Master of Science in Nursing FAQs

For MSN applicants, admission to the Graduate Nursing program is on a rolling basis.

Applicants must have earned a BSN degree from a regionally accredited college or university, and must be ready to participate in an online environment. Admission is based on:

• Students with a GPA of 3.0 or above as reflected on the official transcript of the regionally accredited institution awarding their BSN degree are considered to have demonstrated the requisite knowledge and skills to handle graduate-level work and will be admitted without further requirements. Students whose GPA is less than 3.0 are invited to submit a resume and a personal statement describing their background and goals for consideration.
• Relevance of work experience and career objectives to the program objectives. Two (2) years of work experience is recommended.

Applicants to all programs offered by the School of Nursing must:

• Applicants must have an active RN license from the United States.

IMPORTANT: For your application to be processed, the University must be able to validate your RN license. If your state does not have an online RN license validation process, you must submit a notarized copy of current RN license valid in the U.S. to Office of Admissions, Thomas Edison State University, 111 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608.

• Have proficiency in using a computer, browsing the Web and sending and receiving email, including attachments.
• Have minimum system requirements to access an online course: access to the Internet, an Internet browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or newer, Firefox 2.0 or newer, or Google Chrome. Additional requirements that may apply to nursing courses are specified in the University Catalog and School of Nursing Student Handbook. Some courses require access to PowerPoint and/or Excel software and a webcam.
• Submit a completed application with a nonrefundable fee.
• For more information, visit the MSN Admission Requirements page.

Most students enrolled at Thomas Edison State University work full-time, and take one course a term. Graduate students may register for up to nine (9) credits per term. For students wanting to take more than nine (9) credits per term, please contact the graduate nursing advisor.

The MSN degree requires a minimum of 36 credits consisting of different combinations of courses: core, direct care core, electives, specialty and practicum. Courses are offered during four (4) terms a year, which begin in January, April, July, and October. Each student progresses at their own pace. Many students are able to arrange their work and family schedules to take two (2) courses a term. Some students complete the MSN in as little as 18 months, and the maximum time allowed is seven (7) years. Factors that influence the time to completion include:  tuition assistance, family obligations, and work responsibilities.

Keep in mind that four courses in the BSN program at Thomas Edison State University are graduate level courses. You will take these courses as part of your BSN degree. These courses are:

• NUR-516: Advanced Health Assessment
• NUR-529: Health Policy
• NUR 531: Nursing Informatics: Concepts and Issues
• NUR-582: Financial Management in Nursing

RN’s who have completed their degree requirements for the BSN degree but have not been awarded the degree may apply for admission to the MSN degree program on a provisional basis and register for a graduate nursing course.

At the time of enrollment in the MSN program, courses from other accredited colleges and universities can be evaluated for transfer credit. Courses for transfer must have been completed within the past seven years at a regionally accredited institution with an earned grade of B or higher. A maximum of 12 graduate level credits will be accepted in transfer toward the MSN degree. A maximum of 6 graduate level credits will be accepted in transfer toward the Nurse Educator and Nursing Administration certificates. A maximum of nine (9) graduate level credits will be accepted toward the Nursing Informatics certificate. It can take several weeks for transfer credit to be reviewed and updated to academic evaluations.

Graduate nursing courses are offered four times a year: July, October, January and April. View the updated registration dates for these terms.

Graduate electives are offered as per the online schedule.

It is important upon enrollment that each student schedule an advisement appointment. You can do so online by visiting the myEdison^® Student Portal. Log in and then click Make an Advising Appointment on the left hand side of the myEdison homepage.

Appointments can take place by telephone or via video conference. You may also submit your nursing advisement questions via a Help Desk ticket. Logon to myEdison using the link above, then select Help, University Support Portal and Submit a Ticket. Then select Academic Advisement only and Nursing.

Two (2) Practicums are included in each area of specialty offered in the MSN degree. To prepare for the Practicum, students must read and access the information contained in the Practicum Packet in the year prior to the anticipated start date of the Practicum. The Practicum Packet information must be submitted beginning six (6) months (24 weeks) prior to the start of the Practicum for which students wish to register. To be permitted to register for the first Practicum, students must meet specific requirements. Health and criminal background clearance and all other requirements outlined in the Practicum Packet must be submitted three months (12 weeks) prior to the start of the first Practicum course. Visit the Practicum page for more information.

Students enrolled in the MSN degree program may repeat two (2) nursing courses, one time each.

Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in courses every term until they complete all requirements for their academic program. Online nursing courses are offered in January, April, July, and October. Students who do not enroll in any courses during a 12-month period can expect to receive a reminder notice from the University when they are approaching their 12-month expiration. Students who become inactive will be required to reapply to the University. If your state does not have an online validation process, you must submit a notarized copy of your license to Thomas Edison State University, Office of Admissions, 111 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608. In order for your re-enrollment to be processed, the University must validate your license.

Students enrolled in the MSN degree program must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of B (3.00) or better to graduate.

Students enrolled in any graduate nursing program must earn a grade of B (83) or better for the course to be applied to program requirements.

Thomas Edison State University participates in a number of federal and state financial aid programs. Eligible Thomas Edison State University students may receive Pell Grants or Federal Education Loans, such as the Subsidized Stafford Loan and the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, for courses offered by the University. In order to receive Financial Aid, students must complete the Thomas Edison State University Financial Aid Forms and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Any graduate student who is awarded aid must maintain part-time enrollment which is equivalent to 3 credits (1 course) per term.