MSN-MAGELIN – Master’s Graduate Entry-Level into Nursing Academic Standards

Grades
Students must earn a “B" or higher in any course that is closely aligned with NCLEX-RN exam. These are called Category I courses and include the following: NUR 500/500A, NUR 501/500A/501C, NUR 503, NUR 504/504C, NUR 505/505C, NUR 506/506C, NUR 508, NUR 509, NUR 511/511C, NUR 514, and NUR 521/521A.

Students must earn a “C" or higher in Category II courses: NUR 510, NUR 515, NUR 531, NUR 632, NUR 640, and NUR 710. Although the student can earn a ”C" in these courses, student's cumulative GPA must remain 3.0 or higher.

During Semester 1 students must complete NUR 500/500A with a grade of “C” or higher to begin NUR 501C.  If the student receives an F in NUR 500/500A, the student must withdraw from NUR 501/501A/501C.

Academic Probation

Students are placed on academic probation if either of the following two conditions occur:

• Student earns a “C" in a Category I course
• Student's cumulative GPA falls below 3.0/4.0.

A student may be on academic probation for one semester. If the cumulative GPA rises to 3.0 or above and the student earns a grade of “B" or higher in all Category I courses the following semester the student’s status will return to good academic standing. If the student earns two grades of “C" in Category I courses or the cumulative GPA remains below a 3.0, the student will be dismissed from the program.

Program Dismissal

A student will be dismissed from the program for any of the following reasons:

• Student earns two grades of “C" in Category I courses
• Student’s cumulative GPA remains below a 3.0, for two semesters.
• Student fails a Category I or II course

Deceleration or Leave of Absence
A student who is experiencing a significant life event/extraordinary circumstance may request deceleration to part-time status or a leave of absence of up to one year’s duration. A student may request to go from full-time to part-time once during the program. Deceleration is the removal of a student from their entering cohort who remains matriculated in the program and enters a subsequent cohort, based on space availability. Requests for deceleration or leave of absence should be submitted to the MSN-MAGELIN Program Director (see Request for Deceleration or Leave of Absence Form).  A meeting to discuss the circumstances may be requested. Requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the MSN-MAGELIN Program Director in collaboration with the Assistant Dean of Nursing, or designee.  Notification of decision will be in writing and will include terms for deceleration or leave of absence and conditions for readmittance.

Readmittance
If a student withdraws from the program in good standing, readmittance will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The following information applies for readmittance:

  • If a student has completed the first semester successfully, and leaves the program in a subsequent semester for non-academic reasons (e.g. health problem, family emergency, etc.), every effort will be made to allow the student to return the following semester; however no guarantee can be made.
  • Readmittance will depend on the availability of a clinical placement.
  • Students readmitted must meet the curriculum requirements at the time of readmission. 
  • Students wishing to appeal dismissal from the MSN-MAGELIN Program for academic reasons must follow the Graduate Catalog process for Appeals for Reinstatement

Please see the MSN-MAGELIN Student Handbook for additional policies and procedures that apply to MSN-MAGELIN students.

MSN (post licensure) Academic Standards

Progression Policy
In order to progress in the Administration or Education tracks in the Master of Science in Nursing program, the student must:

  1. Submit health records as requested if the organization selected for a practicum experience requires health information.
  2. Adhere to the Department of Nursing Code of Professional Conduct Policy as specified in the MSN Student Handbook.
  3. Maintain a current unrestricted United States RN license in your state of practice as an RN and in the state of capstone/practicum experiences as required.
  4. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher throughout the program. If the cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0 the student will be placed on “academic probation”. A student's cumulative GPA must be at least 3.0 after completion of 6 semester hours to be removed from academic probation.

Academic Probation
Students are placed on academic probation if the cumulative GPA falls below 3.0/4.0. Once on probation students will have up to six semester hours to achieve a GPA of at least 3.0 to be removed from  probation. A graduate student on academic probation will be returned to good standing when at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA is achieved within the six semester hours. A student cannot be placed on probationary status more than once. If a student successfully removed from probationary status and subsequently has a cumulative GPA that falls below a 3.0 on the 4.0 scale, that student will be dismissed from the program.  A student who fails to achieve the 3.0/4.0 scale after completing the six semester hours will be dismissed from the program.

Academic Grade Appeal
A student who wishes to file a grade appeal must follow the academic grade appeal process as stated in the current Mount St. Joseph University Graduate Catalog.

Criteria for Academic Dismissal
The student will be dismissed from the Master of Science in Nursing program for any of the following:

  • Cumulative grade point average below 3.0 in a graduate program for two semesters
  • The student earns an “F” in one or more courses
  • The student does not adhere to the Department of Nursing Code of Professional Conduct Policy as specified in the handbook

Leave of Absence
Students should complete a Leave of Absence form for any term in which they do not intend to enroll with the intent to return to Mount St. Joseph University for program completion. Forms are located in the MSN Student Handbook and should be completed and submitted to the MSN Program Director in a timely manner. If the student is on leave for less than 1 year, the student will automatically be readmitted to the Master of Science in Nursing program under the current catalog. If the student’s leave of absence is greater than one year, the student will need approval by the MSN Program Director for re-admittance. Students who do not register within two years will need to reapply to Mount St. Joseph University.

Students who wish to drop all courses for the semester should follow the Course Withdrawal Policy stated in the current Mount St. Joseph University Graduate Catalog.

Appeals for Academic Reinstatement- Post-Licensure Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Programs Only

Appeal for Immediate Reinstatement:  Appeals for immediate academic reinstatement to the Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs must be submitted within 10 business days from the date of dismissal. Appeals must be in writing and addressed to the Provost. The appeal will be reviewed by the Provost’s Office to determine whether to grant reinstatement. A written appeal or petition must include the student’s self-assessment of factors that contributed to the program dismissal and a statement indicating what will be or has been done differently to positively alter the situation. The Provost or designee will solicit input appropriate to the appeal. The Provost or designee decides whether to grant or deny appeals and determines conditions of reinstatement in consultation with the Program Director/Chair, if granted.

Appeal for Reinstatement after 90 days:  Appeals for academic reinstatement to the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs may be submitted after the lapse of 90 days from the date of dismissal if the individual did not appeal for immediate reinstatement per the policy above. No appeals for academic reinstatement under this policy will be considered if the individual would be unable to complete the academic program within five years from the start of their first MSJ program (MSN or DNP) course for which they are requesting reinstatement. The following steps are completed in the order listed below: 

  1. Individual seeking academic reinstatement schedules meeting with MSN-DNP Advisor/Program Director. The meeting will include a review of the student’s eligibility to meet the graduation requirements for their degree within the required time frame if reinstated, factor(s) that contributed to the student’s dismissal, and actions that have been taken and/or will be taken to positively alter the situation(s).
  2. If found eligible to appeal for reinstatement, the individual seeking academic reinstatement submits an appeal letter to the MSN-DNP Advisor/Program Director and the Provost. The appeal letter must be in writing and must include the individual’s self-assessment of factors that contributed to the program dismissal. The individual’s statement should indicate what will be or has been done differently to positively alter the situation.
  3. The MSN-DNP faculty will confidentially review the appeal letter and discuss the student’s reinstatement at the next scheduled post-licensure faculty meeting following receipt. MSN-DNP Faculty may request an interview with the individual as needed. MSN-DNP Faculty will vote for reinstatement, requiring a two-thirds majority. The MSN-DNP Advisor/Program Director will provide the Provost or designee with the MSN-DNP faculty-voted recommendation for consideration.
  4. The Provost’s Office will review the appeal and the MSN-DNP Faculty-voted recommendation to determine whether to grant reinstatement.
  5. The individual seeking academic reinstatement shall submit to an interview, if requested, by the Provost or designee.
  6. The Provost or designee decides whether to grant or deny the appeal and determines the conditions of reinstatement in consultation with the MSN-DNP Program Director, if granted. Decisions of the Provost or designee under this Policy are final.
  7. Dismissed students cannot appeal for reinstatement more than once.
  •  

DNP Academic Standards

Progression Policy
In order to progress in the DNP program in the Department of Nursing, the student must:

  1. Inquire about and submit health records as requested if the organization selected for a practicum experience requires health information
  2. Adhere to the Department of Nursing Code of Professional Conduct Policy as specified in the DNP Student Handbook
  3. Maintain a current unrestricted United States RN license in your state of practice as an RN and in the state of capstone/practicum experiences as required.
  4. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0, or higher throughout the program. If the cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0 the student will be placed on “academic probation”.  A student's cumulative GPA must be at least a 3.0 after completion of six semester hours to be removed from academic probation

Academic Probation
A student is placed on academic probation if the cumulative GPA falls below 3.0/4.0 scale. Once on probation a student will have up to six semester hours to achieve a GPA of at least 3.0 to be removed from probation. A graduate student on academic probation will be returned to good standing when at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA is achieved within the six semester hours. A student who fails to achieve the 3.0/4.0 scale after completing the six semester hours will be dismissed from the program.

A student cannot be placed on probationary status more than once.  If a student is successfully removed from probation and subsequently has a cumulative GPA that falls below 3.0/4.0 scale, the student will be dismissed from the program.

Academic Grade Appeal
A student who wishes to file a grade appeal must follow the academic grade appeal process as stated in the current Mount St. Joseph University Graduate Catalog.

Criteria for Academic Dismissal
The student will be dismissed from the DNP program for any of the following:

  • The student achieves a cumulative grade point average below 3.0 in a graduate program for two semesters
  • The student earns an “F” in one or more courses
  • The student does not adhere to the Department of Nursing Code of Professional Conduct Policy as specified in the DNP Student Handbook

Leave of Absence
Students should complete a Leave of Absence form for any term in which they do not intend to enroll, but with the intent to return to Mount St. Joseph University for program completion.  Forms are located within the DNP Student Handbook and should be completed and submitted to the DNP Program Director in a timely manner. If the student is on leave for less than one year, the student will automatically be readmitted to the DNP program under the current catalog.  If the student’s leave of absence is greater than one year, the student will need approval by the DNP Program Director for re-admittance. Students who do not register for two or more years will need to reapply to Mount St. Joseph University.

Students who wish to drop all courses for the semester should follow the Course Withdrawal Policy stated in the current Mount St. Joseph University Graduate Catalog.

Appeals for Academic Reinstatement- Post-Licensure Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Programs Only

Appeal for Immediate Reinstatement:  Appeals for immediate academic reinstatement to the Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs must be submitted within 10 business days from the date of dismissal. Appeals must be in writing and addressed to the Provost. The appeal will be reviewed by the Provost’s Office to determine whether to grant reinstatement. A written appeal or petition must include the student’s self-assessment of factors that contributed to the program dismissal and a statement indicating what will be or has been done differently to positively alter the situation. The Provost or designee will solicit input appropriate to the appeal. The Provost or designee decides whether to grant or deny appeals and determines conditions of reinstatement in consultation with the Program Director/Chair, if granted.

Appeal for Reinstatement after 90 days:  Appeals for academic reinstatement to the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs may be submitted after the lapse of 90 days from the date of dismissal if the individual did not appeal for immediate reinstatement per the policy above. No appeals for academic reinstatement under this policy will be considered if the individual would be unable to complete the academic program within five years from the start of their first MSJ program (MSN or DNP) course for which they are requesting reinstatement. The following steps are completed in the order listed below: 

  1. Individual seeking academic reinstatement schedules meeting with MSN-DNP Advisor/Program Director. The meeting will include a review of the student’s eligibility to meet the graduation requirements for their degree within the required time frame if reinstated, factor(s) that contributed to the student’s dismissal, and actions that have been taken and/or will be taken to positively alter the situation(s).
  2. If found eligible to appeal for reinstatement, the individual seeking academic reinstatement submits an appeal letter to the MSN-DNP Advisor/Program Director and the Provost. The appeal letter must be in writing and must include the individual’s self-assessment of factors that contributed to the program dismissal. The individual’s statement should indicate what will be or has been done differently to positively alter the situation.
  3. The MSN-DNP faculty will confidentially review the appeal letter and discuss the student’s reinstatement at the next scheduled post-licensure faculty meeting following receipt. MSN-DNP Faculty may request an interview with the individual as needed. MSN-DNP Faculty will vote for reinstatement, requiring a two-thirds majority. The MSN-DNP Advisor/Program Director will provide the Provost or designee with the MSN-DNP faculty-voted recommendation for consideration.
  4. The Provost’s Office will review the appeal and the MSN-DNP Faculty-voted recommendation to determine whether to grant reinstatement.
  5. The individual seeking academic reinstatement shall submit to an interview, if requested, by the Provost or designee.
  6. The Provost or designee decides whether to grant or deny the appeal and determines the conditions of reinstatement in consultation with the MSN-DNP Program Director, if granted. Decisions of the Provost or designee under this Policy are final.
  7. Dismissed students cannot appeal for reinstatement more than once.