MSN Nursing Leadership & Administration - Plan of Study
Program Overview
- Cohort-based: 15 student cohorts start every two years and complete the program as a group.
- Program length: two years, 6 quarters full-time, excluding summer.
- Credits: 48 quarter-system credits (equivalent to 30 semester system credits).
- Course delivery: asynchronous online coursework and on-site practice hours completed in your area.
- Location: anywhere in Washington state.
- Curriculum: grounded in population health, social justice, and AOLN Nurse Leader competencies.
New in Fall 2026
Asynchronous online coursework and on-site practice experiences in your community.
Updates are coming to the curriculum. Practice experience hours will be concentrated in the second year. Once final approval for the revisions is made the plan of study will be updated.
Plan of Study
Revised plan of study below will be implemented fall 2026
Year 1
| Quarter | Course | Title | Credits | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | NURS 510 | Health Systems Assessment for Health Equity | 4 | Online |
| Fall | NURS 512 | Equity-Focused Nursing Scholarship | 4 | Online |
| Winter | NURS 520 | Systems of Power in Healthcare | 4 | Online |
| Winter | NURS 522 | Informatics and Healthcare Technology | 4 | Online |
| Spring | NURS 530 | Population Management for Health Equity | 4 | Online |
| Spring | NURS 534 | Leading Organizations and People | 4 | Online |
Year 2
| Quarter | Course | Title | Credits | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | NURS 540 | Partnerships for Health Equity, Sustainability, and Advocacy | 4 | Online |
| Fall | NURS 544 | Systems & Adaptive Thinking | 4 | Online |
| Winter | NURS 555 | Leadership Practice Experience I (90 hrs. Practice Experience) | 3 | Face to Face |
| Winter | NURS 556 | Implementing Effective Change: Principles of Implementation Science | 5 | Online |
| Spring | NURS 565 | Leadership Practice Experience II (90 hrs. Practice Experience) | 3 | Face to Face |
| Spring | NURS 566 | Strategic Financial Management | 5 | Online |
Total Credits 48
MSN in Nursing Leadership & Administration
- Aligns with the 2021 AACN Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education and meets the didactic requirements to sit for advanced credentialing: Nurse Executive (NE-BC) and the Certified Nurse Manager and Leader (CNML) certification programs.
- Non-thesis master's degree. Students complete an EBP project in the last two quarters of the program in lieu of a thesis.
- Students are admitted to the program in fall every two years (even years). Each cohort is 15 students.
- Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis through August 1st of the year of new cohort start.
- Program includes foundational courses where students will learn with MSN in Nursing Education colleagues in addition to nursing leadership and healthcare administration courses.
Contact Us
Rika Winquist, Nursing Program Manager
Rika.Winquist@wwu.edu
(360) 650-6777