Nursing Science, M.S.
The Master of Science (M.S.) in Nursing Science at the University of California, Irvine is a graduate degree program that prepares students to lead innovations in health care delivery and elevated nursing care across practice settings. The program course work is designed to prepare graduate-educated nurses with: (1) research and evidence-based practice competency; (2) expertise in specialized concentrations of nursing practice; (3) leadership role preparation, including collaborative inter-professional team building; and (4) leadership skills in health policy to become advocates for health promotion and disease prevention efforts supporting population health. The M.S. provides students with a foundation for seamless progression into a research or practice-focused doctoral program.
Concentration in Community and Population Health Nursing (CPHN)
The MEPN Program offers graduates of non-nursing baccalaureate programs direct entry into an accelerated master’s degree program, with the ability to autonomously practice nursing as an M.S.-prepared nurse upon graduation. Graduates of the program will qualify to take the national licensing examination (NCLEX) for registered nurses, be eligible for certification as a Public Health Nurse and earn a Master of Science. The master’s degree program also prepares students for future research or practice-focused doctoral studies.
Consistent with the Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing mission to provide strong research-based academic and professional programs, the new program aims to prepare excellent researchers, educators, and clinicians. Goals of the CPHN concentration are to prepare graduate nurses to lead and expand care to under-served populations in the following areas:
- Generalist nursing practice across a wide variety of healthcare settings, from acute care to community, home, and transition management;
- Nursing scholarship and evidence-based practice;
- Leadership in interprofessional health care teams;
- Innovative advancements in health care delivery, quality improvement, and improved access to care in our underserved communities.
The CPHN curriculum was designed to ensure that the nine essential core areas delineated by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) – the umbrella organization that provides national accreditation through their Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) – are met throughout the program. In addition, the Quad Council and the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals competencies for public health practice are incorporated throughout the curriculum.
Community and Population Health Nursing concentration applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing university program and have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale). In addition, they must have completed courses in the following subjects with a C or better: statistics, psychology (preferably human development lifespan), sociology/cultural anthropology, anatomy, physiology, and microbiology with labs, and chemistry. Applicants must meet the general requirements of the UCI Graduate Division. The GRE is not required for admission to the Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing.
| Core Curriculum | |
| A. Complete the following: | |
| NUR SCI 200 | Research Methods and Evaluation for Evidence-Based Practice |
| NUR SCI 215 | Health Promotion/Disease Prevention |
| NUR SCI 263 | Frameworks for Professional Nursing Practice |
| NUR SCI 281 | Professional Issues in Nursing |
| NUR SCI 282 | Compassionate Care with Underserved Populations |
| NUR SCI 284 | Scholarly Concentration |
| Community and Population Health Nursing Concentration Courses: | |
| NUR SCI 200 | Research Methods and Evaluation for Evidence-Based Practice |
| NUR SCI 215 | Health Promotion/Disease Prevention |
| NUR SCI 262 | Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice |
| NUR SCI 263 | Frameworks for Professional Nursing Practice |
| NUR SCI 264A | Applied Pharmacology I |
| NUR SCI 264B | Applied Pharmacology II |
| NUR SCI 265 | Older Adult Health Care |
| NUR SCI 266 | Adult Health Care |
| NUR SCI 267 | Human Behavior and Mental Health Nursing |
| NUR SCI 268A | Pathophysiology I |
| NUR SCI 268B | Pathophysiology II |
| NUR SCI 271 | Community-Based Health Care |
| NUR SCI 272 | Pediatrics: Care of Children and Families |
| NUR SCI 273 | Maternity and Women’s Health Care |
| NUR SCI 274 | Critical and Specialty Health Care |
| NUR SCI 275 | Clinical Preceptorship |
| NUR SCI 276 | Leadership and Management in Health Care |
| NUR SCI 281 | Professional Issues in Nursing |
| NUR SCI 282 | Compassionate Care with Underserved Populations |
| NUR SCI 284 | Scholarly Concentration |
| NUR SCI 294 | Directed Study in Vulnerable Populations |
Successful completion of required course work will advance students to M.S. candidacy the quarter prior to scheduled completion of the program. All M.S. concentration students complete a Scholarly Concentration project in an area of interest culminating in a major paper and oral presentation. Full-time M.S. students are expected to complete the program within two years.