Master of Science in Nursing

NURS 510 · Advanced Pathophysiology · 3 credits · Fall

Examines disease processes across the body systems and how they change assessment findings and treatment decisions. Students work through case studies drawn from adult, older adult, and pediatric care.

NURS 520 · Health Policy and Advocacy · 3 credits · Fall, Spring

Covers how federal and state health policy is made, financed, and regulated, and how nurses shape it. Students write a policy brief on an issue in their own practice setting.

NURS 530 · Research Methods for Nursing · 3 credits · Fall, Spring

Introduces quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs and how to appraise published nursing research. Students draft a focused clinical question and a search of the literature.

NURS 531 · Evidence-Based Practice · 3 credits · Spring

Teaches how to grade evidence, synthesize studies, and turn findings into practice or teaching changes. Students build an evidence summary that becomes the starting point for the capstone.

NURS 540 · Nursing Informatics · 3 credits · Summer

Covers electronic health records, clinical decision support, data privacy, and the use of patient data to improve care. Students evaluate a health information system from their own workplace.

NURS 550 · Curriculum Design in Nursing Education · 3 credits · Fall

Covers learning outcomes, course sequencing, and accreditation standards for nursing programs and staff education. Students design a course or unit with objectives and assessments.

NURS 551 · Teaching and Learning Strategies · 3 credits · Fall

Compares lecture, case-based, flipped, and clinical teaching methods for adult learners. Students teach short sessions and receive peer and faculty feedback.

NURS 552 · Assessment and Evaluation in Nursing Education · 3 credits · Fall, Spring

Covers writing exam items, scoring clinical performance, and using program data to improve teaching. Students build a test blueprint and a clinical evaluation rubric.

NURS 553 · Simulation and Clinical Teaching · 3 credits · Fall, Spring

Students plan, run, and debrief simulation scenarios in the health sciences simulation lab. The course also covers coaching students during clinical shifts.

NURS 560 · Nursing Leadership and Organizational Behavior · 3 credits · Fall, Spring

Covers leadership styles, team dynamics, conflict, and change management on nursing units. Students analyze a leadership problem in their own organization.

NURS 561 · Healthcare Finance and Resource Management · 3 credits · Spring

Teaches unit budgeting, staffing models, reimbursement, and cost-benefit analysis for nurse managers. Students prepare a budget proposal for a hospital or clinic unit.

NURS 562 · Quality Improvement and Patient Safety · 3 credits · Fall, Spring

Introduces root cause analysis, plan-do-study-act cycles, and safety reporting systems. Students analyze a real safety event and propose a fix.

NURS 590 · Advanced Nursing Practicum · 3 credits · Summer

A supervised placement of about 150 hours in a nursing education or nursing leadership setting, matched to the student's track. A preceptor and a faculty member oversee the work.

NURS 598 · Evidence-Based Practice Capstone · 6 credits · Fall

Students carry out an evidence-based practice project on a problem in their workplace and present the results to faculty and practice partners. A written report is due at the end of the semester.