ADN-MSN Program

For the California RN with an ADN and a baccalaureate or higher degree in a discipline other than nursing seeking admission to the MSN Program at Sonoma State University

PURPOSE

The purpose of the ADN-MSN Program is to provide the California Registered Nurse with a baccalaureate or higher degree in a discipline other than nursing the opportunity to enroll in and complete coursework leading to the MSN degree at SSU and to also qualify, upon receipt of the degree, for Public Health Nurse Certification in California.  This program does NOT confer a BSN at any point in the program of study.  If you wish only to pursue a BSN at this time, please see the information on the Post-Licensure BSN Program.

.APPLICATION AND ADMISSION

To be qualified for admission to the ADN-MSN Program, the applicant must:

1. Be currently licensed as an RN in California (or anticipate graduation from an ADN program and licensure PRIOR to the Fall semester of admission to the ADN-MSN program)
2. Possess a Bachelor’s Degree or higher in a discipline other than nursing
3. Have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 units of college coursework completed
4. Be conditionally admitted to the university in post-baccalaureate standing
5. IMPORTANT: The GRE is NOT required for application or admission to the university or to the graduate nursing program at SSU.

 

Applicants must submit a CSU Graduate Application AND an SSU Nursing Application for the ADN-MSN Program. 

The CSU Graduate Application is available at www.csumentor.com and due no later than January 31 of the Fall you want to apply.  Applicants are encouraged to submit the CSU application as soon as possible to avoid university admission restrictions or problems that might occur later in the application period. 

The SSU Nursing MSN Application is available at http://www.sonoma.edu/nursing/applicforms/applic_default.shtml. Deadlines for the department applications are posted on the application page.

Prior to being considered by the Department of Nursing for admission to the MSN program, the applicant must first be conditionally admitted to the university in post-baccalaureate standing (note that this is not the same as “Second Bachelor’s Degree”).  Upon notification that the applicant has conditional admission to the University, the nursing faculty automatically reviews the applicant’s qualifications and goals and determines admission to the MSN program.

Once conditionally admitted to the MSN Program and, in consultation with their Nursing Graduate Program Director, the student plans their course of study that: 1) will meet the conditional requirements for admission to the MSN Program; 2) will meet eligibility for California Public Health Certification; and 3) will incorporate all required MSN courses as appropriate.  Matriculated students select full-time or part-time study.  

REQUIRED CURRICULUM

Depending on the student’s academic and career goals, there are minor variations in the initial ADN-MSN course requirements as indicated in the following chart.  These requirements cannot simply be “waived” as met but must be demonstrated by academic (transcript) record.  Upon review and evaluation of the individual applicant’s academic and experiential background and educational goals, the student’s academic advisor may recommend a variety of strategies to meet the specified requirements.  These strategies may include course substitution or course challenge (credit-by-examination and/or portfolio documentation as evidence of prior learning). 

Completion of the initial courses listed below and completion of required Family Nurse Practitioner curriculum satisfies the degree requirements for the MSN and provides eligibility for California Public Health Nurse Certification upon application to the State Board of Registered Nursing.  

Required Prior to Starting*
or Concurrent With Enrollment in**
SSU MSN Curriculum

The SSU Nursing faculty highly recommends that prospective ADN-MSN students complete the Elementary or Applied Statistics and Development of the Person requirements at a local community college,  or online college/university,  or by CLEP.  Enrollment at SSU in these courses is difficult and relatively inconvenient for students not already admitted to the university and working adults.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Completion of the ADN-MSN Program at SSU will qualify the graduate for California Public Health Nursing Certification (received upon application and payment to the CA State Board of Registered Nursing).  There is no mechanism at SSU whereby the ADN-MSN student can be qualified to obtain CA PHN certification without completing the MSN program.  If you are an ADN graduate with a degree in a discipline other than nursing and wish only to become eligible for PHN certification, please refer to the Board of Registered Nursing web site that lists schools offering this certification program at http://www.rn.ca.gov/pdfs/schools/phnpgrms.pdf

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