Master’s Exam Orientation

1. Master’s Exam Orientation By Debra Gayer, PhD, RN Exam Coordinator

2. What is the Master’s Exam? • A qualifying exam required for graduation from the Master of Science program in nursing. • To fulfill this requirement the Sinclair School of Nursing requires each student to write a paper. • All students enrolled after Summer 2002 are required to take and pass the exam in order to graduate. • All students graduating Fall 2010 will only have the literature review exam option.

3. Who is required to take the exam? • All Master’s students are required to take the exam unless they completed their M1, program of study form prior to Summer of 2002. • You may be in any of the specialty areas such as CNS, Public Health, NP, Educator, Administrator.

4. Where can you get information about the Master’s Exam? • The Master of Science Handbook has information about the Master’s Exam and is located at http://www.nursing.missouri.edu/academics/msn.php • Examples of papers are on the network in PDF files.

5. What are the different formats for this exam? • Currently you may write your exam as: 1) a research proposal; 2) a critical review of the literature; 3) a problem-solving paper or 4) a clinical guideline paper. • However students graduating Fall 2010 will only have the literature review option. • As you do your coursework, think about the type of paper that most appeals to you. • Remember that this paper is the culmination of your studies.

6. Where do I start? • Throughout your Master’s program you will write papers that may be used as the basis for your exam. • For example, you will be writing a research proposal for your research methods class. • You may want to use this as the basis for your paper – use the comments you receive to help you in revising the paper. • The standards for this paper are set to evaluate your overall knowledge from the program.

7. What are the guidelines for review for this exam? • The faculty has developed specific guidelines for each type of Master’s Exam. • These guidelines are very specific; however, the goal is for you to integrate your previous learning and to synthesize this information and form a conclusion. • One guiding principle is that students are expected to explore the literature in depth.

8. What do you mean by “exploring the literature” in depth? • One key element of all of the Master’s exam papers is the need to review the literature with regard to the chosen topic. • This means more than a one-time trip to the library or library website. • Planning for this review will be critical. • HINT: Whenever you are doing the coursework for your various classes, keep in mind that any references form the basis for your exam.

9. How can I know what type of exam I should take? • All exams include a review of the literature – so all potential test-takers may begin here. • In your coursework you will be required to review nursing literature and write papers, these can be used as the basis for your Master’s Exam. • HINT: you will need to revise and add to your previous work before you submit it for a Master’s Exam.

10. When is the Master’s Exam offered and how do I become eligible? • The Master’s Exam is offered during the fall and winter semester; however, it is not offered during the summer semester. • To be eligible for the exam, you must have completed your core courses, Theory, Research, Evidence-based Practice and/or N8900 Research Practicum with a “B”. You may be taking a clinical practicum course and the Role Transition course the same semester as you submit the exam. • We would encourage you to submit your exam during your 2nd to last or last semester of coursework.

11. Do I need to apply for the exam? • Yes – there is a short application form to be completed. This will help to assure your readiness for the exam. • The Application for the Master’s Exam is obtained from Thom Bowling. All you need to do is complete the application and send it back to Thom Bowling bowlingt@missouri.edu and “cc” to me gayerd@missouri.edu as a rtf attachment. • We will then send you your number and information about returning the exam.

12. Do I need to register for the exam? • If you are taking courses the semester you take your exam then you just need to complete the application for the Master’s Exam. • If you are NOT taking courses the semester you take your exam then you must register through MU Direct for the - Graduate Master Exam. You can do this through myZou – under course catalog – Miscellaneous – master exam (8999). You pay for an equivalent of a one hour course. However you will not have access to the student resources or library. If you need this you will need to register for a one hour problem course. • If you need assistance, please contact Thom Bowling at bowlingt@missouri.edu and cc Deb Gayer gayerd@missouri.edu for assistance.

13. When do you need to start preparing for the exam? • You should be preparing for the exam throughout your master’s program. • We encourage you to select a topic of interest and build on this topic throughout your courses. • For example, if you are interested in working with people who have osteoarthritis, use this topic in your research course and in evidence-based practice.

14. What if I want to change my topic? • You can decide on your topic at any time. The sooner you focus on a topic the better. • Changing your topic means that you will have to become familiar with the literature in this new area of interest. • Consult your adviser for help in this area. • You may write this exam on a topic that you choose – so the decision is yours.

15. What style of writing and bibliographic style should I use? • This paper is a formal nursing paper that is not to exceed 30 pages not counting the References and Appendices. • It should be a minimum of 20 pages of content not including the references • It should be typed and double-spaced in 12 point font with margins of 1 -1 ½ inches. We suggest that you use Arial font. • We require APA (5th ed.) published format.

16. How long will it take for me to write the Master’s Exam? • Hopefully you will begin to think about the Master’s Exam topic from the beginning of your Master’s program. • Accumulate references along the way. • Stop and smell the roses – everyone needs to take a break now and then – then get back into writing this paper.

17. Are there other options? • There is an oral examination option; however, the guidelines for content are the same as for the paper. • This option is primarily designed for those who have English as a second language.

18. What is the submission schedule? • Orientation is generally the 1st – 3rd week of the semester depending on student availability. • You must apply for the exam by Friday of the 4th week of the semester. • You will be given a number and instructions for the exam submission. • The exam is due on Friday of the 6th week of the semester. • The exam is offered in the Fall and Winter only. • See schedule on the Master of Nursing web site.

19. Who will grade my exam? • There will be two faculty readers for each exam. • Faculty will not know whose exam they are reading – only the exam number. • Readers are assigned on the basis of their knowledge of your topic and on their expertise in the style of your paper. • You may request readers; however, due to the variable number of exams we cannot assure you that these will be your readers.

20. How will I know that I passed? • Readers are given time to carefully read and review your writing. • If there is any question about your paper, a third reader is assigned. • The Exam Coordinator will notify all students of their pass/fail status on Tuesday of Week 11 of the semester. You will receive a letter in the mail. • You may receive your results in person if you come to my office (S429) on Friday of Week 11 by appointment. I will ask you for a form of identification with your picture on it.

21. What happens after the exam results are in? • The graduate school will be notified that you have passed the exam and are now eligible for graduation. • If you do not pass the exam, you will be given instructions on how to resubmit the exam – usually during the following testing period. • We want all students to succeed – so we will work with you throughout your program of study.

22. Guidelines for the Master’s Exam All guidelines are available in the MS Handbook- can be download from the Master of Science in Nursing web page. • Research Paper • Review of the Literature • Problem-Solving Paper • Clinical Guideline Paper

23. Who can help with the exam preparation? • If you have questions regarding the exam process, please contact the Exam Coordinator. • If you have questions related to your topic or the style of paper that you will choose, work with your course faculty and your faculty adviser. • Potential readers are not allowed to review your paper and make suggestions for improvement prior to submission unless this paper is part of your regular course requirements.

24. Resources • The Health Sciences Library – the librarians are great people to work with either in person or online. Go to http://www.muhealth.org/%7Elibrary/ • Your advisor • A colleague – to read over your paper and critique.

25. Approval of the question/purpose of the paper • We request that you talk with your advisor regarding the research question or purpose of your paper prior to submission. • The advisor can certainly help you to finalize the purpose of your paper. • IT IS VITAL THAT YOU HAVE A CLEARLY STATED PURPOSE OR RESEARCH QUESTION. • Have your advisor approve of this purpose prior to proceeding with the paper for the best possible outcome.

26. Other resources • Galvan, J.L. (2006). Writing Literature Reviews A Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences(3rd ed.). Glendale,CA: Pyrczak. • Pan, M.L. (2004). Preparing Literature Reviews (2nd ed.). Glendale, CA: Pyrczak.

27. Helpful Hints for Success • Choose your topic early in the program and use your coursework to help you in collecting literature related to your topic. • As you write course papers, keep in mind that you will need to write this final paper. • If you write a paper for a class, talk to the faculty about using it as the basis for your exam. Poor papers lead to poor exams, but good papers will provide the framework for a passing exam.

28. Questions ??????? • You are welcome to call me Debra Gayer, PhD, RN, CPNP Master’s Exam Coordinator at (573) 882-0295 or e-mail me at gayerd@missouri.edu for other questions that may arise.