Western Connecticut State University

Program Length & Format

• 15-month schedule: begins Summer Session I Year 1 and ends Summer Session III Year 2
• Accelerated core total: 58 semester hours (SH)
• Total degree requirement: 120 SH for Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Primary delivery: day classes with occasional clinicals on evenings or weekends
• Course delivery mix: in-person classroom, college lab sessions, clinical placements, and some online courses (e.g., NUR 374 online)

Admission Requirements

• Completed bachelor’s degree in any field required
• Minimum GPA for application: 2.7 (as listed in ABiN program requirements)
• Academic history review for prerequisite completion and overall record
• Sciences used to meet prerequisites must be no more than 10 years old

Prerequisites

• Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab (grade C+ or higher)
• One organic or inorganic chemistry course (grade C+ or higher)
• Microbiology (grade C or higher)
• Health and Nutrition (HPX 205) (grade C or higher)
• Elementary Statistics or Biostatistics
• Writing Intensive II (Writing & Information Literacy)
• Introduction to Psychology (PSY 100)
• Introduction to Sociology (SOC 100 or SOC 120)
• Oral/Interpersonal Communications class

Application / Pre-entry Requirements

• Submission of academic record for evaluation of prerequisite completion
• Required health and certification documentation must be submitted either before or by the start of ABiN classes:
  • Current health form
  • PPD skin test or chest x-ray or QuantiFERON blood test
  • Measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccinations or antibody titers
  • Hepatitis B vaccination, Hepatitis B titers, or signed declination
  • Tdap vaccine within last 10 years
  • Initial COVID vaccine series and booster
  • CPR Basic Life Support (Health Care Provider) American Heart Association or American Red Cross

Retention & Graduation Requirements

• Minimum grade of C (2.0) required in all NUR-designated courses and in BIO 215 and HPX 205
• Medication Math Test required for students transitioning between Summer I and Summer II/III; passing score greater than 85%
• Students must earn minimum cumulative GPA 2.5 and at least 120 SH to graduate
• Minimum grade of C required in all Nursing courses for graduation

Clinical & Simulation Lab

• Clinical components integrated across courses (examples from sequence):
  • NUR 235 Clinical Practice I includes clinical/lab and clinical sessions (summer)
  • NUR 255 and NUR 327 include weekly clinical and lab sessions (fall)
  • NUR 300 includes clinical (winter intersession)
  • NUR 325 and NUR 335 include clinical and college lab sessions (spring)
• NUR 475 Nursing Practicum: 6 SH and 135 clinical hours; practicum meets one to two days per week with clinical hours on various days
• Department-level simulation and college lab sessions used in multiple courses

Credit Transfer

• Past college coursework may be applied toward the second bachelor’s degree where appropriate
• Science prerequisite courses accepted for program entry must be completed within the last 10 years

Cost & Financial Aid

• Connecticut Health Horizons grant allocations for WCSU (fiscal amounts to the university):
  • $810,000 for faculty hires for BSN and Psychiatric NP programs
  • $200,000 in scholarships for the BSN program
  • $400,000 in scholarships for students with a completed science degree who meet prerequisites to add one year of studies for a BSN
  • $250,000 in scholarships for the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner program
• Standard student expenses noted elsewhere: course fees, testing resources, clinical requirements (uniforms, CPR, immunizations), NCLEX exam and licensure application fees (specific ABiN tuition and fees not listed in source)

Contacts

• Jeanette Lupinacci, Department Chair — [email protected]
• Monica Sousa, Undergraduate Coordinator — [email protected]
• Western Connecticut State University main address and phone:
  • 181 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810
  • Phone: 203-837-9000

The Western Connecticut State University Master of Science in Nursing Program is designed to prepare nurses for advanced practice, leadership, education and management roles. The program is offered in two tracks the Adult Nurse Practitioners and Advanced Nursing Practice: Clinical Nurse Specialist.  

The program requires students to complete 36 credits of a specialized curriculum consisting of a core of theoretical, research and issues coursework, a practical and support components to offer a concentrated practicum experience. The clinical and role components courses include a minimum of 500 hours of clinical practicum experience and a research based project or a thesis.

The MSN program is designed for students enrolling on a part time basis with courses offered in the evening to allow students to complete the program in an average of 4 years with students allowed a maximum of 6 years to complete the degree.

Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to sit for the certification examination in their chosen specialty.

Admissions Requirements:

1. Baccalaureate Degree from an accredited institution
2. Minimum of a 3.00 Quality Point Average
3. Official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate studies
4. Satisfactory score on the Miller Analogies Test (for those applicants with an undergraduate QPA lower than 3.00)
5. Current, valid and unencumbered license to practice as a Registered Nurse
6. Professional Resume
7. One professional letter of recommendation
8. Interview with the MS program coordinator