Degree Options

The UMKC School of Nursing offers multiple degree and track choices with course scheduling that is variable. The School's location and partnerships provide a wide range of rich clinical experiences, research and specialty opportunities. We are accredited by the CCNE.

The School of Nursing offers a pre-licensure bachelor of science in nursing degree to those who are not registered nurses. It also offers an accelerated program for students who already have a bachelor's degree from another discipline. The School of Nursing's unique RN-to-BSN program (online) is for those who are registered nurses. There are six tracks from which to choose in the MSN program, four of which are online (NNP, Nurse Educator, PNP and WHNP), and the PhD in Nursing program is online with the exception of two summer Research Institutes (4-5 days each). A post-master's DNP program, also online, is our newest addition.

Pre-licensure BSN Program

The School of Nursing offers a pre-licensure BSN program that teaches complex problem solving, leadership and management skills in addition to providing clinical experiences. Students begin nursing coursework in their first semester.

Unlike the traditional two plus two programs, two years of general education, then two years of nursing course work, the UMKC School of Nursing has a 1+3 program, with one year of general education and three years of nursing course work combined with general education courses.

High school graduates admitted into the nursing major should have completed a college preparatory curriculum and ACT. To be considered for direct admission to the clinical major, high school students applying to UMKC for the first time must graduate in the upper 10 percent of their class and have a minimum ACT score of 27. Transfer students must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale. All applicants must demonstrate evidence of personal characteristics and integrity that indicate high probability of successful completion of the degree and meeting criteria to take the National Council of Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

Accelerated Pre-licensure BSN Program

The School of Nursing offers an accelerated pre-licensure BSN program for students who hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college. The program teaches complex problem solving, leadership and management skills in addition to providing clinical experiences. Students must have all pre-requisites completed in a fall semester as clinicals begin in the spring and complete in 18 months.

RN-to-BSN Program

The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Nursing's RN-BSN program is fully accredited and offered online. Students in the continental United States pay resident fees. This innovative program is designed to prepare baccalaureate nurse graduates who are able to meet the current and future demands of the global health care system. This is accomplished through a program that develops and fosters both personal and interpersonal effectiveness in managing health outcomes in a complex and dynamic health care environment. Utilizing a transformational framework, the integrated curriculum addresses the needs of students, the nursing profession, and health care organizations as well as the clients they serve.

There are no bedside clinicals required for this program. Instead, the clinical practicum involves the development and implementation of leadership projects that meet community needs, and appropriate projects are identified in collaboration with students and community health care organizations. In January, 2009, the School of Nursing received funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration within the Department of Health & Human Services to implement the Rural Nursing Initiative (RNI) which will be integrated into the current RN-BSN program and will link distance education rural nursing students with their distance education urban nursing student counterparts. Students who live and work in rural communities will qualify under RNI grant to receive laptops with broadband service while they are enrolled in the RN-BSN program.

Students wishing to attend full-time may start in any fall semester and finish the following fall, or select one of the various part-time plans of study options. Submit your application now and engage with students from all over the country via this innovative, flexible and student-friendly program.

Master's Program

The School of Nursing offers an accredited degree program with six track options for master's students. Students may attend full time or part time. Programs listed as online are assessed resident fees and may have one or two 3-4 day site visits over the course of the program:

• Adult Nurse Practitioner
• Family Nurse Practitioner
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (online)
• Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (online)
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (online)
• Nurse Educator (online)
• A post-master's 12 credit hour online Educator Certificate Program is available

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing

Students in the UMKC PhD in Nursing program attend the program online with the exception of two summer research institutes (on-campus for 4-5 days at the end of July). Specific dates are posted on our website. Students residing in the continental United States with eligibility for Missouri licensure are assessed resident fees for this program. Development of the overall program was guided by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Quality Indicators for Doctoral Education. Students may be admitted to the program either post-BSN or post-MSN and progress through the program on a full-time or part-time basis. As part of the application process, students must find a faculty/mentor match. Direction and advice are given to help with this process.

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Students admitted to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program must be post-master's and nationally certified advanced practice nurses.

The program is online with the exception of two summer workshops that take place about 3-4 days in June in Kansas City. Specific dates can be found on the website. All application materials for the program are due December 1^st. The Doctor of Nursing Practice program will prepare nurses with the knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for fully accountable practice with patients across sites and over time. With the increasing scope of clinical scholarship in nursing and the growth of scientific knowledge in the discipline, doctoral level education is necessary for advanced practice in the dynamic health care arena. The curriculum includes content that will enable the graduate to conduct complex diagnostic and treatment modalities; assess and apply scientific evidence to clinical practice and assimilate in-depth knowledge of biophysical, psychosocial, behavioral and clinical sciences; develop organizational leadership skills; and engage in the process of policy development.

Cooperative Programs

The School of Nursing offers graduate degrees on the campuses of Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, MO, and Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, MO. The Family Nurse Practitioner program is offered in its entirety to these sites. Students in southern and northern Missouri now have the opportunity to earn an MSN degree in these fields. UMKC faculty in St. Joseph and Joplin coordinate and supervise clinical experiences for students. Courses are taught via telecommunications technology.

UMKC faculty in St. Joseph and Joplin coordinate and supervise clinical experiences for students. Courses are taught via telecommunications technology.

Diversity at the UMKC School of Nursing

The UMKC School of Nursing is committed to changing the face of nursing by recruiting and retaining underrepresented populations into the nursing profession. Diversity is a central tenet of the School's goals. Through federal support, the School developed a comprehensive recruitment and retention initiative aimed at underrepresented students in the pre-licensure baccalaureate program. Currently, more than 30 percent of the School's undergraduate students are African American, Hispanic or male. In 2003, the School was one of 16 organizations in the country awarded a federal Nursing Workforce Diversity grant, which provides financial and academic/social support to qualifying disadvantaged students admitted to the clinical major.