Overview
Master's degree program outcomes are formulated on the clear assumption that graduate education builds upon undergraduate education. Graduate education is an intensive and analytic expansion of knowledge, enabling the perception and development of new and more complex relationships that affect nursing. Graduate education provides and ensures further opportunity for our students to think conceptually, to apply theory and research to practice, and to develop in-depth knowledge in a specialized area of advanced practice nursing.
Options Offered:
About the Program
The MS program prepares graduates:
- With role preparation as a clinical nurse leader, clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, CRNA, administrator, or informatician.
- With expertise in a specialized area of nursing practice.
- For leadership in nursing practice, professional organizations, health care agencies and policy-generating bodies.
- For doctoral study.
Program Outcomes
- Incorporate a range of theories into nursing practice.
- Adhere to ethical, legal and regulatory mandates and professional standards for nursing practice.
- Utilize scientific inquiry and new knowledge for the provision of nursing care, the initiation of change, and the improvement of health care delivery.
- Function as a clinical expert member of nursing and interdisciplinary research teams for the generation of new knowledge and for the appraisal of research findings for utilization in practice.
- Evaluate nursing care within the framework of outcomes, using findings for the improvement of the health care system, delivery of care, and client outcomes.
- Collaborate with nursing and interdisciplinary colleagues and with consumers for the attainment of shared health care goals that focus on health promotion and disease prevention.
- Provide leadership in the development and evaluation of strategies for improving delivery of health care, using knowledge of economic, political, organizational and regulatory systems.
- Manifest personal accountability for lifelong learning, professional growth and commitment to the advancement of the nursing profession.
- In addition to the knowledge and practice components of the outcomes listed above, the behavior of graduate students should reflect an internally consistent value system. It is expected that graduates will value scientific inquiry as a basis for professional practice and will seek to increase their contributions to the nursing profession.
MS Admissions Requirements
Requirements for all MS options except Clinical Nurse Leader and Coursework Only (Non-degree status).
- Baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing from a regionally-accredited college or university, or an equivalent degree from a comparable foreign institution
- Official transcripts for all prior undergraduate and graduate study
- Active United States registered nurse license required. Clinical agencies will require an active Maryland license.
- Undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0
- Two recent professional references (PDF)
- Professional resume
- Statement of goals and objectives
For International Applicants
Deadlines for Admission
Admission is highly competitive. For information on application deadlines, including priority and final dates, please visit our application deadline page.
Application Information
Apply online. The UMSON catalog is available online. Information about course descriptions and schedule of courses is also available online.
