Nursing—Direct Entry

Northeastern’s on-campus direct entry nursing program allows you to use the degree and experience that you already have and leverage it into a BSN and master’s degree in nursing. Students enter the direct entry nursing MS program with an undergraduate non-nursing degree and completion of program prerequisites. Then students continue their education to become a master's-prepared Advanced Practice Nurse in an area of specialization.

Part I: Pre-Licensure
The direct entry nursing student enters the accelerated master’s program as a graduate student. The first 16 months (four semesters) of the program consist of intensive, sequential classes and clinical with combined undergraduate- and graduate-level courses. Students are then prepared to take the National Council Licensure Exam upon completion of 64 semester hours. Students earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing after this part of the program. Financial aid will be granted on an undergraduate basis during the pre-licensure phase of the program.

RN Work Experience
Once a student becomes licensed as an RN, the student must acquire full-time RN work experience. This part of the program requires at least one to two years of work experience as a registered nurse, including two years of experience in pediatrics, adult acute care and neonatal, before resuming practicum courses. Students may start core non-clinical courses with the approval of their director during the required RN experience. Finding RN employment is the responsibility of the student as it is a professional nursing experience. Northeastern will help support the student in preparation for the job search. A Leave of Absence (LOA) of one year may be granted on an individual basis to gain more nursing experience before returning to the master’s portion of the program.

Part II: Return to Master’s Specialty Tracks
In the master’s specialty track, students are required to take professional and research core classes, clinical core, and specialty clinical courses. Full- or part-time academic study is available to students. Most students return to the master’s segment of the program, taking coursework as a part-time student while continuing to work and increase the amount of RN professional experience. Full-time study, however, is also an option. Completion of the MSN can take four to six semesters depending on the student’s pace and specialty track. Upon completion of the required specialty area credits, the student receives a Master of Science degree and is eligible to take the national certification exam in their area of advanced specialty nursing practice. Financial aid is awarded on a graduate basis during this portion of the program. Students may choose from the following specializations:

• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
• Nursing Leadership in Healthcare Delivery and Informatics (MS or MS/MBA)
• Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner
• Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

More Details

Northeastern’s MS in Nursing–Direct Entry program allows students with non-nursing backgrounds to leverage their degrees and experience into a BSN and master’s degree in nursing.

• Application
• Application fee
• Three letters of recommendation
• Transcripts from all institutions attended
• Personal statement
• Resumé
• TOEFL or IELTS for applicants who do not hold a degree from a U.S. institution and whose native language is not English

• Experience in patient care, volunteer or paid, is highly recommended
• Completion of the following science prerequisites must have been completed with the last seven years with a minimum grade of C or higher:
  • Anatomy (with lab)
  • Microbiology (with lab)
  • Physiology (with lab)
  • Chemistry (with lab)
• The following prerequisites must have been completed in the last 10 years with a minimum grade of C or better. The course should be 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours.
  • Statistics (including hypothesis testing and inferential stats)
  • Developmental psychology (across the lifespan)
  • Nutrition
  • One behavioral/science course (psychology, sociology, anthropology)

Once your application is submitted, received, and processed, you will be able to access your Application Status Check. If you are required to provide further information regarding your proficiency in English, you will be able to complete the requirement in several ways, depending on your familiarity with English, and the frequency with which you use English each and every day:

• Non-native English-speaking applicants will be required to submit official and valid results from one of the following English Language Tests:
  • C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency (Cambridge English)
  • Duolingo English Test (DET)
  • IELTS Academic
  • PTE Academic
  • TOEFL Internt-based Test (CEEB Code: 3667) Northeastern will accept either the in-person version completed in a test center, or the TOEFL iBT Home Edition
• However, based on your academic environment and the primary instructional language in either your high school or university, you may be eligible for a waiver. All waivers must be submitted through your Application Status Check. For additional information and to determine whether or not you are eligible for a waiver, please read the section below on waiving the English proficiency requirement.

Please note: Northeastern’s Admissions Committee reserves the right to request proof of English language proficiency from any applicant, regardless of citizenship or first language, at any time during the evaluation process.

• 1.Create your application

  Submit your application through The Common Application or the Coalition Application (both are accepted). Once you have created your application, please select Northeastern University to directly submit your application to us. Application fee of $75 or need-based fee waiver* *Northeastern accepts need-based fee waivers from the Common Application, the Coalition Application, as well as organizations such as the College Board and ACT, or in a written request from a school official.

• 2.Submit all required materials

  Double check to make sure that you have submitted all required materials. Even if your application has been submitted, we cannot begin reviewing your file until all of your required materials have been received. For applicants applying for the 2022-2023 academic year, Northeastern University is test-optional and does not require standardized testing to complete an application for admission.

• 3.Check your application status

  Within seven days of applying, you should receive a confirmation email containing your Northeastern University ID number and instructions for setting up your Application Status Check account. To ensure all of the necessary documents have been submitted, and for updates or information about your application, visit your application status check.