* Graduate Faculty

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree with
a Major in Nursing
Master of Science in Nursing Degree with
a Major in Nursing

BACCALAUREATE DEGREE

The Department of Nursing offers a program leading to the degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a major in nursing.
The curriculum prepares students for professional nursing in acute care agencies and in community health settings. Graduates are eligible to write the NCLEX-RN examination in any state. After initial licensure, the nurse may be licensed by endorsement in other states.
The program in nursing is approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing and is accredited by the National League For Nursing, Council of Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Programs.
Students seeking the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree must meet all requirements for baccalaureate degrees from this institution including general education (see page 41). Department requirements for the degree include prescribed background courses and a fifty-eight hour major in nursing.
Students are admitted to the upper division clinical nursing courses following satisfactory completion of 62 semester hours including the following required background courses: PSYCH 155 General Psychology, SOSCI 100 Introduction to Sociology, MATH 143 Elementary Statistics, BIOL 257/258 Anatomy and Physiology/Laboratory, BIOL 371/372 General Microbiology/Laboratory, CHEM 105/106 Introductory Chemistry/Laboratory or CHEM 125/126 General Chemistry/Laboratory, PSYCH 263 Developmental Psychology and HOEC 301 Nutrition or HOEC 203 Nutrition and Health. An overall grade point average of 2.5000 or above and a grade of C or above in the nursing prerequisite courses is necessary for an applicant to be considered. Additional requirements include submission of physical examination reports, satisfactory character references, transcripts and the application form.
Class sizes in clinical nursing courses are restricted; therefore, admission to the Department of Nursing is competitive. All pre-nursing students must file an application with the Department of Nursing for admission to upper division nursing courses. The application should be submitted

by January 15 prior to the intended fall enrollment in the nursing program. Late applications will be accepted if spaces are available.
Supervised experience in health agencies is an integral part of every clinical nursing course. The clinical assignments are in a variety of settings off-campus. Students are responsible for their own transportation, CPR certification, and liability insurance. Students can expect to spend 12-18 hours per week on the clinical areas.
Students seeking a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree must meet the general education and degree requirements for all baccalaureate degrees conferred by Pittsburg State University. In addition, the students must complete the specific requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
A grade below "C" represents work of poor quality, not adequate to pursue subsequent courses. For this reason, a student making a "D" or "F" grade in a required course will not be permitted to continue in the nursing major or to graduate. (No credit is allowed toward graduation for D's or F's in nursing courses.)
If it can be demonstrated that the "D" or "F" grade is the result of a temporary problem which has been corrected, the student will be allowed to repeat the course once. If a "D" or "F" is made in the course being repeated, or in another nursing course, the student will not be permitted to continue in the nursing major.
Unprofessional and/or unethical behavior is considered grounds for immediate dismissal from the nursing program.
Time Limit to Complete Degree

Nursing credits toward the upper division major in nursing at Pittsburg State University which have been earned more than five years prior to the time the candidate receives the degree cannot be counted to meet requirements for the degree unless validated by repeating coursework or by special examination. Nursing courses in this program which are more than ten years old must be repeated.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree with a
Major in Nursing

School Nurse Certification: Nursing majors desiring to qualify for Kansas School Nurse Certification complete, in addition to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree requirements, the following courses:

GRADUATE DEGREE

Master of Science in Nursing Degree with
a Major in Nursing

The Department of Nursing offers the Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN) with a major in nursing and an emphasis in family health. The Master of Science degree in Nursing program is designed to prepare students for careers in education, administration, and gerontology.

Graduate Admission Requirements

Applicants for admission in good standing to the Master of Science in Nursing degree program must present evidence of a degree from a National League for Nursing accredited baccalaureate school; have maintained an undergraduate GPA of 3.0000 (based on a 4.0000 scale); have completed the prerequisite courses (undergraduate research course, physical assessment content, and an undergraduate course in statistics); possess a current license as a registered nurse; provide three satisfactory references; submit a GRE score; provide documentation of current nursing practice; and submit the departmental application form. The number of admissions is limited; therefore, acceptance into the program is competitive. Probationary admission may be granted to applicants with an undergraduate GPA of 2.7000 or higher. A student whose native language is not English must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 550.

Degree Requirements

Students must complete 40 hours of appropriate course- work for the Master of Science degree in Nursing with a 3.0000 GPA overall and in the nursing major. After completing 12 hours of graduate coursework, each student is required to submit a program (plan) of studies in consultation with the major advisor. All graduate students are required to pass an oral comprehensive examination in their last semester of enrollment.

General Requirements

Graduate students may meet requirements for the Master of Science degree in Nursing in one of two ways:

Option I requires the satisfactory completion of at least 40 hours of approved coursework beyond the bachelor's degree, including 6 hours of thesis credit. Of the 40 hours required for the degree under Option I, no fewer than 35 hours must be in courses numbered 700 to 899. At least 15 hours must be in courses numbered 800 to 899.

Option II requires the satisfactory completion of at least 40 hours of approved coursework beyond the bachelor's degree, including 6 hours of a research problem. Of the 40 hours required for the degree under Option II, no fewer than 35 hours must be in courses numbered 700 to 899. At least 15 hours must be in courses numbered 800 to 899.

The graduate program for the Master of Science degree in Nursing includes 40 semester hours from the following list of courses:

Joint Nurse Practitioner Program

Pittsburg State University cooperates with the University of Kansas, Wichita State University, and Fort Hays State University in a joint family nurse practitioner program.

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