Admissions
Admissions
(315) 792-3333
M.S. in Nursing Education (Online)
Teach the Next Generation of Nurses
As the educational requirements for entry-level clinical care increase and more nurses pursue their master’s, there are simply more students than nurse educators who can teach them.
Counter this trend and take the lead in teaching nursing excellence to others with Utica University’s online Master of Science in Nursing Education program.
Our Master of Science in Nursing Education program includes 180 practicum hours collaborating with nursing educators near you. Each practicum course and experience requires a total of 90 in-person practicum hours, with 8 out of the 90 practicum hours in direct patient care in the clinical environment. You’ll work directly with an experienced teacher to design, organize, and implement a curriculum. Then you’ll put what you’ve learned into action in classroom, laboratory, and clinical learning environments to develop a learning project with a defined audience.
In the second half of your practicum, you will examine the nurse educator’s role in academia, health care organizations, and the profession of nursing. You’ll complete your practicum hours with a fuller understanding of how to teach nursing students and fellow nurses.
View / Download Graduate Nursing Program Handbook
Nursing Education M.S. Program Benefits
- Complete 180 practicum hours with nursing educators near you
- Learn from experienced, accessible faculty
7
Semesters
$850
Cost per Credit
42
Credit Hours
100%
Online Delivery
Loading...
Career Outlook: 24% Employment Growth by 20292
The AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing) reports that, in 2019, more than 80,400 qualified applicants were turned away from nursing schools, primarily due to a lack of faculty.1 This shortage is being felt across health care and could grow even more urgent as an estimated one-third of all nursing faculty retire by 2025.1
The urgent need for nurse educators means new opportunities for you. This position has a median annual salary of $83,1602, and nurse educators employed at colleges and universities, psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, and general medical and surgical hospitals are even better paid, with median salaries ranging as high as $133,460.2
Beyond a higher salary, the online master’s in nursing education program will allow you to take on a meaningful new role where you ensure new nurses are well-prepared, empathize with students’ struggles based on your own experiences, and help shape the future standards of health care by instructing its new leaders.
You don’t have to place your clinical practice on hold to teach, either — in fact, your daily work will enhance your daily lessons.
Build a meaningful career in education and address the nursing faculty shortage.
Driven by the baby-boomer generation living longer, more active lives, the nursing field is projected to grow 9% — a rate that’s much faster than the national average — between 2020 and 2030.3
While the need for nurses grows, the number of nursing faculty is falling behind, with a nationwide vacancy rate of 7.2%4 and 33% of current nursing faculty expected to retire by 2025.4 There are simply more nursing students than nurses trained to teach them. You can help address this shortage by earning your Master’s in Nursing Education degree with Utica University.
► $80,407
Qualified applicants turned away from nursing schools in 2019, due in part to lack of faculty4
► No. 9
Ranked top-paying career for nurses5
► $121,180
Median salary for nursing educators in medical and surgical hospitals6
Examples of Career Opportunities with a Nursing Education M.S.
Clinical Educator
$78,934/year
As a clinical educator7 (also known as a nursing professional development specialist), you’d work in a clinical setting to ensure nursing staff members are current on the latest research and clinical competencies. You’d also advise current or aspiring nurses as they continue their education, develop their career, and pursue lifelong learning opportunities — all to ensure patients continue to receive exceptional care.
Professor of Nursing
$91,423/year
As a professor of nursing8, you’d collaborate with fellow professors on research and teach in the classroom or online. You would supervise your students during hands-on clinicals, deliver lectures on nursing topics and skills, assign homework and create exams, advise students one-on-one, and more. Nursing professors report high job satisfaction and believe their work makes the world a better place.
Additional Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate careers include:
- Nursing Curriculum Coordinator
- Nursing Instructor
- Nurse Training Consultant
- Clinical Competency Coordinator
- Nursing Staff Development Counselor
- Continuing Education Director
Sources:
1. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (September 2020). Nursing Faculty Shortage – Fact Sheet. Retrieved on September 7, 2022, from https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/Nursing-Faculty-Shortage
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020 July 6). Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary. Retrieved on October 7, 2020, from https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes251072.htm#ind
3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022 April 18). Registered Nurses. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved on August 31, 2022, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-1
4. American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2020 September). Nursing Faculty Shortage. Retrieved on August 31, 2022, from https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/Nursing-Faculty-Shortage
5. Best Health Degrees. (n.d.) Top 10 Highest Paying Careers for Nurses. Retrieved on August 31, 2022, from https://www.besthealthdegrees.com/lists/nurses/
6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020 July 6). Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary. Retrieved on October 7, 2020, from https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes251072.htm
7. Payscale (n.d.). Clinical Educator Salary. Retrieved on August 31, 2022, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Clinical_Educator/Salary
8. Payscale (n.d.). Professor of Nursing Salary. Retrieved on August 31, 2022, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Professor_Of_Nursing/Salary
Faculty Spotlights
You’ll work directly with graduate nursing faculty who have years of combined experience not only in health care but also nursing education. They’ll pass along their real-world experiences from both the classroom and their nursing practice.
Graduate nursing faculty are led by program chair Doreen Rogers, DNS, RN, and program director Janice Ceccucci, DNP, FNP-BC. Both carry decades of experience in nursing education, research, and practice.
Associate Professor and Chair of Nursing
Dr. Doreen Rogers was appointed Assistant Professor of Nursing at Utica University in January 2018. Prior to joining Utica University, Dr. Rogers taught at associate and baccalaureate levels of pre-licensure. She was most recently the coordinator of the online Nursing Education graduate program at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, where she was an instructor as well.
Associate Professor of Nursing
Dr. Cynthia Love-Williams is an Associate Professor of Nursing at Utica University. She has worked in nursing education since 1996 in both associate and baccalaureate programs. Dr. Love-Williams’ educational background includes a baccalaureate degree from Mississippi University for Women, a master’s degree from Wright State University, and a doctoral degree from Russell Sage Graduate Schools.
Dr. Love-Williams is the current Director of the Graduate Nursing Program at Utica University and her areas of expertise are in critical care, medical-surgical nursing, and inter-professional education. To stay connected to the health care field and be able to apply real-world experiences to the learning environment, Dr. Love-Williams practices per diem at a local health care facility as the Hospital Supervisor. Her areas of research include inter-professional education, simulation, test taking, and student success.
Frequently Asked Questions
Advancing your life and career with an online degree comes with lots of questions, and we want to ensure your search for answers is effortless. If you have a question we haven’t covered, call (866) 295-3106 to speak with an enrollment counselor.
Learn more about our state authorizations.
The master’s degree program in nursing and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Utica University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Utica University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
Start dates vary by semester, but we accept applications throughout the year for enrollment into our spring, summer, and fall terms.
No. Applicants to Utica’s M.S. in Nursing Education program must have an unencumbered RN license in the state in which they reside. This program is designed to provide advanced education for continued professional success in nursing.
Yes! This online program is designed for working nurses with busy schedules and is offered part-time. This allows you to balance work, school, and personal commitments and gives you the opportunity to fully absorb what you learn. To see the curriculum, view our courses page.
Tuition is $850 per credit hour. You’ll need to complete 42 credits for a total tuition of $35,700.
Nursing Education Certificate Curriculum: Adaptive and Forward-Thinking
42 TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED
The online Master’s in Nursing Education requires the completion of 14 courses.
You’ll kick off the Master’s in Nursing Education program with core courses in organizational nursing leadership, public health, epidemiology, health care quality improvement, and more.
Next, build your skills in the foundations of teaching, including curriculum development, instructional design, exam formulation, student appraisal methods, and teaching diverse learners.
Each course in the Nursing Education Master’s program is designed to fit the life of a busy working nurse, so you never need to worry about missing a class if you pick up a shift or your schedule changes.
See below for a sample plan of study. Please check with your Success Coach for your individualized plan of study.
The curriculum course abstracts on this page are meant to provide a high-level course overview and subject to change based on term, faculty, and/or institutional requirements. View the official course descriptions as written in the Utica University Academic Catalog and in adherence to regional compliance.
Online Nursing Education M.S. Admission Requirements
To apply for our Family Nurse Practitioner Advanced Studies online certificate program, you’ll need the following:
- Completed application
- 3.0 GPA
Applicants with a GPA below the minimum may be admitted at the department’s discretion. A GPA letter will be required. - Official Transcripts:All students seeking enrollment must have a bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited nursing program.
- Two letters of recommendation from a current nursing colleague or professional licensed as an RN, physician, or nurse practitioner
- 2,000 hours of work experience as a registered nurse in the United States, verified by an HR department
- Personal Statement:
Detail your personal and professional goals and explain how this program will help you bring them to life. The statement of interest must include well-constructed responses to the following:
1. Describe how your professional experiences have prepared you for future education in the role which is the focus of your desired track.
2. Describe your plans to alter your work, professional and /or personal obligations in order to have time needed to successfully complete graduate course and clinical work.
3. Identify one significant contemporary issue/problem in the current US health care system and discuss how members of the nursing discipline can help address/solve the issue/problem.
- Prerequisite Coursework:
3-credit statistics course (grade of B or higher*)
*Students with a B- or lower grade in statistics will be provided the option of completing a self-study module and accompanying exam.
3-credit baccalaureate-level health assessment course*
*Students with a B- or lower grade in Health Assessment will be required to successfully complete a 3 credit hour course prior to starting the program.
- Successful Background Check: Not Required for Admission. Approved background check and fingerprints required at the time of clinical courses. Students shall be drug-screened through arrangements made by the school and the screening agency. Students are responsible for the cost of all screenings. You may be denied participation and placement at a clinical agency based on the background or drug screening findings and the clinical agency’s pre-employment screening policy.
Withdrawal from the program will be necessary if you cannot be placed in a clinical agency to meet program practicum requirements.
Tuition and Financial Aid
This 42-credit Nursing Education M.S. program costs $850per credit hour. Utica University is dedicated to making an advanced education accessible and affordable. Learn more about tuition and financial aid for online programs.
Learn more
Sample Plan of Study
| Semester: | Curriculum: | |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | NUR 588: Organization Leadership & Role Development of the Advanced Practice Nurse (D1) 3 credits didactic | NUR 603: Quality Improvement & Safety in Health Care (D2) 3 credits didactic |
| Semester 2 | NUR 604: Advanced Pathophysiology (D1) 3 credits didactic | NUR 614: Statistical Analysis & Scholarly Inquiry (D2) 3 credits didactic |
| Semester 3 | NUR 608: Epidemiology & Population Health (D1) 3 credits didactic | NUR 609: Nursing Research & Evidence Based Practice (D2) 3 credits didactic |
| Semester 4 | NUR 611: Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnostic Reasoning I (D1) 3 credits didactic | NUR 615: Advanced Pharmacology I (D2) 3 credits didactic |
| Semester 5 | NUR 613: Health Policy & Advocacy (D1) 2 credits didactic | NUR 607: Curriculum Development & Implementation (D2) 3 credits didactic |
| Semester 6 | NUR 617: Advanced Instructional Design & Teaching with Technology (D3) 3 credits didactic and 1 credit practicum | NUR 618: Test Construction & Analysis (D1) 3 credits didactic |
| Semester 7 | NUR 623: Assessment & Evaluation in Nursing Education (D1) 3 credits didactic | NUR 624: Teaching & Learning Practicum (D3) 2 credits didactic and 1 credit practicum |
Contact Our Admissions Team
Admissions & Visit
I would like to see logins and resources for:
For a general list of frequently used logins, you can also visit our logins page.