The Nursing Education program prepares you to function as an academic or clinical
nurse educator across various program levels and settings.
Application Deadline
Applications are accepted November 1 - May 1 for fall entry.
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As an MSN nursing education student, you will gain a strong foundation in education
theory, principles, teaching strategies and modalities, learner diversity, and curriculum
and program evaluation. Students will learn to integrate teaching strategies via the
classroom, distance-learning, clinical settings, in the learning and simulation laboratories,
and through precepted and service-learning opportunities.
The interactive, online course delivery, paired with practicums that expose students
to academic and clinical educational settings, provides flexible, yet comprehensive
preparation for a nurse educator role. Upon completion of program and with required
experience, graduates are eligible to sit for the National League of Nursing’s certification
for nurse educator (CNE) examination.
MSN in nursing education requires 39 credit hours and can be completed in 5 semesters.
All didactic work is online, distance format with complimentary practicums that may
be completed in one’s geographic region. Courses are offered in a variation of 7 or
15-week semester courses, with an average of 6-9 credit hours per semester.
Students beginning the program in Fall 2023 would complete the program at the end
of Spring semester 2025.
Required Courses
1st semester
NURS 700 – Theoretical and Conceptual Foundation for Nursing A
NURS 707 – Advanced Pathophysiology for Nurses
NURS 710 – Role of the Nurse Educator B
2nd semester
NURS 702 – Pharmacological Management of Pediatric, Adult and Gerontological Patients
Across the Lifespan
NURS 724 – Education in Nursing B
NURS 789 – Statistical and Research Methods for Nursing A
3rd semester
NURS 704 – Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning +
NURS 725 – Nursing Education: Curriculum and Evaluation
4th semester
NURS 739 – Online Instruction and Technology in Nursing Education
NURS 743 – Advanced Nursing Practicum for the Educator *
5th semester
NURS 720 – Clinical Application of Population Analysis A
NURS 727 – Nurse Educator Practicum *
NURS 791 – Seminar in Clinical Nursing Research B
Total 39 credits / 500 direct clinical hours +on campus immersion *course requires 250 direct clinical hours Aindicates A term, B indicates B term. If not noted, full semester course. Upon graduation and meeting experience criteria, you are eligible to sit for the National
League of Nursing – Certification as Nurse Educator Exam (CNE).
Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a nationally accredited program
Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from previous undergraduate and any graduate work
Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended must be submitted
whether you received a degree or not. Applicants who attended a BSN program that issued
pass or fail grades for all classes will not be consider a competitive applicant.
Three professional references - The professional recommendation should come from individuals
with a master’s or higher in a healthcare field who can evaluate your potential for
success in a graduate program. (Letters of recommendation cannot be used in lieu of
our recommendation form.) Recommendations from family members are not appropriate.
A personal goal statement that reflects MSN program outcomes
Current curriculum vitae or resume
Current unencumbered RN License in the state of residence
GRE not required
Graduate applications for Fall 2024 and later will be submitted to the College of
Nursing. All application materials (except official transcripts) will be submitted
via the College of Nursing's graduate application portal.
If applying for a graduate program with a summer 2024 start, please submit via Summer 2024 application.
Kathleen Bradshaw, PhD, RN, PNP, CNE, ANEF has served as a nurse, nurse educator
and academic nurse administrator for over 40 years. As a nurse educator, she has taught
in numerous nationally recognized academic settings and taught both undergraduate
and graduate students. As a pediatric nurse practitioner and academic leader, she
taught in advanced practice nursing and nursing administration programs. In the last
20 years, she has served as a director, associate dean and dean of schools of nursing.
She has participated as a fellow in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing
(AACN) Leadership in Academic Nursing Program; in the AACN-Wharton Executive Nurse
Leader Fellowship program; the UofSC Academic Pipeline for Leaders and has been inducted
in the National League of Nursing Academy as a Nursing Education Leader fellow. She
is pleased and proud to be part of the UofSC College of Nursing’s Excellence as an
Executive Academic Strategist and Professor.
Meet the Nursing Education (NE) Graduate Student Advisor
Melissa Kupfer is the Director of Graduate Student Affairs in the Office of Academic
Affairs. She also serves as the graduate student advisor for the NE program.
