M.B.A.-M.S.N.

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The objective of the Master of Business Administration-Master of Nursing joint degree program is to provide a unique educational experience to specially qualified individuals capable of leadership and innovation in health care organizations and delivery systems.

The M.B.A. program provides an understanding of the fundamental areas of business while it develops the capacity to analyze managerial problems and present resourceful solutions to these problems. The M.S.N. program builds on the theoretical knowledge and clinical experience of the bachelor’s prepared nurse and, therefore, the M.B.A.-M.S.N. program creates a special opportunity for students to acquire the breadth of understanding and the management skills needed to perform effectively and creatively at the business and clinical interface of our health care delivery organizations.

Degree Requirements

Students in the M.B.A.-M.S.N. program are required to complete 24 credits of course work in the School of Nursing and 67.5 credits of course work in the Darden School. Normally, the M.S.N. degree requires 43 credits and the M.B.A. requires 75 credits. In effect, the students in the combined program are given elective credit in one college for courses taken to fulfill the requirements of the other.

Students in this program are expected to use their elective courses to develop depth in areas that reflect their joint degree educational objectives and career interests. For example, electives in service operations, marketing, managerial accounting, etc., might be taken at the Darden School; and courses in health economics, health policy, etc., could be chosen from the nursing school.

The M.B.A. Darden Business Project and one of the required M.S.N. practica are combined into an administrative practicum course where the students are required to serve as administrative residents in a health care organization and are assigned various general management responsibilities. This experience, supervised jointly by faculty from both colleges, is a key element in the practical integration of course work material taken by the student during the program.