Program Description

A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program was approved for Chicago State University (CSU) on June 6, 2011 by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.  The MSN program at CSU is designed to prepare nurses for the challenges facing the profession in the 21st century by focusing on community health nursing, nursing administration and nursing education. Additional specialties in nursing will be developed in the future. The MSN degree for the three specialties developed requires 45 credit hours of graduate coursework and a practicum with a capstone project or thesis option.

The philosophy of the graduate education in nursing is the belief that clinical practice is constantly changing as are the health needs and health delivery systems. Integral to the nursing profession is the need to work effectively and cooperatively with other disciplines to promote health. The focal point of the MSN curriculum is the understanding of the nursing process, with a strong emphasis on the medical knowledge of diseases complemented by behavioral science concepts. The courses developed are interdependent and have been structured to provide in-depth knowledge in the area of concentration of the student’s choice. Acquisition of research skills and the application of nursing theory to practice are major emphases of the curriculum. The graduates of the MSN program will have the knowledge and skill to function in his/her chosen specialty area.

            The goals of the MSN program at CSU are to:

•  Educate nurses who will contribute significantly to the health, education, business, political, and social structure of the nation and the world.
• Enhanced the knowledge of the learner to develop analytical skills, broad-based view points and the ability to link theory to practice.

Upon successful completion of the MSN degree program, the graduates will be prepared to assume leadership roles in a variety of local, state, and federal levels and be able to:

• Critically examine and synthesize theories, advanced knowledge, and current research findings for nursing and other health care disciplines.
• Improve the delivery of nursing and health care by influencing social and health policy development.
• Demonstrate the capacity to plan, merge, implement, and evaluate health promotion and disease prevention programs.
• Design systems that support evidence-based standards of nursing practice in a variety of health care settings.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of evidence-based standards of nursing practice in a variety of health care settings.
• Synthesize advanced knowledge and concepts within healthcare organizations.
• Integrate research-based problem solving and decision making when designing nursing care modalities.
• Apply theories of curriculum development, instructional design, and evaluation of educational programs.
• Apply research and instructional skills in program evaluation and administration.
• Seek opportunities for professional growth that contribute to the advancement of the nursing profession.

The program incorporates value-added curricula that focus on minority health and nursing informatics. The curricula are aligned with the NLN recommendation to improve the diversity of the nursing workforce, continuity of patient care and to reduce medical errors.   Minority health issues are presented in the following courses:

Nursing informatics is presented in the following courses which are infused into the curriculum of the three specialties: