Direct Entry/Master of Science in Nursing

Program Objectives

The Direct Entry/MSN program is designed for college graduates who hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing and want to pursue nursing as a second career.

• Step 1: Cohorts begin each May. For the first 15 months (full summer, fall, spring and another full summer) you will do classes and clinicals on a full-time basis during the day, in the evening, and on weekends.
• Step 2: If you complete the required prerequisites and 56 nursing credits, you will earn the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in nursing and be eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensing examination. Currently our students have a 100 percent NCLEX pass rate.
• Step 3: Accumulate six months (one year preferred) of experience as a practicing registered nurse.
• Step 4: After working as a registered nurse, you will focus on completing graduate coursework, part-time or full-time, in either Education, Administration, or Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. 

Additional Requirements for the Direct Entry/MSN Program

Prerequisites*

• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
• Anatomy and Physiology I and II (4 credit course with lab)
• General Chemistry (4 credit course with lab)
• Microbiology (4 credit course with lab)
  Microbiology at Salem State has prerequisites (Biology and Chemistry). 
  Other accredited colleges may offer Microbiology without prerequisites.
• Pathophysiology (4 credit course)
• Statistics (3 credits)

*Prerequisite Notes

• Can be taken at any accredited college/university
• Cannot be more than seven years old - no exceptions
• Must be completed with grade of B or better by the beginning of the program in May