This is the first version of the 2026–27 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.
The College of Nursing offers the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with three subprogram focus areas: entry into practice (EIP), clinical nurse leader (CNL), and nursing systems administration (NSA).
Programs designed to lead to professional licensure are subject to federal regulations regarding informational disclosures. Please see Professional Licensure Disclosures by Program for further information.
Learning Outcomes
Clinical Nurse Leader
Graduates will be able to:
lead unit-level teams to achieve nursing and organizational goals;
collect, decipher, and analyze data to produce action plans to improve quality;
promote the adoption, integration, and sustainability of evidence-based practices;
pursue lifelong learning to support one's professional identity; and
design innovative nursing practice environments for patient care and the workforce.
Entry Into Practice
Graduates will be able to:
ensure delivery of safe quality nursing care to diverse individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations throughout the lifespan and across systems of care;
integrate theoretical and scientific knowledge gained from natural and social sciences and culture, society, and the liberal arts into nursing;
use leadership skills across systems of care to promote equitable, safe, and quality health care outcomes;
use the best evidence from multiple ways of knowing to inform practice to make clinical judgments, solve problems, and address systems improvements;
analyze how health care policy, regulation, technology, and economics impact nursing practice and the delivery of care;
use effective interprofessional communication and collaboration strategies to promote quality health outcomes;
apply health promotion and disease prevention strategies to diverse individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations to promote quality health outcomes;
demonstrate professional values fundamental to the discipline of nursing; and
apply evidence-based, person-centered care services across the health care continuum.
Nursing Systems Administration
Graduates will be able to:
apply unique knowledge from nursing, other sciences, and the humanities to support the delivery of high-quality care to individuals and populations;
employ person-centered and population health principles across the continuum of care to improve health equity and influence health outcomes for individuals and communities;
demonstrate continuous leadership by using improvement science, innovation, informatics, and healthcare technology to provide quality care to diverse populations in complex healthcare systems;
advocate for social and environmental change that improves the health of populations and the roles of nursing in organizational policy and change;
demonstrate formation of nursing identity and professionalism through ethical, inclusive, accountable, collaborative, and leadership behaviors; and
develop a commitment to personal and professional development that fosters well-being, adaptability, lifelong learning, and service.
The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) requires 32, 39, or 66 s.h., depending on the subprogram students choose to complete. Students maintain a Graduate College program grade-point average of at least 2.75. A final exam and thesis are not required.
Graduate students in the College of Nursing must adhere to all Graduate College policies regarding academic standing, probation, and dismissal. Transfer credit applicable to the MSN is limited and must be approved by the program director and College of Nursing associate dean for undergraduate and MSN–EIP programs or associate dean for graduate practice programs. Coursework taken 10 years or more before the MSN final examination must be updated according to university policy.
The Master of Science in Nursing with a clinical nurse leader subprogram is not currently admitting new students.
The Master of Science in Nursing with a clinical nurse leader subprogram requires 39 s.h. of graduate credit, including a core component of 21 s.h., which students take with College of Nursing doctoral students, and a specialization component of 18 s.h. that centers on the clinical nurse leader role. The clinical nurse leader subprogram focuses on improving the quality of patient care and helping professional nurses to thrive in the health care system. The clinical nurse leader role has demonstrated effectiveness in improving outcomes, elevating current evidence-based practice, enhancing quality, and providing continuous leadership in the microsystem.
Students must successfully complete a capstone immersion.
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For sample plans, see MyUI.
The MSN with a clinical nurse leader subprogram requires the following coursework.
Fundamental Principles of Nursing Education for Academic and Practice Settings
3
Total Hours
39
Entry Into Practice (EIP)
The Master of Science in Nursing with an entry into practice subprogram requires 66 s.h. of graduate credit. The subprogram is an innovative program located on the Iowa City campus. The entry into practice subprogram leads to an MSN degree that prepares students who do not currently have a nursing degree an opportunity to enter the health care workforce quickly. Class sizes are small and offer unparalleled educational excellence and clinical practice.
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For sample plans, see MyUI.
The MSN with an entry into practice subprogram requires the following coursework.
Social Determinants of Health and Health System Inequities
3
Total Hours
66
Nursing Systems Administration (NSA)
The Master of Science in Nursing with a nursing systems administration subprogram requires 32 s.h. of graduate credit. The subprogram focuses on preparing nurse leaders to serve in a variety of managerial and leadership capacities in all practice environments. The program focuses on graduate-level practice in nursing and health care leadership and the interventions that influence health care outcomes for individuals, populations, or systems.
Students must successfully complete a graduate-level guided capstone program implementation project.
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For sample plans, see MyUI.
The MSN with a nursing systems administration subprogram requires the following coursework.
Graduate education prepares students with advanced knowledge and skills in specialized fields. At the University of Iowa, the Graduate College advocates for student-centered graduate education and supports equitable application of rules and policies across graduate programs.
Graduate student applicants must meet admission requirements for both the Graduate College and the program to which they have applied. University of Iowa graduate admission requirements are published by the Graduate College and on the Graduate Admissions website.
Financial Support
Graduate students might be eligible for financial support. Several contingencies apply, including degree program and award type, satisfactory progress toward degree, satisfactory completion of all duties related to an appointment, and availability of funding. Graduate students should inquire directly with their program for more information about funding availability. The Graduate Student Employment Standards govern the employment relationship between the University of Iowa and all graduate teaching and research assistants in all matters except wages, which are covered by an existing collective bargaining agreement or the conditions of an applicable federal grant.
Applicants to College of Nursing graduate programs must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations on the Graduate College website.
Applicants must have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.00. A criminal background check is required for all students upon admission. The College of Nursing has additional application requirements, as follows.
Admission to the MSN Program
Applicants for the MSN program must submit official transcripts from institutions for all undergraduate and graduate coursework.
Applications are reviewed once a year. To be reviewed, the application must be complete with all materials submitted.
International students who require F–1 or J–1 student immigration status are not eligible to apply to the MSN subprograms of Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) and Nursing Systems Administration (NSA), due to the extensive web-based coursework required. Questions regarding visas and immigration documentation should be directed to International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).
Additional application requirements specific to the MSN with a clinical nurse leader subprogram are:
a bachelor's or advanced degree with a major in nursing from a Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) accredited nursing program;
approximately one year of experience;
active nursing license;
current written recommendations from three persons knowledgeable about the applicant's competence in the practice of nursing and potential for leadership and scholarship (forms required); and
a current résumé, goal statement (statement of purpose), statement of disclosure, and supplemental/information form.
Applicant interviews are required, and in some cases, virtual interviews may be arranged.
Admission to the Entry Into Practice Subprogram
Additional application requirements specific to the MSN with an entry into practice subprogram are:
a bachelor's or advanced degree in a discipline other than nursing from an accredited college or university;
completion of natural sciences courses within 10 years and/or a combination of related experience and training that provides the knowledge and abilities necessary to meet the objectives of the courses;
completion of prerequisite coursework at the time of application (on track to have no more than two natural sciences and one social science unfinished at the end of the application semester);
completion of an upper-level statistics course within five years of the application deadline (acceptable University of Iowa courses include BIOS:4120 Introduction to Biostatistics, PSQF:4143 Introduction to Statistical Methods, STAT:3510 Biostatistics, and STAT:4143 Introduction to Statistical Methods); and
successful background and abuse checks.
Applicants must apply to the Graduate College as part of the process for admission to the College of Nursing MSN-EIP subprogram. The first step is to complete the online application through the Graduate Admissions MSN-EIP webpage and pay the appropriate fee. As part of the second step, Graduate Admissions will contact the applicant by email to provide instructions on uploading supporting documents, which include the following:
current written recommendations from three persons knowledgeable about the applicant's potential for the practice of nursing and leadership and scholarship (required forms provided at the time of application by the Graduate College); and
other forms, including a leadership and experiences form, a statement of purpose form (two essay questions), a statement of disclosure form, and a justification form (if applicable).
Applicant interviews are required, and in some cases, virtual interviews may be arranged.
International applicants to the MSN entry into practice subprogram must meet the English proficiency requirement of Graduate College. For a complete list of accepted English proficiency exams, score requirements, and waiver eligibility, please refer to the English Proficiency Requirements on the Graduate Admissions website.
Prerequisites for Natural and Social Sciences
To be considered for admission, a maximum of two natural sciences courses and one social science course can be incomplete at the application deadline; all must be completed prior to enrollment in the MSN entry into practice subprogram.
Natural Science Prerequisites
Course List
Course #
Title
Hours
These are the courses that are considered prerequisites; applicants need equivalent coursework to these UI courses:
Admission to the Nursing Systems Administration Subprogram
Additional application requirements specific to the MSN with a nursing systems administration subprogram are:
a bachelor's or advanced degree with a major in nursing from a CCNE or NLNAC accredited nursing program;
approximately one year of experience; and
an active nursing license.
Applicants must apply to the Graduate College as part of the process for admission to the College of Nursing MSN-NSA subprogram. The first step is to complete the online application through the Graduate Admissions MSN-NSA webpage and pay the appropriate fee. As part of the second step, Graduate Admissions will contact the applicant by email to provide instructions on uploading supporting documents, which include the following:
a current written recommendations from three persons knowledgeable about the applicant's competence in the practice of nursing and potential for leadership and scholarship (forms required); and
a current résumé, goal statement (statement of purpose), statement of disclosure, and supplemental/information form.
Applicant interviews are required, and in some cases, virtual interviews may be arranged.
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines for the MSN subprograms are:
MSN with clinical nurse leader subprogram: Feb. 1 for fall entry.
MSN with entry into practice subprogram: March 15 for entry the following spring.
MSN with nursing systems administration subprogram: July 1 for fall entry.
The MSN clinical nurse leader and nursing systems administration subprograms prepare nurses to be equipped with knowledge and skills to lead change, promote health, and elevate care in various roles and settings. Graduates of these subprograms are prepared for critical action with complex, changing systems, including health, educational, and organizational systems.
The MSN entry into practice subprogram prepares non-nurse college graduates of all academic backgrounds to become practicing nurses. Upon graduation, students will be prepared to take the NCLEX–RN nursing licensure exam to be licensed as a registered nurse.
Sample Plan of Study
The sample plan represents the sequence to complete a program of study. Questions should be discussed with an academic advisor. For MSN subprogram sample plans, see MyUI.
Nursing, MSN
CLINICAL NURSE LEADER
This sample plan is currently being reviewed and will be added at a later date.
Entry Into Practice
This sample plan is currently being reviewed and will be added at a later date.
Nursing systems administration
This sample plan is currently being reviewed and will be added at a later date.
