The University of Virginia was founded in 1819 by Thomas
Jefferson, and opened for classes in 1825. Today, the University
comprises ten independent schools with approximately 20,000
students. Although a public institution, the University remains
highly competitive and is consistently ranked among the very best
institutions of higher education in the nation.
The University is located in Charlottesville, in the foothills of
the Blue Ridge Mountains in Central Virginia. The city is
approximately 1 hour from Richmond and two hours from Washington
DC by automobile.
Since 1901, the UVa School of Nursing has educated professional
nurses for positions at every level of health care practice.
Nearly a century later, we have earned a national reputation for
excellence in education, research, and practice, and are ranked
among the top twenty-five public nursing schools in the country.
The School was accredited in 2004 by the Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education (CCNE) and by the Virginia Board of Nursing.
Throughout our long and distinguished history of excellence, UVa
nursing graduates have cared for patients in homes, clinics,
hospitals, and even on foreign battlefields. As our country has
grown, so has the nursing profession and the University of
Virginia's nursing program. Today, the School of Nursing confers
bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, as well as
graduate-level nurse practitioner certification in primary and
acute care, as well as psychiatric-mental health nursing.
Preparation is also given for Clinical Nurse Specialists in
acute/specialty care and in psychiatric-mental health nursing.
Here in the U.Va. School of Nursing, our nurse educators have
designed innovative programs and curricula that prepare graduates
for critical thinking and maximum employment flexibility. Our
nurse researchers address health care delivery and economic
implications in their studies.
BSN Program
Back to top
The School of Nursing offers a traditional, four-year
undergraduate degree in nursing which admits students directly
from high school, as well as transfer students who have completed
at least 30 transferable credits. Students may transfer into either the Second or Third Year of the BSN program. All BSN students take courses
in anatomy and physiology, growth and development, pharmacology,
pathophysiology, administration, and nursing practice. Graduates
of the program are eligible to take the National Council
Licensure Examination.
RN-to-BSN Program
Back to top
Designed to meet the needs of registered nurses seeking to earn a
Bachelor's degree, this program requires a total of 120 semester
hours to be completed through course enrollment at the University
of Virginia, transfer of credit from other institutions of higher
education, and/or advanced standing credit. The BSN degree is
awarded after successful completion of prerequisite courses and
the equivalent of one year of full-time study in the School of
Nursing. Many courses in the RN-to-BSN program are available via
distance-learning. Full-time students can complete the program in
two semesters; part-time students take two classes per semester
for four terms.
Second Degree Program
Back to top
The School of Nursing offers a MSN degree for non-nurses with a
Bachelor's degree (or higher) in another subject matter. The
option takes into account the educational, career and life
experiences of the individual as well as critical thinking
ability and maturity. This program prepares individuals as
clinical nursing leaders at the unit level (in-patient,
out-patient, or community). Course pre-requisites include anatomy
and physiology, pathophysiology, statistics, and a course in human
growth/development. The MSN degree is awarded after successful
completion of 24-months of full-time study in the School of
Nursing. The application deadline is February 1 for entry in the
fall semester.
MSN and Post-Master's Programs
Back to top
The School of Nursing offers many MSN and Post-Master's programs
for those with BSN or MSN degrees. These programs are designed to
prepare advanced practice nurses capable of providing expert
clinical practice, assessment of outcomes, research, teaching,
collaboration, and consultation within nursing and health care
systems serving diverse populations. These nurses will be able to
function in a variety of roles, including the roles of clinical
nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, public/community health
nurse, and nurse administrator.
Both the MSN and Post-master's programs offer preparation for the
following roles:
- Acute & Specialty Care Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Community & Public Health Leadership
- Community & Public Health Leadership/FNP, PNP or GNP
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Geriatric Nurse Practitioner
- Health Systems Management
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Wound, Ostomy & Continence Nurse
- MSN/MA in Bioethics
- MSN/MBA
- MSN/PhD
PhD Program
Back to top
At the University of Virginia School of Nursing, we believe that
scholarly achievement in nursing is accomplished through a spirit
of free inquiry directed toward a better understanding of human
existence, especially in relation to health and illness.
Operating within this philosophy, the PhD program is designed to
prepare scholars who will advance nursing knowledge through
participation in the study of particular phenomena and in the
identification of central domains related to these phenomena.
Graduates are prepared to engage in continuing scholarship and
research which both contributes to the knowledge base of the
discipline of nursing, and addresses bio-ethical issues in
nursing and health care. All PhD in Nursing students receive two
years of full scholarship and are awarded a Graduate Assistant
position. We also offer a BSN-to-PhD option.
Doctor of Nursing Practice - DNP
Back to top
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program builds upon MSN
preparation in a specialty area (advanced practice, public
health, administration, etc). The DNP program prepares
individuals at the highest level of nursing practice for roles in
the clinical arena and for teaching. The core DNP classes are
offered on an executive format conducive to distance learning.
The DNP program curriculum for most students will be a minimum of
38 credits. All DNP students will pursue some courses in common
(the core curriculum). With your faculty mentor you will also
select 9 credits of cognates drawn from the offerings of the
University of Virginia or elsewhere to contribute to your
scholarly project. Students will also complete additional
clinical requirements to meet the mandated 1000 hours of
specialty training that is one of the hallmarks of a DNP
graduate. The core DNP classes are offered on an executive format with few visits to campus over the year.
Diversity
Back to top
The UVA School of Nursing has a long history of facilitating
diversity among its faculty, students and staff. We prepare
future leaders who believe that all people should have access and
deserve the best care possible. We remain steadfast in our
commitment to ensure that our curriculum addresses the diversity
that lies within the populations that we serve.
Ongoing faculty research includes:
- Complementary & Alternative Therapies
- Primary Care in underserved communities
- Rural Health Care Research Center
- Care of vulnerable and minority elder adults
- Evaluation of new health care products to improve patient outcomes
The University of Virginia has many organizations and support
networks for students including the Office for African-American
Affairs, the International Center, and the Multicultural
Pavilion.