Master of Nursing

Overview

Coursework and credits

To earn the Master of Nursing, students complete a total of 51-55 credits over the course of 2 years or
4 years with the flexibility to extend the completion time and take leave quarters.

With graduate faculty advising assistance and a one credit seminar, students select to specialize in Nurse Education, Administrative Leadership, or may create their own pathway with the general track. The program offers an RN to MN pathway for experienced RNs holding a bachelor degree in a major other than nursing. 

Highlighted througout the curriculum is scholarly inquiry, health care systems, policies, nurse and patient education and social issues related to the pressing health issues facing our state, nation, and global community. Explore the course descriptions to learn more. 

  • Curriculum and Learning Goals At a Glance

    Core coursework 

    • Disparity and Social Justice in Health care
    • Ethics and Policy in Advanced Nursing Practice 
    • Healthcare Systems Leadership for
      Advanced Roles
    • Translational Research I & II
    • Advanced Pathophysiology, Pharmacology and Health Assessment or;
    • Advanced Practice Management and Administration in Healthcare Organizations 
    • Introduction to Advanced Fieldwork and Capstone 
    • Advanced Fieldwork and Capstone Project

    Elective coursework

    • Managing and Leading High Performing Teams
    • Managing Fiscal Performance in Healthcare
    • Introduction to Process Management and Decision Making in Healthcare Systems
    • Introduction to Project Management in Healthcare
    • Health Informatics 
    • Curriculum Development in Nursing Education
    • Evaluation of Academic and Clinical Performance in Nursing and Health Care
    • Theories and Methods of Teaching and Learning
    • Technology and Enhanced-Pedagogy

    Students learn to:

    • Evaluate the adequacy of underlying knowledge from nursing science, related fields, and professional foundations as it informs advanced practice
    • Competently assess and manage health-related issues within a defined population or care system, and evaluate the effectiveness of these advanced nursing practices
    • Utilize knowledge and skills in professional practice among diverse and multicultural populations
    • Demonstrate competence in the development of inquiry relevant to practice, education, or administration
    • Develop and utilize leadership strategies that foster improvement of health care
    • Demonstrate critical interrogation of positionality, recognition of implicit biases, as well as knowledge and application of anti-racism principles to promote health equity
    • Articulate ethical issues and responsibilities involved in nursing practice
  • Core: Central to the program is a set of courses for the development of leadership skills in practice, research and education through theory, research methods, health care policy, program development and evaluation. 
  • Electives: A concentrated area of study/track is obtained through the selection of electives.
  • Fieldwork: Preparation for roles that require a graduate education applying concepts examined throughout the program in the real-world context. Examples include administration, management, quality assessment, program development, clinical and academic education, research, and population health projects
  • Capstone project: The program culminates with capstone project undertaken in the student's final year, developed under the supervision of a Scholarly Committee. 

Degree pathways

Hybrid program schedule  

The MN maintains a hybrid schedule. The schedule allows for flexible online learning while encouraging engagement during the online weeks and fellowship, connectivity, student and faculty community building, and deep discussions in the in-person class setting. 

  • In-person courses meet every other Friday only
  • Courses are scheduled in 4 hours blocks of time (8:30-12:15 pm and 1:00-4:45 pm)
  • Online weeks are asynchronous
  • Students connect using our online learning system (Canvas) to access the course materials, interact with the professor and classmates to participate in online forums and projects, recorded lectures, and readings

Curriculum philosophy

The Master of Nursing degree program curriculum is consistent with the UW School of Nursing's Philosophy and Conceptual Framework of Graduate Education and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's "Essentials of Master's Education for Advanced Practice Nursing." In order to gain a complete understanding of the program review the following.

Policies and Procedures

The nursing program consists of entrance, continuation and graduation policies and procedures as outlined by the UW Graduate School, School of Nursing, Accreditation and the nursing commision and at the program level. Current students have access to the internal portal for relevant policies and forms.


Updated September 2022