Why should you consider a direct entry nursing program like Marquette University’s? Reasons to choose this program type include a faster timeline, a format built for career changers, hands-on training that accelerates your learning, a curriculum that equips you for future leadership, and strong career outcomes.
Many people decide they want to move into a field that is more meaningful, stable and involves helping others. Changing careers to nursing requires earning a nursing degree, and there are several ways to achieve this. A direct entry nursing program can leverage your existing bachelor’s degree to enable you to earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) quicker than through a traditional educational route.
Marquette University’s Second Degree Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing (DE-MSN) program, offered in both Milwaukee and Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, was designed to help students begin a nursing career with a master’s without first needing to earn another bachelor’s degree. Students can complete a graduate-level pathway over five or eight semesters that prepares them for RN licensure and positions them for long-term career advancement.
Learn what a direct entry nursing program is, see how a direct entry MSN works, and discover how this option can mean a faster pathway if you are ready to pursue a nursing career.
What Is a Direct Entry Nursing Program and What Is a Direct Entry MSN?
A direct entry nursing program typically refers to a nursing program that admits students who already have a degree or some education. This enables them to earn a nursing degree in less time than a traditional program.
A direct entry master’s program allows students to earn an MSN without having to first earn a BSN. In Marquette’s DE-MSN program, students follow a rigorous nursing curriculum that combines predominantly online or predominantly in-person coursework with nursing labs and clinical rotations.
A DE-MSN program confers a graduate degree while preparing you for professional nursing practice. Marquette’s offering features:
- Two program site locations
- Five-semester or eight-semester timeline options
- Multiple start dates per year
Explore the reasons to choose a direct entry MSN program in more detail.
Find out more about the requirements to enroll in a Direct Entry MSN.
1. Earn Your MSN and RN Through a Faster Pathway
One of the most compelling reasons to choose a direct entry MSN program is efficiency. The traditional pathway to an MSN degree requires a student to complete prerequisites, apply to a BSN program, graduate, take the NCLEX-RN to earn licensure, and work as a nurse before applying to an MSN program. Each phase requires additional planning, new applications and more time, which might not be compatible with your goals.
Direct entry offers a more direct route, cutting out multiple steps and conferring a higher degree while still being faster to complete than a traditional BSN program.
2. Designed for Career-Changers With Non-Nursing Degrees
A direct entry MSN program is designed for people who already have academic and career experience. Career changers often bring maturity, resilience and transferable skills like communication, problem-solving and time management that can make their success more likely.
The curricula of these programs can be challenging, as it builds nursing knowledge from minimal to graduate-level without the intermediate step of a BSN. For career changers, the challenge is still worth it due to the ability to start working in a new field sooner.
3. Hands-On Clinical Training That Builds Real-World Confidence
Prospective students may wonder whether an accelerated nursing pathway can deliver enough hands-on experience to succeed as a nurse. From the start, Marquette University’s Direct Entry MSN uses a blended learning model that combines:
- Nursing theory courses
- On-site skills labs
- Clinical simulation
- Clinical rotations at top area health care facilities
When learning on a faster timeline than the traditional pathway, connecting nursing theory with practice from the start helps you to graduate as a more confident, practice-ready nurse.
4. Leadership-Focused Curriculum in a Direct Entry MSN
Students also choose direct entry MSNs for the broader, graduate-level perspectives they offer. Nursing is a hands-on role that also requires evidence-based thinking, communication and leadership. This is especially true for those who might want to pursue leadership or advanced practice roles.
An MSN lays the foundation for a path into nursing leadership. Through a direct entry MSN like Marquette’s, you can still access all the leadership focus of a traditional MSN curriculum on a more rapid timeline. Our DE-MSN students learn interdisciplinary collaboration with other health care majors during their time in the program, and we deliver courses on organizational and systems leadership as well as transitioning to nursing practice and leadership.
Discover essential nursing leadership skills and see how you develop these as a Marquette student.
5. Strong Career Outcomes and Long-Term Growth Opportunities
Direct entry MSN programs are compelling because they offer pathways to licensure, entry into practice and future growth. An MSN is a common prerequisite to further education before entering advanced practice nursing roles, and it can make you stand out as a candidate for nursing leadership roles.
It also provides long-term career flexibility. Nursing is a growing, in-demand profession. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that RNs earn a median annual salary of $93,600. The agency predicts a 5% growth in RN roles by 2034, a total of 166,100 jobs added to these roles during this period.
You must gain additional experience and education after an MSN to pursue advanced practice nursing roles like nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife and nurse practitioner, but many MSN students target these career options after graduation. As the BLS reports, these advanced practice roles are averaged to a median annual salary of $132,050. These roles are projected to grow by 35% by 2034, for a total of 134,000 jobs added during this time.
Is a Direct Entry Nursing Program the Right Next Step for You?
A direct entry nursing program is not the right fit for everyone, but it could be the right fit for you. Strong candidates are people who already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, feel confident that nursing is the direction they want to pursue and are prepared for the intensity of a direct entry MSN curriculum.
If you are ready for the challenge and want to pursue nursing, becoming a direct entry MSN student can set you on the pathway to a successful career with fewer steps.
Pursue Your Nursing Future With Marquette’s Direct Entry MSN
After enrolling as a Marquette Direct Entry MSN student, you will complete a nursing curriculum comprised of predominantly online or predominantly in-person coursework depending on enrollment location, as well as on-site skills labs, clinical simulations and exams. Clinical rotations at top area health care facilities help you hone your skills and develop new ones under experienced supervision.
Earn your MSN faster with Marquette and take the next step into this exciting and rewarding field. Get in touch by filling out your contact information and a supportive Marquette admissions adviser will reach out to explore the next steps.