Pursue Your Nursing Potential. Prepare for Your Purpose.
Saint Leo University's Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing program empowers you to pivot into the nursing profession without starting your education over. Rooted in our Benedictine values and a holistic Culture of Health framework, this accelerated pathway equips you with cutting-edge technological skills and extensive clinical experience. Graduates emerge from our Direct Entry MSN as confident, master’s-prepared professionals prepared to improve patient outcomes and lead in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. Graduates must successfully pass the NCLEX-RN to become licensed registered nurses.
- Graduate in 20 months
- 64 total credits
- 672 clinical clock hours for hands-on training
- Innovative curriculum
- Three annual intakes
- Hybrid modality with on-campus labs
Why Choose the Direct Entry MSN at Saint Leo University?
Our Direct Entry MSN is deeply rooted in our core values of integrity, community, and excellence. We offer an ethically driven education where you will engage with a curriculum designed around our Culture of Health framework. This framework focuses on evidence-based practice, disease prevention, and coordinating holistic, culturally competent, and equitable person-centered care within complex healthcare systems.
The Saint Leo community takes the time to truly understand your professional goals. We provide personalized support and dedicated clinical placement services, ensuring you can focus entirely on mastering your clinical skills and transitioning confidently into your future calling as a registered nurse.
Saint Leo and You
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The DEMSN program at Saint Leo is crafted for career changers ready to transition into nursing efficiently and effectively. Our curriculum balances advanced clinical competencies, holistic patient care, and modern healthcare technology. It includes extensive hands-on clinical and lab experiences that allow you to directly apply your learning to real-world healthcare environments.
- Credits: 64
- Completion Time: 20 months (five semesters)
- Clinical Experience: 672 clinical clock hours and 144 skills lab clock hours
- Start Dates: Three annual starts in fall, spring, and summer
- Cost: $825 per credit hour or $52,800 total, without fees
- Hybrid Modality: Theory and labs are held on campus or online as scheduled
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The DEMSN program at Saint Leo is crafted for career changers ready to transition into nursing efficiently and effectively. Our curriculum balances advanced clinical competencies, holistic patient care, and modern healthcare technology. It includes extensive hands-on clinical and lab experiences that allow you to directly apply your learning to real-world healthcare environments.
- Credits: 64
- Completion Time: 20 months (five semesters)
- Clinical Experience: 672 clinical clock hours and 144 skills lab clock hours
- Start Dates: Three annual starts in fall, spring, and summer
- Cost: $825 per credit hour or $52,800 total, without fees
- Hybrid Modality: Theory and labs are held on campus or online as scheduled
Designed for a Future in Nursing
Our Direct Entry MSN program is crafted for career changers who want to advocate for patients, master clinical innovations, and make an impact across the healthcare landscape.
Earn a degree from a program that supports those managing a major career pivot, offering a streamlined pathway into a high-demand field.
Gain the clinical expertise required to thrive as a registered nurse in hospitals, clinics, and diverse medical settings, making a tangible difference every day.
Build the foundational knowledge necessary to pursue additional graduate-level education needed to become an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN).
Our curriculum blends cutting-edge technology with a holistic Culture of Health framework so you can address systematic challenges with innovation and empathy to create change where it is needed most.
Why Saint Leo's Direct Entry MSN Program Stands Out
- Accelerated Pathway: Complete your nursing education in just 20 months, leveraging the hard work you already put into your non-nursing bachelor's degree.
- Holistic Care Meets Data: Master the cutting-edge technology defining modern practice, including healthcare AI and virtual nursing applications.
- Well-Being Wins: Experience an ethically driven education focused on clinician well-being, community, and holistic patient health.
- Personalized Support: Rely on our clinical placement team to secure your clinical sites so you can focus entirely on learning and caring for your future patients.
- Dedicated Exam Prep: Our curriculum is rigorously designed to prepare you for the NCLEX-RN, giving you the knowledge and confidence to achieve licensure.
- Community of Care: Benefit from mentorship and small class sizes, learning from expert faculty who view you as a whole person and are deeply invested in your success.
What Will You Learn in the Direct Entry MSN Program?
Our curriculum prepares you for a rewarding and resilient career in nursing. Here are some of the courses included in our program:
This course introduces the direct-entry MSN student to professional nursing practice within a Culture of Health framework. Essential concepts related to systems of care and health professional roles, person-centered care, interprofessional communication, cultural influences on health and wellness, safety teaching and learning, and evidence-based practice are presented. Topics such as professionalism, clinician well-being, health promotion, and legal, ethical, political, economic, and social issues are discussed with an emphasis on creating a culture of health.
This course centers on foundational nursing knowledge, skills, attitudes and abilities in the provision of person-centered basic nursing care across the lifespan. A clinical decision-making process and Culture of Health framework provide context to help students think critically, make informed clinical judgements, and assess factors that influence safe and person-centered care delivery. Concepts of holistic data collection, comprehensive health assessment related to normal findings and variations, and basic nursing skills are integrated throughout the course. Application of basic nursing care and skills including infection control, clinical documentation, mobility and immobility, skin and wound care, medication administration, oxygen therapy, fluid and electrolyte balance, bowel care and urinary care are introduced, practiced and evaluated within laboratory experiences. Clinical experiences engage students in clinical decision-making processes for the provision of culturally sensitive, person-centered care.
This course will evaluate the role of technology in coordination of safe, evidence-based care. Students will analyze current and emerging technologies, evaluate how informatics is integrated into complex healthcare systems, discuss the impact of technology policy and legislation on safety practices, and explore the nurse leader’s role in the implementation and use of technologies to promote quality healthcare. Artificial intelligence, virtual nursing, and applications that support education, communication, safety, and privacy for the recipient of nursing care will be emphasized.
This course builds upon foundational knowledge of pharmacological therapies and fosters an in-depth understanding of pharmacological principles based on evidence-based guidelines and cultural, socioeconomic, and legal influences. Emphasis is placed on common drug classes prescribed by advanced practice nurses for acute and chronic conditions across the life span in accordance with state regulations. Factors influencing effective therapy and legal considerations are also included.
This course promotes student integration of knowledge, skills, and attitudes learned throughout the curriculum and the development of increasing levels of autonomy in the management of care and professional nursing practice. Care management, clinical judgement, priority setting, safety, quality improvement, collaboration, delegation, and time management are emphasized. Precepted clinical experience occurs in a variety of healthcare settings.
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Start date
January 2027
Career Opportunities for Registered Nurses
As a graduate of the Direct Entry MSN program, you’ll be prepared to step into a variety of impactful and essential roles providing patient care, educating communities, and supporting public health initiatives. Here are some of the positions that may be available to you:
Provide and coordinate patient care in various hospital departments such as emergency, ICU, or pediatrics.
Deliver care to patients in their homes, often focusing on chronic conditions or post-surgical recovery.
Educate communities on health maintenance and disease prevention, often working in schools or community centers.
Offer long-term care for elderly or disabled patients in residential facilities.
Take the First Step Toward a Career in Nursing
Your journey to becoming a confident, compassionate RN begins here. Follow these steps to begin transforming your passion into purpose at Saint Leo University.
1
Complete the Form
Fill out our simple form to get started. It only takes a minute, and it’s the best way to let us know you’re interested in Saint Leo University.
2
Speak with an Advisor
An enrollment advisor will connect with you to answer your questions, discuss your goals, and ensure our program is the right fit for your career aspirations.
3
Submit Your Application
Your advisor will guide you through the application process, helping you gather your documents and present your strengths so you can put your best foot forward.
4
Start Your Journey
Once accepted, you will join a supportive cohort of dedicated peers, ready to begin your accelerated path toward becoming a registered nurse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing Saint Leo means joining a values-driven community where your growth as a holistic caregiver truly matters. Our program uniquely blends cutting-edge healthcare technology with a compassionate Culture of Health framework. Plus, with dedicated clinical placement support and an accelerated 20-month timeline, you are set up for success from day one.
No. To ensure you receive the highest quality hands-on training, the program uses a hybrid format. Theory and skills labs are completed on campus as scheduled (with a few courses online), while your clinical hours take place in local healthcare settings.
You can complete the program in just 20 months (five semesters) of full-time study, allowing you to transition into your new nursing career efficiently.
No. Saint Leo University provides a dedicated clinical placement team to help secure your sites and preceptors for you. We handle the logistics so you can focus entirely on your clinical education.
Yes. We are dedicated to making your education accessible and affordable. Various financial aid options—including federal aid, loans, and payment plans—are available to qualified students.
