Find out more about Sacred Heart University

Develop the heart of a healer with Sacred Heart's RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing. This CCNE-accredited program can help you become a well-rounded healthcare provider in any setting. Join our 40-year tradition of excellence in nursing education and prepare to advance your career. A 10-month accelerated track is available for students who transfer with an ADN degree and 90 credits.

Advance your career and become a leader in nursing with the MSN with a concentration in Clinical Nurse Leader from Sacred Heart University, an online nursing administration degree.  One of the newest roles in nursing, the Clinical Nurse Leader was designed to help nurses “develop the competencies needed to thrive in the current and future healthcare system.”  

With this degree your responsibilities and influence moves to the next level as you work to ensure patient safety and quality care.  As you prepare to lead and work with a holistic, interdisciplinary team of health care providers, you will focus on the newest health care technologies and techniques.  To achieve these goals the curriculum covers such skills as:

• Pharmacology
• Advanced pathophysiology
• Communications
• Information management

In as little as two years graduates are competent leaders in healthcare, ready to act as an expert resource for other nurses, make evidence-based recommendations to improve health care policy, and inform patients about diagnoses and care options.  

The nursing administration online program prepares students to sit for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing CNL Certificate Exam. Even those students who are not interested in the CNL position can benefit from the integrated knowledge offered in this specialization.

Take your career to the next level while gaining increased autonomy in the MSN with a concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner program online from Sacred Heart University.  In three years, you can gain the knowledge and skills needed to become a primary care provider for patients of all ages.  The curriculum prepares students to conduct physical exams, diagnose diseases and injuries, and treat common illnesses.  Topics covered include:

• Health assessments
• Statistical data
• Diagnostic reasoning
• Pharmacology

As you guide patients through important lifestyle choices that benefit long-term health, you will become an excellent communicator that is able to work with diverse patients with varied backgrounds.  

Students in the online nurse practitioner program at Sacred Heart experience an abundance of benefits.  For example, you will receive all of the benefits of on-campus students while enjoying the flexibility of online learning that allows you to study when and where it is convenient.  All programs use a whole-person approach to patient treatment and nurse leadership, exploring what it means to be a human being as you complete your other coursework.

Sacred Heart's MSN graduates are qualified to sit for the national certification exams offered through the ANA and the AANP.

Some of the most important people in a person’s life are educators; from their earliest memories to their future studies these people are a major influence.  If you are interested in acting as an educator and mentor for future nurses, the master of nursing education online program from Sacred Heart University can help you reach your career goals.  

The Nursing Education specialization is designed to complement your clinical experience with skills in teaching and learning. The curriculum is designed to provide you with an understanding of issues in nursing education, the application of curriculum design and evaluation theory, and experience in the role of the faculty. Nurse educators are found in schools of nursing along with hospitals and related healthcare organizations.

The online nurse educator degree curriculum includes clinical hours that allow you to apply the theories, competencies, and concepts you have studied to the real-world classroom.  After completing the coursework and the clinical component of this rigorous, up-to-date education program, students are eligible to sit for the CNE exam.

The field of nursing, where patients’ comfort and even lives are at stake, needs strong leaders.  Learn to be this leader through the MSN with a concentration in Nursing Management & Executive Leadership, an online nursing administration degree.  This program ensures students are ready for managerial and leadership roles in healthcare.  

Mixing business with healthcare, this nursing administration online degree includes such topics as strategic planning, quality improvement, workforce development, research and ethics, and human resource management.  This curriculum prepares students for roles that involve motivating others in your team personally and professionally while creating a supportive and enriching work environment.  Acting as an effective communicator in your healthcare organization, you will become a transformative, trustworthy leader.  Not only will you be ensuring the best possible outcome for patients, but you will also be involved in making organizations safer, more cost-effective, and better for both patients and workers.

Sacred Heart University's online combined bachelor’s and master’s of nursing program (RN-BSN-MSN) was specifically designed to help working nurses earn two full degrees in one continuous course of study – and in just 3.5 years. Our mission is to train top-tier clinicians in evidence-based practice. Choose from five specializations: Clinical Nurse Leader, Nursing Education, Nursing Management and Executive Leadership, Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Our nursing degrees are highly recognized and greatly respected by healthcare leaders seeking a Magnet Recognition Program® designation. Additionally, Sacred Heart is consistently ranked among the top master’s colleges in the U.S., in part because of our humanistic core principles and core curriculum. Small, rigorous classes and interactive personal attention from our experienced and award-winning faculty will prepare you to stand out in today’s complex healthcare industry.

Earning both your BSN and your MSN can prepare you for leadership positions and a wide variety of roles. Depending on the specialization you choose, you'll graduate with an advanced skill set in education, research, consulting, management, primary care or mental health. Sacred Heart's RN-BSN-MSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

The Sacred Heart online combined bachelor’s and master’s of nursing program was specifically designed to help working nurses go from RN-BSN-MSN in one continuous course of study. Sacred Heart's mission is to train top tier clinicians in evidence-based practice.

Sacred Heart's nursing degrees are highly recognized and greatly respected by healthcare leaders seeking a Magnet Recognition Program® designation. Additionally, SHU is consistently ranked among the top master’s colleges in the U.S. in part because of our humanistic core principles. Small rigorous classes and interactive personal attention from our experienced award-winning faculty will prepare you to stand out in today’s complex healthcare industry. A professional who leads from the heart is easy to spot.

The Clinical Nurse Leader specialization is designed to meet the needs of the working career nurse seeking the superior clinical, administrative, and educational skills to move into management and leadership roles. Get the skills and knowledge you need to fulfill this new and evolving role, designed to address challenges involving patient safety, quality of care, and costs. The program prepares students to sit for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing CNL Certificate Exam.

Online: Consolidated RN - BSN - MSN. A compassionate human connection with each patient. You’ve excelled as a Registered Nurse, now there’s a program that will propel your career to the level employers are seeking. The Sacred Heart online combined Bachelor’s and Master’s of Nursing program was specifically designed to help working nurses earn their BSN and MSN in one continuous course of study.

Sacred Heart's nursing degrees are highly recognized and greatly respected by healthcare leaders seeking a Magnet Recognition Program® designation. Additionally, SHU is consistently ranked among the top master’s colleges in the U.S. in part because of our humanistic core principles. Small rigorous classes and interactive personal attention from our experienced award-winning faculty will prepare you to stand out in today’s complex healthcare industry. A professional who leads from the heart is easy to spot.

The Nursing Education specialization is designed to complement your clinical expertise with teaching and learning strategies to help train the next generation of nurses. You'll learn about curriculum design and evaluation theory, study current issues in nursing education, and practice the instructor role. Sacred Heart's nursing programs encourage personal attention from faculty members and student interaction to promote a meaningful educational experience.

The Sacred Heart online combined bachelor’s and master’s of nursing program was specifically designed to help working nurses go from RN-BSN-MSN in one continuous course of study. Sacred Heart's mission is to train top tier clinicians in evidence-based practice.

Sacred Heart's nursing degrees are highly recognized and greatly respected by healthcare leaders seeking a Magnet Recognition Program® designation. Additionally, SHU is consistently ranked among the top master’s colleges in the U.S. in part because of our humanistic core principles. Small rigorous classes and interactive personal attention from our experienced award-winning faculty will prepare you to stand out in today’s complex healthcare industry. A professional who leads from the heart is easy to spot.

The Nursing Management & Executive Leadership specialization is targeted toward those students who wish to move into positions of administrative responsibility in health care organizations. The role of leadership in organizing and delivering high quality health care is more important today than ever before. Students will learn the role competencies essential for today’s nursing leader.

Sacred Heart University's online MSN-PMHNP program is for the BSN-prepared nurse with an unencumbered RN license who wishes to advance their career as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. This 42-credit program prepares students to assess, diagnose and treat patients' unique needs using psychotherapy, medication for mental health and substance use disorders, psychosocial assessments, emergency assessments psychiatric care and more.

As a graduate of the MSN-PMHNP program, you will elevate your ability to translate nursing science and other disciplinary perspectives into action, integrate evidence into practice and advance the scholarship of nursing. You will bolster your nursing knowledge and experience to the level of advanced practice nursing, allowing you to independently plan and manage behavioral healthcare for patients throughout the lifespan. You will learn to lead interprofessional teams and collaborate with strategic partners within complex health delivery systems to impact equitable health policy for children and adults, including women, families and vulnerable populations with psychiatric mental health disorders. Additionally, you will develop the expertise to apply best practices in informatics and communication technologies in diverse care settings to collect, analyze and synthesize data to evaluate plans of care using evidence-based, person-centered principles to promote quality and safety outcomes.

Strengthen your professional skills to improve the lives of others and promote social justice with Sacred Heart University's online Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Help people to take on the personal and social issues that makes living a productive life challenging for them.

Developed with CACREP standards as a foundation, the program delivers a curriculum that meets the licensing requirements of many states to prepare students across the country for professional success.

Through evidence-based courses taught by educators with diverse counseling experience, you'll gain the advanced analysis and problem-solving skills necessary to move up in your career. Learn from expert professionals as you explore evidence-based courses and complete your master's degree in counseling online.

Along with online courses, Sacred Heart's master's in clinical mental health counseling program also delivers hands-on experience through on-ground residencies, practicums and internships. Prepare to make a difference in the global community while balancing your education with your full-time personal and professional responsibilities.

The program offers you a choice of a clinical or community practice specialization, but knowledge from each is included in both tracks to integrate micro and macro practice and better prepare you for the demands of practice. Your advanced, comprehensive knowledge allows you to step into leadership roles and effect change at multiple levels of diverse populations.

Master of Social Work Curriculum

While grounded in the liberal arts, the MSW curriculum at SHU aligns itself to the tenets of social-work and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition of academic excellence. The principles of service to others, respect for human dignity, dedication to scientific inquiry and social and economic justice are reinforced in coursework throughout the program.

Immediately after graduation, you'll qualify to sit for the Licensed Master of Social Work exam and can start earning hours towards state licensure for clinical social work (LCSW).

Graduate in 20 Months

Advanced Standing students who enter the program can graduate in as little as 20 months. To qualify as an Advanced Standing student, you'll need a Bachelor's in Social Work earned within the last 6 years from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Advanced Standing students will already have completed approximately half of the field practicum hours in the BSW program and will enter the master’s program at the Specialized Year. The Advanced Standing student will be required to complete a 550 hour field practicum.

The program offers you a choice of a clinical or community practice specialization, but knowledge from each is included in both tracks to integrate micro and macro practice and better prepare you for the demands of practice. Your advanced, comprehensive knowledge allows you to step into leadership roles and effect change at multiple levels of diverse populations.

Master of Social Work Curriculum

While grounded in the liberal arts, the MSW curriculum at SHU aligns itself to the tenets of social-work and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition of academic excellence. The principles of service to others, respect for human dignity, dedication to scientific inquiry and social and economic justice are reinforced in coursework throughout the program.

Immediately after graduation, you'll qualify to sit for the Licensed Master of Social Work exam and can start earning hours towards state licensure for clinical social work (LCSW).

Graduate in 20 months!

Advanced Standing students who enter the program can graduate in as 20 months. To qualify as an Advanced Standing student, you'll need a Bachelor's in Social Work earned within the last 6 years from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The Advanced Standing option will be offered in the Fall of 2018.

Advanced Standing students will already have completed approximately half of the field practicum hours in the BSW program and will enter the master’s program at the Specialized Year. The Advanced Standing student will be required to complete a 550 hour field practicum.

Earning your Masters in Social work opens doors to leadership roles such as a clinical supervisor and to fields such as healthcare. Though the field is growing at an above average rate of 12 percent, areas such as healthcare and substance abuse have seen rapid growth at the outstanding rate of 19 percent.

The program offers you a choice of a clinical or community practice specialization, but knowledge from each is included in both tracks to integrate micro and macro practice and better prepare you for the demands of practice. Your advanced, comprehensive knowledge allows you to step into leadership roles and effect change at multiple levels of diverse populations.

Master of Social Work Curriculum

While grounded in the liberal arts, the MSW curriculum at SHU aligns itself to the tenets of social-work and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition of academic excellence. The principles of service to others, respect for human dignity, dedication to scientific inquiry and social and economic justice are reinforced in coursework throughout the program.

Immediately after graduation, you'll qualify to sit for the Licensed Master of Social Work exam and can start earning hours towards state licensure for clinical social work (LCSW).

Graduate in 20 Months 

Advanced Standing students who enter the program can graduate in as little as 20 months. To qualify as an Advanced Standing student, you'll need a Bachelor's in Social Work earned within the last 6 years from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The Advanced Standing option will be offered in the Fall of 2018.

Advanced Standing students will already have completed approximately half of the field practicum hours in the BSW program and will enter the master’s program at the Specialized Year. The Advanced Standing student will be required to complete a 550 hour field practicum.