MSN: Nursing Leadership in Health Systems Management Concentration

Major: Nursing: Nursing Leadership in Health Systems Management Concentration
Degree Awarded: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 45.0; 160 practicum hours
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 51.3801
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 29-1141

About the Program

The MSN in Nursing Leadership in Health Systems Management program, designed for part-time attendance by working nurses, prepares students to become nursing leaders in today's rapidly changing health care environment. This online master's degree program will prepare students for a senior role in a dynamic and increasingly demanding health care environment.

The MSN program focuses on the development of a leadership style and the skillset essential for individuals in or seeking administrative roles, including:

  • Fiscal and organizational management
  • Strategic planning
  • Integrated quality outcomes measurement
  • Organizational structures
  • Marketing
  • Management of human resources within organizations

The program also provides the student with information and strategies to problem solve, make decisions, resolve conflict, address legal/ethical issues and operationalize the mission and goals of the health care delivery organization.

The MSN also requires 160 practicum hours over two quarters (20 weeks) that provide opportunities for students to further develop leadership skills for complex health care organizations.

The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Additional Information

For more information about this program, contact:

Graduate Nursing Division
CNHPGraduateDivision@drexel.edu

Additional information is available on the Drexel's College of Nursing and Health Professions Nursing Leadership in Health Systems Management webpage and the Drexel University Online Nursing Leadership in Health Systems Management webpage.

Admission Requirements

  • A Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a program fully accredited by the National League of Nursing (NLN/ACEN) or the American Association Colleges of Nursing (AACN/CCNE)
  • 3.0 or above on all previous coursework or the last 60.0 credits completed. Applications from RNs with a GPA of less than 3.0 may be considered on an individual basis.
  • Official transcripts from all previous educational institutions are required.
  • Two professional references are required from colleagues or supervisors who can attest to the applicant’s knowledge, skill and potential aptitude for graduate study.
    • Letters of recommendation are waived for students who have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • Personal statement (no more than two pages and no less than one page double-spaced) that will give the admissions committee a better understanding of the following:
    • Why you are choosing this particular program of study
    • Your plans upon completion of the degree
    • How your current work experience will enhance your experience in this program
  • Curriculum vitae or resume.
  • Copy of current U.S. RN license required.
  • Copies of any advanced practice nursing licensure and certification documents.
  • While specific experience is not required for applicants to the track, previous related work experience may make an applicant more competitive.

International applicants must possess a BSN (or its equivalent) and a current U.S. RN license.

TOEFL Requirement

International applicants, as well as immigrants to the United States and United States permanent residents whose native language is not English and who have not received a bachelor’s degree or higher in the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or the United Kingdom, must show proficiency in English speaking as well as listening, writing, and reading. U.S. citizens born on U.S. military bases abroad may be waived from the TOEFL requirement after providing documentation of this status; otherwise, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

If you take the TOEFLiBT exam, you are required to have a minimum combined score for the listening, writing and reading sections of 79 plus a speaking section score of 26 or higher.

If you take the TOEFL, you are required to have a minimum score of 550 or higher and a Test of Spoken English score (TSE) of 55 or higher.

Degree Requirements

The program content addresses the four key areas of organizations: leading the human side of the enterprise, managing resources, managing operations, and managing information. Two threads are incorporated throughout all courses: the importance of professional image in written and live presentations and the use of technology to support and enhance management and care delivery outcomes.

MSN Core Courses
NURS 500 [WI] Confronting Issues in Contemporary Health Care Environments3.0
NURS 502Advanced Ethical Decision Making in Health Care3.0
NURS 544Quality and Safety in Healthcare3.0
RSCH 503Research Methods and Biostatistics3.0
RSCH 504Evaluation and Translation of Health Research3.0
Major Courses
PROJ 501Introduction to Project Management3.0
NUPR 663Communication and Self-Awareness for Leadership4.5
NUPR 664The Economics and Business of Healthcare4.5
NUPR 665Managing Operations and Human Resources for Quality Outcomes of Care Delivery4.5
Practicum Courses
NURS 568Practicum and Symposium in Healthcare Operations Management3.0
NURS 569Practicum and Symposium in Technology and Management of Information in Healthcare Organizations3.0
Electives *7.5
Total Credits45.0
*

Nursing Electives can be any course with the prefix Nursing (NURS, NUPR), Interprofessional Studies (IPS), or Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH/CIT), with course number ranging from 500-699.

Writing-Intensive Course Requirement

A [WI], Writing Intensive, next to a graduate course in this catalog indicates that the graduate course is a writing intensive course. The graduate course is a required course in your curriculum.

Sample Plan of Study

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
NURS 5003.0RSCH 5033.0PROJ 5013.0NURS 5443.0
NURS 5023.0NUPR 6634.5RSCH 5043.0NUPR 6654.5
 6 7.5 6 7.5
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
NUPR 6644.5NURS 5683.0Elective3.0 
 Elective4.5NURS 5693.0 
 4.5 7.5 6 
Total Credits 45
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