Application Information
Prior to applying, we strongly encourage you to contact Dr. Catherine Kenney, Admissions Coordinator – Graduate Nursing Programs, to review your career goals, discuss your interest in the program and address any questions you might have about the program. Information sessions are also available so that you can better understand the graduate nursing program options at UWEC.
Visit our graduate admissions page to see the application process, deadlines, and required materials.
Admission Requirements
For consideration for admission, an applicant must have:
- An undergraduate degree in nursing (with at least a 3.00 GPA) from a program accredited by CCNE.
- NLN or ACEN RN licensure in the U.S. at time of admission and Wisconsin licensure by no later than July 1 following admission to the program.
- Prerequisite course content in undergraduate statistics and health assessment (minimum grade of C).
- Graduates of foreign nursing schools please find more information about obtaining a WI license on the Wisconsin Licensure and Registration Info webpage.
The Department of Nursing Graduate Curriculum and Admissions Committee reviews completed applications after the priority deadline. Following admission to the nursing program, students must in a timely manner provide required health record information, information to conduct a criminal background check and evidence of current CPR certification.
Please contact Dr. Catherine Kenney (715-836-3638, kromricc@uwec.edu) or Patricia McGregor, University Services Program Associate (715-836-4834, mcgregpj@uwec.edu) if you have any questions about the application process.
Additional Information
The MSN program of study is approximately 40-41 credits, depending on whether the student chooses to complete a scholarly project or thesis. Past projects have included the creation of educational brochures and development of a toolkit, health agency needs assessments, and other projects.
Clinical practicums require an additional 525 hours of time over two semesters, scheduled during weekdays, and many of these can be arranged in your home community/region. Clinical hours provide a valuable opportunity for students to work with preceptors in clinical areas, under the supervision of a faculty member, to apply knowledge of the graduate coursework related to the role preparation.
For full-time students, the first year of courses are generally held on Mondays and second-year courses are held on Tuesdays. These courses are offered in a hybrid format that combines in-person with synchronous and asynchronous online components.
