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Master of Science in Nursing Leadership: Executive, Educator, Legal Nurse Consultant, or Public Health Concentration

Beginning in Fall 2024, new students will complete the updated curriculum (below), aligned with the 2022 AACN Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. If you have questions regarding the updated curriculum, please contact your Program Chair.

Students enrolled before Fall 2024 are not affected.


Program Purpose

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Leadership program is designed to prepare professional nurses for advanced nursing practice roles. The curriculum emphasizes relationships among advanced nursing practice, theory, and scholarly inquiry. Nurses educated at the masters level demonstrate competency as leaders, teachers, and researchers while influencing health policy.

Program Competencies 

In addition to the University’s graduate graduation competencies, students will be able to:

1. Examine evidence-based practice and clinical judgment to improve quality, safety, and clinical outcomes for professional nursing practice;

2. Evaluate social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethical principles for professional nursing practice;

3. Analyze health policy, fiscal, and information technology implications for professional nursing practice;

4. Assess the impact of social determinants of health for professional nursing practice;

5. Design effective leadership strategies with interprofessional teams to enhance systems-based professional nursing practice;

6. Demonstrate effective communication, compassionate care, personal health, and professional maturity.

Pre-Requisite Course Requirements

Applicants who have not completed an undergraduate course in statistics with a grade of "C" or better will be required to take a statistics coursebefore registering for GRN 8102 and/or before consideration for degree candidacy (completion of 12 credits). If an undergraduate statistics course  has not been completed, the following Wilmington University course may be taken: 

MAT 308 - Inferential Statistics  

Program Design

Today’s healthcare environment requires competent, innovative leaders. Nurse leaders are needed for nursing education, entrepreneurial pursuits, interdisciplinary care coordination, and evidence-based practice initiatives. The program provides the opportunity for nurses to acquire and refine the skills needed for leadership roles in nursing.

To fulfill the requirements of the M.S.N. Leadership program, students must complete all courses, consisting of 36 credit hours, while maintaining a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Students complete coursework with an emphasis in one of four concentrations: executive leadership, nursing education, legal nurse consultant, or public health. All concentrations are designed to advance the student’s knowledge of research to improve the practice of nursing and strengthen the awareness of contemporary influences on the healthcare needs of individuals, families, and communities. Philosophy of nursing leadership and health care expands the foundation for ethical decision-making as students develop skills in working within the context of prevailing systems of care.

Students in all concentrations will complete a final Capstone Project courses: MSN 8705 Nurse Leadership Capstone I and MSN 8706 Nurse Leadership Capstone II. The program must be completed within five (5) years.


Program Requirements

Students should contact the MSN Leadership Program Chair for program planning and course sequencing. Register for MSN 6500 as your first course. An undergraduate statistics course is a pre-requisite for MSN 6608.

MSN Leadership Core Courses ( 21 Credits)

MSN 6500 Leadership Roles in Advanced Nursing Practice

MSN 6502 Contemporary Concepts in Advanced Practice Roles

MSN 6608 Evidence Based Practice in the Health Professions

MSN 6646 Philosophy and Ethics in Advanced Nursing Roles

MSN 7710 Integrative Pathophysiology, Pharmacology and Physical Assessment (for Nurse Leaders)

MSN 7741 Politics and Policy in the Healthcare System

MSN 7750 Enhancing Health Equity: Teaching, Technology and Social Determinants


Executive Leadership Concentration Requirements (9 Credits)

MSN 6612 Nurse Executive Seminar I

MSN 6613 Nurse Executive Seminar II

MIS 7000 IT in Business

OR

MGT 6400 Global Leadership

Final Capstone Courses (6 Credits)

All MSN core courses need to be completed prior to registering for the capstone courses.

MSN 8705 Nurse Leadership Capstone I

MSN 8706 Nurse Leadership Capstone II


Nursing Education Concentration Requirements (9 Credits)

MSN 6611 Instructional Technology for Nurse Educators

MSN 7752 Clinical Teaching and Evaluation

MSN 7753 Curriculum Development

Final Capstone Courses (6 Credits)

All MSN core courses need to be completed prior to registering for the capstone courses.

MSN 8705 Nurse Leadership Capstone I

MSN 8706 Nurse Leadership Capstone II


Legal Nurse Consultant Concentration Requirements (9 Credits)

MSN 7310 Legal Issues in Nursing Practice

MSN 7320 Practices in the Realm of Nursing and the Law

MSN 7350 Forensic Nursing: Clinical and Legal Implications

Final Capstone Courses

All MSN core courses need to be completed prior to registering for the capstone courses.

MSN 8705 Nurse Leadership Capstone I

MSN 8706 Nurse Leadership Capstone II


Public Health Concentration Requirements (9 Credits)

MSN 6615 Public Health Essentials

MSN 6616 Epidemiology Health Professions

MSN 6617 Population Health for Health Professionals

Final Capstone Courses (6 Credits)

All MSN core courses need to be completed prior to registering for the capstone courses.

MSN 8705 Nurse Leadership Capstone I

MSN 8706 Nurse Leadership Capstone II



This information applies to students who enter this degree program during the 2024-2025 Academic Year. If you entered this degree program before the Fall 2023 semester, please refer to the academic catalog for the year you began your degree program.