Direct Entry MSN 2020 at Columbia University

Nursing Students School Programs

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Hello Everyone, The applications for June 2020 at Columbia University has now opened. I haven't seen any new threads for this year so I wanted to start one. I am in the process of applying and half way done! References already sent their recommendations!! and an upside to this year is that Columbia University is no longer requiring the GRE. SO I am pretty happy about that!!

Good Luck!

Does Columbia make you sign a contract that you're promising not to work during the MDE? I know one school does, but I don't remember if it was Columbia

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me again,

also

The website said that the MDE program, you don't specialize. I'm a bit confused, can anyone explain? With the MDE, it says you graduate with a Master of Science degree in Nursing (MS), but does that mean you're just an RN? or a general family practitioner? Can anyone explain? I'm confused what the differences between this program is and an Accelerated BSN if you can't specialize. Like what would the MS give you? Sorry if this a dumb question, Just want to learn what I can!

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I think you get an MSN degree and you become an RN generalist. Which means you can work in a wide variety of healthcare settings like in ICU’s, ER’s, PEDs, etc.... However, you wont be considered an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse; for this you would need further schooling and training. . These are your NPs, Midwifes and CRNAs. Anyone else who’s more knowledgeable. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong lol

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Hi All,

I went through Columbia’s MDE program last year and thought I would chime in. You graduate with your MSN and can sit for the NCLEX to become an RN. You are not an advanced practice provider of any kind after MDE. Some hospitals will give you a small differential for having your masters. And for those who maxed out their undergrad student loans, the graduate level program is their only option.

As far as working in MDE: a lot of people work very part time jobs I knew plenty of people in my class who worked as nannies, waiters/waitresses, or in after-school/sports programs. Some people also continued working as techs/CNAs if they had those jobs previously. I would just say that 10-15 hours a week would probably be plenty.

Also, if RN’s already have their BSN, the DNP program length varies by specialty from 2.5-3 years.

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1 hour ago, aksea said:

Hi All,

I went through Columbia’s MDE program last year and thought I would chime in. You graduate with your MSN and can sit for the NCLEX to become an RN. You are not an advanced practice provider of any kind after MDE. Some hospitals will give you a small differential for having your masters. And for those who maxed out their undergrad student loans, the graduate level program is their only option.

As far as working in MDE: a lot of people work very part time jobs I knew plenty of people in my class who worked as nannies, waiters/waitresses, or in after-school/sports programs. Some people also continued working as techs/CNAs if they had those jobs previously. I would just say that 10-15 hours a week would probably be plenty.

Also, if RN’s already have their BSN, the DNP program length varies by specialty from 2.5-3 years.

From being with your cohort, is there anyway you can give us an idea of what Columbia is looking for? I know its vague but is your cohort very diverse as far as no healthcare experience to tons of healthcare experience and etc. If you don't mind what did your application look like as far as healthcare experience and what did you think made you a strong applicant? Thanks!

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47 minutes ago, NurseDTL said:

From being with your cohort, is there anyway you can give us an idea of what Columbia is looking for? I know its vague but is your cohort very diverse as far as no healthcare experience to tons of healthcare experience and etc. If you don't mind what did your application look like as far as healthcare experience and what did you think made you a strong applicant? Thanks!

I would say they try to make every cohort as diverse as possible in several ways. We all came from a variety of backgrounds. Many were fresh out of undergrad. Others were decades into their careers. I personally had very little healthcare experience, and my first degree wasn’t in the sciences. It’s honestly difficult to say exactly what they’re looking for. International experiences, volunteer experience, and incredible references are a good start. Having a clear vision and goals that you communicated in your essays is also very important. I know people who had a 4.0, and others with a 3.2. Overall, they truly look at each applicant from a very well-rounded, holistic perspective. The program itself really gives no preference to whether or not you have a science or healthcare background. Although I will say that having an excellent grasp on anatomy, physiology and microbiology will be incredibly helpful. I know that’s probably not the most direct way to respond to your questions, but the truth is that they are looking at you as a whole person with experiences that have made you into who you are and that help to determine whether or not you’re ready for the program.

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5 hours ago, aksea said:

Hi All,

I went through Columbia’s MDE program last year and thought I would chime in. You graduate with your MSN and can sit for the NCLEX to become an RN. You are not an advanced practice provider of any kind after MDE. Some hospitals will give you a small differential for having your masters. And for those who maxed out their undergrad student loans, the graduate level program is their only option.

As far as working in MDE: a lot of people work very part time jobs I knew plenty of people in my class who worked as nannies, waiters/waitresses, or in after-school/sports programs. Some people also continued working as techs/CNAs if they had those jobs previously. I would just say that 10-15 hours a week would probably be plenty.

Also, if RN’s already have their BSN, the DNP program length varies by specialty from 2.5-3 years.

thanks for this. ive been debating whether or not i should quit my home health aid job on the weekends. it’s 12hrs/day but the job requires very minimal work. i probably just work 3hrs max and the rest are free time. i’m just concerned about the first summer term because i heard it’s extremely rigorous. do you know if ppl were able to work during the first term? thanks

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Grandfathered in is a term that needs to be used lightly lol. I shadowed an MSN NP who is now making the change to DNP. She has to take CE courses and do additional clinical hours. So there is a “bridge” that needs to be crossed when going from MSN NP to DNP.

Honestly (IMO) if you do not want to be any of the advanced nurses then a BSN will suffice. So if you want to be a floor nurse/bedside for example you don’t necessarily need an MSN. There are many diff reasons some of us are choosing this program over others. Financial aid, long term goals these all come into play!

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Hello everyone! My name is Jeffrey and I graduated from the MDE program at Columbia and am currently in the first year of the DNP/ FNP portion. If you need further information I am generally pretty good at responding to questions each week, but if you're going to attend the visiting day, you'll get most of your questions answered there. In the meantime give me a shout with your questions, and I'll see if I can help! Best, JSB

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5 hours ago, Jsbinnyc said:

Hello everyone! My name is Jeffrey and I graduated from the MDE program at Columbia and am currently in the first year of the DNP/ FNP portion. If you need further information I am generally pretty good at responding to questions each week, but if you're going to attend the visiting day, you'll get most of your questions answered there. In the meantime give me a shout with your questions, and I'll see if I can help! Best, JSB

Are there preceptorship opportunities offered later on in the program where students get to choose a specialty?

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anyone else think we'll hear from them this week??

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6 minutes ago, Barbiegirl1229 said:

anyone else think we'll hear from them this week??

Unlikely. When they send the email about updating our application for our fall grades they mentioned early February. Historically, based on the past 2 cohorts it looks like it was closer to the 28th or 29th of January.

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