Interested in a nursing career path? After earning your bachelor’s degree at Beloit, you could go on to earn a MSN degree at an accredited nursing school, in what is commonly called a “direct-entry nursing program”. While some nurses begin to practice immediately after earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing, it is becoming more common for nurses to enter the nursing field with a MSN.

A MSN degree can open up a wide range of career opportunities, including becoming a nurse educator or nurse practitioner (NP). Nurses can specialize in many areas (e.g. pediatrics, surgery, cardiology, public health) and work in a variety of settings including hospital, clinics, schools, government, and community health. Nurses typically work scheduled shifts and enjoy healthy work-life balance and competitive salaries. To learn more about the responsibilities of a nurse, consult the Nursing Code of Ethics, set by the American Nurses Association.

Program Admission Prerequisites

Most masters programs in nursing require:

• Two Introductory Biology courses: Introductory Biology (BIOL 111 or 172) and Microbiology (BIOL 208)
• Three advanced Biology courses: Biometrics (BIOL 247), Anatomy (BIOL 256), and Human Physiology (BIOL 257)
• Three courses in Chemistry: Introductory Chemistry (CHEM 117), Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 230), and Nutrition and Metabolism: Biochemical Mechanisms (CHEM 260)
• Two courses in Psychology: Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 100) and Life-Span Developmental Psychology (PSYC 210)
• English with intensive writing

Individual schools may have specific requirements. Check the website of schools that you are particularly interested in applying to. NursingCAS.org offers a wealth of information regarding different nursing degrees.

Beloit College has a partnership with the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. Contact an HPAC committee member for more information.

Recent Beloit College graduates have gone on to direct entry MSN programs at Marquette University, Columbia University, and others!