Any WCU graduates who have moved on to get their masters?

rcollett2006 · Sep 1, 2017

Hello! I graduated WCU-Orange County, CA in January 2015. I have been a working RN since March 2015 and am currently an ICU charge nurse at a community hospital. I decided to get my Master's at Western Governors University due to it being competency based and the affordability. I started November 2016 and am set to graduate November 2017. Yes, I will have completed a MSN in 1 year. The focus I chose was Nurse Leadership and Administration. I think the program is great and again I did it fast. Hope this helps!

jllamas19 · Sep 5, 2017

Hi D.C. Nursing Student,

I saw your post and I thought it would be appropriate for me to give you my personal experience to help you in your quest in applying to graduate school.

To give you the short answer, yes, other schools and universities other than West Coast University WILL consider accepting you into their program as long as you MEET the school's minimum scholastic and professional requirements.

To help you gain some persective into this topic, I graduated with my BSN from West Coast University (WCU) in 2013 and have been working as a psychiatric mental-health nurse for the past 3.5 years. The minute I graduated from WCU, I knew I wanted to expand my scope of practice and pursue higher education so I went ahead and applied to Loma Linda University where I am currently in the third year of my DNP program in hopes of becoming a psychiatric mental - health nurse practitioner.

Since West Coast University (WCU) is now and has been WASC accredited for many years, it makes it easier for other schools to not only accept and transfer credits but also provide graduates like you and me the financial flexibility and freedom to pursue higher education at other schools and institutions across the country.

When it comes to applying to graduate school however, the most important thing that they look for in a prospective student is not necessarily where the student received their undergraduate degree but rather what experience he or she has in their prospective field.

Therefore, since clinical experience is not only crucial but also valuable when applying to graduate nursing school, I highly recommend that you take the necessary time to research what speciality you would like to pursue and gain the necessary clinical experience prior to applying, in order to give you the best possible chance of getting admitted into the school of your dreams.

As a fellow WCU alumni, it's great to see you deciding to pursue your MSN. With that being said, I wish you the very best in your future endeavors and I hope you continue to make a positive impact in the nursing profession as your pursue higher education.

Take care!