Master of Science in Nursing Organizational Leadership

Format: Online
Application Deadlines
  • Fall 2024 Priority Deadline: April 4, 2024
  • Fall 2024 Regular Deadline: May 16, 2024

HEGIS Code: 1203.10

Across the nation, nurses have been encouraged to develop the knowledge, leadership abilities, and interpersonal skills beyond what is learned at the bachelor’s degree level to improve the healthcare system. The Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing report recommends that the future nurses gain proficiency in competencies such as team leadership, systems thinking, decision-making, and quality improvement.

The MS in Nursing Organizational Leadership online degree prepares nurses to contribute to the health, education, and social structure of communities by assuming positions of leadership. The program creates a landscape for nurses to promote innovative change and quality outcomes, translate evidence-based research into practice, build collaborative interprofessional healthcare teams to coordinate care, and employ advocacy strategies to influence healthcare policy across the healthcare spectrum.  

Career Scope and Prospects

The health care field presents unprecedented career opportunities for master’s prepared nurses as a direct result of the expansion of integrated healthcare systems, growth of the elderly population, advancements in technology, challenges related to value-based healthcare delivery, and a focus on health disparities and population care services.

As of 2015, only 13% of RNs in New York State have a master’s degree, yet 40% of New York City hospitals reported a strong demand for MS prepared nurses. Additionally, Nursejournal.org projects a 26% job growth for nurse administrators with master’s degrees.

Graduates of the MS in Nursing Organizational Leadership degree are qualified to serve as directors of nursing, chief nursing officers, nurse managers, accountable care coordinators, and wellness program directors. Potential workplaces for these roles include hospitals, outpatient care clinics, medical centers, home healthcare agencies, long-term care facilities, and academic health systems.

Completion Rates

The CUNY SPS MS benchmark for program completion rates is: 75% of students will complete the MSN program within five years; and 75% of accelerated BS-MS students will complete the program within seven years.

  • There are no MS or BS-MS graduates as of the submission of this report.

Job Placement Statistics

Graduate program outcome: 80% or higher of Graduate Program alumni desiring a new position will report attainment within 12 months of graduation.

  • There are no graduates of the Master’s degree programs yet.

Accreditation

CCNE Accreditation SealThe MS in Nursing Organizational Leadership at CUNY School of Professional Studies is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

This program is registered with the New York State Education Department. 

The Online MS in Nursing Program Scholarship

The Online MS in Nursing Program Scholarship provides financial, academic, and career support to workers in the healthcare system pursuing an advanced nursing degree at the CUNY School of Professional Studies. Recipients of the scholarship will receive funding towards tuition in the semester for which they apply. Award amounts may vary based on financial need but are expected to be $1,320 for the semester. View more information about this scholarship.

Current CUNY SPS students and recent CUNY SPS graduates can apply for the scholarship through this link. Prospective students who are not yet enrolled at CUNY SPS can apply for the scholarship.

Meet our Faculty

Estimated number of adjunct faculty teaching in the program: 50

Margaret Reilly
Professor, DNS, Nursing Science
CUNY Graduate Center
Academic Director – Undergraduate & Graduate

Patricia Bartley-Daniele
Associate Professor, PhD, Nursing Education
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Coordinator MS in Nursing Education
Undergraduate & Graduate

Kenya Harris
Professor, EdD, Educational Administration, Leadership, and Technology
St. John’s University Nursing

Jan Oosting
Assistant Professor, PhD
Johns Hopkins University
Undergraduate

Anne Marie Leveille-Tulce
Assistant Professor, PhD, Nursing
CUNY Graduate Center
Undergraduate & Graduate

Kathleen Marsala-Cervasio
Associate Professor, EdD, Educational Leadership
Northcentral University

Lilly Mathew
Associate Professor, PhD, Nursing
University of Arizona
Coordinator MS in Nursing Informatics
Undergraduate & Graduate

Linda Paradiso
Assistant Professor, DNP, Nurse Executive
Old Dominion University

Admissions Criteria

Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Applicants are required to write a personal statement, upload a resume, and provide two letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation may be submitted before or after submitting an application. Please note that an individual interview may be necessary.

To qualify for admission to the MS in Nursing Organizational Leadership program, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited college or university, with an accredited nursing program, with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
  • Hold an unencumbered nursing license and a current registration
  • Complete undergraduate courses in Health Assessment, Pathophysiology, and Statistics, with grades of C or better. Applicants without this coursework may be admitted to the program conditionally and required to take the courses and achieve the grade standard, before matriculating.
  • Accepted students may complete these undergraduate requirements within the first year of the program

The online application requires students to:

  • Demonstrate the potential to successfully pursue graduate study through an admission essay highlighting education and career achievement. The essay should include specific examples of problem-solving while working in the practice setting, leadership experience at the bedside or in other settings, and professional and community awards
  • Submit two letters of recommendation from each, a nurse educator/nurse faculty and Supervisor/Manager
  • Submit a scholarly work consisting of a 2-page summary (maximum 1000 words, excluding title and reference page) on one of the following: Evidenced-Based Practice project, Research study, Practice Improvement Project, or Quality Improvement Project
  • Submit a resume
  • Submit a copy of your Registered Nursing License

Residency Requirement*
In order to enroll in the RN to BS in Nursing program, students must provide documentation of one of the following categories:

  • U.S. Citizenship
  • Permanent Residency
  • Granted asylum, refugee status, temporary protected status, withholding of removal, deferred enforced departure, deferred action status by the U.S. Government, deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or permanently residing in the United States under color of law (PRUCOL)

*International students may enroll in fully online degree programs. However, our online programs do not qualify for student visas.

Potential students may view the Graduate Nursing Student Policies Handbook (PDF).

Transfer Credits

Consistent with CUNY SPS policy, MS in Nursing programs will accept up to 12 credits of master’s in nursing graduate credits for transfer. Transfer credits will be evaluated on an individual basis to determine applicability to the MS in Nursing programs at CUNY SPS. There is no statute of limitation for transfer credits.

View the full list of the online nursing degrees offered at CUNY SPS.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall 2024 Priority Deadline: April 4, 2024
  • Fall 2024 Regular Deadline: May 16, 2024
Apply Now

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