Laurentian University Programs
Available in English
Science in Nursing (MScN)
Faculty of Education and Health
Become an expert and gain the knowledge, values, attitudes and competencies reflecting the philosophy, nature and scope of nursing in northern rural and remote areas.
Program Overview
Understand the discovery, integration, application and dissemination of knowledge delimited by rigor and ethical integrity.
The Master of Science in Nursing (MScN) program produces graduates who have the knowledge, values, attitudes and competencies reflecting the philosophy, nature and scope of nursing of diverse populations in small urban, northern rural, and remote communities. The learner will develop a richer understanding of the discipline of nursing and its relationship to the context of health care service delivery and policy issues. The program also broadens learners' understanding of nursing by encouraging them to engage with scholars from other departments and disciplines as well as those with other professional experiences.
All streams in the MScN program are delivered remotely, designed for mature learners who do not reside in Sudbury. There are onsite requirements for the Nurse Practitioner program only.
The deadline for applications to the program is February 1st for each year for Fall entry. Entry is in the Fall only.
Laurentian University offers 4 masters programs in French and in English that focus on research or clinical practice. All program outcomes are informed by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing’s four guiding principles for masters nursing education:
- Programs provide a comprehensive and substantive understanding of nursing knowledge, and a critical awareness of complex problems and/or new insights.
- Programs foster the ability to contribute to nursing knowledge through systematic inquiry, knowledge development, translation, and scholarship.
- Programs provide practice-based learning experiences to foster the use of the best available evidence, theories, and expertise in an advanced nursing role.
- Programs prepare students to use advanced communication, collaboration and consultation abilities to participate and lead in diverse contexts.
- For all streams, students will be registered in courses during the Fall, Winter, and Spring semesters.
Video Testimonial: Laurentian's Nursing (MScN) Program
Program options:
Nurse Practitioner (clinical) Stream [MScN-PHCNP]
The Nurse Practitioner program is delivered with the provincial consortium and has some onsite requirements and also clinical placements. Our designated geographical boundaries extend from Sudbury, north to Moosonee and Moose Factory, northwest to Hornpayne, west to Wawa, east to Deep River and Lindsay, and South to Barrie. As such, our program is offered largely by distance delivery to accommodate the needs of students residing in Northern Ontario.
Advanced Practice Nursing Stream (course based) [MScN-ANP]
The Advanced Practice Nursing stream is designed to produce graduates who are capable of discovering, integrating, applying and disseminating knowledge into their advanced nursing practice. There are ten courses to complete.
Thesis (research) Stream [MScN]
The thesis stream is designed to produce graduates who will contribute to the creation, application, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. There are six courses to complete. Students will then conduct a formal research project and conclude with a formal defence of their work.
Post Nurse Practitioner Certificate Stream (course based) [MScN]
Laurentian University has developed an MScN program for people who have previously completed an NP diploma or certificate without a masters degree. The post-nurse practitioner certificate program is a course based option with no clinical requirements.
There are three streams in the program: Thesis, Advanced Practice Nursing (course-based), and Nurse Practitioner.
Courses are offered remotely, synchronously and asynchronously.
Career Outlook
Education, home care, palliative care, nursing in various hospital units and healthcare settings, research.
Settings: Health Sciences North, Sudbury & District Health Unit, Community Care Access Centre, hospitals and clinics and post-secondary institutions across Ontario.
Program Details
Program language:
English
Delivery method:
Online
Please contact the email above, and our recruitment team will get back to you!
More About The Program
Admission Requirements
Admission criteria include:
- must hold a Baccalaureate degree with a GPA of 75%
- licensed as an RN or RNEC with the College of Nurses of Ontario (or equivalent)
Application Process
Step 1. Contact the Graduate Coordinator and/or individual faculty member about the possibility of becoming a student. Students are encouraged to consult the faculty list on the Faculty Members tab in order to identify a potential supervisor for the thesis stream (i.e. a faculty member they would like to work with).
Step 2. Click here to submit the online application. Once students have applied, they will receive instructions (typically within 48 hours) from the Office of Admissions leading them to the MyLaurentian portal. Students can access the portal at my.laurentian.ca; sign-in credentials will be provided in the correspondence received from the Office of Admissions upon successful completion of an application. The following documents will be required in order to complete an application.
Documents:
- Three Reference Forms (to begin the process at my.laurentian.ca click on "Reference Submission" on the left-hand navigation menu). Note that 1 of the 3 references must be an academic reference.
- Personal Essay (instructions found in MyLaurentian/to be uploaded via MyLaurentian)
- Curriculum Vitae/Resume, including education, work experience, publications or awards and service to the community (to be uploaded via MyLaurentian)
- Official Academic Transcript(s) from all post-secondary studies* (Please note that current or prior Laurentian University students do not need to request transcripts)
*Please note that official transcripts or WES course-by-course (for institutions attended outside of North America) must come directly to the Office of Admissions from the previous post-secondary institution by requesting at the time of your application or by contacting the institution's Registrar's Office.
Step 3. Once the Admissions Office receives all information and the application is deemed complete, the application will be forwarded to the department. An Admissions Committee meets to review the applications.
Step 4. The Admissions Committee will review all applications on file and make a decision regarding the suitability of each applicant. The Admissions Committee will then make a recommendation to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Laurentian University. The Graduate Studies office will verify the dossier and if satisfactory, the Dean of Graduate Studies will forward the recommendation to the Office of Admissions at Laurentian University for admission.
Step 5: If approved for admission, the Office of Admissions will send the student an Offer of Admission via MyLaurentian. Applicants wishing to accept the offer of admission must indicate their response on MyLaurentian within 3 weeks of receiving the offer. Once the student has accepted the offer, a transition to the registration process occurs.
Further Information:
MScN Program Coordinator
Email: MScN-NP@laurentian.ca
Tel: 705.675.6589
How To Apply
To apply for graduate studies, you must complete your application through the Ontario Universities Application Center (OUAC).
For detailed instructions on the application process, see the following pages:
Degree Options
Students must follow these regulations while in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Approved Field of Study:
- Nursing
MSc Nursing - Thesis Option
NURS 5000E Thesis (0 cr)
NURS 5046E Thesis Seminar (3 cr)
NURS 5106E Nursing Research I (3 cr)
NURS 5107E Nursing Research II (3 cr)
NURS 5126E Health Care Policy and Nursing Practice In Northern, Rural and Remote Environment (3 cr)
NURS 5136E Nursing Science and Theory (3 cr)
+1 elective (3 cr)
Total: 18 credits
MSc Nursing - Advanced Practice Nursing Stream (Course-based)
NURS 5106E Nursing Research I (3 cr)
NURS 5107E Nursing Research II (3 cr)
NURS 5126E Health Care Policy and Nursing Practice In Northern, Rural and Remote Environment (3 cr)
NURS 5136E Nursing Science and Theory (3 cr)
NURS 5256E Leadership and Management in Healthcare Environments (3 cr)
NURS 5116E Advancing Social Justice (3 cr)
NURS 5406E Environmental Epidemiology (3 cr)
NURS 5056E Advanced Practice Nursing I (3 cr)
NURS 5057E Advanced Practice Nursing II (3 cr)
+1 elective (3 cr)
Total: 30 credits
Course Based Option - Post Nurse Practitioner
NURS 5106E Nursing Research I (3 cr)
NURS 5107E Nursing Research II (3 cr)
NURS 5126E Health Care Policy and Nursing Practice In Northern, Rural and Remote Environment (3 cr)
NURS 5136E Nursing Science and Theory (3 cr)
+1 Elective (3 cr)
Total: 15 credits
A grade of B (70%) is required to pass all graduate level nursing courses.
Approved Field of Study:
- Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner
Program of Study
Required courses:
NURS-5106EL-Nursing Research I
NURS-5107EL-Nursing Research II
NURS-5126EL-Health Care Policy and Nursing Practice In Northern, Rural and Remote Environment
NURS-5306EL-Pathophysiology for Nurse Practitioners
NURS-5316EL-Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Roles and Responsibilities
NURS-5326EL-Therapeutics in Primary Health Care I
NURS-5327EL-Therapeutics in Primary Health Care II
NURS-5356EL-Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnosis I
NURS-5357EL-Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnosis II
NURS-5395EL-Integrative Practicum
NP Program Regulations
- All NP courses must be completed successfully before enrolling in the NURS 5395 Integrative Practicum.
- A minimum 70% is required to pass each NP course.
- Students who fail an NP course will have only one opportunity to repeat the failed course successfully.
- Students who fail a repeated NP course or fail a second NP course will be withdrawn from the NP program.
- Successful completion of all clinical placements is necessary in order to pass NP courses.
- Unless otherwise specified for the NP courses and program, Laurentian University academic regulations specific to the School of Nursing apply.
- Students must have completed all of their clinical hours prior to writing their final exams or OSCE testing.
- The NP program also follows the NP specific policies found at www.np-education.ca
- As per Laurentian University policies, absence from 20% or more of any required course seminars, clinical etc. will constitute a failure in the course.
Sample Courses
For the course requirements of each MScN program, please see the Degree Options tab.
The following courses may or may not be offered every year:
Please contact the academic coordinator for more information.
Thesis Seminar
This course focuses on the development of thesis-related objectives in consultation with a faculty supervisor. The objectives include analysis of typical thesis elements, development of the proposal, the literature review, critique of the research process, peer review, and submission of the proposal for ethical review. 3 cr.
Course Code: NURS-5046ELDepartment: NursingCredits: 3Course Type: Graduate
Nursing Research I
This course examines problem formulation and the utilization of nursing research. The course addresses quantitative approaches through the investigation of research questions in health care settings. Emphasis is placed on the development of evidence-based practice. cr 3.
Course Code: NURS-5106ELDepartment: NursingCredits: 3Course Type: Graduate
Nursing Research II
This course addresses qualitative research approaches to nursing inquiry in health care settings. Emphasis is placed on contributions to evidence-based practice. cr 3.
Course Code: NURS-5107ELDepartment: NursingCredits: 3Course Type: Graduate
Health Care Policy and Nursing Practice In Northern, Rural and Remote Environment
Course content will include: values, beliefs and health behaviours of rural people, rural community health problems, special populations, issues in delivery of health care, community-based models of care, clinical practice challenges, curriculum planning, population health and determinants of health. Students will analyze health and social policy, and examine relationships among sociocultural, political, economic, technologic, environmental, ethical and legal factors as they impact nursing practice, health care delivery and public policy in a northern, rural or remote context. cr 3
Course Code: NURS-5126ELDepartment: NursingCredits: 3Course Type: Graduate
Nursing Science and Theory
This course examines the development and organization of nursing knowledge. Patterns of knowing may seem unreconcilable to nursing praxis in our current health care systems. Within this context, it is imperative to examine the philosophical underpinnings so as to deepen the meaning of the nature of nursing: what nurses do; how they further their knowing; and what effect they have on the discipline of nursing. The course will aim to help students understand how the body of nursing knowledge has borrowed from traditional science. The ontological and epistemological underpinnings of nursing's pursuits of knowledge will be critically examined. To this end, students will be guided in deepening their patterns of thought and to relate it in examining the gap between theory and practice. At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to apprehend and critique the complexity of providing nursing care. cr 3
Course Code: NURS-5136ELDepartment: NursingCredits: 3Course Type: Graduate
Risk Management in Healthcare Environments
This course focuses on the analysis, integration and evaluation of the scientific knowledge underlying injury prevention and safety management of systems related to both human and technological resources. Emphasis is placed on decision-making in setting priorities and in selecting and evaluating interventions for injury prevention and safety management in a range of healthcare environments, including those with a focus on Indigenous healthcare. cr 3.
Course Code: NURS-5236ELDepartment: NursingCredits: 3Course Type: Graduate
Leadership and Management in Healthcare Environments
This course analyzes concepts related to leadership and management in the context of healthcare delivery systems. The course examines health leadership and management roles in relation to tradition, change and socially responsible practice, reflecting an understanding of, and response to issues in health policy. Assessment of psychological aspects of workplace environment and program development to facilitate change through leadership is explored in all healthcare environments, including Indigenous health. cr. 3.
Course Code: NURS-5256ELDepartment: NursingCredits: 3Course Type: Graduate
Thesis
This course provides learners with an opportunity to build upon the foundational competencies developed in the MScN Core courses. In consultation with their supervisor, learners will direct their study towards completion of their MScN thesis. Continual registration in this course is required until the MScN thesis is achieved. (sem) 0 cr.
Course Code: NURS-5000ELDepartment: NursingCredits: 0Course Type: Graduate
Advanced Practice Nursing I
This course provides learners with a broader understanding of advanced practice nursing (APN) within historical, current and future contexts of health care. Philosophical and critical perspectives are used as a foundation for a theoretical framework of APN. Relevant past and current issues integral in shaping role development of APN in Canada and internationally are explored. Competencies of APN are discussed, in comparison to the entry level nursing competency requirements. (Sem 3) cr 3.
Course Code: NURS-5056ELDepartment: NursingCredits: 3Course Type: Graduate
Advanced Practice Nursing II
This advanced practice nursing course builds on NURS 5056 with the intent of creating a document to be submitted for publication. Learners are challenged to synthesize in-depth knowledge of relevant theory, research and practice within the context of their own evolving advanced nursing practice. (Sem 3) PREREQ: NURS 5106, NURS 5107, NURS 5056. cr 3.
Course Code: NURS-5057ELDepartment: NursingCredits: 3Course Type: Graduate
Advancing Social Justice
This graduate course, using a variety of teaching modalities, examines contemporary theories, evidence, and practices of social justice as it is broadly conceived. Learners focus on a vision of social justice from a multi-level perspective to promote a more equitable distribution of resources and opportunities for community change and overall well-being. PREREQ: none. (cr 3).
Course Code: NURS-5116ELDepartment: NursingCredits: 3Course Type: Graduate
Environmental Epidemiology
This interdisciplinary course focuses on the impact of environmental changes on health. It prepares students for critical analysis of epidemiological studies on environmental health. Research knowledge on environmental health and epidemiology is used to describe and analyze population health problems within their ecosystems. (Sem 3) cr 3.
Course Code: NURS-5406ELDepartment: NursingCredits: 3Course Type: Graduate
Faculty Members
Phyllis Montgomery
Full Professor, School of Nursing
School of Nursing
Sharolyn Mossey
Assistant Professor, School of Nursing
School of Nursing
Judith Horrigan
Associate Professor, School of Nursing
School of Nursing
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