Department of Nursing
Nursing Master's Program (M.S.)
The Master of Science degree program in nursing prepares graduates to assume key roles in the delivery of health care to individuals and families within a community-based nursing practice. All students are required to complete the Graduate Nursing Core. In addition, each student will select a concentration for further study: Nursing Practice Clinician; Nursing Education; or, Clinician- Administrator Transition (CAT). Students may elect to pursue a graduate project or thesis if either activity is consistent with their professional goals.
The master's program is designed for the student who has a bachelor's degree with a major in nursing and is licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN), or eligible, in the state of Maryland. The program also serves the needs of the part-time student. Part-time students take courses on weekday evenings. A full-time cohort is available to students to take classes all day on a specific day of the week. This enables students to complete the master’s degree in 21 months. Accessibility is enhanced by “hybrid” or “blended” course formats in which students attend classes face-to-face and by interactive video networking (IVN) for a specified number of classes. The cohort is available to students taking classes on the Towson campus and at the Hagerstown campus. Practicum experiences will be planned with appropriate agencies using a time frame congruent with the goals of the experience and preceptor assignments.
 The program focus is in community-based nursing. Community-based nursing is a philosophy of nursing practice in which the individual and the family have primary responsibility for health care decisions and where health and social issues are acknowledged as interactive. It is characterized by an orientation to the individual, family and aggregate population. A critical component of community-based nursing is the development of partnerships with clients and an incorporation of culture and community.
Understanding and using epidemiological principles to effectively assess and care for all members of the community, including but not limited to vulnerable populations, underscores the philosophy of community-based nursing. Treatment effectiveness and quality of life, rather than the technologic imperative, drive decisions. The intent of community-based nursing is to meet the needs of individuals and families where they live, work and go to school and as they move across health care settings. It requires a higher level of autonomy, responsibility and accountability of the nurse at all levels of care in various settings in the community.
Components of community-based nursing include, but are not limited to self-care, preventative health care, case management, continuity of care, collaborative care and care within the context of the family and the community. Nurses who deliver community-based care are generalists or specialists in maternal-infant, pediatric, adult, or psychiatric nursing. Community-based nursing focuses on how nurses practice not where they work.
Graduate certificates, independent from the master's degree program, are available in the Nursing Education and Clinician-Administrator Transition Concentrations. Both certificates are independent programs; however, participants will study with students selecting the respective master's degree concentrations. Upon completion of either of the 15-credit certificate programs, students may wish to pursue additional graduate study and apply the units to the M.S. degree.
Student Financial Assistance
The Graduate Nursing Faculty Scholarship and Living Expenses Grant is available to eligible students. Funding for this aid is provided by the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) through the Nurse Support Program II (NSP II) to address the issues of recruiting and retaining nurses in Maryland hospitals.
Department of Nursing
Burdick Hall, Room 134
(map)
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Program Director: Kathleen T. Ogle, Ph.D., RN, FNP-BC
Phone: 410-704-4389
E-mail: kogle@towson.edu
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