Nursing and Business Administration (MSN/MBA)

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A dual MSN/MBA degree that allows you to blend your health care background with business skills and expertise.

The MSN/MBA option allows you to complete a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a Health Services Leadership and Management specialty and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). It positions you to manage the business of health care as an administrator in a health care system and for senior management-level decision-making on financial, strategic planning, resource management, and governance issues.

Graduates are awarded:

The MSN/MBA program:

  • involves 66-72 credits of required coursework
  • can be completed in two years of rigorous full-time, year-round study
  • can be completed part time over as many as seven years.

Your business background prepares you to contribute to the development of new approaches to providing health care services. You might work in finance, marketing, or HR within a health care organization or serve as the director of operational services, a finance officer, a chief nursing officer, or a consultant.

More Information About the MSN/MBA Dual-Degree Program:

Courses You'll Take

For financial aid purposes, there are credit minimums for full-time status that may differ from the plans of study. See details.

MSN/MBA in conjunction with the University of Maryland, College Park
OR
MSN/MBA in conjunction with the University of Baltimore

First Semester
Course Title Credits
NRSG 780 Health Promotion and Population Health 3
NRSG 782 Health Systems & Health Policy: Leadership & Quality Improvement 3
NRSG 790 Methods for Research and Evidence Based Practice 3
NRSG 795 Biostatistics for Evidence-based Practice 3
  Total 12
Second Semester
Course Title Credits
NURS 691 Organizational Theories: Applications to Health Service Management 3
NURS 692 Administration of Nursing and Health Care Services 3
NURS 736 Technology Solutions for Generating Knowledge in Health Care 3
NURS XXX Elective 3
  Total 12
Third Semester
Course Title Credits
NURS XXX Elective 3
XXXX Business Course (taken at selected School of Business)* 3
XXXX Business Course (taken at selected School of Business)* 3
  Total 9
Fourth Semester 
Course Title Credits
NURS 695 Practicum in Health Services, Leadership, and Management 5
  Total 5
Credits from MSN portion of the dual program 32
Credits from MBA portion of the program** 36
Total Credits 68

*Shared credits between UMSON and School of Business
**Following completion of MSN, students will continue with completion of MBA program to complete the dual degree.

Scholarship Opportunities

Your nursing education is an important investment. Financial aid and scholarships can help make your goals a reality.

UMSON offers multiple opportunities to help you afford your graduate education. Note that the opportunities below only apply to the portion of your dual-degree program earned at UMSON.

Type of AidAward
Federal Financial Aid various award amounts
Merit Scholarships $1,500-$3,000 per semester
(You are automatically considered for a merit scholarship upon submitting a completed application for enrollment in an UMSON academic program.)
Donor-Funded Scholarships $500-2,000 per semester
(offered during the fall and spring semesters)
Conway Scholarship full scholarship: tuition and fees
(for those who will have completed 12 credit hours of graduate study by the start of the semester for which the Conway Scholarship is awarded and who have at least half of their credit hours remaining)
Graduate Assistantships stipend, tuition remission, in-state status, and paid student health insurance

Learn More About Financial Aid and Scholarships

All students receiving funds through the University must:

  • be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits) in a degree-seeking program
  • complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year by UMB's award priority deadline
    • FAFSA Submission period: Oct. 1 (of the previous year) through Feb. 28
    • FAFSA School code: 002104

The UMB Office of Student Financial Assistance & Education is available to guide prospective and current students through the FAFSA application process and the financial aid award package.

Contact Us:

UMSON Scholarships and Grants Office
410-706-0489 | nrsscholarships@umaryland.edu

UMB Student Financial Assistance and Education Office
410-706-7347 | aidtalk@umaryland.edu

 

MSN Admission Information

In this section:

Deadline:

Admission to our MSN program is on a rolling basis. 

We are currently accepting applications for spring 2021.

Qualifications:

  • bachelor’s degree with a major in nursing from:
    • an ACEN- (formally known as NLNAC) or CCNE-accredited college or university
      or
    • an equivalent degree from a comparable foreign institution
  • an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0

Application Materials:

Materials

Submission Guidelines

 
Online Application and non-refundable $75 application fee.

Start your application now via the Admissions Dashboard.

The Admissions Dashboard is where you will:

  • submit your online application and fee
  • submit/request any supplemental documents
  • check your application status.
You can save your progress and return to your application at a later date. We recommend that you continue to log in for regular updates. 
One recommendation. Your recommendation must come from a recent professional source. Only the first recommendation received will be considered. Submit/request these materials via the Admissions Dashboard.      
Essay. Please submit a 500-1,000-word essay that addresses the following:
  • The specific specialty area you like to pursue and your motivation for pursuing a master’s degree in nursing in this specialty.
  • The population you would like to service or the area of health care in which you would like to work after graduation.
  • The qualities you feel are essential to the advanced nursing profession that you bring with you.
  • What are your research interests or your practice issues in this specialty area?
Typed résumé or CV. Be sure to include your full name with your résumé submission.
A copy of your valid, unrestricted (current) RN license in the United States. For a current list of compact states, see the Maryland Board of Nursing website; if you hold an active Maryland RN license, send us a copy of your printable license verification, available on the Maryland Board of Nursing website.

Official transcripts. An official transcript from every institution previously attended or currently attending must be submitted in a sealed envelope, as prepared by the sending institution. 

Returning students are required to submit UMSON transcripts via the Office of the Registrar.

Have each institution submit electronically to admissions.nursing@umaryland.edu.

 
Residency classification. Applicants who are claiming in-state (Maryland) residency MUST apply for in-state status.  Complete a residency application and submit it either by mail, e-mail, or fax to the Office of the Registrar using the instructions supplied at the bottom of the residency application. The completed application, signed and dated, should be submitted prior to the first day of enrollment for the term and program for which you are seeking admission.

Applicants without a High School Diploma or College Degree in the U.S:

  • If you do not have a degree from a U.S. high school, college, or university, you are required to demonstrate English proficiency.
  • If you have completed coursework outside of the U.S., you must have your transcripts evaluated.

More information.

The Health Service Leadership management and Nursing Informatics master's specialties are not eligible for F-1 or J-1 student visa sponsorship by the University of Maryland, Baltimore due to the amount of online courses.

If you have questions regarding the admissions requirements or process, contact the Office of Admissions and Student Scholarships to avoid errors that could delay the processing of your application.

Faculty

Specialty Director:

Nancy B. Lerner, DNP, RN, CDONA, associate professor

Faculty Members:

Linda L. Costa, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, assistant professor

Linda J. Hickman, PhD, MBA, RN, FACHE, assistant professor

Nancy B. Lerner, DNP, RN, CDONA, associate professor

Sandra Lucci, PhD, RN, CMSRN, assistant professor

Mary Etta C. Mills, ScD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, professor

Vivian Schutz, PhD, MBA, RN, assistant professor