Barton Increases Graduate Study Offerings In Fall 2014

WILSON, N.C. — Barton College has its foot firmly planted in the academic arena of graduate studies with its addition of two new master degree programs, complementing the already well established Master of Education degree in Elementary Education. The College is pleased to announce the fall semester launch of a Master of School of Administration degree and a Master of Science in Nursing degree in the School of Education and School of Nursing, respectively.

“We are particularly excited to expand our graduate degree offerings as Barton College continues to move forward in educating leaders for the 21st century,” said Dr. Norval C. Kneten, president of Barton College. “These programs will produce graduates prepared to embrace and carry forth the responsibilities of administration and leadership education in the professional sectors of education and nursing. Barton has a distinguished reputation for preparing excellent teachers and nurses at the baccalaureate level, and these new graduate programs will further expand the advanced-level employment and service opportunities for our master degree graduates.”

The Master of School Administration degree is the next step in Barton’s effort to address educators’ requests for more options in graduate study at the College. “The MSA degree has been requested by our education graduates for a number of years; it is a logical progression for expanding Barton’s master degree programs, given the increasing interest and need for well-prepared administrative leaders in education,” shared Dr. Jackie S. Ennis, dean of the School of Education.

Barton’s Master of School Administration program prepares educators to earn a North Carolina Principal’s license, which, in turn, will provide a foundation for cultivating a positive educational environment for teachers and students and influencing academic success. And, through action-based research conducted throughout the master’s program, graduate students will be turning theory into practice.

In addition to the completed graduate application and official transcripts from other institutions, admission requirements for the MSA degree, include standard Professional II Educator License or out-of-state equivalent, three years of public school experience, a personal statement of interest in the program, recommendations from the applicant’s current employer or administrator and a colleague (forms are available on the Barton web site), a professional resume, and an interview with the director of the Master’s Program in Education, if requested by the director. This graduate program does not require the MAT or GRE.

The Master of Science in Nursing degree is intentionally designed to prepare current Bachelor degree nurses for current and evolving roles in nursing education and clinical leadership. “Designed to be completed within two years of full-time study, Barton’s MSN program deliberately builds on the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree,” explained Dr. Sharon I. Sarvey, dean of the School of Nursing. “The program offers two concentrations to prepare graduate students for either education of future nursing professionals or administration within the nursing and healthcare professions across the country. And, we are extremely excited about the direct impact this graduate program will have on future healthcare in our local and regional communities.”

Graduate level-prepared nurse leaders will be at the forefront of nursing in the clinical and community arenas. “It is recognized that graduate education prepares nurses to advance the practice of nursing, informs the community about options in healthcare and leads the way for healthcare advocacy in policy development both in community and clinical agencies,” Sarvey added. Nurses prepared with the MSN degree and a concentration in leadership will help achieve the goal of developing leadership behaviors of collaboration between educators, practitioners engaging the community, and other healthcare stakeholders as part of the evolving healthcare community.

Admission requirements for the MSN degree include a completed graduate application and official transcripts from other institutions, a minimum 3.0 GPA, graduation from an accredited school of nursing with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Nursing or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, one year of clinical experience, and unrestricted license to practice nursing in the state of residence. Barton will accept up to nine hours of graduate transfer credit as is appropriate, pending review by the Registrar and the School of Nursing Curriculum Committee.  This graduate program does not require the MAT or GRE, but students are recommended to have completed a course in statistics prior to graduate study enrollment.

Echoing the importance of preparing administrators and educational leaders in these two professional fields, Dr. Gary Daynes, provost and vice president for academic affairs, noted, “Few disciplines are more important for the well-being of our communities than Education and Nursing. Our new graduate programs build on Barton’s tradition of excellence in those fields. Barton’s graduates have always been leaders in their homes, workplaces, and communities. We are proud to build on that tradition as well, and, by so doing, strengthen the schools and medical facilities that make North Carolina a great place to live.”

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