Master of Science in Nursing Nurse Educator Online

The Master of Science in Nursing Nurse Educator program is designed to prepare experienced nurses to become well-qualified nurse educators. Our accelerated online program is student success-centered and 100% online coursework is supplemented with faculty-guided practica.

Apply by 12/7/24
Start class 1/13/25 Apply Now
Apply Now

Program Overview

Get to know the UNCW online MSN Nurse Educator program


In the UNCW MSN Nurse Educator program, you can acquire the necessary tools and knowledge to successfully teach a new generation of nurses. You will learn under the instruction and caring mentorship of our faculty—who are experienced nurse educators themselves.

In this online master’s program, you will learn to effectively teach didactic, clinical and distance nursing education courses. Coursework includes advanced pathophysiology and pharmacotherapeutics, a study of social, psychological, cultural and ethical trends which shape healthcare systems, research and evidence-based practices for nursing education, an exploration of relevant teaching and learning theories, strategies, and assessments, and a study of clinical information systems.

In our online nurse educator master’s program, you will:

  • Understand the educational requirements to be eligible for some specialty certification examinations
  • Acquire the knowledge and confidence for a leadership role in academia, staff development and the greater nursing community
  • Gain the necessary tools and knowledge to successfully teach a new generation of nurses
  • Understand the educational requirements to be eligible for some specialty certification examinations
  • Acquire the knowledge and confidence for a leadership role in academia, staff development and the greater nursing community
  • Gain the necessary tools and knowledge to successfully teach a new generation of nurses

Career paths for graduates of the MSN Nurse Educator online program include:

  • Clinical Nurse Educator
  • Nursing Consultant
  • Research Nurse Educator
  • Nursing Education Specialist
  • Clinical Nurse Educator
  • Nursing Consultant
  • Research Nurse Educator
  • Nursing Education Specialist

Also available:

The School of Nursing at UNCW offers multiple online nursing degrees. View all our nursing options.

Total Tuition $11,804.76*
Duration As few as 12 months
Credit Hours 36
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Need More Information?

Call 855-306-4734

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April Matthias

Through the MSN Nurse Educator program, you will gain unique knowledge and skills as a nurse educator. You will gain a strong foundation from which to facilitate and assess learning, design and evaluate quality curricula, and advance the scholarship of nursing education. This knowledge and these skills will enhance your value as a member of the nursing profession.

- April D. Matthias , PhD, RN, CNE / Associate Professor and MSN NE

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. April Matthias [email protected]

Tuition

The UNCW online nurse educator degree is affordable


Designed to be affordable and convenient, our tuition is an outstanding value and far less of a financial investment than many other North Carolina universities. We also offer pay-by-the-course tuition for our online programs. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.

Tuition and fees are subject to change each academic year pending legislative approval. View more information on your cost of attendance.

Tuition breakdown:

Total Tuition $11,804.76*

Calendar

Know the schedule for your online program


The MSN Nurse Educator online program is delivered in an online format ideal for working professionals, conveniently featuring six start dates each year.

Please note that sessions frequently fill ahead of published deadlines. Application cycles are open until the sessions reach capacity. Due to high demand, there is no advanced notice of application closures.

TermProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlinePayment DueLast Class Day
Fall 210/21/249/21/249/28/2410/23/2410/24/2412/8/24
Spring 11/13/2512/7/2412/14/241/15/251/16/253/2/25
Spring 23/10/252/8/252/15/253/12/253/13/254/27/25
Summer 15/12/254/12/254/19/255/14/255/15/256/29/25
Summer 26/30/255/24/255/31/257/2/257/3/258/17/25

Students must register for courses by 5 p.m. (EST) on the registration deadline date.
Students must remit tuition payment by 10 a.m. (EST) on the tuition deadline date.

Now enrolling:

Apply Date 12/7/24
Class Starts 1/13/25

Admissions

Check out the requirements for our MSN Nurse Educator online program


Applicants desiring admission into the graduate program in nursing at UNCW must seek admission to the UNCW Graduate School. Admission to the UNCW Graduate School requires:

Admission Requirements:

  • Official transcripts
  • Undergraduate GPA 2.7
  • Bachelor’s degree in nursing

  1. A completed Graduate School application.
  2. Official transcripts of all college work.
  3. Official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) if undergraduate GPA is less than 3.0. Standardized test scores more than five years old at the time of application will not be considered. Due to COVID -19, the program will accept two letters of recommendation in place of the GRE or MAT for applicants with a cumulative GPA of 2.70 - 2.99 from a regionally accredited institution. The letters (submitted through the online portal) should address the applicant's potential for success as a graduate and the applicant's potential in the Nurse Educator role.
  4. Students who are taking or have taken graduate work elsewhere must be in good standing at that institution to be eligible to take graduate work at UNCW.
  5. Licensure or eligibility for licensure as a professional nurse in North Carolina is required unless:
    1. The student’s license is from a compact state and that is the student’s primary state of residence (fixed permanent and principle legal residence) home www.ncbsn.org/compacts.htm
    2. The student is distance-based and will not be practicing in North Carolina while enrolled in school and has the licensure or eligibility for licensure in their primary state of residence.
  6. Baccalaureate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program.
  7. Strong academic record with a 2.7 GPA in undergraduate bachelor’s degree in nursing.
  8. Completion of an undergraduate or graduate Statistics course with a grade of B- or higher. An Advanced Placement Statistics (AP Statistics) Exam score of 4 or 5 also meets this requirement. Applicants fulfilling this requirement with AP Statistics will be required to upload a copy of their AP Statistics Exam score into the online application after submission.
  9. Selection of preferred start date, based on available sessions at the time of application or decision.
  10. An interview with faculty may be requested.
  11. Additional items as needed.
  12. Application and supplemental documents must be submitted by the published deadline.

Please note: The GMAT/GRE is currently waived through the 2024 cycle for all programs.

Additional Information

  1. Applicants with an overall bachelor’s degree GPA of 2.69 and lower will not be considered for admission.
  2. Nine credit hours of graduate level transferred credit may be accepted upon approval.
  3. Application for admission to the MSN-NE program will occur at 6 start dates, two in the Fall, two in the Spring and two in the Summer. Please note that sessions frequently fill ahead of published deadlines. Application cycles are open until the sessions reach capacity. Due to high demand, there is no advanced notice of application closures.
  4. Applicants must have access to a computer capable of supporting electronic mail, a web browser, a word processing program and multi-media presentations. In addition, applicants must demonstrate ability to use these computer applications. Remediation instruction for navigating the on-line platform is available from the TAC Center (https://uncw.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/Home/).
  5. A reapplication and application fee is required for students that do not attend the session accepted.

Courses

Discover what you will learn in our online courses


The MSN Nurse Educator online curriculum is comprised of 11 core courses (33 credit hours) and one nursing elective to total 36 credit hours.

You must take the following courses:

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines clinical information systems, health care technology and medical languages as informatics concepts are used and applied for investigative inquiry. The focus is on the impact of informatics and technology on health care systems and nursing practice.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Focuses on assessment of health status of individuals and families throughout the lifespan, addressing cultural and developmental variations. Diagnostic reasoning is emphasized as the decision-making process which differentiates normal from abnormal health states.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides learners with information about the essential elements of empirical research including research design, methods, statistical analysis and dissemination. Emphasis is on locating research evidence, and assessing and critiquing research quality for synthesis and application to inform nursing education practice and associated student learning outcomes. Students will apply, analyze and evaluate science from nursing, education and other related disciplines to determine suitability for application to nursing education and development of strategies for utilizing the research in varied educational settings.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides the essential elements which define and operationalize the process of didactic instruction. The student will explore relevant teaching and learning theories, from the perspectives of education and nursing as a foundation to critique curriculum models, choose pedagogies and analyze evaluation strategies that are appropriate to achieve the outcomes of this method of learning. They will analyze factors that influence program development, curriculum design, development, implementation and evaluation.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An advanced course for nurse educators in the pathophysiology of human conditions and pharmacotherapeutic management of patients. Emphasis is on selected disease conditions of various body systems and the adaptation of those systems to disease. Principles of pharmacology and the process of pharmacological reasoning for primary care of common acute and chronic illnesses across the life span will be explored.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An advanced course for nurse educators in the pathophysiology of human conditions and pharmacotherapeutic management of patients. Emphasis is on selected disease conditions of various body systems and the adaptation of those systems to disease. Principles of pharmacology and the process of pharmacological reasoning for primary care of common acute and chronic illnesses across the life span will be explored.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides the essential elements which define and operationalize the process of clinical instruction. The student will explore relevant teaching and learning theories from the perspectives of education and nursing as a foundation to critique curriculum models, choose pedagogies and analyze evaluation strategies that are appropriate to achieve the outcomes of this method of learning. They will analyze factors that influence program development, curriculum design and development, implementation and evaluation.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: NSG 513. This course provides the essential elements which define and operationalize the process of distance learning. The student will explore relevant teaching and learning theories from the perspectives of education and nursing as a foundation to, critique curriculum models, choose pedagogies, and analyze evaluation strategies that are appropriate to achieve the outcomes of this method of learning. They will analyze factors that influence program development, curriculum design, development, implementation and evaluation.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An online course focusing on social, psychological, cultural, economic, political, legal and ethical trends and issues which shape health care systems. Advanced nursing practice in primary care is studied relative to interprofessional relationships and leaderships in health policy, health care reform, health care delivery systems, poverty research, and interdisciplinary health management.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: NSG 513, NSG 524, NSG 525. This practicum is a faculty-guided nursing education practicum for application and synthesis of the nurse educator role in academia or health care settings. Students will assess learning needs and design, implement and evaluate a didactic instructional module which includes didactic, clinical, and/or distance learning principles under the direction of an approved nurse faculty mentor. All MSN-NE students will complete and log a minimum of 168 practice hours within their practicum courses. Practice hours are designed to demonstrate synthesis of expanded knowledge acquired within the MSN Nurse Educator curriculum. Practical learning experiences are structured across a series of two practicum courses that include course objective strategies for meeting overall program outcomes. For more information on the practicum, please review the Student Handbook.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: NSG 596. This practicum is a faculty-guided nursing education practicum for application and synthesis of the nurse educator role in academia or health care settings. Students will assess learning needs and design, implement and evaluate an instructional module that includes didactic, clinical, and/or distance learning principles, and builds on the instructional module in Practicum I, and under the direction of a selected nurse faculty mentor. They will disseminate findings in a manner consistent with the educator role. All MSN-NE students will complete and log a minimum of 168 practice hours within their practicum courses. Practice hours are designed to demonstrate synthesis of expanded knowledge acquired within the MSN Nurse Educator curriculum. Practical learning experiences are structured across a series of two practicum courses that include course objective strategies for meeting overall program outcomes. For more information on the practicum, please review the Student Handbook.

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