Wisconsin, albeit famous for its cheese and icy winters, has a shortage of nurses and other medical professionals. Any registered nurse who is interested in the challenges and opportunities of advanced practice nursing may get a masters in nursing via a variety of programs.
Direct-entry MSN programs and expedited bridge programs (from a BSN to an MSN) are only two of the many paths to an MSN in Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s colleges and universities offer accelerated RN to MSN and BSN to MSN programs so that registered nurses may get advanced practice nursing degrees in a shorter amount of time.
There are now more options than ever for nurses to further their education and develop their careers via further study. Students can devote more time to schoolwork when they may log in to their courses from anywhere with an internet connection.
Such bridge programs help students reach where they need to go faster by making the most of previously earned credit and enabling certain material taken at the bachelor’s level to count for credit at the master’s level.
The average time it takes to complete an RN-to-MSN program is five consecutive semesters of full-time study. The BSN to MSN program requires a minimum of three successive semesters of full-time study.
Traditional eligibility requirements for BSN to MSN program are:
- Educated nurses with a BSN or ADN from a recognized institution (degree level may vary by program)
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Qualifications Valid, unencumbered RN license
- Practicable medical background
- Documents such as an essay or personal statement on your resume
BSN to MSN Programs in Wisconsin
Listed below are some of the popular school offering BSN to MSN programs in Wisconsin:
- Alverno College
- Concordia University
- Marquette University
- University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
- University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
- Keiser University
- Regent University
- South University
Alverno College in Wisconsin
There are usually a lot of hurdles in the way of someone wanting to make a job change, but Alverno College in Wisconsin has done away with all of them. Direct admission MSN programs are designed for students who already have a bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than nursing. The innovative curriculum uses a “abilities-based approach” to help students quickly earn both a BSN and an MSN.
The NCLEX-RN preparation component is included into the full-time program’s clinical rotations. Students may get experience in both hospital and community settings while enrolled in the program. A minimum of 18 months of full-time study is required for a typical program.
Common requirements for entry are:
- Submit certified transcripts from an authorized institution showing that you earned a bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than nursing with a GPA of 3.0 or better.
- Achieved GPA in required science and statistics courses
- Obtaining recommendations and submitting an application
- Achieved competency in administering basic life support
Concordia University Wisconsin School of Nursing
Concordia University Wisconsin’s School of Nursing has many options for earning a Master of Science in Nursing. They provide both a standard route to an MSN and an RN-to-BSN-to-MSN route.
Students who have an Associate’s degree in nursing may benefit from the RN to MSN bridge program. The curriculum shortens the time it takes to achieve a BSN and an MSN. Students still need to fulfill the Liberal Arts prerequisites for a BSN before they may enroll in the program. However, courses passed with a grade of B or better from another institution are accepted for transfer.
The following positions and sub-specialties are supported by MSN programs:
- Practitioner in Adult
- Geriatric Nursing
Nurse education programs leading to certification as a family nurse practitioner may be completed in either a full or part time schedule. The coursework may be completed in a variety of formats, including fully online, fully on-campus, and hybrid.
Candidates for the RN-MSN track must have earned a minimum 3.0 GPA in their Associate’s in Nursing from a school recognized by the National League for Nursing. A valid U.S. RN license, current CPR certification, and active employment as a registered nurse are all requirements.
Traditional MSN applicants must have a BSN from a school that has been fully approved by the National League for Nursing and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. They need to have taken and passed basic statistics and health assessment courses during the last five years. Students also need a valid U.S. RN license and current CPR certification to enroll.
Marquette University College of Nursing
Marquette University’s College of Nursing provides students with many options for completing the requirements for the Master of Science in Nursing degree. They have both the conventional BSN to MSN route, and the more modern Direct Entry route.
If you already hold a Bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than nursing, you may be eligible for the Direct Entry route program. The 75-hour program is an accelerated generalist nursing curriculum designed to get students ready for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) after they finish the first 63 credits, and then to give them an MSN after they finish the last 12 credits. Clinical Nurse Leader certification test participation is a further benefit of this program’s conclusion.
Registered nurses who already hold a Bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing might benefit from the RN to MSN route program. There are a number of prerequisite “bridge” courses that RN-to-MSN program participants must finish before beginning their graduate studies.
Both RN to MSN and BSN to MSN programs provide Master of Science in Nursing degrees, with concentrations in a variety of fields.
- Adult-Gerontology Emergency Nurse Practitioner
- Primary Care Nurse Specialist in Adults and Older Adults
- Adult-Gerontology Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Specialist in Pediatric Primary Care Nursing
- Expert Clinical Nurse in Pediatrics
- Nurse-Midwifery
- Leadership in Healthcare Systems from a Clinical Nurse Executive Perspective
- The Marquette University combined Master of Science in Nursing/Master of Business Administration program is one option.
Students with a 3.0 or better undergraduate GPA (on a 4.0 scale) who want to apply to the Direct Entry program must have a Bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than nursing. Students with a GPA of 3.2 or better are exempt from the need to take the Graduate Record Examination. Twenty-plus credit hours of prereqs must have been completed within the last five years with a “C” or better.
Anyone with a B.A. in a discipline other than nursing and an A.S. in nursing who wants to enroll in the RN to MSN program needs a 3.0 or above in both their pre-nursing and nursing courses. All applicants with a GPA below 3.2 need to provide a GRE score and need to have a valid RN license in the state of Wisconsin.
Those who want to join through the conventional MSN route must have earned a B.S.N. with a 3.0 or better GPA. They need to have a C or better in introductory nursing research, health assessment, and statistics courses. They need to have a valid nursing license in the state of Wisconsin.
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
The College of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee offers many choices for completing the Master of Science in Nursing degree requirements. They provide a standard MSN curriculum, an RN-to-MSN program, and Direct Entry.
If you already have a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a subject other than nursing, and you want to switch careers and become an RN, you may follow the Direct Entry route. Cohorts of students go through the curriculum together. They study for the NCLEX-RN test for a whole year and a half.
After passing the RN licensing exam, students finish the last 24 hours of their MSN. Students will be trained to take the National Certification Examination for Clinical Nurse Leaders upon completion of the program.
The RN to MSN program is available to nurses who currently possess a diploma or an Associate’s degree in nursing. By include nine credits of graduate courses in the BSN curriculum, the program reduces the time it takes to obtain both the BSN and the MSN. A Clinical Nurse Leader is a certified nurse practitioner, and this curriculum helps nurses become ready for that test.
In order to become a clinical nurse leader, RNs with a BSN might follow the BSN to MSN track. There are 33 required credits for completion of the program, which may be done in either full- or part-time increments.
Direct Entry MSN applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree or higher from a field other than nursing. If your undergraduate GPA was 3.2 or better, or if you already have a Master’s degree, you may skip the GRE. Before joining the program, qualified candidates must satisfy a variety of academic prerequisites. Within the first five years of enrollment, students must get a “B” or above in each of the following required courses: General and Molecular Biology, Organic Chemistry, Nutrition, Microbiology, and Statistics.
MSN programs are open to registered nurses with either a diploma or an Associate’s degree in the discipline.
Candidates for the BSN-to-MSN track must already possess a Bachelor of Science in Nursing before enrolling. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) may be eliminated for applicants with a Master’s degree or above or a 3.20 or higher undergraduate GPA. A grade of B or higher in an undergraduate-level Statistics course taken within the last five years is required. A valid nursing license is required.
University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
In the College of Nursing at UW–Oshkosh, there are two ways to get a Master of Science in Nursing. Both the conventional MSN and the RN-to-BSN-to-MSN routes are available.
Diploma and Associate degree-holding Registered Nurses are the target audience for the RN to BSN to MSN program. Students may study MSN electives in their last year of the BSN program, speeding up their enrollment into the MSN program.
There is a 37-credit hour minimum for both options. A full-time student may finish them in 2 years, whereas it will take 3 years for a part-time student.
All applicants to the RN-to-MSN program must have been admitted to an RN-to-BSN program beforehand. BSN students in their last two semesters are able to apply to the MSN program. Health Assessment with lab experience and a statistics course taken within the last five years are prerequisites for admission. They need to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better.
Applicants to the BSN to MSN track must possess a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an NLNAC/ACEN or CCNE-accredited nursing program. Students with GPAs between 2.70 and 2.99 may be admitted on probation if they have a strong academic history. They must have earned a B or higher in a college-level Statistics course taken during the last five years.
All states mandate that nursing applicants have an active RN license in the state in which they will complete their clinical hours. Work experience is preferred, but not required.
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