Master of Science

There are two Master of Science (MS) degrees available to students wanting to continue their education in nursing.

View plans of study for the MS programs below.

We also offer post-graduate certificates for those who already have a graduate degree in nursing and wish to pursue programs like our master’s degrees in less time.

Writing Requirement

Regardless of which MS degree you select, you’ll have the opportunity to complete an extensive writing project.

Explore a research question with a small group of peers through a thesis or work individually to develop a clinical practice recommendation through a Scholarly Inquiry Paper (SIP).

Before you start, we recommend you review our project guidelines (PDF).

Nurse Educator (NE) MS

Want to combine your passions for nursing and teaching? Check out the Nurse Educator (NE) MS program.

You'll learn how to teach in either an academic or healthcare setting, how to design your curriculum, how to be an effective instructor and evaluator—and more.

Here’s what else you need to know about the NE master’s degree:

• Comprises 48 credits and 300 clinical hours
• Can be completed in four semesters and two summer sessions
• Costs approximately $54,000

Visit the course catalog for more info on the specific courses you will take in this program.

Nursing & Organizational Leadership (NOL) MS

Turn your dream of becoming an administrator or leader in healthcare into a reality with the Nursing and Organizational Leadership (NOL) MS program.

Through guided practicums and clinicals, you'll learn how to manage and professionally develop nurses, other healthcare personnel, and budget resources to support individual, family, and community care.

And once you graduate and meet additional eligibility criteria related to work experience, you'll be prepared for the following certification exams:

• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Nurse Executive Board Certification (NE-BC)
• American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) Certified Executive in Nursing Practice (CENP) 

Here's what else you need to know about the NOL master’s degree:

• Comprises 43 credits and 420 clinical hours
• Can be completed in four semesters and one summer session
• Costs approximately $48,000

To learn about the specific courses you will take in this program, visit the course catalog.

RN-Graduate Nursing Pathway

If you’re a registered nurse, have a two-year nursing degree, and are currently enrolled in WSU’s undergraduate RN-BS Completion Program, then you're eligible to apply for this pathway to admission to any of WSU’s Graduate Nursing master’s or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees.

Learn more about the RN-Graduate Nursing Pathway.

Credit by Portfolio

Credit by Portfolio allows students to receive their degree in less time by submitting a portfolio that proves their prior learning and/or professional experiences fulfill program requirements.

Students can then earn credit for specific Graduate Nursing courses without formally enrolling in and completing those courses.

Master’s- and DNP degree-seeking students may earn up to 15% of their program credits through Credit by Portfolio. Post-Graduate Certificate students may earn no more than half of their program credits through Credit by Portfolio.

Interested students should work with their academic adviser to initiate this process. Portfolio submissions occur one semester before students would normally take the course(s) they want to substitute.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for Fall 2022 NE and NOL Graduate Nursing programs is Feb. 1.

Interested applicants should apply through NursingCAS, our online application system.