RN To MS Accelerated Program

For Registered Nurses with a Non-Nursing Baccalaureate Degree

This pathway enables RNs who hold baccalaureate degrees in non-nursing fields to attain advanced standing in a selected graduate nursing program (MS in AGPCNP, MS in Nursing Education, or MS in Nursing Executive Leadership).  Students entering this pathway must document their achievement of identified baccalaureate nursing competencies through a process of academic transcript and resume review, and a personal interview with the nursing faculty. The competencies were identified by the faculty as foundational for nursing graduate study.

The five baccalaureate competencies are:

  • Health Assessment
  • Community Health/Population-Focused Health
  • Leadership/Management/Professional Development
  • Research
  • Professional Commitment and Engagement

Applicants to the RN to MS accelerated pathway should submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities where they completed coursework as well as a resume which fully describes their past work experience.  Copies of evidence of completion of continuing education credits, in-service education programs, and attendance at meetings, conferences, and workshops should also be included along with course descriptions if available.  The nursing faculty will review all documentation to assess achievement of the competencies.  After the faculty review, the applicant will meet with the faculty to discuss the materials, identify competencies not met, and develop a plan to meet the competencies identified as unmet.

Please note that this accelerated pathway culminates in an MS degree. No baccalaureate degree will be conferred to students in this RN to MS accelerated pathway.

For Registered Nurses with an Associate’s degree or Diploma in nursing

This accelerated RN to MS program is designed for associate degree and diploma prepared nurses who want to pursue the adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner degree. Students may enter this Master’s Program through this accelerated track option. Criteria for admission to the accelerated program are as follows:

GPA of 3.25 or better upon admission to Daemen College. Students must meet all of the other admission criteria for the graduate program (except for the possession of a baccalaureate degree).

Acceptance into the accelerated track is contingent on space availability in the selected graduate program.

Students in the accelerated RN-MS/AGPCNP track may take NUR 509 in lieu of BIO 407 and NUR 516 in lieu of an undergraduate elective in their RN to BS program.