Troy University’s Graduate Programs’ Intersection with the ACEN

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About TROY

TROY is four-year public institution of higher education with its flagship campus located in southeast Alabama. TROY hosts four beautiful campus sites (Dothan, Montgomery, Phenix City, and Troy) within the State of Alabama and several distant teaching sites across the United States and internationally. TROY’s motto is, “Educate the mind to think, the heart to feel, and the body to act.” This motto has been alive and well since TROY’s inception in 1887. While many things have changed at TROY over the past 130 years, the dedication and preparation of our students have not.

TROY is home to over 17,000 students that are served across all campus sites and online. TROY has a long history of delivering not only traditional face-to-face instruction but also online education. TROY was an earlier adopter of online education and recognized the excellent opportunity to serve non-traditional students. Present day, TROY has expanded its offering to award students with a variety of degrees at the associate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels.

TROY’s Graduate Nursing Program

Today, the School of Nursing offers a variety of graduate nursing programs at the master’s and doctoral levels. Students wishing to pursue an advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) degree can do that online through TROY. TROY offers the master’s of science in nursing degree (MSN) with tracks in family nurse practitioner (FNP) and healthcare informatics and nursing leadership (HINL). The MSN-FNP program is 47 semester hours and can be completed over five semesters of full-time study, which is less than two years. The MSN-HINL program is 37 semester hours and can be completed over five semesters of full-time study. Students may also pursue these programs on a part-time basis. TROY offers the FNP certificate and the HINL certificate in a post-master’s certificate option for students who already hold a master’s degree in nursing. TROY also offers a third post-master’s certificate option in nursing education.

In 2009, TROY began the doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) program. At that time, it was the only doctoral degree offered by TROY. The DNP has continued to see steady growth since its inception. The DNP offers post-BSN and post-MSN entry options. Students may also pursue clinical tracks in nursing leadership or FNP while earning the DNP. The BSN-to-DNP can be earned in three years of full-time study, and the MSN-to-DNP can be earned in two years of full-time study. Similar to the master’s program, part-time options are available.

Many of TROY’s graduate nursing students are from rural areas that are medically underserved and return to those same rural locations to practice, teach, and impact health outcomes. Since 2020, TROY has received funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP). The NFLP aims to support qualifying graduate students who plan to serve as nurse educators upon graduation.

Specialized Nursing Accreditation

Specialized nursing accreditation signifies that a nursing program has been found to meet or exceed standards and criteria for education quality. Accreditation is an important aspect of providing graduate students with quality educational experiences and preparation. Many states across the U.S. have requirements that nursing programs must hold accreditation from a national body, like the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Whether your program is achieving initial or continuing accreditation, the work is challenging to say the least.

Nevertheless, specialized accreditation is something that many graduate nursing programs are facing. Going through the accreditation process, while it may be intimidating, does provide for an extensive program review. This review is completed through a variety of steps that starts with a program completing an internal review through writing a Self-Study Report (SSR). The next step is an onsite review by independent colleagues in the profession of nursing, the ACEN site visit team of peer evaluators. The purpose of the visit is to evaluate the program regarding established standards and criteria in which all programs are measured. The visiting team use the SSR and the site visit to verify report information, clarify any questions, and amplify any areas of nursing education excellence. At the end of the site visit, the team members provide their assessment of how the program has met each of the standards. The third phase of the review process is the Evaluation Review Panel. Again, this is a group of independent nursing colleagues who volunteer to review nursing programs and deliberate a decision regarding accreditation status; these reviews take place twice per year. The final phase of the accreditation process is the decision by the Board of Commissioners. The Board of Commissioners is a panel of individuals that are within nursing and healthcare. These members serve terms and are elected by the constituents of the ACEN. During this phase, the Board of Commissioners make a final decision by vote regarding the nursing program’s accreditation status. Shortly after the meeting, the nursing program will receive a final decision regarding their accreditation status.

In TROY’s experience with the ACEN, we have received excellent service and support. When changes and proposals have been considered, the ACEN Directors have been extremely helpful. They are always open to communicating with nursing programs and willing to provide insight and recommendations. Over the years, TROY has implemented many changes, and many have required accreditation notification, additional communication, and/or reports. Furthermore, the ACEN offers a plethora of resources for programs. Whether you are beginning candidacy, preparing for a continuing accreditation site visit, or making program changes, the ACEN offers great resources. In case you did not know, there is an online virtual library that faculty and programs can take advantage of. The library offers courses that you can purchase and/or participate in for free. The content is engaging and is led by the ACEN Directors.

The ACEN serves to support nursing education programs through national certification. While the accreditation process can be frightening, the ACEN does an excellent job to support and educate programs.