College of Nursing • Mobile, AL • Online • $609/Credit
The University of South Alabama offers 2 Nursing Informatics programs:
- MSN
- RN-to-MSN
Program Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN, Nursing Informatics | $22.5K (all states) | Not published (5-yr max) | ~37 |
| RN-to-MSN, Nursing Informatics | $31.7K (all states) | Not published (5-yr max) | ~52 |
This MSN pairs 240 faculty-supervised informatics practicum hours with 6 credits of nursing administration coursework, including finance and a 60-hour resource management field study. Every student pays the same $609 per credit, wherever they live.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN; RN-to-MSN for RNs with a non-nursing bachelor’s |
| Format | Online; no campus visits listed for the informatics track |
| Practicum Hours | 240 clinical informatics hours plus 60 administrative field study hours |
| Practicum Placement | Student finds a local preceptor; college assigns a site if that fails |
| RN License Required | Yes, unrestricted; 1 year RN experience to enter, 2 before clinicals |
| Who It’s For | RNs targeting informatics roles with management or budget responsibility |
| Distinctive Coursework | Systems analysis and design, nursing administration finance, resource management field study |
| Certification Pathway | 240 practicum hours exceed ANCC’s 200-hour graduate program pathway for NI-BC |
| Tuition | $609/credit, same rate for in-state and out-of-state students |
| Accreditation | CCNE (MSN); SACSCOC institutional |
| Start Terms | Fall, spring, and summer |
| Enrollment Restrictions | No applicants from New York or South Dakota; no clinical placements in DC |
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Nursing Informatics
The estimated tuition for the MSN in Nursing Informatics at the University of South Alabama is approximately $22,533 (37 credits at $609/credit).
The program can generally be completed within the five-year maximum, though South Alabama does not publish a standard completion time.
MSN Curriculum
The 12-credit core is taught at the doctoral level, so those credits count toward a later DNP. The specialty block mixes systems work with administration: 6 of its credits cover administrative concepts, resource management, and nursing finance.
- NU 607 Scientific Underpinnings of Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
- NU 613 Organizational and Systems Leadership (3)
- NU 539 Introduction to Nursing Informatics (3)
- NU 552 Health Information Systems and Support (3)
- NU 555 Systems Analysis and Design in Nursing Informatics (credits not listed)
- NU 556 Informatics and Quality of Care Improvement (3)
- NU 553 Administrative Concepts (2)
- NU 565 Nursing Administration Finance (3)
- NU 558 Seminar in Nursing Informatics (3)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The program page lists credits for every course except NU 555. Listed courses total 34 credits; the 37-credit figure assumes NU 555 carries 3 credits like the other lecture courses.
- Applicants flagged for writing support are recommended to take NU 597 Introduction to Scholarly Writing (3 credits, about $1,827) in their first term.
MSN Practicum and Capstone
- NU 557 Clinical Informatics Practicum I: 120 hours (2 credits)
- NU 559 Clinical Informatics Practicum II: 120 hours (2 credits)
- NU 554 Resource Management Field Study: 60 hours (1 credit)
- Total: 240 informatics practicum hours, 300 supervised field hours overall
- Students are encouraged to arrange their own preceptors locally. If they cannot, the college identifies a placement the student must accept.
- Full admission requires documented clinical placement. Without it, students may be admitted conditionally for up to 9 credits of support courses.
The two informatics practicums alone exceed ANCC’s 200-hour minimum for the graduate program pathway to NI-BC certification. At 120 hours per 2-credit course, expect roughly 8 to 10 hours a week across a typical term. Certification is optional; South Alabama does not require it to graduate.
You Should Know
- Students who refuse a college-assigned placement can only transfer completed credits elsewhere, and acceptance is up to the receiving school.
- Travel to clinical sites is at the student’s expense.
MSN Admissions
The experience requirement is split: one year to enroll, a second year before clinical courses begin.
- BSN from a regionally accredited school with CCNE, ACEN, or NLN nursing accreditation
- Unrestricted RN license; nurses in voluntary disciplinary alternative programs are ineligible
- U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- 3.0 minimum GPA on all BSN coursework
- No GRE, MAT, or reference letters required
- Two-step application: NursingCAS, then a supplemental application ($100) after verification
- 450 to 500 word APA goal statement, plus CV or resume
- Deadlines: November 1 (spring), April 1 (summer), July 15 (fall)
- Not accepting applicants from New York or South Dakota
RN-to-MSN, Nursing Informatics
The estimated tuition for the RN-to-MSN in Nursing Informatics at the University of South Alabama is approximately $31,668 (52 credits at $609/credit).
The program can generally be completed within the five-year maximum, though no standard timeline is published.
RN-to-MSN Curriculum
This pathway serves RNs with an associate degree or diploma who hold a bachelor’s in another field. It adds 15 bridge credits to the full MSN plan.
- NU 506 Evidence-Based Practice and Informatics for Professional Nurses (4)
- NU 507 Leadership and Management Roles for Professional Nurses (4)
- NU 508 Clinical Prevention and Population Health for Professional Nurses (4)
- NU 518 Advanced Nursing Assessment (3)
- All MSN core, specialty, and practicum courses listed above
More curriculum details are available here.
RN-to-MSN Practicum and Capstone
- Same 240 informatics practicum hours and 60-hour field study as the MSN
- Same placement model and conditional-admission rules
Bridge courses add no practicum hours, so the certification picture matches the MSN.
RN-to-MSN Admissions
Admission mirrors the MSN, with one difference in the degree requirement.
- Bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field from a regionally accredited institution
- Unrestricted RN license and the same experience, GPA, and residency rules as the MSN
Tuition
South Alabama charges graduate nursing students $609 per credit for 2026-27, regardless of residency. The bursar lists this as the web course rate for tuition and fees.
| Program | Credits | Rate | Est. Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | 37 (est.) | $609 | $22,533 |
| RN-to-MSN | 52 (est.) | $609 | $31,668 |
Confirmed costs:
- $609 per credit, 2026-27, all residency statuses
- $100 nonrefundable supplemental application fee
- NursingCAS application fee (set by NursingCAS)
- Background check and drug screen, paid by the student
- Proctoring and identity authentication fees when a course requires them
Be aware that:
- Both totals assume NU 555 carries 3 credits; the program page omits its credit value.
- Rates are set yearly and can change without notice.
- The optional NU 597 writing course adds about $1,827 if recommended.
For an Alabama resident, $609 sits above the standard graduate rate in most other South Alabama colleges. For an out-of-state nurse, it is a discount: most of the university’s out-of-state graduate rates run $990 or more. Budget about $23,000 to $24,000 all-in for the MSN. Full rate tables are on the Student Accounting tuition page.
Why Choose This Nursing Informatics Program?
This program fits nurses who expect to own budgets and staffing decisions, not only system builds.
Administration built in. Most nursing informatics MSNs focus on systems and data. South Alabama adds administrative concepts, nursing finance, and a resource management field study, a useful base for informatics manager or director roles.
Certification-ready hours. The 240 informatics practicum hours clear ANCC’s graduate pathway, so graduates do not need 1,000 or more logged informatics work hours before sitting for NI-BC. They still need two years of RN practice and 30 hours of informatics continuing education.
The trade-offs. Placement is mostly on the student, and refusing an assigned site effectively ends enrollment. The program also requires a year of RN experience to enter, which rules out new graduates.
Accreditation
The master’s degree program in nursing at the University of South Alabama College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The nursing informatics concentration sits within that accredited MSN.
The University of South Alabama is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Graduates who meet ANCC’s other requirements can sit for the Informatics Nursing certification (NI-BC). The program’s 240 faculty-supervised informatics practicum hours satisfy ANCC’s 200-hour graduate program pathway.
Explore More Nursing Informatics Schools
See every profiled program on the Nursing Informatics Schools page, or start with the Nursing Informatics degree overview.