Best online Masters in Nur Education?

Specialties Educators

Published

Hi! I am wondering what are the best programs for a Masters in Nursing Education that are out there right now. If anyone has completed one recently or enrolled in one now? Thanks.

I did investigate other online schools and chose WGU for the following reasons:

1) Affordable - $3k / six month term. Take all the courses you can in that time frame and pay no additional tuition.

2) Asynchronous- I work full time night shift and could NEVER have fit a traditional online program into my schedule ( as in, be online for discussion group at this time every week)

3) Rigorous - the academic quality is second to none

4) Accredited - regionally and with the important nursing organizations.

5) Mentors - my student and course mentors encouraged and supported me, and have become colleagues.

My MSN capstone has been presented at a research symposium and is being published in a peer-reviewed journal!

Do you get a lot of help with the capstone? I am starting walden In a few moths. Rn-msn In nursing education I'm very excited to hear more about it.

0 Votes
Specializes in med surg.

I did my MSN thru Walden, the program was well organized, hard copy of books and easily accessed all professors. cheaper then UOP but still somewhat costly, I have about 6000.00 in debt at this point and hope I can pay it off in one year.

0 Votes
Specializes in Intensive Care Unit.

Im doing mine through University of Phoenix and I love it! Very dedicated staff always available for help, flexible class schedules, discounts for new students, and affordable courses all online. Since its such a big school, the classes start every week so I can take any amount of time off and pick right up where i left off. Im in the MSN nursing education focus and Id recommend it to anyone :)

0 Votes
Specializes in Nursing Research and Education.

I am wary of the larger, for-profit colleges that have turned education into a business and there seem to be more and more of them offering master's degrees in nursing. In my opinion, you're essentially buying the degree while sacrificing the rigor and scholarship required for an advanced degree. Check out "College Inc" on PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/collegeinc/view/

0 Votes
Specializes in Stroke Seizure/LTC/SNF/LTAC.
I am looking into the program at WGU. I am trying to get more information about the MSN -- education program. If you don't mind I would like to know if you researched other online programs and why you chose WGU. Any information and/or advice will be much appreciated. I hope to nail this down and plan to start classes either in the fall or early spring. Were you working while going to school?

I am nearly complete with my MSN Education at . Yes, I did research other schools. I made the decision to attend WGU because of its accelerated, affordable and accredited nursing education. It is self-paced, and like another poster said, you can complete a lot of courses in one term at no additional cost. It is roughly $3500 per 6-month term. It took me a bit longer to complete my MSN. I've gone past 2 1/2 years. I'm almost done, though. I am writing my Master's thesis right now, and expect to be finished in about 3 months. ;):bookworm:

You don't have to wait until Fall or Spring. Once I got my transcripts in, I received a call from an Admissions Counselor, and was able to start the following month. Another very important aspect for me is that WGU has Student Mentors. They will call you weekly and check on you. This gave me the sense of connectedness that I didn't have with my online BSN program.

I have been working full-time all the way through this program - another reason I love it so much! WGU also has its own Wellness Program. It's very much like an Employee Assistance Program. You can call them or e-mail them about ANYTHING and they can help you through whatever :cool:

Hope my real-world experience with WGU helps you make this very important decision!

0 Votes
Specializes in Stroke Seizure/LTC/SNF/LTAC.

At , I am getting a lot of help writing my Capstone. My Capstone mentor is awesome! This woman has 4 Masters & 2 Doctorates, yet she takes time to make sure I understand what is required and how to present it. She is very approachable! I would love it if WGU had a Doctorate program, because I would certainly do my Doctorate of Nursing Practice there.

0 Votes
Specializes in Telemetry.

I just completed the Capstone for the MSN (Education) and I feel very elated. is the best. My instructor/mentor takes time to explain everything and she is very dedicated. I am waiting on that Doctorate Program to start at WGU. I Love that school.

0 Votes
Specializes in Critical Care, Education.
I am wary of the larger, for-profit colleges that have turned education into a business and there seem to be more and more of them offering master's degrees in nursing. In my opinion, you're essentially buying the degree while sacrificing the rigor and scholarship required for an advanced degree. Check out "College Inc" on PBS: Watch The Full Program Online | College, Inc. | FRONTLINE | PBS

It's undoubtedly hypocritical on my part since I have taught online classes, but I just can't get my head around the idea of online (only) education. In my case (and many others with whom I have discussed this issue), I benefited as much from the academic environment of graduate & post graduate education produced as the courses themselves.

The opportunity to interact, debate, discuss, inform, etc... with not only our professors but also with colleagues who were travelling the same paths - was invaluable and made a lasting impression. Attending other students' thesis & dissertation defense meetings provided me with insight about the practical aspects of research that I couldn't have obtained in any other way. Despite all the stats & research courses I completed, this knowledge/skill only became 'real' by virtue of my experiences in a true scholastic environment. Within the limitations of current technology, this cannot be replicated in any online course today. I'm not saying that purely didactic courses cannot be effectively delivered via e-methodologies, but some courses just require greater levels of inquiry/interaction than is supported in that environment. For instance, both my MSN (education & critical care) and doctoral programs required teaching practicums... it wasn't good enough just to recall the concepts - they had to be successfully applied in real-life situations.

Since I am older than dirt - back in my day there were 9 planets! -- I was professionally imprinted with the belief that the primary reason for obtaining graduate degree in nursing was to obtain specialty skills/knowledge that add value to the service of patient care... and the reason for a PhD was to add value to our profession by conducting research. Seems to me like this isn't the case any longer. These days, some MSNs are pretty much meaningless (entry level MSN?) and I have encountered many "PhDs" who can't even function at the most basic level within the realm of their doctorate. Maybe it's just me, huh?

0 Votes
Specializes in Telemetry.

I have seen people who got PhD from brick and mortar school and they still act stupid. It does not matter what school you attend, it is how you apply yourself. I have a Masters in Education from and I am proud to say that I have learned a lot and I am a well rounded person.

0 Votes

I am considering Master's in Education as well.

0 Votes
Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

I will be graduating from Grand Canyon University Online in Phoenix, AZ in less than six weeks. RN-MSN-Ed. While I often thought I would never get as much from an online program as I did from hands on, I was glad to be wrong. In the end I don't think it matters which route you go because you are mostly responsible for what you get out of it. I do believe having strong written communication skills is vital to online learning however, since that is the way you communicate who you are. I have created several networks while in school, and the benefit is they are from all over the country :)

0 Votes
Specializes in Primary Care.
I will be graduating from Grand Canyon University Online in Phoenix, AZ in less than six weeks. RN-MSN-Ed. While I often thought I would never get as much from an online program as I did from hands on, I was glad to be wrong. In the end I don't think it matters which route you go because you are mostly responsible for what you get out of it. I do believe having strong written communication skills is vital to online learning however, since that is the way you communicate who you are. I have created several networks while in school, and the benefit is they are from all over the country :)

Are you going to GCU full time or part time? How many hours of study/coursework would you say you do per week?

Thanks.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment