RN to MSN with an Associate’s Degree
There is not direct track to a master’s degree in nursing (MSN) if you are an RN who completed your nursing studies with an associate’s degree. You are going to be required to complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing on your way to the MSN program. However there are RN to MSN Bridge Programs that are designed to streamline that process and make it achievable as rapidly as possible.
The RN to BSN step is an expansion of the associate’s degree to include many of the core courses found in any bachelor’s program in college, along with additional training in nursing. A typical RN to BSN program will include perhaps 60 credits in nursing and the same number in liberal arts classes. However the majority of the nursing credits are offset by RN experience and the associate’s degree, leaving some advanced nursing courses and the college course that you missed by opting for a fast track to a profession.
An RN to MSN Bridge Program will typically incorporate some of the upper division BSN nursing courses into the MSN curriculum. That step will shorten the credit obligations for an RN to MSN program that requires completion of both the BSN and the MSN. Transfer of credits from the associate’s program will help as well, although the process can be a challenge depending upon the schools. An RN to MSN Bridge for licensed nurses with an associate’s degree should be no more than a three year program.
Some schools accept licensed nurses with an associate’s degree into the RN to MSN program, having designed a curriculum to match the student’s needs. Case Western Reserve University has such a program; however there are undergraduate prerequisites that may require some attention prior to enrolling. In some cases schools will allow students who lack some of the prerequisites to make them up after entry into the program. Some of the RN to MSN programs accept RNs with an associate’s degree, but require substantial general course work at the undergraduate level prior to admission. What that means varies from school to school and may be subject to some discussion regarding the transfer of credits. The best course of action is a lengthy discussion with the admissions department in the School of Nursing.
There are also examples of schools that accept an RN with an associate’s degree into an MSN program but limit the areas of specialization within the MSN catalog. That may or may not be acceptable depending upon your goals as an MSN graduate. Gonzaga University has an excellent RN to MSN program that allows for transfer of a certain percentage of undergraduate credits and welcomes students with an associate’s degree. The available MSN specializations in this program, however, are limited to Nurse Educator and Health Systems Leadership. That does not preclude later pursuit of post-Masters training in Nurse Practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist; it would simply mean a longer academic commitment.
