payment of an assessment fee.

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing

This intensive immersion program is designed for career changers who wish to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) to become professional nurses by taking the NLCEX-RN exam. Candidates must be graduates from other non-nursing baccalaureate programs. All applications for the program must be received at MSSU by 31st January each year and classes commence in the summer session.

Due to the intensive nature of the program, students do not follow the usual university calendar. Classes are conducted from the start of one summer to the end of the next taking approximately 14 months. Classes are scheduled every Friday evening and during the weekends for the nursing courses. The general education and core course requirements are met by the credits of the earlier baccalaureate program.

Graduate Nursing Program

Master of Science in Nursing (Family Nurse Practitioner)

This is the only Master of Science in nursing program offered at Missouri Southern State University. The program is not offered at the university independently but rather, as a partnership with University of Missouri-Kansas City.  It is specifically designed for Bachelor of Science in nursing graduates who must apply through the University of Missouri-Kansas City and not Southern State. Students in the program take coursework from both universities.

The mode of curriculum delivery is both full time and part time and classes are taken from both universities on a fixed- predetermined rotational manner. This means that students cannot choose when to attend which campus at anytime. Rotational course offering means that when certain courses are being offered at UMKC, they cannot be offered at MSSU at the same period.

Contact:
Missouri Southern State University – Joplin
3950 Newman Road, Joplin,
MO 64801