MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NURSING

• MSN Admission Criteria and Application Instructions
• UCI Graduate Division Page
• MS Graduate Fees for Nursing 2011-12
• Funding Sources

General Program Description

The Nurse Practitioner (NP) Program is designed to prepare nurses to deliver primary health care to families in a variety of settings. NPs take health histories and provide complete physical examinations; diagnose and treat many common acute and chronic problems; interpret laboratory results and X-rays; prescribe and manage medications and other therapies; provide health teaching and supportive counseling with an emphasis on prevention of illness and health maintenance; and refer patients to other health professionals as needed. Nurse practitioners focus on wellness, prevention, and education.

MS SPECIALIZATION AREAS

Each student applying to the Master of Science (MS) program must select an area of specialization. Students can choose from the Family Nurse Practitioner Track (FNP) or the Adult Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Track (A/GNP). Graduates of the Nurse Practitioner (NP) tracks will also be eligible for certification by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).

CURRICULUM

Students enrolled in either the Adult/Gerontological Nurse Practitioner track or the Family Nurse Practitioner track will complete 72 units. Students will complete 720 hours of clinical practice with populations in their area of emphasis to be eligible for certification. Clinical placements are approved, coordinated, and supervised by our graduate faculty. Limited clinical preceptorships are available to students; therefore, students are strongly encouraged to recruit preceptors for a portion of their clinical rotations. A sample program for the MS students in the FNP and A/GNP tracks is shown. Students are expected to complete the full-time program within two years.

M.S. Degree in Nursing Science
FNP or A/GNP Track Option
Full Time Track

1st Year
Fall	Winter	Spring
Health Promotion/ Disease Prevention (3)	Nursing Research (3)	Advanced Pharmacology A (2)
Advanced Pathophysiology (3)	Primary Care A (3)	Primary Care Procedures (3)
Advanced Physical Assessment (3)	Primary Care Women's Health (3)	Primary Care Adult/Gero A (3)
Advanced Physical Assessment Lab (1)	APN Clinical Practicum I (3)	APN Clinical Practicum II (4)
2nd Year
Fall	Winter	Spring
Advanced Pharmacology B (3)	Primary Care B (3)	Frameworks for Advanced Professional Practice in Nursing (3)
Scholarly Concentration (3)	APN Clinical Practicum IV (6)	Human Behavior and Mental Health for Advanced Practice (3)
APN Clinical Practicum III (5)		APN Clincal Practicum (6)
Primary Care Pediatrics (3)* Primary Care Adult/Gero B**	Primary Care Obstetrics (3)* Aging and Chronic Illness (3)**

*FNP Track
**A/GNP Track

GRADUATES

Graduates completing the FNP track will be eligible to sit for the FNP certifications examinations. Graduates completing the A/GNP track will be eligible to sit for both the adult and geriatric NP certification examinations. Graduates will be eligible for the national board certification exams.

For additional information please contact Nursing Science Student Affairs at 949-824-1514.