
DEPARTMENT OF NURSING
Master of Science in Nursing Leadership/Education
Introduction
Make a Difference in the Lives of Tomorrow's Nurses with a MSN Leadership/Education Degree from Saint Francis University
The MSN L/E program at SFU will prepare you to be a leader by educating others. In administration (educating others on a vision) or in academia (educating nursing students), students learn how to lead change in the future of nursing.
Offered: On-Line with Clinical Components

assigned faculty advisor throughout program

residency days

no GRE or GMAT required
Admission Requirements
MSN Leadership/Education
Admission Requirements:
- Current RN license in U.S. state/territory or local where student will complete clinical requirements. Licensure in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is required for clinical coursework completed in Pennsylvania.
- Official transcripts verifying the conferral of a baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree in nursing from an ACEN, CCNE, or CNEA accredited program
- BSN GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
- Evidence of qualification and capacity for graduate study as reflected in the following:
- Application essay that includes career goals
- Two professional references (These letters should be completed by two people who can attest to your aptitude for graduate work and leadership in the profession)
- Experience/employment history/professional activity (e.g. community, organizational, and volunteer service, and creative professional accomplishments)
- Minimum of one year of full-time work experience as a registered nurse is required prior to registration in clinical or specialty courses;
- Interview with program faculty (in person, online, or by phone);
- Ability to attend the required program residencies;
- Students must meet the Technical Standards for Admission;
- Proficiency in English:
- All applicants whose first language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL, The TOEFL Family of Assessments (ets.org))
- The minimum overall TOEFL score is 84 (Internet-based test); 24 is the minimum score in the speaking section, and 24 is the writing section minimum score.
CURRICULUM & COURSES
MSN Leadership/Education
The MSN Program is designed to meet the current and future need for nurses in roles of administration and education. This includes preparing MSN graduates to plan, initiate, and evaluate change in health care and nursing education. Students learn to lead by educating others.
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Degree Path
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Learning Outcomes
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Degree Path
Program Paradigm | Course Catalog
The Leadership/Education track of the MSN program can be completed in 26 months. Courses vary in length from 7 to 15 weeks and are offered online. Most MSN students will take approximately 6-7 credits per semester (including summers).
Two residencies are required. Each residency is one day in length and takes place on the Saint Francis University campus in Loretto, Pennsylvania*. Each residency has a specific purpose, including networking, project presentations, and collaborative learning. Residencies take place prior to beginning the program (orientation) and during the last practicum course.
Three major clusters of courses comprise the MSN curriculum:
Core Courses (15 credits)- Advanced Nursing Practice: Emergence, Theory, and Leadership, MSN 500, 3 credits
- Research for Evidence-Based Practice, MSN 501, 3 credits Leadership for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention, MSN 502, 3 credits
- Inter-professional Communication & Collaboration, MSN 510, 3 credits
- Application of Ethics in Advanced Nursing Practice and Health Policy, MSN 515, 3 credits
Leadership & Education Specialization (11 credits)
- Advanced Core Concepts in Health & Illness for Leadership/Education, MLE 509, 3 credits
- Leadership in Measurement & Outcomes Evaluation, MLE 619, 3 credits
- Economics & Fiscal Management for Nurse Leaders, MLE 520, 2 credits
- Leadership for Excellence in Professional Development: Adult Development & Learning, MLE 624, 1 credit
- Leadership for Excellence in Professional Development: Learning in Theory & Practice, MLE 626, 2 credits
Immersive Courses for Nurse Leaders & Educators (7 credits)
- Leading Quality Initiatives in Service & Education (2S/2C), MLE 630, 4 credits*
- Leadership Practicum (over 14 weeks max), MLE 640, 3 credits*
*Students are responsible for transportation, and costs associated with transportation, to and from residency days and the clinical/practicum experiences.
Admission Deadline:
The MSN program has rolling admission
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Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the MSN program will be prepared to:
- Exercise a selected advanced nursing practice role to ensure the delivery of high quality direct patient care and/or to foster an organizational climate in health care and nursing educational settings that serve to promote high quality patient care.
- Exercise leadership in interdisciplinary collaboration to develop and/or refine organizational structures and processes through which high quality, evidence-based and cost-effective care, and the improvement of patient outcomes are assured.
- Participate in political processes at a variety of levels to influence health care policy that benefits patients, the profession, and the interdisciplinary community of health care providers.
- Make critical, constructive, and effective use of scientific evidence in the implementation, evaluation, and revision of health care services to better serve the health needs of individuals in the context of their families and communities.
- Exercise leadership to cultivate a highly ethical, culturally competent, and caring health care culture through the promotion of self-awareness, effective communication, effective group dynamics, values-based realism, courage, and principled action.
- Employ administrative and clinical information technology to access and leverage knowledge effectively, ethically, and legally in the interest of safe, effective, patient care in a variety of settings.

Department of Nursing Faculty
Benefit from our Experienced Faculty
The nursing undergraduate faculty teach with a philosophy of learning as a self-motivated and voluntary endeavor on the part of nursing students. Using our “curriculum of caring” as a source of inspiration, we have moved away from the traditional role of teacher to that of “facilitator of learning” to help you take on the responsibility of self-direction. We support you as you develop the best ways of learning and becoming the best nurse possible.
Nursing Program Chair: Dr. Rita Trofino, DNP, MNEd, RN, Rtrofino@francis.edu, 814-472-3027
Accreditation Statement:
The Master of Science in Nursing program at Saint Francis University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About RN-BS OR RN-BS-MSN Programs and Saint Francis University
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What are the tuition costs for the MSN L/E program?
For more information on program costs please visit our Tuition & Fees page.
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Is the MSN L/E program 100% online?
This is an asynchronous online program, with the exception of the clinical/practicum components and residency requirements. The unique aspect of our program is personal attention. The small classes enable faculty to provide individualized guidance to students as they complete the coursework.
- All students are required to attend two campus residencies which may be on-campus or online.
- Each residency lasts 1 day.
- The first residency provides an orientation to the program, the University, and student resources.
- The second residency occurs during the last semester of the program, when students showcase their accomplishments to the faculty and the University.
For more information on program costs please visit our Tuition & Fees page.
This is an asynchronous online program, with the exception of the clinical/practicum components and residency requirements. The unique aspect of our program is personal attention. The small classes enable faculty to provide individualized guidance to students as they complete the coursework.
- All students are required to attend two campus residencies which may be on-campus or online.
- Each residency lasts 1 day.
- The first residency provides an orientation to the program, the University, and student resources.
- The second residency occurs during the last semester of the program, when students showcase their accomplishments to the faculty and the University.