The Maser's degree in nursing education is usually obtained by nurses who wish to work as a professor in an undergraduate nursing degree program. The focus on this degree is on learning the practice of teaching nursing students in a classroom setting. Courses include teaching and learning practices, instructional design, assessment and measurement strategies and curriculum development.
The masters of science in nursing education is for registered nurses who wish to train future nurses. Students will study foundations of advanced nursing practice, role development for advanced nursing practice and research fundamentals in addition to studying pedagogy, teaching technologies and curriculum evaluation. Many nurse education courses are offered primarily online.
Practicing nurses may obtain a master's of science in nursing with a nurse educator option. The nurse educator concentration endows students with the knowledge and skills to train new nurses for work in the field. Nurse educator students may concentrate in a specific field of medicine. Study focuses on enhancing the student's own nursing skills and ensuring that the student's nursing knowledge is grounded in foundational theories.
The nursing education concentration prepares masters of nursing students to teach in a classroom setting, train staff and teach patients as needed. The nursing education option opens up a wider field of career opportunities than the nurse educator concentration. The focus on the program is on student learning techniques, curriculum instruction and technology in education.