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 |
A master's-prepared nurse is expected to critique, evaluate and utilize appropriate theory within his/her practice. This course focuses on the application of theoretical and conceptual frameworks to guide decision making that enhances health for culturally diverse populations. A variety of theories, e.g., developmental, systems, psychodynamic, physiological, and nursing theories relevant to health and illness care and organizations are explored. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 601 | Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing | 3 Credits |
Evidence-based practice is the deliberate use of current best practice in making informed decisions about patient care. This course emphasizes evidence-based practice as it relates to changing and improving nursing practice. Students systematically explore and evaluate current nursing knowledge for scientific and clinical merit. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 602 | Health Care Policy | 3 Credits |
The advanced practice nurse needs to understand the complexities and functioning of health care delivery systems, health care financing systems, and the development and implications of health care policies that guide those systems. The philosophical and sociocultural underpinnings of health care policy are examined. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 603 | Professional Role Development | 3 Credits |
Advanced Practice Nurse This course provides a theoretical foundation for exploring, analyzing, and evaluating the advance practice nursing roles within the health care system. The legal and ethical context in which the advanced nurse practices is addressed. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 610 | Health Promotion/Disease Prevention | 3 Credits |
The master's-prepared nurse is in a key position to influence the health practices of individuals, groups and communities. Health screening, risk assessment, targeted needs assessment, and health promotion are emphasized. Health care goals at the local, regional, and national levels are implemented to direct program planning, development, implementation, and evaluation. (3 credit hours) | ||
| 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. Emphasis is on correlating manifestations of illness with pathophysiological processes in order to formulate diagnoses and health care goals. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 612 | Advanced Health Assessment | 5 Credits |
Advanced practice nurses perform comprehensive health assessments in a variety of settings. Advanced health assessment integrates health history, physical and psychological changes and psychosocial variations. The assessment is used to determine health and risk status, develop health promotion strategies, and establish priorities of care. Differences between a complete health history and a history for an episodic event are examined. This course incorporates documented clinical experience with a preceptor focusing on health history and physical assessment. Students will apply concepts related to advanced health assessment and health promotion to problems of adults in rural and/or urban health settings and will begin their clinical logs. (5 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 615 | Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics | 3 Credits |
Nurse practitioners diagnose and prescribe treatment regimens for persons with common acute and/or chronic health problems. This course focuses on the pharmacological foundation for safely prescribing medical regimens for illnesses that affect individuals. Also included are illness prevention and non-pharmacological primary care for individuals and populations at risk. Selection of appropriate therapies, patient education and evaluation parameters are stressed. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 619 | Leadership and Quality | 3 Credits |
This course focuses on preparing the graduate nursing student to assume leadership roles on interprofessional teams that effectively implement patient safety and quality improvement initiatives. The course explores using a complexity science and systems theory approach to analyze organizations and the provision of health care within those organizations, as well as plan change strategies to improve the care environment. Budget and marketing principles will also be discussed. (3 credit hours) | ||
AGACNP Concentration Curriculum
For the AGACNP concentration you will need:
| NURS 640 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Diagnosis and Management I | 3 Credits |
First didactic management course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program. Focus is on evidence based theory and research in individuals experiencing acute illness with common problems seen in the acute care setting. Students will analyze practice guidelines and learn to develop differential diagnoses implementing clinical judgment and decision-making as it relates to pathophysiology, pharmacology and evidence based management. (3 credit hours) | ||
| 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. Application and integration of concepts presented in NURS 640 with focus on applying knowledge and skills in acute care practice settings. This course will examine common acute care presentations. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 642 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Diagnosis and Management II | 3 Credits |
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 cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, endocrine, infectious disease, OB-GYN and Hematology-Oncology disorders, while implementing critical thinking of pathophysiology, pharmacology and evidence-based management of complex symptomatology. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 643 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Diagnosis and Management Practicum II | 3 Credits |
Second practicum course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program. Application and integration of 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. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 644 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Diagnosis and Management III | 3 Credits |
Final didactic management course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program. Students will continue to refine knowledge, decision making and management of acute and emergent physiological alterations in neurological, traumatic, toxicology/ingestions, psychiatric, burns, shock states, failures states, sepsis, and multisystem disorders, as well as intensive life support and end of life, while implementing critical thinking of pathophysiology, pharmacology and evidence based management of complex symptomatology. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 645 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Diagnosis and Management Practicum III | 3 Credits |
Final practicum course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program. Application and integration of 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. (3 credit hours) | ||
AGPCNP Concentration Curriculum
For the AGPCNP concentration you will need:
| NURS 620 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care I | 3 Credits |
Care of adults experiencing selected common acute and chronic health problems as well as those experiencing complex and multiple health problems are studied in this course. Emphasis is placed on detailed history taking, differential diagnosis, management of health care problems, and documentation of findings. Strategies to manage health problems of adults in urban and rural primary care settings are explored with an emphasis on evidence-based research guidelines. Nursing care to support positive life-style behaviors, primary prevention, and support of functional ability is discussed. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 621 | Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum I | 3 Credits |
The theoretical, clinical, and role components of care are implemented in a supervised clinical practicum with a board certified nurse practitioner or physician preceptor. Opportunity is provided for the assessment, management, and evaluation of young, middle, and older aged adults with common and complex health problems in a primary care setting. Emphasis is on independence in decision-making within a multidisciplinary context. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 623 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care II | 3 Credits |
Care of adults experiencing selected common acute and chronic health problems as well as those experiencing complex and multiple health problems is studied in this course. Emphasis is placed on detailed history taking, differential diagnosis, management of health care problems, and documentation of findings. Strategies to manage health problems of adults in urban and rural primary care settings are explored with an emphasis on evidence-based research guidelines. Nursing care to support positive life-style behaviors, primary prevention, and support of functional ability is discussed. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 624 | Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum II | 3 Credits |
The theoretical, clinical, and role components of care are implemented in a supervised clinical practicum with a board certified nurse practitioner or physician preceptor. Opportunity is provided for the assessment, management, and evaluation of young, middle, and older-aged adults with common and complex health problems in a primary care setting. Emphasis is on independence in decision-making within a multidisciplinary context. (3 credit hours) | ||
FNP Concentration Curriculum
For the FNP concentration you will need:
| NURS 620 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care I | 3 Credits |
Care of adults experiencing selected common acute and chronic health problems as well as those experiencing complex and multiple health problems are studied in this course. Emphasis is placed on detailed history taking, differential diagnosis, management of health care problems, and documentation of findings. Strategies to manage health problems of adults in urban and rural primary care settings are explored with an emphasis on evidence-based research guidelines. Nursing care to support positive life-style behaviors, primary prevention, and support of functional ability is discussed. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 621 | Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum I | 3 Credits |
The theoretical, clinical, and role components of care are implemented in a supervised clinical practicum with a board certified nurse practitioner or physician preceptor. Opportunity is provided for the assessment, management, and evaluation of young, middle, and older aged adults with common and complex health problems in a primary care setting. Emphasis is on independence in decision-making within a multidisciplinary context. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 623 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care II | 3 Credits |
Care of adults experiencing selected common acute and chronic health problems as well as those experiencing complex and multiple health problems is studied in this course. Emphasis is placed on detailed history taking, differential diagnosis, management of health care problems, and documentation of findings. Strategies to manage health problems of adults in urban and rural primary care settings are explored with an emphasis on evidence-based research guidelines. Nursing care to support positive life-style behaviors, primary prevention, and support of functional ability is discussed. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 624 | Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum II | 3 Credits |
The theoretical, clinical, and role components of care are implemented in a supervised clinical practicum with a board certified nurse practitioner or physician preceptor. Opportunity is provided for the assessment, management, and evaluation of young, middle, and older-aged adults with common and complex health problems in a primary care setting. Emphasis is on independence in decision-making within a multidisciplinary context. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 629 | Pediatric/Family Health Care | 3 Credits |
Care of childbearing women, pediatric clients, and their families experiencing complex and multiple health problems is studied in this course. This course prepares Family Nurse Practitioners to develop expertise and assume responsibility for health promotion, maintenance, and management of children and women in their reproductive years. Emphasis is placed on the child within the framework of the family. Stages of development are explored from biophysiological, cognitive, emotional, and sociocultural perspectives. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 630 | Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum | 3 Credits |
The nurse practitioner practicum experience provides the student with an opportunity to assume responsibility for the primary health care services of individuals and families under the supervision of an established nurse practitioner and/or physician preceptor. 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 problem management, family involvement, health promotion and teaching, health maintenance, and continued collaboration with health professionals is emphasized. (3 credit hours) | ||
PNP Concentration Curriculum
For the PNP concentration you will need:
| NURS 650 | Health Promotion of the Pediatric Population | 3 Credits |
Focus on growth and development for stages of pediatric development using theory and evidence based practice; learn anticipatory guidance techniques. Understand appropriate health promotion and illness prevention within the pediatric population incorporating individual, cultural, ethnic, and spiritual preferences into health care. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 651 | Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis I | 3 Credits |
This course introduces pediatric nurse practitioner students to advanced nursing management of the pediatric population in a primary care setting. Content on how to perform comprehensive history and physical examination and use diagnostic testing and screening tools for the pediatric population in addition to interpretation of data and understanding differential diagnosis for common pediatric illnesses. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 652 | Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum I | 3 Credits |
Under the supervision of clinical preceptors, working with the pediatric population in primary care and other settings begin to develop the competences needed for a nurse practitioner. Develop an understanding of pathophysiology concepts in the pediatric population. Understand case management, collaboration and referral for specialist for evaluation and community resources. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 653 | Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis II | 3 Credits |
This course broadens the pediatric nurse practitioner student's primary care role and expands the interprofessional team involvement. Course content focuses on advanced nursing management of the pediatric population who present with disease processes seen in a primary care setting along with continued development of health promotion and disease prevention competencies. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 654 | Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum II | 3 Credits |
Under the supervision of clinical preceptors, students will work to assume a more autonomous role in initiating physical assessments, determining pathophysiological processes, interpreting diagnostic findings, initiating pharmacologic and non- pharmacologic therapies, providing patient education, and developing disease management and health promotion strategies for the pediatric population. (3 credit hours) | ||
PMHNP Concentration Curriculum
For the PMHNP concentration you will need:
| NURS 660 | Psychopharmacology and Mental Health Assessment | 3 Credits |
This course will examine the advanced concepts of assessment, psychopathology, and differential diagnosis in advanced practice psychiatric-mental health nursing, as well as the study and use of psychotropic drugs used in the holistic treatment of acute and chronic psychiatric-mental health disorders, including pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. A strong emphasis is placed on proper assessment and identification of discrete aspects of cognition, affect and behavior in the diagnosis and treatment planning of psychiatric illness across the life span. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 661 | Psychiatric-Mental Health Diagnosis and Management I | 3 Credits |
This course will focus on synthesized advanced practice knowledge relevant to the multidimensional assessment and interventions processes of the adult and older adult and their family. A variety of 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. Neuroscience principles and family-centered theories will be addressed. Selection of appropriate treatment strategies including individual and group psychotherapies will be emphasized. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 662 | Psychiatric-Mental Health Diagnosis and Management Practicum I | 3 Credits |
This practicum is designed to synthesize advanced practice knowledge relevant to persons with psychiatric illness and their families. Students will integrate relevant theories into the clinical management of targeted acute and chronic psychiatric symptoms and disorders. A variety of psychotherapeutic strategies will be explored. Evidence-based practice and research-based clinical decision-making will be emphasized in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of DMS-5 diagnoses among adult and older adult clients. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 663 | Psychiatric-Mental Health Diagnosis and Management II | 3 Credits |
This course will provide the student with an opportunity to evaluate and apply evidenced-based approaches of health promotion, diagnosis and management of psychiatric illness in the care of children and adolescents and their families. An expansion of knowledge in a variety of theories and models will be used to develop an understanding of the etiologies of complex mental health disorders in order to diagnose, treat, and evaluate a variety of DSM-5 diagnoses among children and adolescent clients and their families. Students will continue to develop more in-depth knowledge of various psychopharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions including crisis intervention, as well as individual and group psychotherapies. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 664 | Psychiatric-Mental Health Diagnosis and Management Practicum II | 3 Credits |
This practicum is designed to synthesize advanced practice knowledge relevant to children and adolescents and their families with psychiatric illness. Students will integrate relevant theories into the clinical management of targeted across the life span with complex psychiatric symptoms and a variety of DSM-5 disorders. A variety of treatment and management strategies will be explored. Evidence-based practice and research-based clinical decision-making will be emphasized in order to evaluate, diagnosis, treat, and evaluate a variety of DSM-5 diagnoses across the life span. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 665 | Psychiatric-Mental Health Diagnosis and Management III | 3 Credits |
This course is designed to synthesize theoretical knowledge and evidenced based research for psychiatric-mental health specialty areas with a focus on life span issues. A continued expansion of knowledge in a variety of theories and models will be used to further enhance an understanding of complex mental health disorders in order to diagnose, treat, and evaluate a variety of specialty issues among patients across the life span. Students will develop an advanced knowledge of various psychopharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions including individual and group psychotherapies to treat various complex DSM-5 disorders across the life span. (3 credit hours) | ||
| NURS 667 | Psychiatric-Mental Health Diagnosis and Management Practicum III | 3 Credits |
This practicum is designed to synthesize advanced practice knowledge relevant to psychiatric-mental health specialty areas with a focus on life span issues. Students will show an advanced ability to integrate relevant theories into the clinical management of targeted across the life span with complex psychiatric symptoms and a variety of DSM-5 disorders. A variety of treatment and management strategies will be explored. Using advanced evidence-based practice knowledge and research-based clinical decision-making students will evaluate, diagnosis, treat, and evaluate a variety of DSM-5 diagnoses across the life span working within a more advanced role. (3 credit hours) | ||
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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