Part I: Pre-licensure
The Direct Entry Nursing student enters the Accelerated Master’s program as a graduate student. The first 16 months (4 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 (NCLEX-RN) upon completion of 64 program semester hours. Students earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) 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 1 – 2 years of work experience as an RN (including 1 year of experience in Pediatrics and 2 years of experience in Adult Acute Care and Neonatal Care) before resuming classes. Students may start core non-clinical courses with the approval of their director during the required 1-2 year RN experience. Finding Registered Nurse employment is the responsibility of the student as it is professional nursing experience. Northeastern will help support the student in preparation for the job search. A Leave of Absence (LOA) 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.
Employment Opportunities
New Graduate RN Jobs
Program Office
Northeastern University
407G Robinson Hall
360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
617-373-7330
Sixteen months of nursing-specific courses prepare you to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). A full-time registered nurse work experience is then required for a minimum of 6 to 9 months but up to 2 years depending on the specialty rack. You retain student status for your loans and insurance purposes for 2 semesters while enrolled in this Transition to Practice. This segment is followed by advanced courses in a specialty track and MS degree.
15 Credits
16 Credits
21 Credits
12 Credits
Curriculum subject to change
The Direct Entry Masters’ program offers a student with a bachelor’s degree in another field to leverage that education and experience and enter as a graduate student Nursing. The program consists of two portions. The first 16 months is devoted to nursing-specific classes (undergraduate and graduate levels) including clinical rotations to meet the requirements for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN). During this initial phase of the program, financial aid will be awarded on an undergraduate level. Once the BSN is completed, the student is eligible to sit for the nursing licensure exam or NCLEX. Successful completion of this examination results in a Registered Nurse (RN) license.
1 or 2 year(s) of full-time experience as a Registered Nurse (RN) is required prior to beginning Nurse Practitioner practicum rotations dependent on the student’s specific specialty track. All DE students in the BSN portion of the program are required to maintain a grade of “B” or better in all clinical didactic and practicum courses to transition seamlessly into their specialty track. However, if a student receives less than a 3.0 (B) in one of these courses, the student should contact the Specialty Track Director who will determine whether the student should continue in their track.
The second portion of the master’s degree level of the program varies in length and course requirements according to the specialty track selected. Most tracks take approximately two years of full time study to complete. At the end of this program the student earns a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and is eligible to sit for specialty certification in the selected track.
The first segment of the program (RN pre-licensure) is 64 credit hours and prepares you to take the registered nurse licensure exam. The Master’s segment requires approximately 36 to 42 credit hours depending on the specialty track chosen.
Yes, students completing the prelicensure segment (first 16 months) of the program are awarded a BSN degree.
After completing the first part of the program and becoming licensed RNs, students choose to continue to work part-time or full-time as a RN and take courses in the Master’s segment of the program.
Students may choose from the following specializations:
Since the program is competitive, to transition seamlessly into a specialty track a student in the pre-licensure portion of the program should maintain a B or better in all undergraduate clinical nursing courses (didactic, lab, and clinical). If a grade in any of the courses is below a B, approval and progression is at the discretion of the Specialty Track faculty.
No. Nurse Anesthesia is not one of the graduate specialty options at this time.
The Direct Entry program enrolls once a year. The application deadline is December 1. The application is for entry into the program the beginning of the following September.
Yes, students are admitted to a specific specialization track. Selection of specialty track is confirmed upon acceptance into the program.
No, GRE’s are NOT required.
The following prerequisites must be completed as a full semester course (14 weeks) at an accredited college or university (including accredited community colleges) with satisfactory grades of a “C” or better.
It is preferred that Science classes (chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and microbiology) are taken on-ground. Virtual labs are preferred to be on-ground courses, but may be accepted with the approval of the Direct Entry Program Director.
*If an applicant plans to take the prerequisite courses through Northeastern University School of Continuing and Professional Studies (CPS) please see the FAQ below for further details on course requirements.
YES. Northeastern University School of Continuing and Professional Studies (CPS) offers full semester prerequisite courses. The required prerequisite courses to fulfill the Direct Entry Nursing Program prerequisites through CPS are :
*All lab courses must be a CPS “Traditional ” course format
For further information, you can contact CPS at 617-373-2400 or visit their website, www.cps.neu.edu.
We require a “C” grade or better in prerequisite courses for credits to be accepted from an accredited institution.
YES, you may apply to the program without having completed all of the pre-requisites; however, your prerequisite courses must be completed before you begin the program in the Fall semester. It is preferred that science courses are completed prior to submitting your application. Please include a letter with your application indicating where and when you will be completing the remaining prerequisite courses. If you are unsure if the college or university where you are taking the pre-requisite course is accredited, contact the respective college or university.
Yes, the Director of the Direct Entry Nursing Program can provide you further information on this process.
The Direct Entry Nursing Program is competitive. When assessing a candidate, factors such as GPA (3.0 or >), three strong recommendations, a compelling personal goal statement, and a positive personal interview by faculty are all considered. Experience in patient care, whether paid or volunteer, is highly recommended and will make an applicant a stronger candidate.
The pre-licensure part of the program has a flat fee rate for each of the first four semesters (Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall). There is no tuition fee when the student is on the RN work experience between the pre-licensure and Master segments of the program. When returning to the Master’s portion of the program the tuition is based on the graduate credit fee for individual course credits. To obtain current tuition costs, refer to http://www.northeastern.edu/financialaid/studentaccounts/tuition.html.
Applications and application materials can be obtained and submitted via NursingCAS at https://nursingcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login.
View the dates and time of the Graduate Open House schedule at https://bouve.northeastern.edu/grad/openhouse.html.
Contact the Graduate Admissions Office at telephone number: 617.373.2708 or email: bouvegrad@neu.edu.
The School of Nursing has a network of clinical affiliations at major teaching and community hospitals, and health centers including:
The Northeastern University Health and Wellness Van provides experiences in health care and education to citzens in the community.
