Master of Science (Nurse Educator)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Page

Select a Question:

1. Can I attend the graduate program if I am a nurse, but my bachelor’s degree is not in nursing?

2. Are there any prerequisites for the master's program?

3. How long does it take to obtain a master’s degree at UW?

4. I have taken several graduate level courses within the last few years and was wondering if I can transfer those courses into the program.

5. What are the admission criteria for entering the MS program?

6. I already have a master’s degree in nursing. Do you have a post-master’s program?

7. I am a licensed RN in another state.  I am not sure if your program would make me eligible to teach in my state.

8. Where can I teach after graduating from the Nurse Educator program?

9. Do I ever need to come to Wyoming to complete coursework for the program?

10. Is there an orientation to the program?

11. Is the out of state fee included in the on-line tuition, or is it separate?

12. I am an out-of-state student.  Do I need to apply for a Wyoming RN license even though I will be taking classes on-line and doing my practicum where I reside?

1. Can I attend the graduate program if I am a nurse, but my bachelor’s degree is not in nursing?

   • Yes, nurses can attend the graduate program if their baccalaureate degree is not in nursing; however, they need to take two additional courses before they begin the program (NURS 3010 and NURS 3020). These two courses are in the RN-BSN Completion program. See the Application link for more details.

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2. Are there any prerequisites for the master's (MS) program?

   • There are no specific prerequisites for admission to the master's program; however, graduate courses within the program do have prerequisites. An undergraduate statistics course is required for NURS 5027 (Evidence-based Nursing Practice).

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3. How long does it take to obtain a master’s degree at UW?

   • The curriculum for the Nurse Educator program is a 3-year part-time plan of study.

   • The master's degree is required to be completed within 6 years (university requirement).

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4. I have taken several graduate level courses within the last few years and was wondering if I can transfer those courses into the program.

   • The University of Wyoming allows students to transfer up to nine credits of graduate coursework from other schools that have not been used to satisfy the requirements of a previous degree and are documented on an official transcript, The graduate degree is required to be completed within six years, meaning that the six-year timeframe is based on the oldest course being applied toward the degree. If a student took graduate courses eight years ago, those would be beyond the limit. If they are transferring courses five years old, then they would need to complete the whole program in one year to have those courses count, since the program cannot go beyond the six-year timeframe.

   • If students want to transfer courses that they think are equivalent to courses required in this program, once accepted into the program, students can petition to have their courses transferred. To do that, they should send copies of their course syllabi (not course descriptions) to the Nurse Educator Program Coordinator, Mary Ann Purtzer (mpurtzer@uwyo.edu), along with a letter asking that the course be reviewed, and for which course/requirement it should be considered. Transfer courses may not be used for the four core nursing education courses (NURS 5280, 5285, 5290 and 5395).

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5. What are the admission criteria for entering the MS program?

   • The criteria include: clinical expertise; self-reflective essay; GPA (minimum of 3.0 is preferred); and three letters of recommendation. Evaluation of these admission criteria are weighted in the order reflected in the prior sentence.

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6. I already have a master’s degree in nursing. Do you have a post-master’s program?

   • Yes, a post-master's option is available for students who already have a master's degree in nursing. Please note the emphasis: the previous master's degree must be in nursing. The post-MS certificate is 18 hours in length.

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7. I am a licensed RN in another state. I am not sure if your program would make me eligible to teach in my state.

   • Nurses licensed in states other than Wyoming should check with their State Board of Nursing to see if they have any requirements for nurses to teach in that state. Each state has different regulations. For example, in Wyoming, nurses need a minimum of a master's degree in nursing to teach in a state approved school of nursing. Wyoming also requires a minimum of 10 credit hours of education courses in either an academic program or continuing education each year. If the nurse's state requires certain coursework beyond what this Nurse Educator program requires, that nurse may be able to take those courses as their electives while in program.

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8. Where can I teach after graduating from the Nurse Educator program?

   • The Nurse Educator program satisfies the requirements to teach nursing in a community college associate degree program, a BSN program, or to teach in a hospital setting as a staff development/continuing education educator in the State of Wyoming. To teach in a master's program, a doctoral degree is required. There may be exceptions to these requirements in some states. go

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9. Do I ever need to come to Wyoming to complete coursework for the program?

   • All coursework is online. The required teaching practicum of 120 hours can be completed in students' geographic area.

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10. Is there an orientation to the program?

    • There is a mandatory orientation to the program for first year students on the Laramie, Wyoming campus each fall. The orientation is 1-2 days long and typically occurs the week before classes start.

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11. Is the out of state fee included in the on-line tuition, or is it separate?

    • During the next 4 years, there will be incremental tuition changes occurring each year for out-of-state students.  Eventually all out-of-state graduate students in an Outreach program will pay the same tuition as on-campus out-of-state graduate students. Go to the Outreach Credit Programs Website for the Online Tuition and Fees to check the tuition for the upcoming academic year. Students are also assessed an online fee for each credit hour in addition to the tuition.

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12. I am an out-of-state student. Do I need to apply for a Wyoming RN license even though I will be taking classes on-line and doing my practicum where I reside?

    • No, students do not need to have Wyoming RN licensure for the Nurse Educator Program. They must have an active, unencumbered RN licensure for the state where they will complete their final teaching practicum.

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updated 5/10/2013