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Prospective Students, Masters Program

Overview

The Master of Science program in Nursing at UCSF prepares leaders in the advanced practice roles of nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse-midwife, administrator, teacher, and consultant. Courses from nursing and other disciplines provide advanced theoretical knowledge, assessment skills, role/leadership development, and advanced clinical practice in a selected specialization and opportunity to critique and apply nursing theory and research as a scientific base for nursing practice.

Most applicants applying to this program are experienced registered nurses who have successfully completed a Bachelor's degree.

Upon graduation, all have a base of knowledge in a specific area of nursing; can participate knowledgeably in research activity and application; and are capable of contributing to the formulation of theory and to the application of theory to nursing practice.

The Master of Science program is ordinarily a two year long program, the vast majority of students are on full-time status at the university (although many undertake part-time paid work concurrently with their study schedule).

MS Specialization Areas

Each student applying to the Master of Science (MS) program must select an area of specialization.

For many of these specialty areas, UCSF School of Nursing is acknowledged to be the leading, or the only, nursing school for that particular specialization area at the masters level.

The list of available masters specialty areas is subject to change, see this page for the current options, and links for each area's detailed page.

Curriculum  

Objectives

Objectives for the Master's Program

The aim of the master's program curriculum is to prepare persons to provide professional leadership in their chosen advanced practice specialty. This entails engagement in advanced clinical practice, awareness of nursing theory, transfer of research findings to practice, and advocacy in relation to issues relevant to health care.

The curriculum has been structured to prepare graduates to do the following:

1. Engage in advanced clinical practice
   1. Apply current knowledge in the specialty area to manage or meet client needs within the client environment
   2. Analyze clinical problems based on theoretical and research literature
   3. Communicate, cooperate, and/or collaborate with persons from this and other disciplines to provide the best possible care for clients
   4. Establish life long learning patterns that facilitate the incorporation of new theoretical and research findings into advanced practice
   5. Assume a leadership role within the profession by:
      1. Participating in professional organizations and activities
      2. Developing an advocacy stance and position related to the focal client population
2. Evaluate and apply theory as it relates to the science base of nursing
   1. Demonstrate discriminating use of specialty based content reflective of particular client focus
   2. Value the diversity of theoretical models relevant to practice
3. Critique and evaluate research as to its scientific and clinical value
   1. Demonstrate ability to critique and synthesize relevant research literature
   2. Demonstrate ability to use research findings to develop approaches to problems in advanced practice
   3. Identify researchable problems, demonstrate skills essential to research participation, and assist in the dissemination of findings
   4. Articulate linkages among theory, research, and practice; and recognize limitations of the current science base for advanced practice
4. Interpret relationships between social, cultural, political, and economic issues and health care delivery
   1. Analyze major health care issues affecting the focal client population
   2. Evaluate the impact of economics, politics, and demographics on the development of social and health policy and political action
   3. Identify barriers to the availability of and access to health care
   4. Identify cultural factors relevant to clinical practice, the conduct and critique of research, and the development of health care policy.

Structure/Scheduling

Students ordinarily begin the Master's program in mid-September (Fall Quarter). Most students complete the program in two academic years. It consists of 30-36 units of academic course work and 8 units of graduate professional work plus a written comprehensive examination ("comp exam") or, in some instances, a thesis. A handbook is available (see Documents web page) for students preparing for the Master's Comprehensive Examination.

In most specialty areas, students come to the campus two or three days per week for class meetings; in the clinically-intensive specialty areas a third or fourth day per week is required for clinical rotations.

Many masters students continue some limited part-time or per-diem employment during their program, after adjusting for coursework and preparation time and for assigned clinical obligations.

Courses from nursing and other disciplines provide advanced theoretical knowledge in a selected specialization, advanced clinical practice, and opportunity to critique and apply nursing theory and research as a scientific base for nursing practice.

Master's Core Curriculum

The Masters Core Curriculum serves students from all specialties. It provides advanced preparation in research, theory and clinical judgment in nursing practice, health care economics and policy, leadership, and the scientific basis for selected concepts in advanced nursing practice.

In addition, there are two clinical cores, one for clinical nurse specialist students and another for primary health care students. One includes health assessment, program management, case management, and outcomes evaluation. The other includes health assessment, health maintenance and promotion, and clinical care management.

Specialty Area Courses

Each specialty also has a series of courses that provide substantive content for the specialty. For specifics, see the web page for each specialty area.

• Master of Science Program:  MS Specialty Area List

For the convenience of students juggling career and family obligations, many specialties arrange course meeting times to fit a two-day-per-week schedule.

Minors

Some masters students may also elect to choose a "minor." Students wishing to minor in a specialty area typically take three or four courses designated for this purpose by the specialty area director/coordinator. Some current minors include Genomics, Health Policy, and HIV/AIDS. For more details on minors, see the discussion at the end of the masters specialties page.

Notes

The curriculum is subject to periodic revision at the discretion of the faculty.

Images and voices of students in selected courses may be video-transmitted to other locations as a part of the distributed learning program.

Students may be involved in patient research as well as in research on school programs, aggregate (non-personally-identifiable) student information may be reported as part of this research.

Application Information

• Application Procedures (website)

GRE Scores Are No Longer Required

As of November, 2007, our faculty is proud to announce the elimination of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as a requirement for application and admission to the School of Nursing's MS program, for all specialty areas.

Other aspects of the application, such as the applicant's experiences in clinical practice, volunteer and professional activities, previous GPA, a demonstrated committment to learning, purpose for applying for graduate study future professional plans, and other attributes such as initiative and leadership, will be considered as evidence of professional and scholarly activities during the screening and admission process.

Admission Requirements

1. Official transcripts verifying Baccalaureate (bachelor's) degree from an NLN- or CCNE-accredited program in nursing. Nurses who have a U.S. bachelor's degree in another discipline are also eligible to apply.
2. Licensure as a registered nurse in California (or home state of residency).
3. Completion of an introductory course in statistics.
4. Effective November 2007, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is no longer required for the regular Master's (MS) application.
5. Completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for graduates of foreign schools whose academic language is not English. The minimum TOEFL score is 80 (internet-based test, 0 to 120 score range); 22 is the minimum writing section score (range 0 to 30).
   Proficiency in spoken and written English is mandatory.
6. Evidence of personal qualification and capacity for graduate study as reflected in the application, references, and grade-point average (GPA, 3.0+). Past academic performance and professional activity are evaluated, e.g., community, organizational, and volunteer service, and creative professional accomplishments.
7. Congruence of applicant's goals with the goals and resources of the School and University.
8. A minimum of one year work experience as a registered nurse, related to the area of specialization, is desirable. Some specialties may require additional experience.
9. Computer proficiency is highly recommended (especially word processing and internet/web skills).

Admission Requirements for International Applicants

1. Completion of a nursing bachelor's degree, if available in the country of origin. See below for notes on non-U.S. transcripts.
2. Scholastic record comparable to that reflected by a 3.0 GPA.
3. Completion of an introductory course in statistics.
4. Completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for graduates of foreign schools whose academic language is not English. The minimum TOEFL score is 80 (internet-based test, 0 to 120 score range); 22 is the minimum writing section score (range 0 to 30).
   Proficiency in spoken and written English is mandatory.
5. Effective November 2007, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is no longer required for the regular Master's (MS) application.
6. International students need to be licensed in their country of origin. If they are going to perform direct patient care activities locally, they will need to obtain California registered nurse licensure also.
7. One year of recent work experience as a registered nurse is required, related to the prospective field of study.
8. Computer proficiency is required, (especially word processing and internet/web skills).

Prospective international masters students should also review the following information:

• Information for Prospective Students from Other Countries
• International Students and Scholars Office

Duplication of Degrees

Duplication of a master's degree in nursing is not permitted. A professional degree in nursing is regarded as a duplicate of an academic degree.

Undergraduate Programs

Baccalaureate (Bachelor of Science) degrees are not offered at UCSF School of Nursing. The California Board of Registered Nursing has information for persons seeking to study nursing after high school graduation.

Application Documentation

Official Transcripts

Two official original transcripts must be sent directly to Nursing Student Affairs (see address above) from each college, university, and nursing school attended. Be sure to fully identify in your application each post-secondary (after high school) institution you have attended. Transcripts must be endorsed by the proper authority and final college transcripts should include a statement of good standing or honorable dismissal from the last college attended. A preliminary transcript should show coursework in progress. Non-English transcripts must be translated into English by a certified translator. Non-US transcripts must be submitted for evaluation, as follows.

Non-U.S. Transcript Evaluations

The School of Nursing requires all applicants who have completed degrees and/or coursework outside of the United States to submit their transcripts for validation and evaluation before they may be considered for admission.

Applicants may send their transcripts and credentials to any evaluation agency which requires submission of original transcripts and/or certificates directly from the education institution to the evaluation agency. The purpose of the evaluation is to verify that your degree/coursework is the equivalent to that of a US Bachelor or Master's degree.

Evaluation agencies provide a variety of services. Be sure to request an evaluation that provides the following:

• Lists all subjects/courses completed at the post-secondary level
• Provides a U.S. semester credit and grade equivalent for each course
• Provides a U.S. grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale, and
• Designates the level (upper or lower) of each undergraduate course

In our experience, World Education Services (http://www.wes.org; 415-677-9378; 212-966-6311; info@wes.org) provides the information we need in a format that is useful for the admissions decision.

However, applicants may choose to use any agency which meets the criteria above and can perform an evaluation meeting the four points mentioned above.

Examinations (GRE no longer required)

Note:  The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is no longer required for the regular MS application.

MS Applicants whose academic language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

All information concerning the TOEFL may be obtained from the http://www.toefl.org website.

It is the applicants' responsibility to assure that TOEFL scores are received by the application deadlines. Request that the Educational Testing Service (ETS) send your official TOEFL scores directly to the Graduate Division, UCSF Box 0404,
San Francisco, CA  94143-0404.
The UCSF institutional code number is R-4840, department #43. Provide your registration number in the on-line application, if possible, to assist in matching your test scores to the rest of your application materials.

Note:  Test scores can take up to six weeks to reach the University.

Proficiency in spoken and written English is mandatory.

The TOEFL requirement can be waived if written documentation is provided that the language of instruction at the applicant's undergraduate institution(s) was English.

Recommendations (Letters of Reference)

A minimum of four recommendations (reference letters) are required. (Infrequently, additional recommendations are requested; a maximum of five applicant-nominated recommenders are allowed.)

Recommenders should be selected as follows: [a] two most recent employers, preferably nurses; [b] a school of nursing, if you are a graduate within the past five years, and preferably from a professor who can assess your clinical performance and judgment in the area in which you wish to study; and [c] one or two individuals, not relatives, who are well acquainted with your professional preparation and experience.

Each recommender is asked to address the following areas, as appropriate: [1] relationships with team members such as nurses, physicians, and others; [2] professional nursing ability, including application of theory, independent judgment where appropriate, and quality of patient care; [3] communication skills; [4] leadership skills; and [5] responsibility and initiative. An overall rating from zero to ten is also requested.

Nomination of Recommenders

As part of completing the on-line (web) application, the names, affiliations, and emails of each of the four recommenders are provided by the applicant.

Each identified recommender receives at least one email (repeated if necessary) asking for their written recommendation. This email specifies a private web site for that recommender, to be used to submit/upload their letter/recommendation in PDF format.

With this system, applicants can verify when each of their specified recommenders has actually responded and which recommenders may still require a follow-up email request.

This email/web oriented system has simplified and speeded the process of collecting references/recommendations and allows for applicants and recommenders to avoid the delays and uncertainties of the previous postal-based process.

Goal Statement

Your goal statement is an important part of your application.It should be about two double-spaced, typewritten pages in length, and should include the following information:

• Your understanding of the nursing profession
• Reasons for seeking advanced specialty preparation as part of a nursing program
• Reasons for choosing the specific specialty area to which you are applying
• What you believe your previous academic and life experience will bring to the nursing profession
• Your goals upon completion of the program
• Any additional information you believe relevant to the admissions decision.

Please be as clear and precise as possible.

Do not forget to include your full legal name at the top of your goal statement and to number each page.

After composing the text of your goal statement, you must save the document in PDF format on your hard drive for uploading to the UCSF applications web site. Allow sufficient time prior to the deadline to finish composing your goal statement, then save it in PDF format, and complete the upload/transfer process; allowing for the possibility of technical issues or internet service disruptions in the last few days before the deadline.

A well-written goal statement is an essential component of a competitive application.

Work/Volunteer History

A complete record of your relevant experience is required, in both paid and volunteer positions.

Application Review Policy

Applicant records will not be reviewed until necessary documentation and official transcripts have been received. Applicants are expected to return to their application's web page to see status updates and progress in recording necessary materials. Remember that certain specialty areas are highly competitive, and available space in these areas may be quickly exhausted following the Feb. 1st regular deadline.

Screening Process

Review of completed application packets and admission decisions begins in February. Early applicants, other factors being equal, are most likely to have access to their first-choice specialty areas.

Early Deadline - Nov. 1st

Applicants requiring early review because of special funding deadlines (e.g., members of the military) should submit applications no later than November 1st.

Regular Deadline - Feb. 1st

February 1st is the regular due date for filing applications (including all supporting materials) for the Master of Science program. Applicants seeking admission to the Family NP, Adult NP, Acute Care NP, Midwifery, or Pediatrics specialty areas should make a particular effort to meet the regular deadline, as demand for these particular specialty tracks far exceeds available capacity. It is likely that many or all of these specialty areas will be the ones which exhaust available space immediately after the regular (Feb.) deadline.

Final Deadlines

The last date to submit an application (completed and locked on-line application form, all transcripts, all letters of reference, etc.) is July 1st for US applicants (June 1st for international applicants).

Note:  Applications will be accepted after February 1st only by those specialties which still have available space. Availability and capacity will differ between specialty areas, and will fluctuate from one year to the next.

Do not assume that your preferred specialty area will remain available to applications which are still unfinished/incomplete as of February, March, April, etc. The Nursing Student Affairs office will maintain an up-to-date list of all specialties which are no longer accepting applications after February 1st.

You are encouraged to consult the application instructions page on this web site (http://nurseweb.ucsf.edu/gateway/online.shtml) or email Nursing Student Affairs (info@nursing.ucsf.edu) to find out more late availabilty information for your specialty of choice.

Screening/Evaluation

Screening for admission into the Master of Science program occurs at two separate units. The School of Nursing Master's Admission Screening Committee screens completed applications for admission into the School and particular specialty. Application review includes the following considerations: applicant's academic and professional (nursing) qualifications; congruence of applicant's educational goal with specialty selected; institutionalresources, including student admission allocation by specialty; and application strength as compared to other applicants. Applicants from underrepresented communities are similarly reviewed but with consideration of the profession's need for such persons with graduate preparation.

A roster of accepted applicants and alternates for acceptance is established. The Committee forwards recommendations to the UCSF Graduate Division.

The Graduate Division officially notifies applicants of admission decisions. The Dean of the Graduate Division reviews applicants for acceptance to graduate status. Evaluation is based on scholastic qualifications and formal preparation for advanced academic study.

The Graduate Division of the University of California San Francisco requires an undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 for admission to graduate standing. A personal interview is optional for most specialties and may be initiated by the faculty or the applicant.

After Acceptance: Immunizations, Background Check

It is imperative that incoming students notify UCSF of their current and correct contact information during the months and weeks leading up to their first (September) enrollment. Many pre-enrollment steps must be accomplished through the mail in the last weeks of summer.

Accepted applicants must, prior to enrollment, verify their status for certain communicable diseases, e.g., tuberculosis, hepatitis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, etc. Visit Student Health & Counseling Services at http://shs.ucsf.edu on the web for more information on pre-enrollment requirements.

Admitted students must complete, prior to their first clinical experience, a Criminal Background Check. Details will be provided after acceptance.

Articulation into Doctoral Program

Students considering continuation into the doctoral (Ph.D.) program should discuss plans with advisers and relevant faculty. Course selection in the master's program should optimize preparation for doctoral work.

Master's students with previous BSNs may apply by the regular deadline for doctoral applications (Dec. 15th). Students without a BSN may apply in the year in which they will have completed 36 academic units and all MS specialty requirements. Applications may be accepted, for areas that are still open, until the final doctoral deadline (Feb. 1st). Applications are to the School of Nursing, rather than to any specific department. Admission to the doctoral program is effective in the fall quarter following acceptance.

The master's degree will be conferred when the student has completed specialty requirements, 36 academic units, 8 graduate professional units, and the comprehensive examination. A student may choose not to earn the master's degree.

Transfer of Credit

Ordinarily, all coursework for the Master of Science degree is completed while registered in the School. Up to six quarter (four semester) units may be allowed for coursework taken elsewhere. An exception is work taken at another campus of the University of California. In this circumstance, up to one-half of the program, or a maximum of 15 to 18 quarter units of work, depending upon the master's degree plan, may be accepted if taken at graduate standing at another campus of the University. Students must have been registered on the San Francisco campus for at least one quarter, however, before petitioning for such transfer of credit.

Units taken elsewhere must have been earned in graduate status at an institution of high repute, and cannot be used to reduce the minimum number of required quarters in registered status. Students in the master's program must be registered for a minimum of three quarters and must be taking at least four units in each of the three quarters. No commitment can be made regarding such an allowance of credit until half the program for the master's degree has been completed. Acceptance of credit is subject to the approval of student's major department and the dean of the Graduate Division.

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