Nursing Leadership, M.S.N.

The online Nursing Leadership, M.S.N. is a flexible 36‑credit graduate program that will prepare you to lead with confidence, support high‑quality patient care, and guide the future of healthcare delivery. You will build the knowledge and skills needed to manage teams, strengthen organizational performance, and influence systems‑level decision‑making across diverse settings. Designed for working nurses who want to advance, the program connects evidence‑based leadership theory with practical application, ensuring you will be prepared to create positive change, support workforce development, and contribute to meaningful improvements in patient and community health.

Through this online program, you will develop both the theoretical foundation and the practical leadership abilities needed to thrive in today’s complex healthcare environments. Courses are taught by experienced nurse leaders who connect current research with real-world organizational practice, ensuring you will gain actionable skills that support effective decision‑making, team development, and system‑wide improvement. To further your education through hands-on learning, this program includes 500 hours of practicum experience with nurse leaders in a variety of settings tailored to your interests.

Learning Outcomes

• Design innovative changes in the structure, delivery, and evaluation of healthcare for diverse Individuals, families and communities by applying scholarly inquiry, clinical judgement, financial analysis, and leadership theories from nursing and other disciplines.
• Evaluate leadership strategies in the delivery of clinical prevention and health promotion interventions and/or services to that are inclusive, equitable, ethical, compassionate and encompass the SDOH to individuals, families, communities, and aggregates/clinical populations
• Critique health policy and leadership initiatives from communities, public health, industry, academia, health care, and local government entities to improve population health outcomes
• Develop evidenced-based leadership strategies to reduce risks and improve health outcomes in accordance with best practice and professional and regulatory standards by evaluating outcome data using current communication technologies, information systems, and statistical principles.
• Collaborate with interprofessional teams to support the acquisition of new knowledge, nursing expertise, and leadership talents.
• Utilize complexity science and systems theory in the design, delivery, and evaluation of system-wide strategies that improve cost- effectiveness considering organizational leadership, and workforce needs.
• Model accountability, leadership qualities, compassion, ethical practice and values of the Nurse Leader.
• Participate in activities and self-reflection that foster personal health, resilience, well-being, and promote professional growth, lifelong learning and development in the role of the Nurse Leader.

Clinical Placements

Clinical experiences are a key component of the Nursing Leadership, M.S.N. program, allowing students to apply leadership principles in real‑world healthcare environments. These placements provide opportunities to collaborate with experienced nurse leaders, participate in organizational projects, and develop competencies essential for executive nursing practice.

How Clinical Placements Work

• Flexible, Student‑Centered Model: Students may complete clinical hours within their current workplace or another approved healthcare organization that aligns with program objectives. 
• Supported Placement Process: Our clinical placement team and faculty advisors guide students through selecting appropriate sites and preceptors, ensuring experiences meet accreditation and curriculum requirements. 
• Qualified Preceptors: Preceptors are experienced nursing leaders—such as nurse managers, directors, or executives—who provide mentorship and support as students develop advanced leadership skills. 
• Professional Growth Opportunities: Clinical experiences focus on strategic planning, quality improvement, financial and workforce management, regulatory compliance, and strengthening organizational culture.

Requirements

• Students must complete all required clinical hours as outlined in the program curriculum.
• All clinical sites and preceptors must receive formal approval before hours may be logged.
• Additional requirements—such as background checks, immunizations, or site‑specific onboarding—may apply depending on the placement location.

To apply to West Virginia University as a graduate applicant:

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until July 1 for a Fall term start date. Acceptance is dependent upon space available in the program.

How to Apply

Candidates for admission are evaluated on the entire admission packet. The WVU School of Nursing accepts new MSN students on a rolling admission basis and will review all qualified applications based on admission criteria. Acceptance is dependent upon space available in the program with the most qualified applicants being accepted at the time of review. Decisions will be emailed to students. Accepted students will receive information regarding orientation and course registration. Students will be evaluated based on the following:

• Nursing GPA
• Work Experience
• Overall GPA

Please note that full-time and part-time placements are based on space availability. The most qualified applicants will receive priority for full-time placements. Class size and progression plans may be limited based on available faculty resources and space.

Enrollment in nursing courses is based upon readiness, availability of space and other essential resources.

Clinical rotations with approved preceptors in the final year of your program must be arranged with course faculty. Due to potential preceptor limitations, students may have to travel out of their local areas to their clinical sites and are required to provide their own reliable transportation.

In programs with limited capacity and competitive admissions, the most qualified students are selected among those that meet the minimum requirements. Students who want to appeal the Undergraduate or Graduate Admissions Committee decision as unfair, arbitrary, or capricious may contact the director of Admissions and Enrollment for the School of Nursing. The request will be forwarded to the program director for consideration, and the student will receive detailed information regarding the formal appeal process.

Tuition and fees are usually not the only educational expenses you may have while pursuing a degree. You may have other costs such as books, supplies, and living expenses. Visit the Estimate Costs and Aid webpage to estimate and plan for other potential expenses.