A typical online Master of Science in Nursing program is designed to provide students with a well rounded background in clinical practice techniques, skills, and concepts. An online MSN program curriculum usually features specialized courses that equip graduates with the advanced technical skills needed to promote overall patient wellness. By enrolling in MSN courses that bolster critical professional skills, nursing professionals can set themselves on the path towards achieving their nursing goals.
Maryville University Online MSN Curriculum
The online Master of Science in Nursing program at Maryville University aims to prepare students for rewarding careers in the healthcare industry.
Learn more about Maryville’s online MSN course offerings here*:
Online MSN Core Curriculum
MSN | Credits by Concentration
AGPCNP 41 Credit Hours, AGACNP 47 Credit Hours, FNP 47 Credit Hours, PNP 44 Credit Hours, PMHNP 50 Credit Hours
MSN | Core Courses
| NURS 600 | Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice | 3 Credits |
The focus of this course is to critique, evaluate and apply appropriate theory within advanced nursing practice. | ||
| NURS 601 | Evidence Based Practice in Nursing | 3 Credits |
This course explores evidence-based practice as it relates to changing and improving current advanced nursing knowledge and application. | ||
| NURS 602 | Health Care Policy | 3 Credits |
This course explores systems of health care delivery , finance and policies that guide the local, national and global level. The historical, philosophical and sociocultural aspects of health care policy are examined. | ||
| NURS 603 | Professional Role Development: Advanced Practice Nurse | 3 Credits |
This course provides a theoretical foundation for exploring, analyzing and evaluating advanced nursing practice roles within the health care system. Legal and ethical contexts are included. | ||
| NURS 610 | Health Promotion/Disease Prevention | 3 Credits |
This course focuses on health screening, health promotion and disease prevention at the individual, regional and national level. This includes the exploration at the advanced nursing practice role to direct program planning, development, implementation and evaluation to improve healthcare outcomes. | ||
| NURS 611 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 Credits |
Provides the basis for understanding the pathophysiology of diseases and the changes in normal function that result in manifestations indicative of illness across the lifespan. | ||
| NURS 612 | Advanced Health Assessment | 5 Credits |
This course explores focused and comprehensive health assessments in a variety of settings and patients across the lifespan. This includes development of health promotion strategies and prioritization of care. Prerequisite: Online - NURS 611, NURS 615 Corequisite: On Ground - NURS 615 | ||
| NURS 615 | Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics | 3 Credits |
This course focuses on the pharmacological foundation for safely prescribing medical regimens of illnesses for individuals across the lifespan. Also included are illness prevention, non-pharmacological and legal implications for prescriptive authority for the nurse practitioner. Note: Selection of appropriate therapies, patient education and evaluation parameters are stressed. | ||
| NURS 619 | Leadership and Quality | 3 Credits |
This course will prepare the advance practice nurse for a leadership role on interprofessional teams that effectively implement patient safety and quality improvement initiatives. Budget and marketing principles will be explored. | ||
AGACNP Concentration Curriculum
For the AGACNP concentration you will need:
| NURS 640 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Diagnosis and Management I | 3 Credits |
This is the first didactic management course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program. Focus is on individuals experiencing illness seen in the acute care setting. Students will analyze practice guidelines and develop differential diagnoses, implement clinical judgment and decision-making, as it relates to evidence based care management. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615 Corequisite: NURS 641 or NURS 641C | ||
| NURS 641 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Diagnosis and Management Practicum I | 3 Credits |
First practicum course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program. Students will apply and integrate concepts presented in NURS-640 with focus on applying knowledge and skills in acute care practice settings. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615 Corequisite: NURS 640 | ||
| NURS 642 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Diagnosis and Management II | 3 Credits |
This course is the second didactic management course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program. Students will continue to expand on knowledge, decision making and management of acute and emergent physiological alterations in health. Students will analyze practice guidelines and develop differential diagnoses, implement clinical judgment and decision-making, as it relates to evidence based care management. Prerequisite: NURS 640 and NURS 641 or NURS 641C Corequisite: NURS 643 or NURS 643C | ||
| NURS 643 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum II | 3 Credits |
This is the second practicum course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program. Students will apply and integrate concepts presented in the NURS 642 with focus on comprehensive health care to complex, acute and critically ill patients in a clinical, preceptored practicum experience. Prerequisite: NURS 640 and NURS 641 Corequisite: NURS 642 | ||
| NURS 644 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Diagnosis and Management III | 3 Credits |
This is the final didactic management course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program. Students will continue to analyze practice guidelines and develop differential diagnoses, implement clinical judgment and decision-making, as it relates to evidence based care management in complex symptomology. Prerequisite: NURS 640, NURS 641 or NURS 641C, NURS 642 and NURS 643 or NURS 643C Corequisite: NURS 645 or NURS 645C | ||
| NURS 645 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum III | 3 Credits |
This is the final practicum course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program. The student will apply and integrate concepts presented in the NURS-644 with focus on comprehensive health care to complex, acute and critically ill patients in a clinical, preceptored practicum experience. Prerequisite: NURS 642 and NURS 643 Corequisite: NURS 644 | ||
AGPCNP Concentration Curriculum
For the AGPCNP concentration you will need:
| NURS 620 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care I | 3 Credits |
This course covers the care of adults experiencing acute, chronic and complex health problems of select body systems in this first of two sequential courses. Current research based interventions are analyzed. Individual, family, and group counseling/education for patients and families are incorporated. Included is primary, secondary and tertiary disease prevention and management of complex symptomatology. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615 Corequisite: NURS 621 or NURS 621C | ||
| NURS 621 | Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum I | 3 Credits |
This course will cover the theoretical, clinical and role components of care by an advanced practice nurse and are integrated in a supervised clinical practicum. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615 Corequisite: NURS 620 | ||
| NURS 623 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care II | 3 Credits |
This course covers the care of adults experiencing acute, chronic and complex health problems of select body systems in this second of two sequential courses. Current research based interventions are analyzed. Individual, family, and group counseling/education for patients and families are incorporated. Included is primary, secondary and tertiary disease prevention and management of complex symptomatology. Prerequisite: NURS 620 and NURS 621 or NURS 621C Corequisite: NURS 624 or NURS 624C | ||
| NURS 624 | Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum II | 3 Credits |
This course will cover the theoretical, clinical and role components of care by an advanced practice provider and are integrated in a supervised clinical practicum. Opportunity is provided for the assessment, management, and evaluation of adults with chronic and acute health problems in a primary care setting. Prerequisite: NURS 620 and NURS 621 Corequisite: NURS 623 | ||
Those starting Spring 2024 and after will also take:
| NURS 626 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care III | 3 Credits |
The care of adults experiencing acute, chronic, and complex health problems are studied in this course; it’s specifically for students in the adult-gerontology nurse practitioner program. The course expands on current research-based interventions unique to adults of varying ages, from wellness to illness. Individual, family, group counseling, and education for patients and families are incorporated. Included is primary, secondary, and tertiary disease prevention and management of complex symptomatology. Prerequisite: NURS 620 and NURS 621, NURS 623 and NURS 624 Corequisite: NURS 627C | ||
| NURS 627C | Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum III | 3 Credits |
This course will cover the theoretical, clinical, and role components of care by an advanced practice nurse. Coursework is integrated into a supervised clinical practicum where opportunity is provided for the assessment, management, and evaluation of adults with chronic and acute health problems in a primary care setting. Prerequisite: NURS 620 and NURS 621, NURS 623 and NURS 624 or their equivalents Corequisite: NURS 626 | ||
FNP Concentration Curriculum
For the FNP concentration you will need:
| NURS 620 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care I | 3 Credits |
This course covers the care of adults experiencing acute, chronic and complex health problems of select body systems in this first of two sequential courses. Current research based interventions are analyzed. Individual, family, and group counseling/education for patients and families are incorporated. Included is primary, secondary and tertiary disease prevention and management of complex symptomatology. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615 Corequisite: NURS 621 or NURS 621C | ||
| NURS 621 | Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum I | 3 Credits |
This course will cover the theoretical, clinical and role components of care by an advanced practice nurse and are integrated in a supervised clinical practicum. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615 Corequisite: NURS 620 | ||
| NURS 623 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care II | 3 Credits |
This course covers the care of adults experiencing acute, chronic and complex health problems of select body systems in this second of two sequential courses. Current research based interventions are analyzed. Individual, family, and group counseling/education for patients and families are incorporated. Included is primary, secondary and tertiary disease prevention and management of complex symptomatology. Prerequisite: NURS 620 and NURS 621 or NURS 621C Corequisite: NURS 624 or NURS 624C | ||
| NURS 624 | Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum II | 3 Credits |
This course will cover the theoretical, clinical and role components of care by an advanced practice provider and are integrated in a supervised clinical practicum. Opportunity is provided for the assessment, management, and evaluation of adults with chronic and acute health problems in a primary care setting. Prerequisite: NURS 620 and NURS 621 Corequisite: NURS 623 | ||
| NURS 629 | Pediatric/Family Health Care | 3 Credits |
This course prepares Family Nurse Practitioner students to develop expertise and assume responsibility for health promotion, maintenance, and management of chronic and acute illness of children and women’s health. Emphasis is placed on the child within the framework of the family. Prerequisite: NURS 623 and NURS 624 or NURS 624C Corequisite: NURS 630 or NURS 630C | ||
| NURS 630 | Pediatric/Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum | 3 Credits |
This course provides the student with an opportunity to assume responsibility for the primary health care services of individuals and families under clinical supervision. The student is expected to assume increasing responsibility for planning and implementing therapeutic processes and for documenting and evaluating outcomes of care. The role of the FNP in health care promotion and management and collaboration with health professionals. Prerequisite: NURS 623 and NURS 624 Corequisite: NURS 629 | ||
PNP Concentration Curriculum
For the PNP concentration you will need:
| NURS 650 | Health Promotion of the Pediatric Population | 3 Credits |
This course focuses on growth and development and milestones of pediatric patients using theories and evidence based practice. Students will learn anticipatory guidance techniques, health promotion and illness prevention concepts within the pediatric population, incorporating individual, cultural, ethnic, and spiritual preferences. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 615 and NURS 612 (may also be taken concurrently) Corequisite: NURS 655C | ||
| NURS 651 | Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis I | 3 Credits |
This course is the first in a two-part pediatric primary care didactic sequence. In this course students will focus on acute and chronic primary health care problems of children and adolescents. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, NURS 615 & NURS 650 Corequisite: NURS 652 or NURS 652C | ||
| NURS 652 | Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum I | 3 Credits |
This is the first practicum course in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) program. Students will apply and integrate concepts presented in the NURS-651 with focus on applying knowledge and skills in pediatric primary care practice settings. Prerequisite: NURS 650 Corequisite: NURS 651 | ||
| NURS 653 | Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis II | 3 Credits |
This course is second in a two-part pediatric primary care didactic sequence. In this course students will focus on acute and chronic primary health care problems of children and adolescents. Prerequisite: NURS 651 and NURS 652 or NURS 652C Corequisite: NURS 654 or NURS 654C | ||
| NURS 654 | Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum II | 3 Credits |
This is the second practicum course in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) program. Students will apply and integrate concepts presented in the NURS 653 with focus on applying knowledge and skills in pediatric primary care practice settings. Prerequisite: NURS 651 and NURS 652 Corequisite: NURS 653 | ||
| NURS 655C | Pediatric Health Promotion Practicum | 3 Credits |
This practicum course in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) program focuses on the primary care setting and the preventative well child visit. Students will apply and integrate concepts presented in the NURS 650 course with a focus on applying knowledge and skills in pediatric primary care practice settings around pediatric health promotion. Prerequisite: NURS 612 Corequisite: NURS 650C | ||
Those starting Spring 2024 and after will also take:
| NURS 655C | Pediatric Health Promotion Practicum | 3 Credits |
This practicum course in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) program focuses on the primary care setting and the preventative well child visit. Students will apply and integrate concepts presented in the NURS 650 course with a focus on applying knowledge and skills in pediatric primary care practice settings around pediatric health promotion. Prerequisite: NURS 612 Corequisite: NURS 650C | ||
PMHNP Concentration Curriculum
For the PMHNP concentration you will need:
| NURS 660 | Psychopharmacology and Advanced Mental Health | 3 Credits |
This course will cover assessment and identification of discrete aspects of cognition, psychopathology, affect and behavior in the diagnosis and treatment planning of psychiatric illness across the life span. Also included is the appropriate use, monitoring and evaluation of prescribing psychotropic medication, including pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612 and NURS 615 | ||
| NURS 661 | Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management I | 3 Credits |
In this course theories and models will be used to develop an understanding of the etiologies of acute and chronic mental health disorders among adults and older adults. Selection of appropriate treatment strategies including individual and group psychotherapies will be discussed. Prerequisite: NURS 660 Corequisite: NURS 662 or NURS 662C | ||
| NURS 662 | Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management Practicum I | 3 Credits |
This practicum course is designed to synthesize advanced practice knowledge relevant to adult and older adult patients with psychiatric illness. A variety of psychotherapeutic strategies will be explored. Prerequisite: NURS 660 Corequisite: NURS 661 | ||
| NURS 663 | Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management II | 3 Credits |
This is the first of two didactic courses designed to assist the student in development of the advanced practice nursing role with the care and management of individuals with a mental health disorder across the lifespan. Prerequisite: NURS 661 and NURS 662 or NURS 662C Corequisite: NURS 664 or NURS 664C | ||
| NURS 664 | Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management Practicum II | 3 Credits |
This practicum is designed to synthesize advanced practice knowledge relevant to patients with psychiatric illness across the lifespan. Prerequisite: NURS 661 and NURS 662 Corequisite: NURS 663 | ||
| NURS 665 | Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management III | 3 Credits |
This is the second of two didactic courses designed to assist the student in development of the advanced practice nursing role with the care and management of individuals with a mental health disorder across the lifespan. Prerequisite: NURS 663 and NURS 664 or NURS 664C Corequisite: NURS 667 or NURS 667C | ||
| NURS 667 | Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management Practicum III | 3 Credits |
This practicum is designed to synthesize advanced practice knowledge relevant to patients with psychiatric illness across the lifespan. Prerequisite: NURS 663 and NURS 664 Corequisite: NURS 665 | ||
*To ensure the best possible educational experience for our students, we may update our curriculum to reflect emerging and changing employer and industry trends. Professional licensure and certification regulations vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Students are encouraged to visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing for the state in which they intend to practice to verify specific licensure requirements which includes ensuring the program of interest meets the licensure requirements prior to enrolling. Students may visit the professional licensure page or reach out to our team of enrollment advisors for guidance.
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Skills, Concepts, or Opportunities an MSN Degree Can Provide
MSN programs offer students the opportunity to develop a variety of skills, while also exploring a range of different academic concepts and theories. Here are a few of the skills, concepts, or opportunities that students may encounter when enrolled in an MSN program.
- Communication. Producing positive health outcomes often requires collaboration among an interdisciplinary team of health professionals who rely on one another for information. Although some advanced practice nurses operate more independently than their less experienced peers, communication is always integral to succeed as a nurse. This means nurses must learn how to convey information in an optimal way—whether through face-to-face conversation or by using indirect means of communication, such as instant messaging or medical charts. By honing their communication skills through MSN courses, advanced practice nurses can ensure that all of their collaborators have substantial information about a patient.
- Leadership. Nurses, physicians, and other healthcare providers must work together to secure positive patient health outcomes. Keeping healthcare facilities productive requires guidance from the leaders of each unit and department as they work together to treat patients. MSN graduates might qualify for nurse management occupations, which feature administrative responsibilities. Even outside of administrative roles, MSN graduates must be capable of leading their colleagues and, in some instances, their patients.
- Recording Data. The more information a nurse can gather about a patient, the more effective he or she can be in treating that patient. By sharpening their ability to track patient data, educated nurses ensure that they will be able to routinely identify important changes in the conditions of their patients.
- Attention to Detail. If a nurse misses an important detail regarding the condition of a patient, the outcome could result in pain or discomfort for the patient. Therefore, a keen level of attention to detail can prove to be advantageous for a senior nursing professional.
- Ethics. Ethics are defined as moral principles that govern a person’s conduct. In a medical profession, ethical practice is essential to maintaining patient safety. Without a thorough understanding of ethical behaviors, a nurse may fail to adhere to the policies or regulations set by an employer or the government. This could have serious professional or legal ramifications, so nursing students must take the time to learn the importance of ethics.
- Analytical Thinking. Acute and chronic diseases often present themselves to nurses as puzzles that must be carefully solved in order to secure a positive health outcome. By thinking analytically, senior nurses can find the cause of a patient’s symptoms and devise a treatment plan. . This skill will also help nurses recognize when a treatment strategy is ineffective, thereby allowing them to reconvene with their colleagues to alter the initial treatment strategy.
- Patience & Endurance. In many cases, patients won’t exhibit positive health outcomes overnight. By actively developing their patience, nurses will be able to overcome the nerve-wracking experience of waiting for a certain treatment to bear results. In time, this patience will develop into endurance, which can be incredibly handy in faster-paced, high-stress healthcare environments, such as acute care and trauma units.
- Organizational Skills. Nurses often manage multiple patients, and they may be undergoing an array of procedures. In order to keep everything in order, an effective nurse needs to employ advanced organizational skills. This means learning how to prioritize responsibilities, take detailed notes, and manage time efficiently.
Common MSN Courses
The following courses are often offered for this degree. Although the specific course titles may vary depending on the university, MSN courses that touch on these subjects will likely help nursing professionals acquire some of the practical skills listed in the previous section.
Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice. As nursing has been formally studied in universities for more than a century, many fundamental theories have been developed to help define the ideal aspects of nursing practice. By completing a course that focuses on the theoretical aspects of nursing practice, graduate-level nursing students can expose themselves to the most prominent theories in the field. Through their assignments, they will learn how to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each theory, enhancing their understanding of nursing practice as well as their practical critical-thinking skills.
Leadership and Quality. Leadership and quality coursework can enhance students’ understanding of leadership as it pertains to the healthcare industry while also teaching them how to keep quality care and patient safety at the forefront of their practices. Graduate nursing students who hope to advance into nurse leadership roles can use such a class to learn how they can use executive leadership skills to ensure that their employees and other colleagues prioritize administering quality care above all else. Effectiveness in this area is highly rewarded in professional settings, as a competent leader will typically have more opportunities to advance his or her career into a senior administrative role in the workplace.
Healthcare Policy. Healthcare policies are guidelines that collectively act as the backbone of all healthcare operations. Administrators use them to coordinate operations, healthcare providers use them to plan treatments, and patients may use them as the basis for their expectations of how health services should be administered. Individual medical institutions often have a specific set of policies, but they are also written at the local, state, and federal levels of government. In a health policy MSN course, students can expect to learn how such policies interact with one another, as well as how they can impact the nursing community.
Advanced Health Assessment. The faster a nurse is able to correctly identify faults in a patient’s health, the sooner the nurse can help prescribe a reasonable treatment. Health assessment coursework is designed to heighten a nurse’s ability to evaluate a patient’s condition. This class should incorporate lessons that describe how to perform advanced patient assessment techniques, such as focused histories, detailed physical examinations, lab and diagnostic studies, and differential diagnosis.
Professional Role Development. To maximize their career opportunities, nursing professionals must continue developing their skills over the course of their careers. In a role development MSN course, nursing students should learn how they can set skill progression goals and achieve optimal patient health outcomes. These courses typically highlight topics such as patient-centric care, team leadership and collaboration, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement. The objective of this area of study is to ensure that active nurses can effectively meet patient safety goals while remaining productive in their work.
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