Nursing, Business Administration, M.S.N/M.B.A.

Three healthcare professionals with an MSN MBA online confer while reviewing digital and paper documents in a hospital reception area. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Nursing, Business Administration, M.S.N/M.B.A.

Command the Boardroom. Lead the Frontlines.

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Program Overview

The intersection of clinical excellence and corporate strategy is the most critical driver of modern healthcare success. Designed explicitly for ambitious Registered Nurses who want to scale their influence across entire healthcare systems, the Nursing, Business Administration, M.S.N/M.B.A. track at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine provides the ultimate executive credential.

By seamlessly blending advanced nursing science with rigorous, corporate business mechanics, this dual degree equips you to master complex healthcare economics, design forward-thinking organizational strategies, and step confidently into executive leadership. If your career trajectory points toward the highest levels of healthcare administration—such as a Vice President of Nursing, Executive Director, or Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)—this program is built for your ambitions.

A woman in a grey suit points at documents on a table during a meeting with four medical professionals, illustrating a career path in nursing and business administration. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

The SJC Advantage: What Makes Us Stand Out?

  • Double the Credential, Maximum Efficiency: Earning an MSN and an MBA separately requires an immense investment of time and tuition. SJC’s structurally integrated dual track aligns your graduate healthcare coursework with core business courses, allowing you to earn two distinct master’s degrees simultaneously on an accelerated, efficient timeline.
  • Mentorship from Active C-Suite Executives: Our digital classrooms are led by active healthcare administrators and corporate business veterans. You will learn directly from practitioners who bring current, real-world case studies, executive financial solutions, and immediate management insights into your weekly discussions.
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Profile of a Successful Student

The MSN/MBA track is custom-built for goal-directed, actively practicing Registered Nurses who want to break out of single-unit management and step into system-wide corporate governance.

  • Superior attention to detail, elite organizational skills, and disciplined independent study habits.
  • Strong written communication capable of defending corporate proposals, budgetary plans, and policy revisions.
  • High clinical competency combined with a sharp ambition to lead key healthcare business operations, whether optimizing complex hospital staffing models, managing academic simulation labs, or directing multi-million-dollar health network finances.

Premium Digital Tools & Academic Resources

All SJC graduate executives enjoy 24/7 access to industry-standard clinical support data and research systems through Brightspace.

  • UpToDate Database: Direct access to the leading point-of-care clinical decision support system utilized by medical directors and corporate hospitals globally.
  • Premium Research Libraries: Complete digital entry into executive business journals, healthcare repositories, and automated APA Style formatting networks.
A nursing professional with a background in business administration leads a meeting with a group of colleagues around a table. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Key Faculty Expertise

Program Details

Professional Accreditation & Compliance

SJC holds our programs to the absolute highest standards of national educational accountability.

  • The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

  • Format: Delivered 100% online with a local, hands-on administration practicum.
  • Duration & Pace: Full-Time Track: Complete both degrees in approximately 2.5 years. Part-Time Track: Complete both degrees in approximately 3.5 years.
  • Group Dynamics: Engage with a peer network of experienced healthcare professionals in classes averaging 20 to 25 students, supported by a 1:15 didactic student-to-faculty ratio.
  • Start Blocks: Flexible enrollment windows open during the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters, utilizing strategic 8-week and 16-week course blocks.
  • Regional Clinical Practicums & Local Placement: To apply your advanced organizational theory directly to corporate operations, you will complete a minimum of 135 hours of administrative clinical practicum alongside an approved executive preceptor within your own geographic area. Saint Joseph’s College of Maine is fully authorized to support executive nursing rotations across 40 states. Students are highly encouraged to verify license eligibility in the specific state(s) where they plan to practice and lead.
    • Approved States for Clinical Rotations: AK, AR, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, IA, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY.

Dual Executive Curriculum

Our curriculum transitions you seamlessly from general advanced nursing paradigms into high-level corporate business strategy, culminating in a project-based corporate capstone. Explore the full curriculum and requirements in the course catalog.

Advanced MSN Core Courses:

  • NU 501 – Nursing Informatics (3 credits)
  • NU 503 – Nursing Research Methods: Utilization for EBP (3 credits)
  • NU 508 – Policy, Quality & Safety (3 credits)
  • NU 513 – Organizational and Systems Leadership (3 credits)
  • NU 514 – Population Health & Interprofessional Collaboration (3 credits)
  • NU 601 – Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits)
  • NU 607 – Advanced Pharmacology (3 credits)
  • NU 608 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 credits)

Dual MSN/MBA Executive Specialty Block:

  • NU 610 – Practicum in Nursing Administration (3 credits)
  • AC 640 – Applied Corporate Financial Management (3 credits)
  • HR 525 – Leading People, Managing Change (3 credits)
  • MB 500 – Business and Organizational Dynamics (3 credits)
  • MB 510 – Financial Principles and Policy (3 credits)
  • MB 651 – Strategic Leadership of Human Capital (3 credits)
  • MB 660 – Economics (3 credits)
  • MB 715 – Data Driven Leadership in Business (3 credits)
  • MB 716 – Advanced Leadership in Business (3 credits)
  • MK 500 – Strategic Marketing (3 credits)

Graduate Keystone Project

  • MB 705 / NU 801 – Graduate Project-Based Capstone: Rather than compiling a standard academic thesis, you will synthesize everything you have learned across both disciplines into a final corporate paper. You will research, design, and defend a comprehensive strategic solution addressing a real-world financial, operational, or systemic challenge facing modern health networks.

Admissions & Application Criteria

To maintain the executive standard of the MSN/MBA group, applicants must show proof of robust academic and professional readiness. Explore the full curriculum and requirements in the course catalog.

Admissions Prerequisites:

  • A completed Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited institution.
  • An active, unrestricted, and unencumbered license as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the United States.
  • Minimum of one (1) full year of clinical work experience as an RN.
  • Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
  • Submission of a professional Resume/CV and all official academic transcripts.
  • Statistics Requirement: Must have completed an undergraduate statistics course with a grade of “B” or better. (Conditional acceptance may be extended to qualified applicants, pending successful completion of preparatory coursework prior to core matriculation).

Executive Reflective Essay Prompt:
Applicants must submit a maximum 750-word reflective essay that synthesizes their personal beliefs, life experiences, and professional aspirations. Your writing must answer: What do you hope to accomplish through your studies in the MSN/MBA track? Who are you as a person, and who do you aspire to become as a corporate healthcare leader?

Key Milestone Dates

Saint Joseph’s College accepts online applications on a rolling basis year-round. With three full semesters each year and two entry points per semester, you have six start dates to choose from giving you the flexibility to begin your degree whenever you’re ready.

  • Spring Semester (2 Start Dates)
  • Summer Semester (2 Start Dates)
  • Fall Semester (2 Start Dates)

Student Stories

Brenda Klahn

“I was surprised how much I could learn online. You would think that you have to be in a classroom to learn. But the way you could read the thoughts of others on the discussion board was challenging and interesting.”

Brenda Klahn

Oregon, WI

Lourdes James

“It has been a dream to go to the master’s level. I wanted to become more independent and autonomous. I’m just amazed that I made it through with full-time work and kids to manage. It was SO much.”

Lourdes James

Charlotte, NC

Rosemarie Romito

“I’ve always wanted to earn this degree. Saint Joseph’s College made it possible so that I could continue working full time and study in the middle of the night. I was surprised how supportive the teachers were. [Saint Joseph’s] has the best advisors.”

Rosemarie Romito

East Longmeadow, MA

An older woman in a blue turtleneck and a younger woman in blue nursing scrubs walk through an office building while reviewing Business Administration documents. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Core Dual Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the MSN/MBA track are rigorously prepared to meet the highest benchmarks of corporate healthcare governance:

  • Advanced Clinical Reasoning: Integrate complex nursing science with biophysical, organizational, and analytical sciences to guide executive decision-making.
  • Corporate Quality Initiatives: Deploy advanced leadership and interprofessional collaboration to direct safety, quality, and ethical initiatives that change patient care delivery.
  • Informatics and Big Data: Leverage information systems and corporate technology to track system outcomes and optimize clinical data deployment.
  • Policy and Financial Analysis: Critique and apply healthcare policies and financial structures to maximize organizational access, safety, and operational efficiency.
  • Data-Driven Business Leadership: Use economic, financial, and marketing principles to lead human capital, navigate change, and manage fiscal resources confidently.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Saint Joseph’s College does not require Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) scores for the online MSN/MBA dual program. We evaluate your preparedness based on your academic history, professional resume, and reflective essay.

No. Because this is a dual track that confers a Master of Science in Nursing alongside the MBA, you must hold a completed Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited institution and an active, unencumbered RN license to join the program.

Upon graduating with your MSN/MBA, you possess the full academic foundations required to pivot into ultimate clinical research tracks, including a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), or expand your administrative influence via specialized executive healthcare post-graduate certificates.

Two healthcare professionals in scrubs stand with their arms crossed in a clinic, representing the bridge between nursing and business administration. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Command the Future of Healthcare Administration

Get started today. Begin your Online Nursing, Business Administration, M.S.N/M.B.A. application or connect with a graduate admissions counselor to review your options.

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