The University of Portland's reputation for academic excellence
is one of the reasons it is ranked year after year among the top
ten regional universities in the West, and that translates into a
degree of great worth in economic value, potential to change the
world, and unimagined possibilities that expand the hearts and
minds of each of our graduates.
The University's students study with some of the brightest
scholars in their fields. Primarily we are a TEACHING university
and it shows. Our faculty have a reputation for their love of
teaching.
In all of our programs, we are educating the leaders and nurses
needed for the next generation of health care. We have special
academic programs and resources that include study abroad in
seven countries. Nursing students are able to study for a
semester in Australia, Spain, or Mexico and still graduate in
nine semesters. Our four year undergraduate students are able to
earn a minor in several areas including Spanish, Biology, and
Business. As a comprehensive university, we have an Honors
Program for academically outstanding students, an
interdisciplinary Center for Entrepreneurship, the Shepard
Freshman Resource Center, services through the Office for
Students with Disabilities, and Army and Air Force ROTC programs
with significant scholarships.
The University of Portland School of Nursing has a proud 75-year
history of educating outstanding nurses for the state and region.
Our faculty has a passion for teaching and a vision for a
transformed health care system of the future. The University of
Portland's baccalaureate nursing program is well known in the
health care community for its quality and excellent reputation.
We have the oldest nationally accredited BSN program in the state
of Oregon and have been preparing practitioners and leaders at
the graduate level for over 25 years. Students get the special
attention they need to be successful learners and practicing
nurses.
Clinical sections usually have six to eight students per faculty
member and students are able to form close relationships with
their faculty, advisors and fellow students. We pride ourselves
on our personal approach when interacting with prospective and
current students. We are also proud to have a reputation for
helping applicants find the program that is right for them. If we
do not have the program that meets your goals, we will help you
locate the program that is right for you.
We offer as our master's program option the Clinical Nurse Leader
(CNL), a broad-based graduate education that prepares nurses for
advanced practice roles in leadership at the point of care for
clients in a variety of settings. BSN-prepared nurses are welcome
to apply to earn a master's degree as a CNL. Additionally, we
have implemented an RN to MS program for associate degree nurses
to efficiently earn a CNL master's degree. We also offer an
alternate entry master's in nursing program that enables
individuals who possess a non-nursing bachelor's degree to enter
nursing at the graduate level. Furthermore, we responded to the
national movement for advanced practice nurses to be prepared at
the doctoral level by beginning a Family Nurse Practitioner
Doctorate of Nursing Practice program in summer 2008.
BS in Nursing Program
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Students may begin in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
program as freshman or junior transfer students. The BSN program
is nine semesters in length. The first and second years are a
creative mixture of nursing preparatory courses and the core
curriculum-courses in the arts and humanities that are required
of all University of Portland students. Transfer students are
welcomed at the junior level. The BSN transfer program is 5
semesters in length. Transfer students may begin in either Fall
(August) or Spring (January). During the junior and senior years,
all nursing students have clinical courses in one or more of 30
hospital and health care facilities in the Portland area.
MS in Nursing Program
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The graduate program option for individuals who hold their
Bachelor of Science in Nursing is the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)
master of science program.
Graduate students in this program usually take two or three
courses per semester for seven semesters starting summer semester
(May). The program features small classes, accessible faculty,
and the cohort model. Courses are conducted in a blended format
of in-person immersion weekend sessions and web-based learning
modalities. Personalized education is what draws nurses to the
University of Portland School of Nursing for graduate study.
The Nurse Educator Specialty option is offered only when a cohort
of 8 students express interest and are admitted.
RN to MS in Nursing
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This graduate program is for Registered Nurses (RNs) whose
highest nursing credential is an Associate Degree in Nursing
(ADN). Using a cohort model, this program offers associate degree
prepared nurses a creative opportunity to efficiently earn a
master's degree as a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) and thereby
increase their options for career mobility. All students in the
RN to MS program must successfully complete specific
undergraduate general education courses and bridge courses before
entry into the CNL curriculum.
The bridge component consists of 15 semester hours of course work
(including 90 clinical hours) to meet the AACN Baccalaureate
Essentials and support the transition into the CNL component. The
CNL component prepares the nurse to meet the AACN CNL Core
Competencies and to function in the Clinical Nurse Leader
advanced practice role. The CNL component includes 500 hours of
clinical experience. The RN to MS program is designed for the
working nurse in that classes are held in a blended format of
in-person immersion weekends and web-based learning modalities.
Students generally take from 5 to 7 credit hours per semester and
are considered full-time students. The RN to MS program begins
every Fall (August) as long as a minimum of 8 students are
selected for Admission.
Alternate Entry Master's in Nursing
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The Alternate Entry Master's Program at University of Portland
(AEM UP) is for individuals with a bachelor's degree from an
accredited program in a non-nursing field who seek to enter the
profession of nursing. The AEM UP program has two components
geared to the strengths of second-degree students: 1)
pre-licensure and 2) Clinical Nurse Leader. AEM UP students earn
their Registered Nurse license after successful completion of the
pre-licensure component and then they complete the Clinical Nurse
Leader graduate track. The curriculum is at the master's level
and students do not earn a second bachelor's degree. This program
is an innovative and efficient way for individuals who already
possess a non-nursing bachelor's degree to enter into nursing.
The curriculum builds on the student's prior knowledge and uses
teaching-learning strategies that support the adult learner and
includes extensive mentored clinical experiences.
Doctorate of Nursing Practice
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The Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a
clinical/professional doctorate that prepares graduates for the
highest level of clinical nursing practice. It is not a
research-focused PhD program. Individuals with a Bachelor of
Science in Nursing (BSN) who are accepted to this program will
complete an 82 credit hour Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
clinical track. We also welcome master's prepared Nurse
Practitioners from various specialty areas (e.g. Pediatric,
Adult, and Women's Health) and Clinical Nurse Leaders to apply
for this program. A review of prior graduate coursework is part
of the application process for these individuals. All graduates
of our DNP program will embody the transforming power of
integrative health. The goal of the integrative health component
will be to understand the underlying theory of multiple healing
modalities and practice collaboratively with those who seek care.
We believe this relationship-based care is what society craves. A
new cohort of DNP students begins every summer (May).
Army/Air Force ROTC Nursing
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Consider Army or Air Force Nursing -- a rewarding career that
provides excellent opportunities for continuing education and
travel. The ROTC opportunity can enhance your nursing curriculum
with hands-on leadership training and decision-making skills.
Army/Air Force ROTC offers scholarships that provide full
tuition, room and board plus additional incentives.
