The Master of Science in Nursing program at Western New Mexico University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org), 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

• MSN is completely online (33 credit hours total)
• Focus is on Community & Rural/Frontier Health
• Program began admissions in the Fall of 2019
• The MSN program has rolling admission

The primary purpose of the program is to improve health care delivery in the southwestern New Mexico region through the preparation of master’s-prepared nurses with special training in community and rural/frontier health. Graduates will be equipped to serve in a host of leadership and teaching roles for organizations such as: State of New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH), K-12 school systems, institutions of higher education, and health care facilities that provide direct patient care. Candidates may earn a 33-credit Master of Science in Nursing degree in Community and Rural/Frontier Health.   (Please note:  The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) retired the Advanced Public Health Nursing (PHNA-BC) certification by portfolio in November 2017 and no longer offer it.)  

Curriculum:

• Develop expertise in assessing the unique health care needs of the target populations
• Integrate theory and research in the application of evidence-based nursing practice
• Apply principles of epidemiology in the assessment and delivery of care
• Demonstrate clinical competency in the assessment and management of patients across multiple health care settings
• Demonstrate ethical and cultural competence in the planning and delivery of care
• Develop leadership skills to implement policy change to best serve the target populations

Admissions Criteria

• The program will admit baccalaureate-prepared nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) who hold a valid unencumbered U.S. Registered Nurse (RN) license from any state in the U.S.
• The minimum grade point average (GPA) for admission shall be 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the applicant’s pre-licensure (Diploma, ADN, BSN) nursing education
• Students with a pre-licensure nursing GPA >= 2.75 to 2.99 on a 4.0 scale may enroll in at least two concurrent 3-credit nursing courses within the graduate program as a conditional student on academic probation. Successful completion of two concurrent 3-credit courses both with a grade of A or B allows the student to progress to full admission to the program
• A maximum of nine (9) transfer credits may be applied towards the Master of Science in Nursing degree offered at WNMU.  For transfer students from other colleges and universities, only this combination of courses (equivalent of nine credit hours) may be applied towards the MSN degree:
  • One of the “3P” courses;
  • A graduate-level theory course (may be taken outside of the University); and,
  • A business course equivalent to that offered by the WNMU MSN plan of study.
• Please contact the WNMU School of Nursing’s Advisor to obtain approval for transferring any courses ahead of taking the course(s) to ensure that transfer of credits is possible.
• Satisfactory completion of a course in statistics within 7 years prior to admission to the program.
• Two professional letters of recommendation from individuals who have supervised and evaluated the applicant either as faculty or professional colleague are required. The letters should express the writer’s opinion of the applicant’s potential for success in a self-directed, online graduate program
• A written narrative essay submitted in the form of a Personal/Professional statement
• Official transcripts from all universities or secondary educational institutions attended must be submitted via the WNMU Registrar’s Office or Graduate Division as appropriate.

• The Master of Science in Nursing in Community & Rural/Frontier Health degree will be offered completely online, requiring 33 credit hours which students can complete in as few as four full-time semesters.
• Online Instructional Model: Courses for the Master of Science in Nursing in Community & Rural/Frontier Health will be delivered through online and electronic methodologies, utilizing a problem-based learning approach where various educational strategies are used to facilitate student success. Examples of such strategies include but are not limited to the following: discussion boards, film critiques, debates, peer presentations, and papers. Computer proficiency, especially word processing and internet/web skills are an absolute necessity for the successful student enrolling in an online graduate program.
• A community practicum component is required but is to be carried out in the student’s local area.

• Applicants must complete a two-part admissions process which should be initiated concurrently. In Part One, students apply for admission to the WNMU Graduate Division following all required Graduate Division policies and procedures. In Part Two, students apply for admission to the nursing graduate program using the application requirements published for the program. Both application processes should be completed concurrently and may be accessed online using the hyperlinks on this page.
• The application for admission to the WNMU SON Graduate program (link to form found below) requires the submission of a Personal Statement that should be created as a Microsoft Word document, and a recent CV. The Personal Statement and CV are to be uploaded and attached at the time of application to the electronic application form.
  • Please click this link to review the instructions for the Personal Statement.
• Two letters of recommendation must be submitted directly from the referring author to the School of Nursing using the following email- nursing.graduate@wnmu.edu.
• Completed applications (including receipt of all transcripts and required documentation) shall be reviewed on a rolling basis in the order received. Incomplete applications shall not be considered for admission. Applicants who successfully complete the full application process (with all materials received by both the Graduate Division and School of Nursing) shall be advised by email of acceptance or denial to the program within one month of the receipt of all required materials and documentation.
• The final deadline for the receipt of completed applications (including receipt of all transcripts and required documentation) shall be one month prior to the start of the term for which admission is requested. Applicants who successfully complete the full application process (with all materials received by both the Graduate Division and School of Nursing) a minimum of one month prior to the start of the term shall be notified by email of acceptance or denial no later than one week prior to the beginning of the academic term for which admission was requested