Registered Nurse

Associate of Science Degree

Interim Program Director: Heather Smith

Program Faculty: Kaylene Strutz, Julie Derby, Adriann Lewis and Kate Jones

Program Website 

RN Program Application  (Fall 2026 Application available February 13, 2026)

The Registered Nurse degree is offered onsite.

Registered Nurses (RNs) work to promote good health and prevent illness.  They educate patients and the public about various medical conditions, treat patients and help in their rehabilitation, and provide advice and emotional support to patients' families.  RNs use considerable judgement in providing a wide variety of services.  The Registered Nurse Program at Great Falls College MSU is currently approved by the Montana State Board of Nursing.  upon completion of the Associate of Science in Registered Nursing, students will be prepared to begin a successful career as a registered nurse.  Students are prepared to sit for the national licensure examination for registered nursing.

The Registered Nurse Program is a limited enrollment program with an intake of 30 students.  Interested students must apply for entry into the program.  An application packet with the criteria for admission is available on the program website.

• The length of the program after acceptance is four consecutive semesters.

• Accepted students will be required to provide proof of Health Care Provider CPR certification, a DOT-compliant urine drug screen, a background check, and a series of other specific immunizations. Further detailed information will be included in the acceptance packet.

• The Hepatitis B immunization series is strongly recommended before entrance into the program. A student may be denied access to clinical rotations without an adequate Hepatitis B titer. Students having religious or personal conflicts against receiving the Hepatitis B vaccine must sign a release form.

Graduates are prepared to:

• Coordinate, delegate, and prioritize the delivery of care aimed at meeting the needs of patients, and their families.
• Formulate a nursing care plan, to provide clinically competent, evidence-based, safe, and quality patient care.
• Demonstrate effective, therapeutic communication skills for delivering patient care, providing patient education and advocacy.
• Practice collaboratively within the professional scope of practice when managing all aspects of holistic patient care.
• Perform nursing skills and techniques safely and correctly.

Estimated Resident Program Cost*

Estimated Resident Program Cost

Item	Cost
Tuition and Fees	$10,070
Uniforms	$225
Lab/Course Fees	$190
Program Fee	400
Books/Supplies	$3,008
Total	$13,893

*

Fall 2025 MUS Student Health Insurance Premiums may be changing. Please check the Health Insurance website and/or Student Central for confirmed premium rates.

Many students need preliminary math, science, and writing courses before enrolling in the program requirements. These courses may increase the total number of program credits. Students should review their math and writing placement before planning out their full program schedules.

The Great Falls College Registered Nurse Program is a limited enrollment program, accepting 30 students each year. Interested students are urged to contact the Registered Nurse Program Director or Advising and Career Center Advisors for student advising specific to admission requirements and criteria for program acceptance.

Prerequisite Courses

The following courses must be completed prior to admission into the Registered Nurse Program. All prerequisite coursework must be completed with a minimum grade of C (not a C-) in each course and a minimum cumulative GPA in prerequisite coursework of 2.5. Grades in prerequisite courses are a major factor in ranking applications for program acceptance.

Science courses must be completed within five (5) years of application to the program, and other courses must be completed within 15 years of applying to the program.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
FIRST SEMESTER
BIOH 201	Human Anatomy Phys I w/ Lab (= 301) **,+	4
BIOH 211	Human Anatomy Phys II w/ Lab (=311) *,+	4
NOTE: UM Western students may substitute BIOB 160, BIOH 365 & BIOH 370 for GFC MSU BIOH 201 & BIOH 211. All 3 classes are required and must have a grade of C or higher (not a C-) within the last 5 years of application.
WRIT 101	College Writing I **,+	3
Select one of the following:
CHMY 121	Intro to General Chem w/Lab **,+	4
OR BOTH
CHMY 141	College Chemistry I w/Lab **,+	4
CHMY 143	College Chemistry II w/Lab *,+	4
Select one of the following:
M 121	College Algebra **,+	3
M 140	College Math for Healthcare **,+	3
M 151	Precalculus **,+	4
M 171	Calculus I **,+	4
NOTE: STAT 216 Intro to Statistics will no longer be accepted as a math substitution effective Fall 2014. For transfer students, M 115 Probability and Linear Math will be accepted.
Subtotal		18-23

Program Course Requirements After Formal Acceptance

Once enrolled in Registered Nurse program, a minimum of a grade of C (not a C-) in all courses is required to continue in the program. In the clinical setting, students must achieve a grade of 75% in all rotations of each clinical experience.

Students are encouraged to take PSYX 100, SOCI 101, and BIOM 250 with Lab prior to program acceptance due to workload requirements of the RN program.

The courses listed below are required in the program of study for the Associate of Science in Registered Nursing. The courses are offered at Great Falls College MSU in the following sequence:

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Credits
NRSG 230	Nursing Pharmacology *,+	3
NRSG 231	Nursing Pharmacology Lab *,+	2
NRSG 232	Foundations of Nursing *,+	3
NRSG 233	Foundations of Nursing Lab *,+	3
	Credits	11
Spring
NRSG 234	Adult Nursing I *,+	3
NRSG 235	Adult Nursing I Clinical *,+	2
NRSG 236	Health and Illness of Maternal Nursing *,+	2
NRSG 237	Health and Illness of Maternal Nursing Clinical *,+	1
NRSG 256	Nursing Pathophysiology *,+	3
PSYX 100	Introduction to Psychology +	3
	Credits	14
Second Year
Fall
NRSG 244	Adult Nursing II *,+	3
NRSG 245	Adult Nursing II Clinical *,+	2
NRSG 246	Health and Illness of Child and Family Nursing *,+	2
NRSG 247	Health and Illness of Child and Family Nursing Clinical *,+	1
NRSG 254	Mental Health Concepts *,+	3
NRSG 255	Mental Health Concepts Clinical *,+	1
SOCI 101	Introduction to Sociology +	3
	Credits	15
Spring
BIOM 250	Microbiology for Health Sciences w/ Lab *,+	4
NRSG 259	Adult Nursing III *,+	3
NRSG 260	Adult Nursing III Lab *,+	1
NRSG 261	Adult Nursing III Clinical *,+	2
NRSG 266	Managing Client Care for the RN *,+	2
NRSG 267	Managing Client Care for the RN Clinical *,+	2
	Credits	14
	Total Credits	54

                                                                                               Total Program Credits: 72-73

Suggested Electives 

These courses are highly recommended in addition to standard nursing curriculum.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
AHMS 144	Medical Terminology	3
Any NASX prefix course		3
NRSG 191	Special Topics: Tools for Nursing Success	1
NUTR 221	Basic Human Nutrition	3
Select one of the following:
PSYX 230	Developmental Psychology	3
PSYX 240	Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology *	3

+

A grade of C (not a C-) or above is required for graduation.

*

Indicates prerequisites needed.

**

Placement in course(s) is determined by placement assessment.