MS Nursing

Saint Louis University's Master of Science in Nursing (Clinical Nurse Leader) degree program prepares nurses for leadership roles in a variety of health care settings, focusing on quality improvement, clinical coordination and accountability for health outcomes as a provider and manager of care. The MSN-CNL prepares nurses to work in a broad range of positions across the health care system.

The Valentine School of Nursing is renowned for excellence in nursing education. In 2021, Niche ranked Saint Louis University’s Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing as the No. 8 best college in the country for nursing. Additionally, U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks our MSN-NP program as a top 50 program in their Best Graduate Schools survey.

We offer:

The MSN-CNL program at Saint Louis University is a non-advanced practice option that will prepare you to function as a master's prepared clinical nurse leader. The program is offered online in a part-time format and may be completed in as few as five semesters. Please see the roadmap for our MSN-CNL curriculum plan.

In addition, upon completion of the program, graduates from SLU's Master of Science in Nursing (Clinical Nurse Leader) program will be eligible to sit for the clinical nurse leader exam offered by American Association of Colleges of Nursing Commission on Nurse Certification.

The Saint Louis University Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing adheres to the principles of a holistic admission process in which selection criteria are broad-based and linked to our University’s and school’s mission and goals. While we do consider academic metrics we also look at applicant experiences, attributes, potential for success, and how applicants may contribute to the school’s learning environment and to the profession.

Please follow the five steps outlined below to apply:

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students. International students must also meet the following additional requirements:

WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Spring: Students should apply for the spring semester by January 1.

Fall: Students should apply for the fall semester by June 1.

If the application deadline has passed for your semester of interest, please contact slunurse@slu.edu to determine if the application deadline has been extended.

Applicants for admission to this program are considered individually.

Financing for this program may be available through grants, scholarships, loans (federal and private) and institutional financing plans. For price estimates, please review the SLU Cost Calculator.

The Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing at Saint Louis University offers scholarship and graduate research assistantship opportunities to eligible graduate students. Additionally, most nursing students will participate in a tuition assistance program provided through their employer.

For more information, visit the student financial services office online at https://www.slu.edu/financial-aid.