Nursing Entry to Practice (MSN)

Why earn a Master of Science in Nursing at Aurora University?

The Master of Science in Nursing program at Aurora University is designed for students who have a bachelor’s degree in a field outside of nursing and seek to become licensed as a Registered Nurse. This Direct-Entry MSN program offers a path for you to enter the growing field of nursing and to become a leader in a variety of healthcare settings.

Accreditation

The Nursing Entry to Practice (MSN) degree program at Aurora University is pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. Applying for accreditation does not guarantee that accreditation will be granted.

Program Highlights
  • Over two years, you will complete an intensive course of study that prepares you to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam.
  • You will build off your previous workplace and academic experiences as you take graduate-level coursework on leadership and healthcare policy — putting you a step ahead as you enter the nursing profession.
  • You will apply newly acquired skills and gain hands-on experience as you work alongside nursing faculty at top area hospitals, such as Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago or Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva.
  • The accelerated 75-credit-hour program can be completed full-time over two years, including summers.

MENP Program Mission

To prepare a diverse population of professional nurses for ethical practice, transformational leadership, and life-long learning.


MENP Program Goals
    1. To prepare graduates to practice as master’s prepared generalists to be providers of direct and indirect care; designers, coordinators, and managers of care; and members of the nursing profession who are leaders and advocates for patients and the profession.
    2. To prepare graduates to practice as master’s prepared generalists through a liberal education in the sciences and the arts and a comprehensive nursing curriculum based on established standards.
    3. To prepare graduates to practice as master’s prepared generalists committed to lifelong learning.

Helping to Solve the Nursing Shortage

Experts predict that Illinois and the nation will require an ever-growing number of nurses in the decades ahead. AU is committed to helping meet this predicted nursing shortage through our MSN program.

Nursing School Dean Connie Zak on what to expect as an AU nursing student

At Aurora University you not only receive rigorous nursing skills training, but you learn the importance of earning the trust of each patient you treat and how to practice nursing with care, integrity, and professionalism.

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Why join the community of AU nursing students: As an AU nursing student, you will discover passionate faculty, supportive cohorts, and state-of-the-art nursing and simulation labs that will prepare you to succeed as a nurse in a wide variety of settings.

$81,220

2022 annual median salary for registered nurses

6%

2022-2032 projected job growth rate

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
For 20 consecutive years, Americans have rated nurses as the No. 1 most ethical and honest profession. Gallup Poll 2021
Experiential learning

Experiential learning

As an AU MSN student, you will gain hands-on experience at our high-fidelity nursing and simulation laboratory. You will also take part in clinical experiences at hospitals, clinics, and community health settings. Throughout your degree program, your professors will work with you to develop the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in the ever-changing healthcare environment.

Career possibilities

  • Community mental health specialist
  • Correctional health facilitator
  • Critical care nurse
  • Disaster relief nurse
  • Family healthcare/nursing
  • Infection control/epidemiology nurse
  • Maternal/Child nurse
  • Medical/Surgical nurse
  • Occupational health nurse
  • Oncology nurse
  • Public health nurse
  • Rehabilitation nurse
  • Transcultural nursing
  • Trauma/Emergency department nurse

Where our students gain clinical experience

  • Amita Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale
  • Amita Health Mercy Medical Center Aurora
  • Amita Health St. Joseph Hospital Elgin
  • Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
  • Edward Hospital
  • Hillside Rehab & Care Center
  • Illinois Youth Center
  • Mount Sinai Hospital
  • Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital
  • Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital
  • Northwestern Memorial Hospital
  • Rush Copley Medical Center