MSN BLEND Program for the RN with a Non-Nursing Bachelor's Degree

Loyola University New Orleans offers the online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program with a specialization in Health Care Systems Management (HCSM). An RN who has a non-Nursing Bachelor's degree may be admitted to Loyola's MSN program without obtaining a BSN degree. To be admitted to the MSN program, the RN must complete Loyola's MSN BLEND ( B.L.E.N.D. - Bridge to Leadership Education for Nurses at a Distance) program which is now offered online.

The online blend program is composed of integrated upper division, undergraduate Nursing courses that serve as prerequisites to 700-level (graduate) nursing courses. This 6-credit bridge program covers important themes including Leadership, Health Promotion, Community, and Professional Development.

BLEND Program Admission Requirements:

A non-Nursing Bachelor's degree in any field
A current unrestricted R.N. License in practice in the United States; a copy of the license must be submitted with the application form
A minimum of one year of recent work experience in Nursing
Submission of an application
Submission of an application fee of $40
Official transcripts from each college/university attended
Three recommendations (on the Loyola form) from persons knowledgeable about the applicant's aptitude for graduate school (e.g. former Professors or Master's prepared Nursing Supervisors)
A typed goal statement, approximately one page in length, describing your professional goals and reasons for pursuing a graduate degree
A cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher on all prior undergraduate work
The undergraduate equivalent of three semester credit hours in Statistics

Additional MSN Admission Requirements:

Acceptance into the Blend Program does not guarantee admission to the MSN program. To be considered for admission to the MSN program, the following requirements must be met:

A minimum grade of B on each of the courses in the Loyola blend sequence
An interview with a graduate faculty or staff member in the School of Nursing

A Student Experience:

“For me, I was attracted to Loyola because I did not have an undergraduate degree in Nursing and Loyola had a blend program. This program allows people with non-Nursing Bachelor's degrees to go on to the MSN degree program. Dr. Tumulty was willing to work with me to pilot the blend program online. I appreciated her working with me, because I wanted to get the credential but I didn't want it to be redundant. I wanted to be sure I was enhancing my knowledge and she assured me I would be able to. And she was right – it's been great!”

–Diana L. McBroom, RN, MBA, CAN, BC

Current student in the online MSN-HCSM program and Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer; Carondelet St. Mary's Hospital, Tucson, AZ

Call Toll-Free: 1-866-789-9809

TESTIMONIALS

"Once in a Management position, I learned the tools Loyola taught me were real-world valuable. I use them every day."

Ian Nygren, MSN 2003

Emergency Department Clinical Nurse Manager at a university hospital and clinic

NATIONAL RECOGNITION

U.S. News & World Report's special issue "America's Best Colleges" for 2008 ranks Loyola University New Orleans Sixth in the Best Universities-Master’s in the Southern Region.