Direct Entry MSN Degree (MIDAS Program)
Program Features
Earn Your MSN Without a BSN
Are you looking to start a new career as a leader in the field of nursing? Xavier University’s direct entry Master of Science in Nursing degree (MIDAS program) is designed to prepare students who have bachelor's degrees in non-nursing fields of study to become registered nurses—no BSN required.
Xavier University’s campus-based, direct entry MSN program trains students to provide expert care and patient advocacy through clinical experiences and courses in ethics, psychiatric nursing, family nursing, adult medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology and more.
By the end of this 20-month, full-time program, you’ll be awarded a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensing Exam-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) exam. You’ll also be prepared to sit for the Holistic Nurse Certification (HNC) and the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Certification Examination upon passing the NCLEX exam.
Admission
Prospective students may apply for admission year-round. Applications are reviewed beginning in late January for the upcoming fall semester entry term – the fall semester begins approximately the third week in August. Admission is offered to qualified, strong applicants on a rolling basis.
No application fee is required. Required are official transcripts for all college and university coursework, official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, three recommendations, an essay and a resume. Grades for pre-requisite courses in progress must be submitted to the College of Nursing by the date designated in the acceptance letter.
NOTE: A past felony or misdemeanor conviction may result in disqualification for the state licensure examination (as outlined in Section 4723.28 of the Ohio Revised Code).
Curriculum
Fall
- NURS 550 - Nursing Perspectives I............ 3cr.
- NURS 501 - Theoretical Bases for Nursing Practice............ 3cr.
- NURS 502 - Nursing Research............ 3cr.
- NURS 552 - Art and Science of Nursing............ 4cr.
- NURS 553 - Art and Science of Nursing Practicum............ 2cr.
- NURS 554 - Essentials of Pathophysiology............ 3cr.
Spring
- NURS 560 - Nursing Perspectives II............ 3cr.
- NURS 562 - Art and Science of Family Nursing............ 4cr.
- NURS 563 - Art and Science of Family Nursing Practicum............ 2cr.
- NURS 564 - Art and Science of Adult Nursing............ 4cr.
- NURS 565 - Art and Science of Adult Nursing Practicum............ 2cr.
Summer
- NURS 650 - Art and Science of Advanced Nursing............ 6cr.
- NURS 651 - Art and Science of Advanced Nursing Practicum............ 3cr.
- NURS 652 - Art and Science of Psychiatric Nursing............ 2cr.
- NURS 653 - Art and Science of Psychiatric Nursing Practicum............ 1cr.
- NURS 654 - Advanced Pharmacology............ 2cr.
- NURS 656 - Advanced Pathophysiology............ 2cr.
Fall
- NURS 750 - Nursing Perspectives III............ 3cr.
- NURS 864 - Epidemiologic Methods in Health Care............ 3cr.
- NURS 752 - Community Nursing/Public Health Policy............ 4cr.
- NURS 753 - Community Nursing/Public Health Policy Practicum............ 2cr.
- NURS 754 - Management Concepts............ 3cr.
Spring
- NURS 850 - Nursing Perspectives IV............ 3cr.
- NURS 500 - Health Care Ethics for Nursing Leaders............ 3cr.
- NURS 857 - Leadership Practicum & Scholarly Project............ 6cr.
- NURS 854 - Advanced Informatics............ 3cr.
Sample Courses
NURS 500 - Health Care Ethics: Nurse Leaders
3 Credit Hours
This course examines ethical frameworks, such as theories of justice, rights-based ethics and virtue ethics and their significance to the delivery of health care. Analysis of ethical dilemmas focuses on differentiating what are called traditional and modern ethical frameworks for decision-making. Application will be made within the parameters of nursing\2019s metaparadigm (person, nursing, caring, healing, health, environment) using personal and professional processes of valuing, unconditional acceptance and deciding in the preservation of wholeness and dignity.
NURS 550 - Nursing Perspectives I
3 Credit Hours
This course introduces the student to nursing as a profession and discipline. Content includes discussion of the roles of the professional nurse, the scope of practice, nursing history with emphasis on the holism philosophy that emanated directly from Florence Nightingale, professional organizations, and ethical/legal rights and responsibilities. Also addressed are introductory concepts leadership, holistic nursing, and culturally sensitive care including providing culturally competent spiritual care for diverse clients. Curricular concepts introduced include transition, critical thinking, communication (written and oral), and nurse as an instrument of healing.
NURS 554 - Essentials of Pathophysiology
3 Credit Hours
This course relates normal body functioning to the physiologic changes that occur as the result of disease. The body’s ability to compensate for these changes is also addressed. The course focuses on the mechanisms of the underlying disease, uniqueness of a person, and the basic concepts of disease processes in order to provide the background for preventive as well as therapeutic health care measures and practices.
Tuition and Fees
The MIDAS program requires 79 semester hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any individual with a bachelor's degree in a discipline other than nursing is eligible to apply. Applicants come from a variety of backgrounds including biology, business, chemistry, criminal justice, education, liberal arts, psychology and theology. Common characteristics of applicants include a strong desire to work with others, critical thinking skills, leadership ability, maturity, as well as a desire to learn and meet new challenges in a rigorous, fast paced program of study. The variety of majors and educational backgrounds provides for interesting perspectives and dialogue within the program. Students in this program range from recent college graduates to established careers professionals. Some individuals have advanced degrees.
The prerequisite classes required to enter the direct entry MSN program are:
- Human Anatomy and physiology lectures and labs (2 semesters or 3 quarters, no more than 5 years old)
- Microbiology lecture only (1 semester or quarter, no more than 5 years old)
- Statistics (1 semester or quarter)
Prerequisite courses must be completed at a regionally accredited college/university, must meet certain content requirements, and must be completed prior to the start of Xavier's fall semester. Science prerequisites (anatomy and physiology and microbiology) must be completed within the last five years. A statistics course that is over five years old will be evaluated on an individual basis. The College of Nursing can offer advice regarding the applicant's prerequisite status for courses completed and provide guidance in the selection of prerequisite courses needed.
The program requires 20 months of full-time study (five semesters fall/spring/summer/fall/spring). Part-time study is not an option for the program. For the specific start date for the upcoming academic year, consult the Xavier University Academic Calendar.
Applicants may apply online for each fall semester entry. Links to additional application items including instructions and reference forms will be emailed upon submission. Students may apply year-round, but it is advisable to apply early, particularly if evaluation and guidance for prerequisite coursework is necessary. There is no application deadline.
To apply, you’ll need:
- A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university
- Prerequisite courses which must be completed and grades reported by start of program
- Graduate application
- Resume
- Essay describing motivation for nursing career and ability for 20 months of full-time study. Specific instructions are in the online application.
- Three references
- Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
- Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores
Xavier’s direct entry MSN program requires 79 semester hours and rates are charged at the MS (Master of Science) per credit hour tuition rate posted on the Bursar web site. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the FAFSA as the overwhelming majority of MIDAS students qualify for Stafford Loans, grants and/or scholarships from various funding sources. Visit the Xavier Financial Aid page for more information about financial aid opportunities. The College of Nursing has limited scholarship money available.
Yes. Xavier’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing (OBN) and endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC).
Accreditations and Endorsements
Xavier’s nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing (OBN). Xavier University is one of only 17 schools endorsed nationally by the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation.
Clinical Experience Opportunities
With a strong, expansive network of health care partners, Xavier University provides some of the best clinical placements of any nursing school in Ohio. Xavier maintains agency agreements with more than 30 agencies in the Greater Cincinnati area.
Accelerated BSN Program
Xavier University also offers a 16-month undergraduate second-degree Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) for students with a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field. The full-time four-semester program features a rigorous blend of online and onsite curriculum.
Direct Entry MSN Degree (MIDAS Program) at Xavier University
The direct entry MSN degree (MIDAS program) at Xavier University is a community-based, holistic program focused on a health and wellness model that educates future nurses in the skills of communication, coordination and cooperation with other health-care professionals. Graduates are qualified to sit for the registered nurse licensure examination, clinical nurse leader certification and for the holistic nurse certification examination.
Xavier University’s College of Nursing prepares undergraduate and graduate students as professional nurses to meet the needs of diverse populations in an ever-changing, highly technical health-care environment. Graduates have the skills to practice nursing today and to be nurse leaders tomorrow in holistic health-care delivery with an educational foundation grounded in Jesuit values. Our graduates are well-respected in the health-care community as knowledgeable, professional, and ethical and prepared to excel in meeting challenges in health-care delivery. Xavier’s Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation.
Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."