Graduate Entry Transfer

[areawoman]

Has anyone successfully transferred from one graduate-entry program to another? My husband would like to move his business to a better climate (both literally and figuratively) and would rather not wait another two-and-a-half years for me to finish the program. If I waited until I passed the NCLEX, would it be impossible to get into a regular graduate program? I wouldn't have a BSN, but I wouldn't mind working for a couple of years to get the experience required. Do most graduate programs require a BSN, or is any bachelor's degree sufficient? Obviously, if I can't transfer, we'll stay put and suffer through three more winters in the Midwest...

[jjsrn1]

I'm fairly certain that most grad programs for nursing, if not all, require a BSN and some experience working as an RN...though I could be wrong (I'm new to the nursing world myself). If I were you, I'd stay in the graduate-entry program you are in now.

[UVA Grad Nursing]

Most grad programs will transfer very little (if any). I have worked at three Universitites, and none have transfered more than one semester (12 credits) at the graduate level.

In addition, there is no 'standard' between graduate entry programs (the way there is for BSN programs). This will make it harder to transfer as well.

[Moogie]

I'm not in a graduate entry program, but I can tell you that it can be daunting to try to transfer credits from one graduate program to another. If you can hang in there until you finish your program, it might be in your best interest to stay put. If you really can't finish your program due to your husband needing to relocate, you might wish to check with programs in the area to which you're interested moving and see about the feasibility of getting into either an accelerated BSN program or another entry level MS program, to see ahead of time which, if any, of your credits transfer and how you would go about facilitating that transfer.

You would definitely need to have your RN license prior to admission to a non-entry graduate level program. There are some RN to MSN programs available, but I think most of these programs are geared toward ADN graduates. I think one of the biggest problems with an entry-level MS program is just what you're experiencing---if a student needs to drop out of a program for whatever reason, he/she may be stuck in an educational no-man's land, having gone through classes for RN licensure but not getting the BSN (or even an ADN) before getting the master's.

Good luck in whatever you do. BTW, I agree; Midwestern winters can be BRUTAL!