Master of Nursing (MSN)
Advance your nursing career without stepping away from it. Shawnee State's fully online MSN offers two concentrations — Nursing Education and Nursing Leadership — built around the needs of rural and underserved communities.
Program Overview
Shawnee State University’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program is designed for registered nurses ready to lead, educate, and advocate at a higher level. With two fully online concentrations — Nursing Education and Nursing Leadership — this graduate program prepares nursing professionals to transform care in their communities without stepping away from the work they’re already doing.
This “place-based” program encourages nurses to stay rooted in their communities while gaining the expertise to drive change. Whether your dream is mentoring future nurses or improving healthcare systems, our curriculum emphasizes the delivery of care in rural and underserved regions — getting you ready to meet today’s healthcare challenges head-on.
Designed with your schedule in mind, our 36-credit hour program can be completed in as little as five semesters full-time, or eight semesters part-time. Courses are delivered in 7-week sessions with three annual start dates, so you can begin when it works for you. You’ll complete two capstone practicums — which can take place in your home area — and apply everything you’ve learned in a project tailored to your goals.
Led by experienced nurse educators like Program Director Adair Carroll, the MSN program at Shawnee State offers personal support, small class sizes, and a collaborative online learning environment. You’ll engage with faculty and peers while building a network that supports your success — both academically and professionally.
Career Outcomes
How to Apply
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Start your application
Free, takes about 15 minutes.
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Send transcripts
Have your high school guidance counselor send them to admissions@shawnee.edu
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File the FAFSA
School code 009942. Required for Free Tuition.
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Get your decision
Most decisions in under 7 days.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements of SSU Graduate programs include an earned bachelor's degree in an acceptable field of study for the intended graduate degree and a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (4.0 system).
Conditional degree status may be granted to applicants with an overall GPA less than 3.0 but have a discipline-specific GPA higher than 3.0 in last 60 credit hours of undergraduate nursing degree, contingent on approval of the Graduate Program Director.
In addition to these requirements, MSN program applicants must submit:
- Transcripts of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (traditional BSN or RN-BSN) from a regionally accredited college or university
- Documentation of 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA. If Conditional Degree Status, applicants must have an undergraduate 2.75 – 2.99 GPA minimum OR 3.0 GPA minimum in last 60 credit hours of undergraduate nursing degree
- Current, unencumbered Registered Nursing License
- 1000 hours of work experience as a Registered Nurse
- Personal statement of purpose
- Current Resume/Vita
- Two letters of recommendation from employers or professors addressing the applicant’s potential to succeed in a graduate program
- Undergraduate course in Statistics
QUESTIONS:
Graduate Admissions
Phone: (740) 351-3177
Email: gradadmissions@shawnee.edu
Ebenezer Asiaw
Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions
(740) 351-3258
easiaw@shawnee.edu
Program
For questions about the MSN program or nursing at SSU, contact:
Adair Carroll
MSN Program Director
(740) 351-3249
acarroll2@shawnee.edu
At A Glance
Master of Nursing (MSN)
Degree
M.S.N.
Length
5 semesters full-time or 8 semesters part-time
Credits
36
Transfer Credits Accepted
9
Class Size
12:1
Start Date
6 entry points; next start date October 19
Why Study Master of Nursing (MSN) at Shawnee University
Two clear tracks: Nursing Education prepares you to teach and mentor; Nursing Leadership prepares you to manage, govern, and shape policy.
Designed for working nurses. Courses run in 7-week sessions with three start dates a year, so you don't have to wait nine months to begin.
A 'place-based' approach — practicums and your capstone project can be completed in the community where you already work, often where there's the most need.
Small online cohorts and direct access to faculty like MSN Program Director Adair Carroll, who built the program around the realities of rural healthcare.
Affordable graduate tuition — one of the lowest in Ohio.
The 36-credit curriculum starts with shared graduate coursework — research, theory, policy, and advanced clinical foundations — and then splits into your chosen concentration.
- Research, theory, and evidence-based practice (core)
- Health policy and advanced clinical foundations (core)
- Nursing Education track: teaching methodologies, curriculum development, nurse educator role, two-part capstone in education
- Nursing Leadership track: health policy and regulation, human and financial resource management, nurse administrator role, two-part capstone in leadership
Both concentrations include two capstone practicums you can complete close to home — in your hospital, school, or community setting. Your capstone project ties everything together with a problem you actually want to solve in your practice.
By graduation, you'll be able to:
- Design and evaluate care delivery that responds to rural and underserved community needs
- Apply evidence-based practice in leadership or educational settings
- Influence policy and drive improvements in health systems
- Mentor and lead in academic and clinical roles
Fully online. Capstone practicums and your capstone project can be completed in your home community.
MSN graduates step into roles such as:
- Nurse educator (academic or staff development)
- Clinical instructor or nursing faculty
- Nurse manager or director
- Charge nurse with leadership responsibilities
- Health systems administrator
- Quality improvement or policy specialist
Demand is especially strong for educators and leaders in rural and underserved areas of Ohio and the surrounding region.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Shawnee State’s tuition is among the lowest in Ohio, and the Shawnee Advantage Tuition Guarantee keeps your rate flat for four years. Scholarships including Choose Ohio First and the Pell-Eligible Free Tuition Program may also apply.
Master of Nursing (MSN) Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — the program is designed for working nurses. Pacing is flexible and coursework is online.
You'll need a BSN, a 3.0 GPA (or conditional status for 2.75–2.99 with approval), an unencumbered RN license, 1,000 hours of RN experience, two recommendation letters, a personal statement, and an undergraduate statistics course.
There are three start dates each year, so you don't have to wait long to begin.
Shawnee State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The MSN program is pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Applying for accreditation does not guarantee that accreditation will be granted.
Program handbook
View the MSN Student Handbook for policies, progression standards, and capstone expectations.
Accreditation
The Master of Science in Nursing, at the Shawnee State School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, D.C. 20001; phone 202 887 6791.
Shawnee State University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
