Just like any other profession, entering into Masters in School of Nursing is an option. Entering graduate school is no joke and requires extreme amount of your time, money and efforts. The promises of good position as well as higher depth of nursing knowledge are the reward as you finish your Masters in Nursing.
There are combinations of courses in Nursing depending on the type of course or specialty you want to pursue. However, a degree which is mostly pursued by students is the Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN), often opted for after Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). There is also RN MS program or the master’s of science in nursing program.
Before entering into Masters, there are some pre-requisites and requirements that you need to do and have been acquired. Of course, the basic requirement is for you to be a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree holder. It is important that the degree has to be one obtained from an accredited college or university. This is the main problem of those overseas who want to take Masters in other countries or for those who would like to transfer University. For the RN MS program, the requirements would include a diploma in nursing or associate’s degree in nursing and an undergraduate degree in a non-nursing field or both. Note that an active RN license is required for both.
United States official records of nursing colleges show that there are around 300 accredited master’s degrees in nursing programs. Thus, each of these colleges/universities has its own prerequisites and requirements. It is better for you to double check your chosen college/universities and its requirements. Some of which would require an exemplary academic record as well as take up an entrance/admission exam or the Graduate Record Exam prior to enrolling in any graduate course/program. Some students who have majored in non-nursing fields as undergraduates need to take up introductory courses in nursing theory and practice before or along with their 1st semester of graduate school.
To top this all, application process of Masters in Nursing requires you to send all undergraduate transcripts, references, letters and an essay to the graduate school. You need to think over the course which you think will suit you best and then prepare for all the documents and course qualifications. This is just the start of entering Masters, the simplest step; you could say that, because what lies after enrolling in the graduate school is definitely another matter for you to think about.