Master of Science in Nursing
Take your nursing career to the next level.
The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is a dynamic way for nursing professionals to gain upward mobility in the health care environment.
The demand for nurses with advanced education is on the rise. Florida Southern’s Master of Science in Nursing is a quick route to upward mobility and greater earning power. A Master of Science in Nursing will not only prepare you for a variety of leadership roles, but also enable you to command a generous salary.
Choose one of these Tracks in Nursing
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP)
Nursing Administrative Leadership
The Nursing Administrative Leadership track is designed to provide current and aspiring nurse managers and clinical nurse leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to guide daily operations in a variety of healthcare settings.
*Because this track is delivered primarily online and due to SEVIS guidelines, we are not able to accept international students into this program.
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
Nurse Educator (NE)
Combine your passion for teaching with top-notch clinical experience. This track prepares you to teach in an academic or healthcare setting by giving you expertise in teaching strategies and learning principles.
*Because this track is delivered fully online and due to SEVIS guidelines, we are not able to accept international students into this program.
CCNE Accredited
The master’s degree program in nursing at Florida Southern College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org)
Top Reasons
Supportive Environment
The MSN program provides a supportive learning environment with the goal of producing responsible and productive citizens who promote and advance the communities they serve.
Caring Faculty
The MSN program faculty develop caring relationships within a positive and enriching environment that cares for the whole person.
Personal Touch
Through shared values and communal expectations, the MSN faculty and support staff actively engage with student’s growth as they pursue their academic goals.
Meet Our Mocs
Ernie Parani, APRN
Kara Pinero, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Laurel Lawerence, APRN
Samantha Rios
Satoria Reid-Rowe, APRN, Family Practice
Colleen Wallace, MSN, NP-C
Kari Simpson
Mary Cornejo
Program Details
Admission Requirements
- Official transcripts of all academic work
- BSN from a regionally-accredited institution and a CCNE, CNEA, or ACEN accredited nursing program
- Record and submit three short videos (no more than 2 minutes each) answering the following prompts:
- Where do you see yourself in five years as a nurse practitioner, nurse leader, or nurse educator?
- Why is now the right time for you to begin a graduate nursing program?
- Graduate school will put significant demands on your time, energy, and financial resources. What do you see as your most significant challenges for meeting the didactic and clinical requirements for the program?
- Current Résumé
- Minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework.
- Required prerequisite courses completed with a “C” or better: health assessment, nursing research or evidence-based practice, and statistics or biostatistics course.
- Proof of current active licensure as a registered nurse in the state of Florida.
- Personal interview required for eligible candidates
- Completion of a criminal background check, proof of immunization, and ten-panel drug screen (if admitted)
Additional International Requirements
- Official Translated Transcripts With Course By Course Evaluation**
- Bank Letter Verifying Funds of Sponsor***
- Sponsor's Guarantee Form
- Valid Passport
- Official TOEFL/IELTS Score****
** SpanTran (discount available), Academic Evaluation Services, Inc., Josef Silny, or World Education Services or another similar approved transcript evaluation agency.
*** A bank letter is a written statement on bank letterhead and signed by a bank official.
**** Must have completed an English language training program or at least one year at an English speaking institution to waive the TOEFL/IELTS testing requirement.
Course Delivery
On-Campus
Courses in nursing are offered one day per week on campus in the morning, afternoon, or evening.
Curriculum
Nursing Administrative Leadership
Course Number | Course Description |
---|---|
NUR 5120 | Leadership, Role Development, and Advocacy for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 Hours) |
NUR 5250 | Evidence Translation and Quality Improvement for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 Hours) |
NUR 5450 | Informatics and Health Care Technologies |
Course Number | Course Description |
---|---|
NUR 5550 | Complex Healthcare Systems Operations Management (3 Hours) |
NUR 5575 | Human Capital Management (3 Hours) |
NUR 5600 | Applied Healthcare Economics and Financial Management (3 Hours) |
NUR 5625 | Legal and Regulatory Compliance in Healthcare (3 Hours) |
NUR 5650 | Advanced Leadership Skills for Nurse Administrators (3 Hours) |
NUR 5675 | Strategic and Operational Planning in Healthcare (3 Hours) |
NUR 6960 | Graduate Internship in Nursing: Nursing Administrative Leadership (3 Hours) |
NUR 6961 | Graduate Internship in Nursing: Nursing Administrative Leadership (3 Hours) |
Total Credits - 32 Hours
Clinical Practice Hour Requirement: At least 240 hours.
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
Course Number | Course Description |
---|---|
NUR 5120 | Leadership, Role Development and Advocacy for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 Hours) |
NUR 5150 | Advanced Pharmacology (3 Hours) |
NUR 5200 | Advanced Pathophysiology (3 Hours) |
NUR 5220 | Advanced Health Assessment (4 Hours) |
NUR 5250 | Evidence Translation and Quality Improvement for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 Hours) |
NUR 5400 | Health Promotion and Clinical Prevention for Advanced Nursing Practice (2 Hours) |
NUR 5450 | Informatics and Health Care Technologies |
NUR 6430 | Care of the Older Adult (2 Hours) |
NUR 6500 | Transition to Advanced Nursing Practice (Comprehensive Exam Review/Preparation) (1 Hour) |
Course Number | Course Description |
NUR 6110 | Advanced Practice Nurse 1 (6 Hours) |
NUR 6160 | Advanced Practice Nurse 2 (6 Hours) |
NUR 6210 | Advanced Practice Nurse 3 (6 Hours) |
Total Credits - 41 Hours
Clinical Practice Hour Requirement: At least 540 hours.
Family Nurse Practitioner
Course Number | Course Description |
NUR 5120 | Leadership, Role Development and Advocacy for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 Hours) |
NUR 5150 | Advanced Pharmacology (3 Hours) |
NUR 5200 | Advanced Pathophysiology (3 Hours) |
NUR 5220 | Advanced Health Assessment (4 Hours) |
NUR 5250 | Evidence Translation and Quality Improvement for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 Hours) |
NUR 5400 | Health Promotion and Clinical Prevention for Advanced Nursing Practice (2 Hours) |
NUR 5450 | Informatics and Health Care Technologies |
NUR 6430 | Care of the Older Adult (2 Hours) |
NUR 6500 | Transition to Advanced Nursing Practice (Comprehensive Exam Review/Preparation) (1 Hour) |
Course Number | Course Description |
NUR 6110 | Advanced Practice Nurse 1 (6 Hours) |
NUR 6160 | Advanced Practice Nurse 2 (6 Hours) |
NUR 6640 | Primary Health Care of Women (1 Hour) |
NUR 6645 | Pediatric: Family Health (5 Hours) |
NUR 6210 | Advanced Practice Nurse 3 (6 Hours) |
Total Credits - 47 Hours
Clinical Practice Hour Requirement: At least 660 hours.
Nurse Educator
Course Number | Course Description |
NUR 5120 | Leadership, Role Development and Advocacy for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 Hours) |
NUR 5175 | Advanced Pharmacology for Nurse Educators (3 Hours) |
NUR 5200 | Advanced Pathophysiology (3 Hours) |
NUR 5225 | Advanced Health Assessment for Nurse Educators (3 Hours) |
NUR 5250 | Evidence Translation and Quality Improvement for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 Hours) |
Course Number | Course Description |
NUR 6120 | Nurse Educator in the Clinical Setting (3 Hours) |
NUR 6125 | Teaching in Nursing Education (3 Hours) |
NUR 6225 | Assessment and Evaluation in Nursing Education (3 Hours) |
NUR 6260 | Curriculum Design and Program Development (3 Hours) |
NUR 6325 | Advanced Clinical Concepts for the Nurse Educator (2 Hours) |
NUR 6625 | Practicum in Nursing Education (3 Hours) |
Total Credits - 32 Hours
Clinical Practice Hour Requirement: Minimum 240 Hours
Program Costs
2023-2024
Base Required Fees | Cost |
Tuition Per Credit Hour | $650 |
Technology fee per semester is based on credit hours enrolled | $25 to $100 |
$250 Non-Refundable Enrollment Deposit (Upon acceptance and applied toward your first semester tuition balance)
I have a Bachelor degree in another field besides nursing. Am I eligible to apply for the MSN program at Florida Southern?
A Bachelor of Science in Nursing is one of the requirements for admission to our MSN program. Students who are interested in nursing as a new career may wish to consider an accelerated “second bachelor’s degree” BSN program. Alternatively, they could complete an Associate of Science degree in Nursing (ASN) and then go on to enroll in an RN-BSN program. This would give them the foundation needed to prepare for an MSN program.
Do you require the GRE for admission?
No, we do not require the GRE for consideration for admission to our nursing programs.
For which types of careers will this program prepare me?
Our nurse educator and nursing administrative leadership tracks prepare graduates for a variety of positions in both primary and acute care health care settings.
May I choose my own preceptors? Is there assistance if necessary?
Students have the opportunity to choose their own preceptors and are given access to our database of clinical sites at the start of their program. If assistance is needed, we have a full-time clinical coordinator in the School of Nursing who can work with students to help identify preceptors to meet their clinical hour requirement. Since we have relationships with clinical sites across the state of Florida, it is possible for nursing students to complete their clinical hours close to their home.
I previously started an MSN program at a different school. Can I transfer my courses?
Florida Southern allows up to two (2) graduate-level courses to transfer. If you have taken more than two courses elsewhere, our MSN program director will determine which courses would be best to transfer to Florida Southern and which would be most beneficial to repeat at FSC.
In-Person

Adult & Grad Admissions
Graduate Nursing Program Open House
Adult and Graduate
Oct 26 12:00 PM
Online

Adult & Grad Admissions
MSN and Post-Master's Nursing Virtual Information Session
Adult and Graduate
Nov 14 5:30 PM
Location: Online