ENROLLMENT AS A NON-DEGREE STUDENT

Occasionally individuals will want to engage in graduate study without formally entering a graduate program.  Such individuals should apply for non-degree admission status at the time of application.  All admission requirements must be met.  Individuals remaining in this status may not receive a graduate degree.  Courses taken while a person is in this status will be identified as non-degree on the student’s transcript.  The non-degree student who, after taking courses in the non-degree status,  seeks a graduate degree must be formally admitted to a graduate degree program under regular admission procedures.  Graduate programs may or may not accept courses taken while a student is in non-degree status.  No program may accept more than nine credits taken in non-degree status.  Applicants admitted on a non-degree basis are not guaranteed regular full admission status.  Certain course restrictions apply for non-degree students.

TRANSFER OF CREDIT

Clarion, Edinboro and Slippery Rock Universities graduate programs allow students to transfer credit for graduate courses taken at other accredited institutions.  It is an MSN program policy that 30 credits of the total required degree credits be taken in the Clarion, Edinboro and Slippery Rock MSN Program.  Courses transferred must be certified as graduate level on the transcript and must have a grade of “B” or better.  Transfer credit course grades are not computed in the universities quality-point average.

Students may transfer up to 12 credits of approved non-clinical course work toward the MSN-FNP degree and up to six credits toward the MSN-NE degree if courses were taken within five years.  Students already holding an earned MSN degree may transfer up to nine credits from that degree.  Up to nine credits may be granted for life experience based upon careful evaluation of such experience.  Nurse Practitioners holding a master’s degree are eligible, upon completion of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program, to apply for Pennsylvania Nurse Practitioner Certification. (CRNP) Correspondence course credits are not accepted for transfer.  No more than six semester hours will be transferred from another institution after a student has been admitted to the Clarion, Edinboro and Slippery Rock Universities program.  Course credit will not be transferred until the course has been evaluated and approved.

• Transfer credit forms are available in the Graduate Studies Office at Clarion University.
• Students who wish to take a course at another institution while enrolled in the Clarion, Edinboro and Slippery Rock Universities MSN program are referred to the Clarion, Edinboro and Slippery Rock Universities Graduate Catalogues for guidance.

CREDIT BY CHALLENGE

Students may challenge up to three credits of course work with the permission of the Graduate Nursing Faculty.

ADVISEMENT

As part of the application process, the candidate must meet with a faculty advisor for an admission interview.  Upon admission to the MSN Program the student will be assigned a faculty advisor.  The student may select an advisor from any of the three universities graduate faculty.  Before beginning the first course, the successful applicant should meet with the graduate advisor for orientation and assistance in planning the first semester program.