Academics – Master’s Entry Program in Nursing (MSN Degree)
Developing new nurses as leaders to promote healthier communities
The Master's Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) prepares new nurses as leaders in quality and safety, advocates for diverse patient populations and agents of change for healthier communities. Graduates are qualified to take the national licensing examination (NCLEX) for registered nurses, eligible for certification as a Public Health Nurse and earn a Master of Science in Nursing Degree.
Fast Facts
- Type (full vs. part-time): full-time
- Duration: 18 months
- Format: In person
- Objective: to earn a Master of Science in Nursing
- Outcomes: graduates will be prepared as leaders in the nursing field, qualified to take the national licensing examination (NCLEX) for registered nursing and eligible for certification as a Public Health Nurse
- Application period: mid-August – November 1
What do graduates have to say about the accelerated nursing program?
Read and watch what alumna Ju-A Son says about her UC Davis experience
About the program
Throughout the program, students are prepared to become nurses with both the knowledge and skills needed to meet the needs of a constantly changing health care system. Rooted in a growing body of research and nurtured by visionary faculty who seek to transform health care, the curricula embrace integrative case-based learning, immersive direct and simulated clinical experiences, and systems-wide perspectives.
The MEPN is led by the Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Graduate Group, an interprofessional team of more than 60 faculty from disciplines including nursing, medicine, health informatics, nutrition, biostatistics, pharmacy, sociology and public health.
How we prepare nurses
This accelerated master’s degree program offers the quickest route to registered nursing licensure for adults who already completed an undergraduate degree in another discipline and also completed prerequisite courses to transition into the nursing profession.
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The MEPN program is guided by the school’s core values of communities, embracing inclusivity, developing leaders, using innovative solutions, and practicing in collaborative partnerships.
The program is completed in 18 months – six consecutive quarters, including summers. Core courses are offered summer, fall, winter and spring quarters on the UC Davis Sacramento campus. Students typically attend class Monday through Friday and should expect that most quarters they will participate in courses and clinical experiences during evenings and weekends. Review our program course curriculum to learn more about course offerings.
A mandatory orientation is provided for incoming students prior to the program start. This full-time, three-day experience runs the week prior to the first summer quarter. Throughout this time together, students interact with School of Nursing leadership, participate in team building and develop one-on-one faculty relationships. The week serves as the foundation for the Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Graduate program curriculum.
- International graduate requirements
- Full-time enrollment (13-16 units per quarter) is required
- A final capstone portfolio project and a comprehensive final exam are required; no thesis is required
- MEPN students are expected to complete the program in six quarters
- MEPN students are required to follow the standard curriculum for a total of 91 units.
- Required courses include 18 units of graduate core courses, 30 units of clinical and 43 units of theory courses that provide content meeting the requirements of the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) for prelicensure nursing education and Public Health Nursing (PHN) certificate requirements.
- There are no electives in the requirements.
- Students must enroll full-time for the required number of units per quarter for six consecutive quarters including academic, clinical, lab and seminar units.
- All courses in the curriculum must be completed for a letter grade.
- Master of Science in Nursing degree requirements
- Essential abilities and technical standards for students
