Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing
MSN Program for Non-Nurses at the University of St. Thomas
Minnesota and the United States more broadly are experiencing a nursing shortage. The field of nursing needs more professionals who approach health care from a whole-person perspective, recognizing the many factors that contribute to a person's health and well-being.
With a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of St. Thomas, you will be prepared to enter this high-demand field and provide the care, advocacy, and interprofessional collaboration so urgently needed in the field.
Graduates will be educated to work as generalists in a variety of settings. The program will prepare you to sit for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing NCLEX-RN® licensure exam. Over the course of earning your degree, you'll gain real-world experience during work in a clinical setting.
The MSN program provides a unique emphasis on whole-person wellness, social determinants of health and health equity, interprofessional collaboration, and advocacy and systems change. St. Thomas seeks to help serve the health needs of diverse populations in urban and rural areas by training culturally responsive nurses who proactively improve whole-person healing.
The Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing prepares highly skilled professional nurses who are culturally responsive, practice clinical excellence with ingenuity, and proactively improve whole-person healing to advance health equity and social justice.
Inspired by Catholic intellectual tradition, the University of St. Thomas Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing embraces academic excellence through fostering a caring culture during students' preparation for entry into professional Registered Nurse practice. Our graduates will partner with others, serving as culturally responsive leaders who value intellectual inquiry to act wisely in the provision of ethical and compassionate whole-person and whole-community care that promotes human flourishing. They will provide this care with ingenuity, dignity, and respect for diverse populations to advance health equity and social justice.
The pre-licensure MSN program is designed for non-nurses (with a bachelor's degree in something other than nursing) who wish to gain entry into the nursing profession.
The MSN focuses on clinical excellence and ingenuity and prepares students to sit for the NCLEX-RN® licensure exam by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Students graduating with an MSN will be able to provide nursing care across the continuum of care and transition to some practice roles (e.g. nursing leadership) without returning to school for a graduate degree.
Degree Awarded: Students who complete the program will receive a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of St. Thomas.
The master's program features higher-level learning opportunities and requirements, including:
In addition to the above, we will ask you to submit a CV or Resume as well as a short personal statement.
See more details including the prerequisite courses on our Admission & Financial Aid for Nursing page.
The program is 21 months long, consisting of 56 total credits.
The program will prepare you to use systematic assessment skills and diagnostics to prioritize health needs, implement professional nursing care for the whole person, and evaluate nursing interventions. You'll develop skills working as part of a collaborative, interprofessional team to formulate innovative, evidence-based solutions that optimize health outcomes and move the nursing profession forward. And, throughout the program, you'll look at the nursing profession through a lens of social justice and health equity to ground your work in the dignity of each person.
See the Sample Degree Plan (PDF) for the MSN
See the Course Catalog for the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
The MSN program follows a cohort model, in which you will take pre-determined nursing courses with the same group of peers, allowing you to build a close network during your time at St. Thomas. Those who are admitted to the program with outstanding pre-requisites will complete their pre-requisites before beginning their first fall semester.
The pre-licensure MSN program is designed for non-nurses (with a bachelor's degree in something other than nursing) who wish to gain entry into the nursing profession.
The MSN focuses on clinical excellence and ingenuity and prepares students to sit for the NCLEX-RN® licensure exam by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Students graduating with an MSN will be able to provide nursing care across the continuum of care and transition to some practice roles (e.g. nursing leadership) without returning to school for a graduate degree.
Degree Awarded: Students who complete the program will receive a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of St. Thomas.
The master's program features higher-level learning opportunities and requirements, including:
In addition to the above, we will ask you to submit a CV or Resume as well as a short personal statement.
See more details including the prerequisite courses on our Admission & Financial Aid for Nursing page.
The program is 21 months long, consisting of 56 total credits.
The program will prepare you to use systematic assessment skills and diagnostics to prioritize health needs, implement professional nursing care for the whole person, and evaluate nursing interventions. You'll develop skills working as part of a collaborative, interprofessional team to formulate innovative, evidence-based solutions that optimize health outcomes and move the nursing profession forward. And, throughout the program, you'll look at the nursing profession through a lens of social justice and health equity to ground your work in the dignity of each person.
See the Sample Degree Plan (PDF) for the MSN
See the Course Catalog for the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
The MSN program follows a cohort model, in which you will take pre-determined nursing courses with the same group of peers, allowing you to build a close network during your time at St. Thomas. Those who are admitted to the program with outstanding pre-requisites will complete their pre-requisites before beginning their first fall semester.
Gain Skills and Build Knowledge
You will complete clinical placement to gain real-world experience in areas of nursing practice such as health promotion, acute care, pediatrics, obstetrics, public health, and psychiatric/mental health. Our clinical placement specialist coordinates placements in these important areas of practice. You will be placed at clinical sites based on clinical partner needs, capacity, and the needs of the program.
2025: 93% of our MSN graduates who took the NCLEX exam passed it on their first attempt; 98% of graduates passed the NCLEX after retesting within six months of graduating.
The master's degree program in nursing at the University of St. Thomas is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
The program is also approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing. Nursing's Professional Licensure Disclosures provides a link to a document showing whether the MSN program meets the educational requirements for professional licensure in all U.S. states, districts and territories.
Real-World Nursing Expertise
Heather Anderson is our assistant director of nursing simulation education. She joined St. Thomas from HealthPartners Clinical Simulation at the HealthPartners Institute in St. Paul, where she served as Lead Simulation Education Specialist. In this role, she was responsible for the coordination, development, facilitation, and evaluation of simulation activities. She also has experience as a critical care nurse, medical/surgical nurse, and adjunct nursing faculty member.
Dr. Lindsay Schipper is a Registered Nurse who brings 20 years of nursing experience to her role, including in-home and hospice care at Fairview Lakes Homecaring and Hospice, as well as pediatric nursing at Children's Minnesota.