ATTENTION NEW YORK RESIDENTS

State restrictions may apply to some programs

Program

Drexel's MSN bridge program is for RN's who have a Bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing and now wish to pursue their MSN degree.

• MSN: Nursing Education
• MSN: Public Health Nursing
• MSN: Quality, Safety, and Risk Management
• MSN: Leadership in Health Systems Management
• MSN: Undeclared

Once admitted into the program, students will be required to take a required “bridge course”, NURS 335: Genetics and Genomics: Application to Nursing Practice. After successful completion of NURS 335, students will progress directly into graduate-level courses. The BSN is not awarded in this program.

Applicants to this program must complete the admission process to the MSN program and seek initial advisement from the MSN program academic advisors. The bridge program is available only to students applying for the MSN Advance Role programs. It is not available for students wishing to pursue an MSN Nurse Practitioner degree. To learn more about the program or alternative pathways to becoming a nurse practitioner, contact the individuals listed below.

The graduate program department chair reviews the applicant's file for program eligibility and prerequisites are established on an individual basis.

What you'll learn

The required “bridge course” in the MSN Advance Role Track is NURS 335 Genetics and Genomics: Application to Nursing Practice (4.5 quarter credits). This class is available entirely online, is delivered in 10-week, quarter term session and includes a required field experience. This course is offered in any given term, and includes mandatory synchronous class meetings. 

Individuals with extensive professional experience may request to waive the bridge course. Contact CNHPGraduateDivision@drexel.edu

After successfully completing all requirements and admission to the MSN program, students progress directly into graduate-level courses. (Note: The BSN is not awarded in this program.)

Program Level Outcomes: https://drexel.edu/provost/offices/assessment/outcomes/grad-program/CNHP/

What makes the MSN Bridge program unique?

• Fast track option for those seeking an MSN degree.
• Convenient, accelerated format ideal for working professionals.
• You are part of the Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions with access to clinical practice environments and simulated health care scenarios.

Admission Requirements

Application Deadline

August 15, 2025

Drexel's MSN bridge program is for RN's who have a Bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing and now wish to pursue their MSN degree.

Once admitted into the program, students will be required to take a required “bridge course”, NURS 335: Genetics and Genomics: Application to Nursing Practice. After successful completion of NURS 335, students will progress directly into graduate-level courses. The BSN is not awarded in this program.

Admissions Requirements:

• A Bachelor’s degree, in a field other than nursing
• A current, unrestricted United States RN license
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 If your GPA is lower, you're still encouraged to apply, but should ensure that relevant professional experience is included on your resume. You must also provide two professional letters of recommendation from either previous or immediate supervisors or former faculty members who can attest to your clinical knowledge, skill, and potential aptitude for graduate study.
• Two Letters of Recommendation
• Waived for GPAs over 3.0

Tuition and Fee Rates:

Please visit the Drexel Online RN-to-MSN Program tuition page.

COMPLIANCE

The College of Nursing and Health Professions has a compliance process that may be required for every student. Some of these steps may take significant time to complete. Please plan accordingly.

Visit the Compliance pages for more information.

Curriculum

This program is organized into four 10-week quarters per year (as opposed to the traditional two-semester system) which means you can take more courses in a shorter time period. One semester credit is equivalent to 1.5 quarter credits.

Graduate students who utilize student loans (FAFSA) must maintain a minimum enrollment of 4.5 credits per term.

For Full List of courses, please visit Drexel Online.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Drexel University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington DC 20001, 202.887-6791.

Program Outcomes

• Practices within a legal and ethical framework of health care delivery.
• Advances the role of advanced nursing practice in the health care system through scholarship, clinical experience and political involvement.
• Demonstrates critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning skills in clinical decision-making.
• Integrates multiple technologies and relevant theories into the organization and synthesis of health data required to develop plans of care for patients, families and communities.
• Integrates culturally sensitive health promotion activities that contribute to the health and wellness of the community into clinical practice.
• Demonstrates leadership in nursing and health care through involvement in the development of outcome-based standards of care and practice-based health policy issues.
• Evaluates and modify the quality and effectiveness of clinical practice based on current research findings, standards of care and patient outcomes.
• Contributes to the advancement of nursing, health care and humanity through communication, collaboration and education.

Nursing Program Mission and Values

The Nursing program faculty and staff are committed to educating nurses to embrace both the art and science of nursing, to integrate caring into practice, to think critically and practice competently, compassionately and safely in complex rapidly changing practice environments. The Nursing program supports administrators, faculty, staff and students in developing holistic evidence-based programs, which create healing and caring environments at all levels that reflect innovative education, interdisciplinary practice and research.

The highest goals of the program include demonstrating efficacy, quality and cost-effectiveness of evidence-based nursing interventions in promoting health, preventing disease, preserving human dignity, reducing health disparities and caring for the sick and injured.

All efforts in the Nursing program are designed to build nursing knowledge, enhance nursing practice, foster professional integrity, promote innovation, engage in interdisciplinary collaboration and ultimately improve the health outcomes of patients and families from diverse communities across the continuum of care.

The Nursing program is committed to excellence in nursing education through educational programs that are:

• Authentic: We value a deep connection to others, appreciation of diverse opinions and respect for the other’s frame of reference. We value going beyond objective assessment to understand the context of the other, creative use of self and engagement in the artistry of the caring-healing process—the essence of Nursing.
• Complex: We value complexity science by recognizing that our Nursing program is a complex, dynamic, unpredictable, emerging, self-organizing and adaptive system that cannot be reduced to the sum of its members. As such, we seek that administrators, faculty, staff and students develop skills to improvise, build on the innovations of others, develop positive interpersonal interactions, appreciate the reciprocity that our actions have on the larger system and ourselves and embrace surprise as an opportunity to learn, make sense of our dynamic reality and make a positive impact on the health of our clients.
• Rigorous: We continuously review and redesign programs, courses, technology-infused learning systems and educational products for depth and quality with the learner's experience and background in mind.
• Relevant: We continuously examine changing market forces, the progression of nursing knowledge and the best practices in health care and education to redesign educational programs. There is a strong commitment to population-focused care practice in diverse communities; therefore, we strive to ensure clinically relevant education and simulation experiences. Our faculty serves as excellent role models for developing clinicians.
• State of the Art: We value the use of technological innovation and patient simulation scenarios which foster advanced and evidence-based interdisciplinary communication and teamwork, multiple patient management and crisis resource management skills, provision of culturally relevant care, decreased prevalence of errors and adverse events and a higher intellectual standard in both undergraduate and graduate nursing education.
• Learner-Friendly: In consideration of the demanding, fast-paced lives of our students and nurse consumers, we offer high-quality educational programs in convenient and contemporary formats, including access to academic online courses with attention to user-friendly interfaces as well as resources to enhance academic success. In addition, the College of Nursing and Health Professions is committed to being a challenging and rewarding work environment for faculty, staff and administrators. Information and data on all aspects of the college’s operations are widely shared with faculty, staff and students and all are encouraged to participate in its decisions and activities.