Join us at one of our upcoming virtual Graduate School Open House events on Zoom!
You’ll have the opportunity to learn more about Western Carolina University,
participate in a Q&A with current students, and meet key program representatives.
Develop the advanced teaching, curriculum design, and leadership skills needed to
educate future nurses in academic, clinical, and healthcare settings. WCU’s online
MS(N) Nurse Educator program prepares students to become effective educators through
evidence-based instruction, learner assessment, communication strategies, and hands-on
practicum experiences.
Where You'll Go
Graduates are prepared for careers as academic nurse educators, clinical staff educators,
patient educators, and healthcare training specialists in colleges, hospitals, healthcare
systems, and community organizations. The program also helps nurses expand leadership
opportunities while making a lasting impact on the next generation of nursing professionals.
The Master of Science degree in Nursing - Nurse Educator, prepares nurses in an advanced
practice role with competency in one of three educational areas: academic educator,
staff educator, or patient educator. The three-year program requires 38 to 39 semester
hours of graduate course work including a 2 credit hour teaching practicum and a 2
credit hour clinical specialty course that includes 45 contact hours of practicum.
The total number of required hours depends on whether the thesis option is selected.
A written comprehensive exam will be required during the final semester. The research
requirement is a two-hour project that is to be completed during the final semesters
of the program. Students selecting the thesis option will be exempt from the research
project requirement.
Western Carolina University’s graduate studies in nursing provide students with academic
and field-based experiences that lead to a Master’s of Science Degree in Nursing (MSN).
The M.S. Nurse Educator curriculum combines advanced nursing coursework with specialized
training in teaching, curriculum development, assessment, and practicum experiences
for future nurse educators.
Western Carolina University’s School of Nursing offers nationally ranked, accredited,
highly affordable undergraduate and graduate programs at WCU’s main campus in Cullowhee,
NC, at our Asheville instructional site, and online.
Related Programs
Explore our related programs until you find the one that’s right for you.
