Masters Exam Orientation

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Masters Exam Orientation

• By Debra Gayer, PhD, RN
• Exam Coordinator

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What is the Masters 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.

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Who is required to take the exam?

• All Masters 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.

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Where can you get information about the Masters
Exam?

• The Master of Science Handbook has information
  about the Masters Exam and is located at
• http//www.nursing.missouri.edu/academics/msn.php
  
• Examples of papers are on the network in PDF
  files.

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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.

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Where do I start?

• Throughout your Masters 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.

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What are the guidelines for review for this exam?

• The faculty has developed specific guidelines for
  each type of Masters 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.

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What do you mean by exploring the literature in
depth?

• One key element of all of the Masters 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.

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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 Masters Exam.
• HINT you will need to revise and add to your
  previous work before you submit it for a Masters
  Exam.

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When is the Masters Exam offered and how do I
become eligible?

• The Masters 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.

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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 Masters Exam is obtained
  from Thom Bowling. All you need to do is complete
  the application and send it back to Thom Bowling
  bowlingt_at_missouri.edu and cc to me
  gayerd_at_missouri.edu as a rtf attachment.
• We will then send you your number and information
  about returning the exam.

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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 Masters 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_at_missouri.edu and cc Deb
  Gayer gayerd_at_missouri.edu for assistance.

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When do you need to start preparing for the exam?

• You should be preparing for the exam throughout
  your masters 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.

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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.

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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.

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How long will it take for me to write the
Masters Exam?

• Hopefully you will begin to think about the
  Masters Exam topic from the beginning of your
  Masters 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Guidelines for the Masters 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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Questions ???????

• You are welcome to call me
• Debra Gayer, PhD, RN, CPNP
• Masters Exam Coordinator
• at [phone] or e-mail me
• at gayerd_at_missouri.edu for other
• questions that may arise.