Nursing Programs

Undergraduate Programs

The Baccalaureate Nursing program is an upper division program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Candidates for the program take their first two (i.e. freshman and sophomore) years of general education credits at any accredited college of their choice.

There are two tracks of study in the BSN program:

1. Accelerated Track - designed to meet the learning needs of the individual who has completed a prior BS or higher degree in a field other than nursing. The Accelerated Track will require 15 months of continuous full time intensive study. The faculty recommends that students in this track do not work while in the program. Candidates will be admitted to this track once per year in May. More information on specific admissions requirements and required prerequisite courses can be found under the "Admissions" tab of the website.
2. Traditional Track - an upper division completion track for individuals completing their first baccalaureate degree and who are not registered nurses. Students will complete this program in 2 years of study with summers off. Candidates are admitted in both the fall and spring semester of each year. More information on specific admissions requirements and required prerequisiste courses can be found under the "Admissions" tab of the website.

At the time of application, all science and math prerequisite course requirements must be completed. Additionally, applicants must have completed at least 51 of the required 60 semester course hours of prerequisite courses at the time of application. The required prerequisite courses can be found under the "Admissions" portion of the website.

Graduate Programs

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Nursing Graduate Nursing Program offers educational opportunities for students at the Masters, Post-Masters, and Doctoral levels.

Our Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program is comprised of six majors: (1) Administrative Management, (2) Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL), (3) Family Nurse Practitioner, (4) Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner,(5) Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care, and (6) Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Students can enter the program as traditional Post-Baccalaureates in Nursing, completing 40-50 semester credit hours of graduate level coursework.

Students without a BSN can enter the Alternate Entry Masters Degree for ADN/Diploma RNs program and select from the following majors: (1) Clinical Nurse Leader, (2) Administrative Management, (3) Family Nurse Practitioner, (4) Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, (5) Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care, and (6) Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Students complete 21 semester credit hours of undergraduate level coursework while beginning their graduate level courses to earn their Masters degree.

MSN-prepared nurses interested in obtaining a Post-MSN Certificate as a Nurse Practitioner may select from three areas of specialization: (1) Family Nurse Practitioner, (2) Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care, and (3) Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Students can expect to take a minimum of 23 semester credit hours towards their certificate. However, total semester credit hours needed for completion is determined on a case by case basis once admission is offered.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program is designed as the highest possible degree for nurses committed to clinical work. The DNP is an outgrowth of increasingly complex healthcare system that requires advanced practice nurses to understand leadership, policy, economics, quality and safety issues, apply and translate research into practice, and to be leaders of multidisciplinary practice initiatives. The program is for students who already hold a master's degree in nursing. Three leadership tracks are available: Nurse Practitioner Leadership, Executive Administrative Management, Public Health Nurse Leader. The Post-MSN pathway ranges between 41-51 semester credit hours depending on the track chosen. Part-time and Full-time study options are available.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice requires that all students must have 1,000 clinial/practicum hours post bachelors to DNP. Clinical/practicum hour requirements for nurses in the UTHSCSA Post-Master´s DNP program are: Nurse Practitioner Leadership: 360 hours, Executive Admistrative Management: 540 hours and Public Health Nurse Leader: 360 hours. More hours may be required to complete the total 1,000 hour requirement depending on review of hours completed at the Masters level.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing prepares students for careers as clinical nurse scientists and faculty. Admission into the program is only offered once a year, with an application deadline of February 1st for students to begin classes in Fall. Admission can occur at the Post-BSN or Post-MSN levels. Individuals with MSN degrees will receive advanced placement related to their graduate coursework. In contrast to the practice-based DNP, this doctoral program is rooted in foundations of theory and research with the expectation of students to become teachers and disseminators of knowledge in the field of Nursing.

With a combined total of 14 different possible options towards obtaining a degree or certificate, along with a variety of pathways of entry into the graduate program, you are sure to find an area of study to suit your higher education goals at the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Nursing Graduate Nursing Program. Welcome!

Note: All programs offer part-time and full-time study options. All programs, except the PhD in Nursing, accept applicants for Fall (January 10th deadline) and Spring (July 1st deadline). The PhD and DNP programs admit only once a year with an application deadline of February 1st for Fall entry.