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MSN Blend Program for the RN with a Non-Nursing Bachelor's Degree

Loyola University New Orleans offers the online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program with a specialization in Health Care Systems Management (HCSM). An RN who has a non-Nursing Bachelor's degree may be admitted to Loyola's MSN program without obtaining a BSN degree. To be admitted to the MSN program, the RN must complete Loyola's MSN Blend program which is now offered online.

The online blend program is composed of integrated upper division, undergraduate Nursing courses that serve as prerequisites to 700-level (graduate) nursing courses. This 6-credit bridge program covers important themes including Leadership, Health Promotion, Community, and Professional Development.

Blend Program Admission Requirements:

• A non-Nursing Bachelor's degree in any field
• A current unrestricted R.N. License in practice in the United States; a copy of the license must be submitted with the application form
• A minimum of one year of recent work experience in Nursing
• Submission of an application
• Submission of an application fee of $40
• Official transcripts from each college/university attended
• Three recommendations (on the Loyola form) from persons knowledgeable about the applicant's aptitude for graduate school (e.g. former Professors or Master's prepared Nursing Supervisors)
• A typed goal statement, approximately one page in length, describing your professional goals and reasons for pursuing a graduate degree
• A cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher on all prior undergraduate work
• The undergraduate equivalent of three semester credit hours in Statistics

Additional MSN Admission Requirements:

Acceptance into the Blend Program does not guarantee admission to the MSN program. To be considered for admission to the MSN program, the following requirements must be met:

• A minimum grade of B on each of the courses in the Loyola blend sequence
• An interview with a graduate faculty or staff member in the School of Nursing

A Student Experience:

“For me, I was attracted to Loyola because I did not have an undergraduate degree in Nursing and Loyola had a blend program. This program allows people with non-Nursing Bachelor's degrees to go on to the MSN degree program. Dr. Tumulty was willing to work with me to pilot the blend program online. I appreciated her working with me, because I wanted to get the credential but I didn't want it to be redundant. I wanted to be sure I was enhancing my knowledge and she assured me I would be able to. And she was right – it's been great!”

–Diana L. McBroom, RN, MBA, CAN, BC

Current student in the online MSN-HCSM program and Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer; Carondelet St. Mary's Hospital, Tucson, AZ