This program is offered online through UTEP Connect.

This degree is designed to prepare nurses for roles in nursing administration across a variety of health care settings.  The program focuses on the development of administrative skills based on theory and evidence-based practice.  Key concepts include managing human resources, managing financial resources, and managing quality. The program culminates in a project-based residency course in which students address a systems-level management issue by developing and implementing a summative evidence-based solution.  

The Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN) prepares professional nurses for post-graduate roles in a variety of advanced practice and specialty areas. Graduates have increased autonomy and independence in their practice and are eligible to apply for national certification. The Master of Science in Nursing provides the graduate the opportunity to:

1. Apply theoretical perspectives, scientific evidence, and visionary thinking to critically analyze and lead complex organizational systems and implement innovative change.
2. Use interpersonal, inter-professional and organizational communication and relationship building skills to create and lead highly functioning, reliable and healthy interprofessional teams.
3. Combine business skills and principles, evidence-based practice, informatics, quality and safety strategies and metrics to lead care systems for improvement of processes and outcomes to improve health outcomes.
4. Employ state, federal and global health policy(ies) to advocate for healthcare reform and improve health outcomes for all.
5. Model professionalism, integrity, ethical decision making, respect for differing points of view in diverse populations and promoting social justice in the development of the advanced practice role.
6. Utilize research for the improvement of nursing practice and the advancement of nursing as an academic discipline.
7.  Ascertain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to continuously improve the quality and safety of the health care systems in which they practice through lifelong learning.

MSN Applicants have the choice of three majors: a) Nursing Education; b) Nurse Practitioner with concentrations in Adult /Gerontology with an Acute Care focus, Family, and Pediatrics Primary Care or Acute Care; and c) Nursing Administration and Management. Total required semester hours vary from 33 to 49.

Interested nurses apply online through the Graduate School Web site and send official transcripts directly to the Graduate School. After individual evaluation, the Dean of the Graduate School upon recommendation of the Graduate Studies Committee makes the final decision regarding admission.

Admission Requirements 

1. Valid, unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license from the state of current practice.
2. Completed application for the Graduate School at UTEP.
3. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or equivalent education at a foreign institution.
4. Applicants whose degrees are from non-English speaking institutions are required to demonstrate English proficiency. Please consult the Graduate School website for required scores. 
5. Undergraduate GPA of 3.0. 

Online Learning Requirements

To be successful, students must purchase or have access to a computer with reliable internet access, most current Microsoft Office and other software essential for online learning.

Compliance Requirements for MSN Program

Compliance must remain current throughout the semester in which the student is enrolled or the student risks being dropped from courses. Once admitted, students provide compliance documentation to the Graduate Compliance Coordinator. All MSN students are required to have a Background Check, Drug Screen, and proof of unencumbered, current, RN or APRN license at the beginning of their program.  Students are responsible to meet the agency-specific compliance requirements of clinical sites.

Travel Requirements

The new MSN student face-to-face orientation occurs on the UTEP campus prior to the start of each semester (fall, spring and summer). Attendance is strongly encouraged for all graduate nursing students. 

Nurse practitioner students are required to travel to UTEP's campus up to a maximum of three times during the semesters in which they are enrolled in clinical courses. The number of on campus times varies according to the NP concentration. This time is used for self and faculty evaluation of clinical competencies.

Due to the limited number of appropriate clinical placements, nurse practitioner students may be required to travel 200 miles or more to fulfill clinical requirements.

Student Employment

Student employment is a personal decision; however, it is the student’s responsibility to arrange work obligations to support the required education commitments for classes and clinical experiences. We strongly encourage NP students in the last three semesters of study to immerse themselves into the role and to limit outside employment. 

Degree Requirements

The College of Nursing attempts to accommodate flexibility in course offerings with respect to weekend, evening, and summer classes and online delivery.  Courses with enrollment of less than seven individuals are subject to cancellation.
Graduate students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 (“B average”) in order to remain in good academic standing.  Additionally, any graduate nursing student achieving a grade lower than B in any of the Graduate Core or Advanced Practice Core courses must repeat the course and earn a grade of B or better.  Students earning two grades of C in any graduate nursing course will be dismissed from the Graduate Nursing Program.  Students earning a grade of D or F in any graduate nursing course will be dismissed from the Graduate Nursing Program. 
All degree requirements for the M.S.N. must be completed within six years.