Graduate Programs in Nursing

Dean: Dr. Billie Madler

Graduate Faculty: Berg, Cave, Cooke, Dietrich, Doerner, Ferry, Gerhardt, Jenshus, Jepsen, Kainz, Keller, Kudrna, Lakomy, Lassiter, Liebert-Hall, Madler, Miller, Neugebauer, Peterson, Rindels, Robichaux, Stramer, Terzo, Thayer, Zimmerman

Mission

Introduction

By fostering a Christian, Catholic, and Benedictine learning environment, the Division supports the University and St. Gianna School of Health Science’s mission by preparing leaders in the service of truth with moral courage who respect and defend the dignity of the human person. Academic preparation and nursing practice opportunities in a variety of health care settings along the continuum of care prepares students to achieve professional competence.

Mission Statement

The Nursing Division prepares nurses, with a foundation in moral courage, to protect the dignity of the human person and to provide safe, quality, compassionate, patient-centered health care to the people in the region and beyond.

Vision

Graduates of the St. Gianna School of Health Sciences, Nursing Division, will be successful leaders, effective collaborators, sophisticated consumers of research, and compassionate providers of care. These graduates will be socially and ethically accountable, culturally sensitive, value the sanctity of life, respectful of diverse populations, and responsive to the changing health care environment.

Identity

As a flagship program of the University of Mary, we sustain the pioneering courage of our Founders, the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery. We are a devoted community of faculty, students, and professional support staff who engage in rigorous teaching and learning experiences delivered in a nurturing environment to support our individual and collective professional discovery, growth, and development. We are a prayerful, faith-filled group serving the vocation of nursing. We are Mary Nurses for life.

Accreditation Status

The Baccalaureate, Master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at the University of Mary are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org). Pre-licensure nursing programs, including the Family Nurse Practitioner program, are approved by the North Dakota Board of Nursing. Successful completion of the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Program prepares the graduate for national certification examination with either the American Association of Nurse Practitioners or the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Description of Graduate Nursing Degrees

The demand for nursing leaders prepared to meet the challenges of providing health care today is well established. At the University of Mary, graduate students have opportunities for varied learning experiences designed to develop expertise in advanced nursing practice, education, leadership and informatics. The curriculum is intended to provide learning opportunities in high-quality clinical services, cutting edge education pedagogy, and leading nursing institutions.

The University of Mary nursing graduate demonstrates the University Mission to prepare servant leaders. We believe that students desiring to be leaders who are competent, autonomous practitioners, and ethical decision makers are best served by faculty who facilitate reflective thinking and critical inquiry vetted in information that is complimentary of current environmental contexts.

The University of Mary offers several programs culminating in a Master’s degree and two programs culminating in a Doctoral degree.

Distinctive Features

Collaborative learning environment among a diverse peer group that is guided by faculty with practical lived experiences in content area.
Comprehensive curriculum informed by nursing specialty standards.
Servant leadership and evidence based practice frame student experiences.
The University of Mary philosophy of a student centered learning environment.
GRE not required.

Graduate Degree Requirements

The Master of Science in Nursing degree and/or the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree must be conferred within seven years of completion of the earliest graduate course used in the course of study. Up to one-third of the total graduate credits required for the course of study may be transferred from another accredited institution. To achieve the master’s or doctorate degree, the student must complete the selected course of study.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Graduate nursing students are expected to maintain: a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, completion of no less than 67% of attempted courses, achieve a grade of B- or higher in each course; pass all clinical or practical educational experiences; demonstrate continuous adequate progress in thesis, capstone, or DNP project work; and pass all course and program competency exams. Students falling below this expectation are subject to the University Satisfactory Academic Progression Policy.

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

The University of Mary offers five programs of study options for the MSN degree:

All nursing Master’s degree options are offered in an online format. To complement classroom learning, students are required to participate in educational and/or leadership experiences within clinical settings.

Application/Admission Requirement

Requirements listed below must be met before admission to graduate nursing study:

Bachelor of science or bachelor of arts degree in nursing from an accredited institution
Evidence of current, unencumbered RN licensure
Undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale
Completed graduate application
Official transcripts (including degree granting institution and transcripts of any graduate courses completed)
Current resume
Two professional references

Test Score Requirements

Master of Science in Nursing

International student language proficiency requirement: for applicants from a foreign country where English is not the first/primary spoken language, the graduate nursing program requires a minimum TOEFL score of 95 (IELTS 7.0) on the internet based test (IBT) or documentation showing that one of the exemptions listed in the Graduate Admissions Policy for International Students applies.

All exams are valid for two years.
Official scores must be sent directly to:

Graduate Admissions
University of Mary
7500 University Drive
Bismarck, ND 58504

Academic Transcript Evaluation

Certified copies of all academic records are required at the time of application. Certified copies include transcripts or school certificates and subjects for which the applicant was enrolled or is presently enrolled. If the applicant has attended a university outside of the United States, the Division of Nursing requires the applicant to provide a course-by-course transcript evaluation. The evaluation must include transcript authenticity, GPA calculation, U.S. degree equivalency, and is sent directly from the evaluation service. Transcript evaluation must be performed by the American Associates of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) or World Education Services (WES).

Official transcripts must be sent directly to:

Graduate Admissions
University of Mary
7500 University Drive
Bismarck, ND 58504

Additional admission requirements unique to each program are listed below.

Applicants for the Diploma/ADN to MSN:
Nursing Leadership & Management must also provide a signed Memorandum of Understanding prior to gaining admission to the program.

Individuals interested in pursuing graduate nursing education who have not decided on a program of study must apply to University of Mary Graduate Studies as a non- degree seeking student. Students who take courses under the non-degree seeking status are not guaranteed placement into a degree program; must adhere to expected admissions criteria; and, are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

The University of Mary offers two program of study options for the DNP degree:

The BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program is offered in a blended online/on-site format. Students in this program of study are required to participate in a limited number of campus visits. Students will be required to participate
in a variety of clinical experiences.

The MSN to DNP Nursing Organizational Leadership program is offered online with one required campus visit at the conclusion of the program of study. Students are required to participate in clinical experiences throughout their program of study.

Application/Admission Requirement

Individuals holding a bachelor of science or bachelor of arts degree in nursing from an accredited institution are eligible to apply to the Family Nurse Practitioner programs of study. Individuals holding a master’s degree in nursing from an accredited institution are eligible to apply for the Nursing Organizational Leadership program of study.

Requirements listed below must be met before admission to graduate nursing study:

Evidence of current, unencumbered RN licensure
Minimum cumulative GPA as required by the specific program (below)
Completed graduate application (including application fee)
Official transcripts (including degree granting institution and transcripts of any graduate courses completed)
Current resume
Two letters of professional reference

Additional FNP application/admission requirements

Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale
Admissions interview
Complete physical assessment demonstration

Additional Nursing Organizational Leadership application/admission requirements

Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
Admissions interview
Verification of clinical/practicum hours completed as part of a master’s program in one of the following methods:
- The clinical/practicum hours completed in the master’s program are clearly identified on the transcript
- Syllabi for the clinical/practicum courses are submitted and the clinical/practicum hours are identified
- A letter from an official from the institution where the master’s degree was granted verifying the clinical/practicum hours

Test Score Requirements

Doctor of Nursing Practice

All exams are valid for two years.
Official scores must be sent directly to:

Graduate Admissions
University of Mary
7500 University Drive
Bismarck, ND 58504

Academic Transcript Evaluation

Official transcripts must be sent directly to:

Graduate Admissions
University of Mary
7500 University Drive
Bismarck, ND 58504

FNP Program Early Assurance

The University of Mary offers students, who are enrolled in a baccalaureate nursing program and who have displayed superior academic performance, an opportunity to apply for Early Assurance into the University of Mary Doctor of Nursing Practice Family Nurse Practitioner program.

Criteria to apply for the FNP Early Assurance Program:

Applicant must be progressing to the final semester of undergraduate study in an accredited baccalaureate nursing program and have a minimum nursing GPA of 3.5.
Two letters of recommendation:
- 1 must be from an UG faculty
- 1 must be a professional reference
Students must be employed a minimum of part time in a nursing position subsequent to UG degree conferral and acquisition of RN licensure and prior to FNP program enrollment
FNP Early Assurance Students will be eligible to begin a 4 year FNP program of study in the fall semester following admission to the FNP Early Assurance Program.
Students are expected to maintain a minimum of part time nursing employment during their program of study at least until the point they have started direct patient care clinical rotations.
The deadline for completed applications to the Early Assurance Program is February 1 each year.

Programs

Concentration

Graduate Major

Graduate Certificate