Build on your nursing experience
without stepping away from it
Graduate school should move your career forward without asking you to put the rest of your life on hold.
Learn where you are
Complete didactic coursework online. Scheduled Zoom sessions create opportunities for discussion, faculty interaction, and collaboration without requiring routine travel to campus.
Apply what you learn
Practice experiences and capstone work help you connect evidence, leadership, and improvement strategies to real challenges in nursing education and healthcare systems.
Join a statewide network
Study through WSU Spokane, WSU Tri-Cities, or WSU Vancouver while building relationships with faculty, classmates, preceptors, and healthcare partners across the region.
Choose how you want to lead
Both tracks share a foundation in evidence-based practice, systems leadership, advanced nursing knowledge, information management, and health policy. Your specialization determines how you apply that foundation.
Nurse Educator
Help prepare the nurses others will depend on. Develop skills in teaching, curriculum design, assessment, mentoring, and educational change for academic and clinical settings.
This path may fit you if you want to:
- Teach in a school or college of nursing
- Lead clinical education or staff development
- Design courses, simulations, and learning experiences
- Mentor students, new nurses, and practicing professionals
Clinical Systems Leadership
Improve how care is organized, measured, and delivered. Build expertise in quality improvement, operations, safety, data-informed decisions, and leadership across complex healthcare systems.
This path may fit you if you want to:
- Lead teams, programs, or service lines
- Improve quality, safety, and patient outcomes
- Use data to guide operational decisions
- Design and lead system-level change
A program designed for working nurses
Choose a four-semester or seven-semester sample course plan based on the pace that best fits your goals and responsibilities.
Application Deadlines
Post-Licensure
Master of Nursing Program
Applications Open: August 15
Application Deadline: February 15
Why nurses choose WSU
Students describe a graduate experience that combines flexibility, faculty support, collaboration, and academic challenge. The program is structured to help working nurses continue developing professionally while completing graduate study.
–Magdalena Stark, CougNurse ‘23
“As a WSU alumna, this was a natural choice for my graduate degree. I appreciated the support my professors provided me throughout my entire time as a graduate student. I enjoyed the convenience of a mostly online schedule as well as making some great friendships with fellow classmates.”
–Jill Andrews-Prior, CougNurse ‘24
See the graduate experience
Recent Master of Nursing graduate Jenifer Brewer, MN ’25, shares how donor-supported scholarships helped make her graduate education possible.
Job Outlook & Work/Life Balance
Master’s-prepared nurses often move into educator or leader roles.
Nurse Educators
- Nurse educators teach and mentor future nurses in academic or clinical settings. Many academic roles use a 9-month appointment, while clinical educator roles are usually 12 months.
- Teaching, mentoring, curriculum, and clinical instruction.
- Growing demand as schools face faculty shortages with above-average growth.
- National median wage: ~$86,530 per year1.
Nurse Leaders
- Nurse leaders manage teams, budgets, and operations and typically work standard business hours.
- System-level influence and decision-making.
- Operations, quality improvement, and team leadership.
- National median wage: ~$117,960 per year2.
1 Bureau of Labor Statistics
2 Medical & Health Services Managers O*NET OnLine
Admission Requirements
Education Requirements
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree
- Minimum BSN GPA of 3.0
- Official transcripts from all previous college work.
- If your previous institution is ungraded, or uses a grading scale atypical of a 0-4.0 GPA range, please reach out to the campus advisor where you wish to apply. They can provide you more specific and individual information about applying with your educational history.
- Note that applicants selected for an interview will be invited to participate in a live virtual interview via Zoom as part of the admissions process/
Practice & Professional Requirements
Previous nursing practice experience preferred.
- All MN students must hold a current, unencumbered RN license in the catchment area of their campus. That includes Washington (all campuses), Idaho (Spokane campus), and/or Oregon (Vancouver campus). Multistate RN licenses will meet this requirement, provided that Washington is included in that agreement. Students are encouraged to obtain RN licensure in Washington State to ensure timely access to clinical placement opportunities, particularly for those living near the state border. For non-resident students, we will seek clinical placements in your home state first; however, if appropriate placements cannot be secured, you will be required to obtain a Washington State RN license. Failure or refusal to do so may result in delays in program progression if no suitable clinical placement is available.
- Please note: you will need to be licensed in one of these states before the start of your first semester.
- Clinical placements depend on site and preceptor availability. We will consider your location and schedule, but a placement may be outside your home community or region. You should plan for possible travel and schedule adjustments as part of completing your practicum requirements.
International Students
International students are eligible to apply if they obtain a current, unencumbered RN license in the catchment area of their campus by the beginning of their first semester at WSU. That catchment area includes Washington (all campuses), north Idaho (Spokane campus), and/or northern Oregon (Vancouver campus). Compact/MSL licenses are acceptable provided they are multi-state with Washington (and northern Oregon or north Idaho if residing near a state border).
International students are strongly encouraged to have working experience in the field of nursing in the US. International applicants must meet the Application Requirements for International Students.
Nurse Educator Specialization
Great nurses need great teachers. The Nurse Educator specialization prepares you to teach, mentor, develop curricula, evaluate learning, and lead educational improvement in academic and clinical settings. You will build advanced competencies in education and leadership, then apply best-practice teaching strategies through practice experiences embedded in the curriculum. Graduates are prepared to support students, practicing nurses, and organizations that depend on effective nursing education.
Required Coursework
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURS_ADV 504 | Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| NURS_ADV 510 | Leadership in Systems and Organizations | 3 |
| NURS_ADV 512 | Advanced Health Assessment, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology | 4 |
| NURS_ADV 565 | Information Management for Clinical Practice | 3 |
| NURS_ADV 584 | Health Care Law, Policy, and Analysis | 3 |
| NURS_ADV 523 | Nursing Education: Curriculum Design | 3 |
| NURS_ADV 521 | Nursing Education: Assessment & Evaluation | 3 |
| NURS_ADV 533 | Nursing Education: Teaching & Learning | 3 |
| NURS_ADV 585 | Nursing Education: Faculty Role Practicum | 2 |
| NURS_ADV 586 | Nursing Education: Capstone | 3 |
| Total Credits | 30 |
Clinical Systems Leadership Specialization
Healthcare improvement requires nurses who can see beyond a single unit or encounter. The Clinical Systems Leadership specialization prepares you to lead at the system level by using national quality metrics, developing improvement initiatives, strengthening safety, and creating healthcare operational plans. Practice experiences are embedded throughout the curriculum, and a capstone project gives you the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of essential leadership competencies. Graduates are prepared for leadership roles in healthcare settings, complex systems, and community organizations.
Required Coursework
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURS_ADV 504 | Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| NURS_ADV 510 | Leadership in Systems and Organizations | 3 |
| NURS_ADV 512 | Advanced Health Assessment, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology | 4 |
| NURS_ADV 565 | Information Management for Clinical Practice | 3 |
| NURS_ADV 584 | Health Care Law, Policy, and Analysis | 3 |
| NURS_ADV 524 | Managing in Complex Systems | 4 |
| NURS_ADV 525 | Healthcare Operational Planning and Management | 3 |
| NURS_ADV 526 | Quality Improvement & Culture of Safety | 3 |
| NURS_ADV 527 | Clinical Systems Leadership Practicum | 2 |
| NURS_ADV 528 | Clinical Systems Leadership Capstone | 3 |
| Total Credits | 31 |
Program Outcomes
- Design change initiatives centered on collaboration and organizational gap analysis to promote continuous quality improvement in complex academic or healthcare systems.
- Demonstrate leadership traits that nurture personal and workforce development and optimize interprofessional teams across academia or the healthcare continuum.
- Incorporate innovative technology and data informed analysis that support the evaluation of strategic outcomes and ensures the delivery of safe and effective care or education.
- Promote public health policy through engagement and collaboration with community, industry, and governmental stakeholders.
- Employ evidence-based/informed academic or care delivery models that coordinate person-centered strategies to diverse populations across varied complex systems.
- Demonstrate an ability to synthesize and apply nursing knowledge at an advanced level and scope of practice within academic or care settings to enhance and transform patient and population healthcare outcomes.
Program Requirements
Technical Standards
Nursing education requires that the accumulation of scientific knowledge be accompanied by the simultaneous acquisition of skills and professional attitudes and behaviors.
Graduate Passport Requirements
The College of Nursing calls the combination of proof of licensure, immunizations, required trainings (e.g. CPNW Modules), and certifications, the “Graduate Passport.”
Course Plans
Select a plan below based on the program you’re interested in to see an example of how the program might look for you.
| Program | Cohort Start Year |
|---|---|
| Nurse Educator (NE) 4-Semester Plan | 2026 PDF |
| Nurse Educator (NE) 7-Semester Plan | 2026 PDF |
| Clinical Systems Leadership (CSL) 4-Semester Plan | 2026 PDF |
| Clinical Systems Leadership (CSL) 7-Semester Plan | 2026 PDF |
Cost and Funding
What does it cost to attend the program?
Visit the WSU Student Financial Services website for information on tuition and expenses at the program and campus level.
How much does it cost to apply?
- Nursing CAS itself will cost approximately $80.
- WSU Graduate School application fee $10.
- Official transcripts from everywhere you have attended will be required as well.
What support can I get with financial aid?
Please see our Financial Aid page for information on scholarships.
What is the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) as it relates to WSU?
WSU College of Nursing graduate programs are part of the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) which allows students living in a 16-state region to utilize in-state tuition. There are some criteria to be aware of for utilizing the WRGP:
- The College of Nursing credit requirement for the WRGP is 9+ for Spring and Fall semesters.
- The College of Nursing automatically enrolls qualifying students in WRGP.
What is the Border Bill as it relates to WSU?
- The State of Washington’s Border Bill is a program that allows Oregon residents who live in specified counties to attend WSU Vancouver and/or WSU Tri-Cities part-time (8 credits or less per semester) and pay resident tuition rates for the courses taken through these two WSU campuses ONLY.
| Item | Amount* |
|---|---|
| Current Tuition View Tuition and Expenses on the Financial Aid website. | WSU System Tuition Rates (PDF) The MN program is approximately 30 credits. Students take varying credits per semester depending on their progression plan choice. Plan to work with an academic advisor to determine how many courses you take each semester for either specialty track choice. |
| Campus & Student Fees | Please note that individual campuses may have additional annual campus or student fees on top of the base tuition amount. Those are:
|
| Course and Program Fees | Costs vary per semester and are tied to specific courses - details for each of these fees are shown when students go to enroll into the courses. We recommend to set aside approximately $400 over the course of your degree. |
| *Please note costs listed on this page are estimates for budgeting purposes only. This is not a bill. For additional budgeting information, refer to the Financial Services figures. Washington State University reserves the right to increase or modify tuition and fees without prior notice, upon approval by the State of Washington and Washington State University Board of Regents and to make such modifications applicable to students enrolled at WSU at the time as well as to incoming students. In addition, all tuition and mandatory fees are subject to change at any time for correction of errors. | |
Scholarships, Loans, and University Programs
- College of Nursing Scholarships
- Border Bill
- Financial Aid
- Nurse Faculty Loan Program
- Western Regional Graduate Program
- WSU Scholarships
Personal budgeting
- Computer Needs
If you do not already have a computer, one option is this agreement between WSU and Dell. WSU Nursing IT recommends a Windows computer to ensure familiarity at clinical sites and general compatibility. Review technical requirements. - Student Organizations
Optional association with student organizations may have small fees or charges attached.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I complete my practicum?
Practicum hours must be completed in the catchment area of the campus of registration. That includes Washington (all campuses), north Idaho (Spokane campus), and/or northern Oregon (Vancouver campus). WSU has clinical placement coordinators who place students for direct-care practicum experiences. MN students must establish their own sites and preceptors for non-direct care practicum experiences. This gives students the opportunity to maximize their networking skills and existing professional connections.
What kind of clinical placements are available?
The MN program gives students an opportunity to strengthen advanced knowledge in pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment. Direct-care experiences may include diabetes education, wound care, palliative or hospice care, community-based programs, mobile clinics, or patient and family education. Placement types vary by year, site, and preceptor availability. Students also complete non-direct-care practicum hours connected to their specialization.
How are classes delivered?
Courses in the MN program include a mixture of online, hybrid-based learning for didactic courses, and in-person practice experiences for any practicum courses in the specialty you choose. Didactic courses do not require regular on-campus attendance. Practicum experiences are completed in person at an approved site.
What is the Border Bill as it relates to WSU?
The State of Washington’s Border Bill is a program that allows Oregon residents who live in specified counties to attend WSU Vancouver and/or WSU Tri-Cities part-time (8 credits or less per semester) and pay resident tuition rates for the courses taken through these 2 WSU campuses ONLY.
Program Advisors
The Washington State University College of Nursing BSN, MN and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K. Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.