The following policies apply to all the graduate Nursing programs, the MSN, DNP, and post graduate certificates
BACKGROUND CHECKS
Background checks are required for all APRN cognate students who participate in clinical practice. An approved background check must be provided to the Keigwin School of Nursing before a graduate nursing student may enroll in their first clinical course. Information on the background check may need to be released to agencies for permission to participate at the clinical site. If clinical placement is denied by the agency, and an alternative site cannot be obtained, the student will either have their acceptance rescinded if they have not yet started the program, or will not complete the program.
PROGRAM COMPLETION AND TRANSFER CREDIT
Students must successfully complete all course work no later than five (5) years after completion of the first graduate-level course. Minimum credit hours required for MSN degree - 24 semester hours. Minimum credit hours required for post-graduate ’s certificate - 13 semester hours. Minimum credit hours required for DNP-varies based on previous clinical hours in graduate nursing program.
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY
MSN-Clinical Nurse Educator, Nursing Administration, Leadership in Healthcare Systems, Nursing Informatics, and dual MSN/MBA students may transfer a maximum of six semester hours or 10-quarter hours of graduate academic credit from a comparable regionally accredited academic institution. MSN-AGACNP, FNP, FNP/ENP, and PMHNP students may transfer up to a maximum of 9 semester credit hours or three total graduate courses. The credit must be in courses similar in content and rigor to Jacksonville University’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program, and the grade earned must be at least a “B.”
Post-graduate’s certificate - Clinical Nurse Educator, Nursing Administration, Leadership in Healthcare Systems, and Nursing Informatics students may transfer a maximum of six semester hours or 10-quarter hours of graduate academic credit from a comparable regionally accredited academic institution.
Post-graduate’s certificate - AGACNP, FNP, FNP/ENP, and PMHNP students may transfer up to a maximum of 9 semester credit hours or three total graduate courses. For those who are already licensed APRNs, a maximum of 12 semester credit hours or 4 total graduate courses may be transferred in. The credit must be in courses similar in content and rigor to Jacksonville University’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program, come from a regionally accredited institution, and the grade earned must be at least a “B.”
DNP students may transfer a maximum of six semester hours or 10-quarter hours of graduate academic credit from a comparable regionally accredited academic institution. The credit must be in courses similar in content and rigor to Jacksonville University's Doctor of Nursing Practice Program and the grade must be at least a "B".
All transfer credit must be evaluated and approved prior to the start of the program. Students will not receive transfer credit for courses taken at another school once they have begun courses in their respective program at Jacksonville University.
To be eligible for transfer credit, the student must submit a transcript and catalog description of the course to the Graduate Advisor of the MSN Program. A letter requesting the transfer credit will be sent to the Registrar and placed in the student’s file.
To be eligible for transfer credit, the student must submit a transcript and catalog description of the course to the Graduate Advisor of the DNP Program. A letter requesting the transfercredit will be sent to the Registrar and placed in the student's file.
All transfer credit requests from be submitted and approved prior to the student beginning their academic program.
ACADEMIC STANDARDS & STANDING
Each student registered in a graduate nursing program is expected to maintain the minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. Graduate Nursing students will be placed on academic probation if any of the following scenarios occur:
- A student’s cumulative GPA drops below 3.0.
- Any student who is put on probation due to having a cumulative GPA below a 3.0 will have two semesters to raise their cumulative GPA to a 3.0 or higher. If after two semesters, the student has not achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher they will be dismissed from the program.
- A student who receives one grade of ‘C+’
- A student will be place on academic probation if they earn one grade of ‘C+”, but the student will be allowed to progress with coursework as scheduled. This academic probation will last for the duration of their program.
- Any subsequent grade of a ‘C+’ or lower will result in dismissal from the program regardless of GPA.
- If a student received two or more grades of ‘C+’ or lower in the same semester, they are automatically dismissed from the program.
- A student who receives one grade of ‘C’
- A student will be placed on academic probation if they earn one grade of ‘C’. The course in which student receives a grade of ‘C’ must be successfully repeated before they can continue into any higher-level coursework. Placement back into the course needing repeating will be based on timing of course offerings and available space. This academic probation will last for the duration of their program.
- If a student who has received a grade of ‘C’ in one nursing course earns a second grade of ‘C’ in a nursing course either in the same semester or a later semester, this will result in dismissal from the program.
A student can be dismissed from their Keigwin School of Nursing graduate program should any of the below scenarios occur:
- A student who is on academic probation due to having a GPA below a 3.0 and does not increase their GPA to a 3.0 or higher after two semesters will be dismissed from their graduate nursing program.
- A student who earns a grade of ‘C+’ in a course who then earns a concurrent or subsequent grade of a ‘C+’ or lower will result in dismissal from the program regardless of GPA.
- If a student who has received a grade of ‘C’ in one nursing course earns a second grade of ‘C’in a nursing course either in the same semester or a later semester, this will result in dismissal from the program.
- A student who receives an ‘F’ in any nursing course for any reason will be dismissed fromthe program.
*Students dismissed from any graduate nursing program may appeal the action to the Keigwin School of Nursing Graduate Committee.
OUT-OF-SEQUENCE COURSES
Students in APRN tracks must take all nursing courses in the sequence they are published in. All students in APRN tracks will be given their progression upon acceptance into their program. Any student who has interrupted their progression for any reason are considered to be out-of-sequence. Students not regularly progressing must request readmission from the Keigwin School of Nursing Graduate Committee.
Once readmission is approved, out-of-sequence students will be placed in required course(s) on a spaceavailable basis and are placed after all normally progressing students have been appropriately accommodated.
Students may only repeat one nursing course. If a grade of “B-” or better is earned in the repeated course, the student will be permitted to continue in the program. If less than a grade of “B-” is earned in the repeated course, any concurrent nursing courses, or any succeeding nursing courses, the student will be dismissed from the program.
After admission to the nursing program, placement in nursing courses for the academic year will be based on the following priority ranking:
- Full-time, regularly progressing degree-seeking students.
- Part-time, regularly progressing degree-seeking students.
- Regularly progressing certificate seeking students.
- Students who have interrupted their studies but are in good academic standing.
- Students who have withdrawn from one or more nursing courses.
- Students who have been unsuccessful in one nursing course and need to repeat the course.
- Transfers from other graduate nursing programs according to Graduate Committee guidelines.
If additional criteria are needed to determine placement, date of becoming out of sequence and cumulative GPA will be used. (See your academic counselor).
The nursing curriculum must be completed within five (5) years from initial enrollment into nursing courses. If unable to complete the prescribed nursing curriculum within the five (5) years, the student must petition to and be approved by the Keigwin School of Nursing Graduate Committee in order to continue in nursing curriculum. Once progression is interrupted, the school of nursing can not guarantee completion of the nursing curriculum within five (5) years although every reasonable effort will be made to facilitate progression.
GRADING
Grades are given in the Keigwin School of Nursing based on acquired points rather than percentages. The grade equivalent will be discussed in the syllabus for each course.
Grading Scale:
A = 549 - 600 points
A- = 537 – 548 points
B+ = 525 – 536 points
B = 489 - 524 points
B- = 477 – 488 points
C+ = 447 - 476 points (passes but on academic probation) Below this level – course is failed
C = 417 - 446
F = 416 points and below
In courses designated to prepare students for the APRN certification exams, a minimum exam average of 75% must be achieved for written and oral exams to be averaged into the final grade. If a student does not earn a 75% exam average in one of these courses, it is not possible for the student to successfully pass that course. A grade of no higher than ‘C’ will be awarded to any student who does not achieve the required 75% exam average. This means that the student will be required to repeat the course that they did not earn the required 75% exam average before being permitted to progress to higher level courses..