The School of Nursing is no longer admitting students to the MS program or the MS/MPH dual degree program. The MS program for advanced practice has transitioned to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.

Admissions

This master’s program is offered for work leading to the PhD. Students may not apply directly for the master’s and should instead see the admissions information for the PhD.

Funding

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

On This Page

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Major Requirements

Mode of Instruction

Face to Face Evening/Weekend Online Hybrid Accelerated
Yes No No No No

Mode of Instruction Definitions

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: ​Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules.  Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.  Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online.  Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

Curricular Requirements

Minimum Credit Requirement 36 credits
Minimum Residence Credit Requirement 27 credits
Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement 18 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244.
Overall Graduate GPA Requirement 3.00 GPA required. Refer to the Graduate School: Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203.
Other Grade Requirements No other grade requirements.
Assessments and Examinations No formal examination required.
Language Requirements No language requirements.

Required Courses

Students may earn an MS in Nursing on the way to the PhD in Nursing.  All coursework must be numbered 300 and above.

Graduate School Policies

The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Major-Specific Policies

Prior Coursework

Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions

With program approval, students are allowed to transfer up to 9 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions. Graduate coursework should be less than ten years old to be considered; additional justification and/or documentation are needed for coursework taken between five and ten years. Coursework ten or more years prior to admission to the program will not be considered.

Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison

No credits from other institutions or UW–Madison undergraduate degree are allowed to transfer toward the degree.

Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)

Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.

Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW–Madison

With program approval, students are allowed to transfer no more than 6 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a University Special student. These credits are considered part of the total allowable credits available for a student to transfer. Coursework should be less than ten years old to be considered; additional justification and/or documentation is needed for coursework taken between five and ten years. Coursework ten or more years prior to admission to the program will not be considered.

Probation

A semester GPA below 3.0 will result in the student being placed on academic probation. If a semester GPA of 3.0 is not attained during the subsequent semester of full time enrollment (or 12 credits of enrollment if enrolled part-time) the student may be dismissed from the program or allowed to continue for one additional semester based on advisor appeal to the Graduate School.

Advisor / Committee

Student progression is reviewed annually.

Credits Per Term Allowed

15 credits

Time Limits

Requirements for the degree must be completed within five years of admission.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

Student Appeals, Petitions, and Grievance Procedures

Section One: Appeals

Appeals are limited to requests to continue in the curriculum after being dropped from the program and/or course grade appeals.

Drop Appeals

Any undergraduate or graduate student who feels they should not have been dropped from the program has the right to file an appeal. The appeals procedure is available for students to provide additional information regarding their circumstances which have contributed to their dropped status. The appeal procedure is described below. Throughout the appeal process, the student (hereby referred to as appellant) may be accompanied by a support person. 

Course Grade Appeals

A student who believes a grade received in a Nursing course was an error or not consistent with guidelines outlined in the syllabus or campus standards has the right to appeal the grade.

The student should first speak with the course faculty member in an effort to resolve the issue informally. This must be done within 10 business days of the grade posted to the students record. During this informal process both student and faculty may consult with the Associate or Assistant Deans for Academic Affairs to seek resolution of the issue.

If the student remains dissatisfied with the grade, the student has the option to initiate the formal appeal procedure. To do this, the student (hereby referred to as appellant) must submit the appeal, as outlined below. 

Filing Appeal
  1. The student must submit a petition for special consideration form to the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs within 10 business days of notification of academic status or grade posting.  The appeal must include:
    1. Precise grounds on which the appeal is based.
    2. Circumstances associated with the need to appeal.
    3. Arguments supporting the appeal.
    4. Description of proposed remedial actions to be taken to improve the student's academic performance.
    5. The appellant may also submit letters of support from persons knowledgeable about the appellant's current and/or past academic work and/or other matters related to the appellant's academic performance. Any such letters must be submitted to the Assistant Dean via email by the same deadline.
  2. Within 15 business days after receiving the appeal, the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs shall arrange for a committee meeting. The committee may request additional information from the appellant and/or request them to appear before the committee. The appellant may bring a support person to the appeal meeting and must notify the Assistant Dean for Academic affairs at least three business days prior to the meeting. The appellant's chosen support person is limited to providing advice and support to the appellant.
  3. Within 60 calendar days after the committee receives the appeal from the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, the committee shall send a written report of the committee's recommendations to the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs. 
  4. The Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs will consider the committee’s recommendation and issue a decision on the appeal. The decision will be communicated by email to the student within 10 business days after the receipt of the committee’s recommendation. 
  5. If the appeal is granted, the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs will discuss with the appellant any stipulations (binding) and recommendations (non-binding) for continuation in the program.
  6. If a student chooses to appeal the decision, the appeal will be directed to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The student must submit a written appeal, by email, to the Associate Dean within 10 business days upon being sent the decision from the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs. The written document must include specific justifications regarding the grounds of the appeal, which are limited to:
    1. School policies were incorrectly applied;
    2. Decision is contrary to state or federal law;
    3. Proper appeal procedures were not followed; or
    4. Unfounded, arbitrary, or irrelevant assumptions of fact regarding the appellant's performance were made by the Appeals Committee. Appellant must also identify the specific aspects of the decision that they believe meet the criteria cited as a basis for appeal.

The Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs will provide the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs with a copy of the initial grievance, the committee's recommendation, and the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs’s decision. No new information relevant to the grievance may be introduced to or considered by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs shall notify the student and the committee of the decision in writing within 30 business days. The Associate Dean’s decision is final. 

Section Two: Petitions

If a student in the School of Nursing wishes to request an exception to a School of Nursing academic policy or regulation they should first consult their academic advisor. Then, the student must formally submit their request using the Petition for Special Consideration form. Exception requests could be related to academics (i.e. dropping a course or withdrawing after the deadline etc), clinicals/compliance (i.e. waiver for specific compliance requirement), or admission to one of the School of Nursing’s academic programs.

Exceptions to established policies, regulations, and/or program requirements should be rare and will be considered on an individual case by case basis.  They will be reviewed by the School of Nursing’s Academic Affairs office.

Section Three: Grievances

The following School of Nursing Student Grievance Policy and associated procedures are designed for use in response to individual student grievances regarding faculty or staff in the School of Nursing.

Any individual student who feels they have been treated unfairly by a School of Nursing faculty or staff member has the right to file a grievance and receive a timely response addressing their concerns. Any student, undergraduate or graduate, may use these grievance procedures, except student employees whose complaints are covered under other campus policies.  The grievance procedure is available to resolve student concerns regarding inequitable treatment that have not been satisfactorily resolved through the informal resolution process or where the student believes that informal resolution would not be productive. The grievance procedure is described below. Throughout the grievance process, the student may be accompanied by a support person. The use of this grievance procedure shall not prevent the student from seeking redress through another administrative or legal process.

For grievances regarding discrimination based on protected bases (i.e., race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, etc.), contact the Office of Compliance (https://compliance.wisc.edu/eo-complaint/).

For grievances or concerns regarding sexual harassment or sexual violence (including sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, stalking and sexual exploitation), contact the Sexual Misconduct Resource and Response Program within the Office of Compliance.

For grievances that involve the behavior of a student, contact the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards in the Dean of Students Office at https://conduct.students.wisc.edu/.

For grievances about, or directed at, faculty or staff in the School of Nursing, students should follow these steps:

Informal Resolution

Any student in the School of Nursing who believes they have been treated inequitably is encouraged to resolve the matter informally. The student should first talk with the person or group at whom the grievance is directed in an attempt to resolve the issue informally. The student may contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for assistance in resolving the matter informally. If students are unable to resolve concerns directly or without additional support, please see step two.

Formal Grievance Procedure
  1. Any student in the School of Nursing who has attempted to informally resolve a grievance but has been unsuccessful, may submit a formal grievance to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
  2. The student must submit a written grievance by email to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs within 20 business days of the alleged unfair treatment. To the fullest extent possible, a formal written grievance needs to contain a clear and concise statement of the issue(s) involved as well as the relief sought.
  3. Within 30 business days after receiving the grievance, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs shall arrange for a committee meeting. The committee may request a written response from the person or group at whom the grievance is directed, may ask for additional information from any or all parties involved, may request that the parties involved appear before the committee, and/or may take other steps in attempting to resolve the grievance.
  4. Within 60 calendar days after the committee receives the grievance from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the committee shall send a written report of the committee's recommendations to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. 
  5. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will consider the committee’s recommendation and issue a decision on the grievance. The decision will be communicated by email to the student within 10 business days after the receipt of the committee’s recommendation. 
  6. If a student chooses to appeal the decision, the appeal will be directed to the Dean of the School of Nursing. The student must submit a written appeal, by email, to the Dean within 10 business days upon being sent the decision from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The written document must include specific justifications regarding the grounds of the appeal. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will provide the Dean with a copy of the initial grievance, the committee's recommendation, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs’s decision. No new information relevant to the grievance may be introduced to or considered by the Dean. The Dean shall notify the student and the committee of the decision in writing within 30 business days. The Dean’s decision is final.

Students should contact the department chair or program director with questions about grievances.

Other

The School of Nursing makes a strong commitment to funding students admitted into the PhD program who are enrolled full-time. Sources of funding include extramural, campus, and internal School of Nursing funding. The majority of funding decisions are made in the Spring for the following academic year. Continuing and newly admitted students are encouraged to apply for funding.

Professional Development

Graduate School Resources

Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

Program Resources

Career advising, funding, and professional development opportunities are shared with all students by a member of the School of Nursing Academic Affairs staff. Information on these support services can be found on the Student Site.

Learning Outcomes

  1. (Background for Practice from Sciences and Humanities) Recognizes that the master's-prepared nurse integrates scientific findings from nursing, biopsychosocial fields, genetics, public health, quality improvement, and organizational sciences for the continual improvement of nursing care across diverse settings.
  2. (Organizational and Systems Leadership) Recognizes that organizational and systems leadership are critical to the promotion of high quality and safe patient care. Leadership skills are needed that emphasize ethical and critical decision making, effective working relationships, and a systems-perspective.
  3. (Quality Improvement and Safety) Recognizes that a master's-prepared nurse must be articulate in the methods, tools, performance measures, and standards related to quality, as well as prepared to apply quality principles within an organization.
  4. (Translating and Integrating Scholarship into Practice) Recognizes that the master's-prepared nurse applies research outcomes within the practice setting, resolves practice problems, works as a change agent, and disseminates results.
  5. (Informatics and Healthcare Technologies) Recognizes that the master's-prepared nurse uses patient-care technologies to deliver and enhance care and uses communication technologies to integrate and coordinate care.
  6. (Health Policy and Advocacy) Recognizes that the master's-prepared nurse is able to intervene at the system level through the policy development process and to employ advocacy strategies to influence health and health care.
  7. (Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes) Recognizes that the master's-prepared nurse, as a member and leader of interprofessional teams, communicates, collaborates, and consults with other health professionals to manage and coordinate care.
  8. (Ethical Practice) Recognizes and applies principles of ethical and professional conduct.
  9. (Master's-Level Nursing Practice) Recognizes that nursing practice, at the master's level, is broadly defined as any form of nursing intervention that influences healthcare outcomes for individuals, populations, or systems. Master's-level nursing graduates must have an advanced level of understanding of nursing and relevant sciences as well as the ability to integrate this knowledge into practice. Nursing practice interventions include both direct and indirect care components.
  10. (Clinical Prevention and Population Health for Improving Health) Recognizes that the master's-prepared nurse applies and integrates broad, organizational, client-centered, and culturally appropriate concepts in the planning, delivery, management, and evaluation of evidence-based clinical prevention and population care and services to individuals, families, and aggregates/identified populations.

People

Faculty

School of Nursing Faculty Directory

Administration

Linda D. Scott, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Dean and Professor
ldscott@wisc.edu

Barbara Pinkenstein, DNP, RN-BC, FAAN

Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor
pinkenstein@wisc.edu

Katie Bleier

Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs (Academic Dean)
katie.bleier@wisc.edu
608-263-5172

Pamela McGranahan, DNP, PHNA-BC, PMHNP-BC

DNP Program Director, Clinical Associate Professor
pmcgranahan@wisc.edu
608-263-5337

Kristine Kwekkeboom, PhD, RN, FAAN

PhD Program Director, Professor
kwekkeboom@wisc.edu
608-263-5168

Advising and Student Services

Darby Sugar

Director of Advising & Student Services
darby.sugar@wisc.edu
608-263-5172

Mariah Allen

Graduate Academic Services Coordinator
mariah.allen@wisc.edu
608-263-5258

Admissions and Recruitment

Mandi Moy

Director of Admissions & Recruitment
mandi.moy@wisc.edu
608-263-5261

Kate Beggs

Graduate Admissions & Recruitment Coordinator
katherine.beggs@wisc.edu
608-263-5183