Advance Your Nursing Career Goals: Scholarships Available for Fully Online MSN

Montclair State University is at the forefront of college programs filling a critical need in New Jersey for advanced practice nurses.

“By providing registered nurses with advanced knowledge in nursing education, administration, and clinical research, we anticipate improving healthcare delivery in a variety of settings,” says Janice Smolowitz, Dean of the School of Nursing. According to local, regional, and national reports, strong job growth is anticipated in these nursing specialties.

To help meet the need, Montclair State is providing a limited number of tuition scholarships to assist Spring 2020 newly enrolled students pay for their first course. Applicants are encouraged to apply early as scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Since the launch of the School of Nursing, Montclair State has worked towards reversing an impending shortage due to retirements and the rising needs of the baby boomer generation. It is also providing specialty education for registered nurses that will expand their roles and impact healthcare systems for the better.

Candise Maoire, an RN at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, New Jersey, is part of the new graduate program launched in 2018 to advance her nursing career as a nurse educator. Montclair State’s online program offers a level of flexibility that better accommodates her work schedule, she says.

“The University makes it something you can accomplish,” Maoire says. The program is completely online, but “professors are willing to work with you. You can call them, email them, come and see them.”

In designing the program, Smolowitz says, “we realized these people have personal lives and a lot of different responsibilities. Our goal is to be nimble as we provide education designed to meet individuals’ needs. Students in the program are employed full time and find online learning effective in advancing their careers.”

At Montclair State, the 35-credit MSN is designed for working RNs who have earned baccalaureate degrees. In most cases, students can complete their clinical requirements at their current place of employment. The program offers degree specializations in nursing administration, nursing education and clinical research, and provides opportunities for ongoing career advancement, recognition of expertise through national certification, and participation in national organizations.

“We want to take what you’re doing in your professional life and provide a format where you can work toward the next steps in your career,” Smolowitz says.

By filling a demand for highly qualified nurses, Montclair State supports the complexities of providing care for individuals across the lifespan. The University also offers the RN to MSN Bridge program for RNs with baccalaureate degrees in non-nursing disciplines. At the undergraduate level, the RN to the BSN and a four-year BSN degree are offered. The School of Nursing facility features a simulation lab designed to address the learning needs of students at all levels as they care for persons in varying states of health.

Learn More About the Nursing MSN Program

MSN program webinar, hosted by Dr. Janice Smolowitz, Dean, School of Nursing