CSULA ABSN vs UC Davis MEPN

U.S.A. California

Published

Hello! I've been accepted into both of these programs and have to make a decision VERY soon. If anyone has experience/insight into either of these programs I would love to hear it.

UC Davis is entry level MSN that results in RN. Both of these programs are accelerated nursing programs for those with a bachelor's in something else. CSULA ends up in a second bachelor's degree.

A major reason I am having trouble deciding is the cost factor. UC Davis is $93,600 and CSULA is $32,000. I would much rather live in Sacramento (have family up there) and there's less traffic than LA.

When applying for jobs at hospitals as a new grad nurse, is there any bias/advantage of putting a UC Davis on your resume vs CSULA? Will having a entry level master's from UC Davis make it any easier or harder to get a job right away?

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No personal experience with either program, but I'd highly recommend the ABSN option for a few reasons.

First, I don't think that having an MSN would make you a more attractive new graduate nurse. If anything, hiring managers might feel that your overqualified (several nurses have posted about this issue on AN). Some managers may like it, but my guess is that the effect will be negligible.

Second, I looked up that UC Davis program (out of curiosity), and that masters degree seems a bit...off. When you get an MSN, you usually have a specialization (i.e. MSN as a Nurse Practitioner, MSN in Nurse Education, MSN in Nursing Leadership, MSN in Clinical Informatics, etc.). This one just seems like an MSN in nursing? Even if your goal is to eventually get an MSN in something (which I totally understand), I don't think this one will be very valuable because it's so ambiguous. I doubt that most managers will understand it, and they may view the degree as a BS resume builder.

Third, if you do eventually want to get an MSN, your employer will probably cover the cost (i.e. if you work for Davis, they'd probably foot the bill for you to get your MS in Nurse Leadership at Davis).

The only upside to attending school at Davis is that it may be slightly easier for you to get a new grad job in Sacramento. The California nursing market for new grads is brutal, and having clinical rotations or a part-time job at a local hospital may help you get your foot in the door. That said, it's no guarantee; I've met several California transplants living in other states who moved to get new grad job experience because they simply could not find a job in CA. If it were me, I'd go to school in LA, find a new grad acute care job in some other city/state I like for a couple of years, then move back to Sacramento once I had some experience.

Like I said, I don't have personal experience with the programs, but that's my two cents. Best of luck in making your decision!

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Thank you adventure_rn for taking the time to respond! I think the entry level masters programs that end with RN and no higher specialization are a newer kind of accelerated nursing program that give people with a bachelor's in something else another program option. Or at least they seem somewhat new because of the limited information and statistics out on them. Other schools in CA with the same type of entry level MSN program are University of San Diego MEPN, UCLA MECN (Master's Entry Clinical Nurse), UCSF MEPN, and UC Irvine MEPN.

It must depend on the hopsital and hiring staff. I've read that some nurses like the entry level master's students because they seem more mature and focused, but the couple of nurses I have talked to think that the point we are at right now is that it mostly matters to have your BSN vs ADN.

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Have you factored in living costs? Get out with as little debt as possible.

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