Program structure

The program consists of six core nursing courses, two electives, and a capstone project (consolidated service learning project or thesis) for a total of 30 semester hours of study.

Flexible! The program is delivered in a combination of on-campus and on-line courses. Online learning experiences offered during the academic year ensures an accessible graduate program to working nurses around the globe. Most students will complete the program in 2 years. For those students who wish to complete the program in 13 months we have an accelerated option, and elective courses may be taken concurrently with core courses. Others may choose to extend the program for up to five years.

Learn in Community! Students have two residencies: four weeks on TWU's Langley campus during the first summer, and one week at TWU's Laurentian Leadership Centre (LLC) in Ottawa at the end of the first year. On-campus experiences foster one-on-one relationships with professors for individualized mentoring and build the relationships that make for outstanding on-line learning in subsequent courses.

Influence change! The one week residency at TWU's Laurentian Leadership Centre in Ottawa will equip students as nurse leaders who understand the "bigger picture" of how to influence change in health care. The LLC residency will offer students an exceptional experience in healthcare policy and leadership analysis as they learn from healthcare leaders, decision-makers, and policy analysts in seminars, interviews, and site visits while staying at the LLC historic mansion just blocks from Capital Hill. See: http://www.twu.ca/sites/laurentian.

Individualized! Choose those electives of relevance to your career goals: nursing education, leadership, advanced nursing practice. Work closely with Nursing Faculty to select your courses and plan your capstone project.

Course Timeline

Students begin the program with a four week residency in August, completing two courses: NURS 510 Foundations of Nursing Knowledge and NURS 520 Knowledge Synthesis. They then complete the next 4 core online courses in sequence. Students have a summer break at the beginning of their second year, and continue with two elective online courses in the second year. The capstone project is completed during the last six months of the program.

DateYear OneYear TwoNotes
August NURS 510 Foundations of Nursing Knowledge (3)
NURS 520 Knowledge Synthesis (3)
On Campus
September - November NURS 530 Nursing Inquiry I (3) Elective course #1 (3)
NURS 611, 621 or 631
Online
December - February NURS 633 Health Care Ethics and Decision Making(3)

Elective course #2 (3)
NURS 612, 622, or 632

Thesis or Service Learning (3)
NURS 690 or 692

Online
March - May NURS 540 Nursing Inquiry II (3)
Online
June NURS 550 Health Care Policy (3) Mixed
modal
June - August Thesis or Service Learning (3)
NURS 691 or 693

An accelerated option is available for students who wish to complete the program in one year.

Graduation Requirements

  • Completion of all required and elective courses with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0. Students who are not maintaining a B average in the core courses may be asked to withdraw from the program.
  • Students must meet all graduation requirements within a period of five years of beginning their course work.
  • Students must successfully complete all required courses (see curricular plan below).

pdficonSee Curricular Plan

pdficonTWU MSN Course Descriptions