Return to: School of Nursing: Degree Programs
Characteristics of Graduates
The disciplinary and professional domains of nursing give direction to current and evolving nursing practice. The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree prepares nurses for practice as generalists as Clinical Nurse Leaders or as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs).
The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) is prepared through graduate nursing education as a master’s prepared generalist nurse who provides and leads care at the point of care to individuals and groups or populations in all settings in which health care is delivered. The CNL designs, implements, and evaluates client care by coordinating, delegating and supervising care provided by the health care team. Nurses implementing these roles are prepared to provide leadership and assume accountability for client care outcomes through assimilation and application of evidence-based information to design, implement, and evaluate client plans of care.
MSN-prepared APRNs demonstrate in-depth knowledge and skills in nursing and health care systems with diverse populations. APRNs such as clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners engage in advanced clinical practice, conduct in-depth assessments and demonstrate expertise in judgment and decision-making for purposes of health promotion/disease prevention, intervention, and follow-up in specified populations. Implementation of a particular specialty concentration emphasizes some role attributes more than others and reflect the advanced practice nurse’s area of expertise.
Purpose
The purpose of the master’s program is to prepare nurses with strong critical thinking and decision-making skills for generalist practice as a clinical nurse leader, or as an advanced practice registered nurse in adult gerontology, primary care, or psychiatric mental health.
Program Outcomes
Graduates of the MSN program and post-professional certificates are expected to:
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Integrate theoretical and research-based knowledge as a generalist leader or in an advanced nursing practice specialty.
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Provide care and comfort to individuals, families, and groups experiencing a broad range of health care needs.
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Provide care that reflects sensitivity to differences among culturally and ethnically diverse populations.
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Assume a leadership role in establishing and monitoring standards of practice to improve patient care in collaboration with other nursing experts.
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Use ethical principles to guide decision-making in nursing practice.
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Evaluate clinical practice in relation to professional practice standards and relevant statutes and regulations.
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Apply the research and/or quality improvement processes to improve evidence based clinical practice and contribute to knowledge development.
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Engage in self-directed and purposeful activities in seeking necessary knowledge and skills to enhance career goals.
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Examine economic, political, and social forces affecting nursing care delivery in complex health care systems.
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Promote interprofessional collaboration to ensure quality, cost effective care.
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Contribute to the development of peers, colleagues, and others to improve patient care and foster the growth of professional nursing.
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Act as change agents to create environments that promote effective nursing practice and patient outcomes.
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Graduates of the MSN APRN specialties and post-professional certificates (admitted prior to and in the Fall 2025) are further expected to:
These core characteristics are in accordance with national guidelines for the Clinical Nurse Leader and professional standards of advanced nursing practice specialties.
Admission
Registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing area may apply for the RN-to-CNL concentration. Non-nurse applicants with baccalaureate degrees in fields other than nursing may apply for the master’s entry to nursing Clinical Nurse Leader concentration. More information about the admission requirements and application process may be found Admissions • UVA School of Nursing.
Technology Requirements
All graduate nursing students are required to have a laptop that meet the School of Nursing Computing Policies. Students in the NP and CNS concentrations are also required to have a smartphone (Apple or Android).
Admission Procedures
Applications for admission are available on the School of Nursing website: https://nursing.virginia.edu/admissions.
Degree Requirements
Course requirements are specified under the Program Description section. Satisfactory completion of all course work is specified in the policy on grades, with a final cumulative grade point average of at least 3.000 (B).
Course Load
The University’s enrollment policy may be found here: UVA Policy Students who must meet the corresponding full-time or part-time status must enroll in elective(s) when the required coursework for the semester is below the minimum threshold. MSN students conducting scholarship or research with a faculty member can seek approval from the Program Lead to take research credits.
Time to Completion
MSN students have a maximum of 10 semesters from the date of matriculation in which to complete all graduation requirements. Exceptions must be approved by the Student Success Specialist, Program Lead, and Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and are granted only under extenuating circumstances.
UVA CNL Graduates
The following course, if completed within the past 5 years, fulfills the requirements toward a BSN-DNP in an APRN specialty concentration: GNUR 6010 Advanced Pathophysiology.
Public Professional Licensure Disclosure
Federal regulations require the University of Virginia to disclose whether its licensure-related degree programs meet or do not meet U.S. jurisdictions’ (states and territories) educational requirements for licensure (34 CFR 668.43(a)(5)). Furthermore, per 34 CFR 668.14(b)(32), UVA must, prior to a student’s enrollment into a licensure-related program, ensure the student plans to pursue licensure and employment in a jurisdiction in which the program meets that jurisdiction’s academic requirements. Please refer to the UVA’s Professional Licensure Program Disclosure Tool to either a.) determine if a UVA program meets or does not meet the educational requirements specified by the associated licensing board in a specific jurisdiction, or b.) view the status of all programs in a specific jurisdiction. Instructions for searching the Index are available on the Index page.
Enrolled students who change their location to a different state or territory must notify UVA by contacting the University Registrar’s Office to update that information
