Master of Science in Nursing

Master of Science in Nursing

The Master of Science in Nursing is a dynamic way for nursing professionals to gain upward mobility in the healthcare environment.

Florida Southern’s MSN program focuses on three vital areas within contemporary health care:

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

Become a specialist in the growth of organized and coordinated health care services. This curriculum track prepares you to take the certification exam for Clinical Specialist in Medical-Surgical Nursing through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (ANP)

Gain the ability to practice autonomously, diagnose and treat patients, and direct primary or acute care. This curriculum track prepares you for the certification examination as an Adult Health Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Nurse Educator (NE)

Combine your passion for teaching with top-notch clinical experience. This curriculum track prepares you for the Certified Nurse Educator examination offered through the National League of Nursing. MSN students in each of these three curriculum tracks receive personalized attention from faculty who are accessible, full-time, and impressively credentialed. Courses and coursework are conveniently arranged around the working professional.

MSN Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the requirements below and submit the following materials:

A completed online graduate application form. A résumé or CV of educational and work experience. A personal statement of your expectations of a graduate program (your personal and professional goals). Three professional recommendations (FSC recommendation forms may be used). Evidence of graduation from a state-approved and regionally accredited Bachelor's Degree Nursing program with an overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4-point scale as verified by an official transcript . Copy of current, active licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Florida . Prerequisite courses at the undergraduate level are required: NUR 3106 Basics of Health Assessment, NUR 4110 Evidence-Based Health Care, and MAT 2022 Elementary Statistics. A “C” or better grade in these prerequisite courses is required. Each MSN student is required to complete a criminal background screening including fingerprinting prior to starting the first clinical. NOTE: any student with a prior arrest or conviction history may be denied entry into the program due to our agency contract agreements or may be denied licensure. Students who apply to the MSN program with a prior criminal history must be further screened by the Graduate Program Director and approved by the Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences prior to acceptance. Failure to disclose prior criminal history on the application or report any subsequent criminal arrest after enrollment at Florida Southern College to the Dean School of Nursing and Health Sciences may disqualify the student from the MSN program. Each nursing student is required to complete a ten-panel drug screen. Any student may be requested to repeat the urine drug screen as required by any clinical site or as part of a drug testing program. NOTE: Students who have a positive drug test may be denied acceptance into the MSN program or be disenrolled from the MSN program.

The oldest private college in Florida, Florida Southern College was founded in Orlando in 1883 as South Florida Institute. Soon afterward, it moved to Leesburg. In 1885, a college curriculum was added and the college was opened to male and female students. In 1901, the college moved to Sutherland, now Palm Harbor, and in 1906, it was renamed Southern College. The college temporarily moved to Clearwater from 1921 to 1922, and in 1922, it moved again to the shores of Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland. In 1935, the Trustees adopted the name Florida Southern College.

Despite changes in name and location, the College’s affiliation with the Methodist Church has remained constant, shaping its mission and traditions.

Mission and Vision Florida Southern College is a place for doers and dreamers… for the involved and the invested… for those who consistently rise to the expectations set before them… for anyone who takes a risk… for everyone who says, "I'm in." College Mission The mission of Florida Southern College is to prepare students through dynamic engaged learning to make a positive and consequential impact on society.