The MSN curriculum is delivered primarily through the Web with just two weekend campus visits, to the Pomona, CA campus, per semester. For more detail regarding the curriculum, please review the course descriptions (PDF) or visit the WesternU CGN website.
Examine the Curriculum
New Student Orientation:
All students enrolled in the College of Graduate Nursing will be required to attend the University campus orientation in August prior to beginning classes their first year. During orientation, students will participate in both college and university sessions. Students will be provided with information regarding the orientation program. Students are welcome to invite their family members to attend the annual Convocation and White Coat ceremonies, which occur at the end of orientation week. Students will have the opportunity to purchase medical equipment, textbooks, and uniforms (if applicable) during the on campus Orientation/Welcome Week.
Web-Based Curriculum for Working Professionals
The curriculum consists of three core components:
- Self-directed web-based courses that include assignments, exams, and online discussions where you will collaborate with faculty to achieve learning objectives.
- Intensive one- to three-day seminar weekends on campus (2 per semester) provide valuable time for you to interact one-on-one with faculty and your peers. The schedule includes clinical skill-building labs and testing, selected clinical experiences with faculty, lectures, student presentations and content assessments.
- Clinical Experiences are an integral part of the ADN to MSN curriculum.
Clinical Experiences
Students in the Health Systems Leadership-Clinical Nurse Leader (HSL-CNL), Health Systems Leadership-Administrative Nurse Leader (HSL-ANL), or Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) tracks have a clinical component to their curriculum. Clinical experiences for these tracks take place in acute care settings and clinical training occurs in your own community under the supervision of an approved preceptor.
Outstanding Academic Support
Caring about students and helping them achieve success is the hallmark of all WesternU faculty. Our nursing faculty are respected practitioners and scholars who keep pace with the latest teaching techniques and technology and are committed to helping you master the material.
The College of Graduate Nursing staff are also a great resource. Although you are studying at a distance, we work hard to connect with you to ensure you are on track to succeed in your courses and finish in a timely fashion.
The Harriet K. and Philip Pumerantz Library and Bookstore are set up to support our students with textbook and academic research needs while the Computing Resources/Information Technology staff are available to our distance students for technical support. Electronic databases are available both on-campus and off-campus through the Library’s e-resources page.
The Office of Learning Enhancement & Academic Development Office (LEAD) is another resource for on-campus and prospective students. LEAD helps students connect academic success with wellbeing. In individual counseling sessions, students learn time management, test taking, and studying strategies. LEAD facilitates training in managing stress, increasing focus, and professional skills. Also, LEAD offers academic writing support including review of APA formatting for scholarly papers.