BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program

The Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing program is designed for students who wish to enter the profession of nursing and for nurses who have earned an associate degree or diploma in nursing and desire to obtain the baccalaureate degree. Applicants must have a minimum of 60 semester hours credit or 90 quarter hours credit composed of both prerequisite and elective work in order to enroll in the upper-division nursing pro-gram. Graduates of this program are prepared to take the licensure examination (NCLEX) to become a registered nurse and to assume entry-level positions in nursing. Our graduates have a high degree of success in passing this exam and are sought after by employers.

The UT School of Nursing at Houston offers four programs that lead to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree: 

BSN Generic
The BSN Generic Program is a five-semester program designed for individuals who wish to enter the profession of nursing. It consists of prerequisite coursework and nursing education curriculum that culminates in the preparation of generalists. This approach allows students the opportunity to become self-directed nursing generalists, capable of functioning in a variety of settings.

BSN Plus – Baccalaureate Plus Program
The Baccalaureate Plus Program is a five-semester program de-signed for individuals who have experience and education in health care or other fields who wish to become registered nurses. Applicants must have a minimum of a baccalaureate degree. Students receive an individualized evaluation of their education and experiential portfolio, and have the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree with up to 11 hours of advanced credit toward a Master of Science in
Nursing degree.

BSN – Accelerated Program
The BSN Accelerated Program is for nursing students who wish to enter the health care work force as quickly as possible. Students participate in a three-semester immersion curriculum, which is an intense didactic and clinical experience designed to prepare nurses to excel on multiple levels quality of care; excellence of skills; and the ability to withstand the stresses of the health care work place.

RN-BSN – Program
for Practicing Nurses
Our RN-BSN/MSN Program is for practicing Registered Nurses with associate degrees or diplomas. With this program RNs can complete their BSNs in three semesters while attending courses as little as once-a-week. The School of Nursing has a continuing commitment to assist returning registered nurses in achieving their baccalaureate degree. RN-BSN/MSN students may also substitute semester hours of designated MSN level courses for the BSN requirements.

MSN Master of Science
in Nursing Program

Graduate education in nursing is designed to provide an opportunity for the student to become a leader. The graduate makes significant contributions to the improvement of health care and influences health care policy through advanced clinical practice and research in order to meet the current needs of society.

Master of Science in Nursing Program Clinical concentrations available:

• Acute Care/Critical Care
• Adult Health
• Emergency Care
• Family Nurse Practitioner
• Gerontology
• Nurse Anesthesia
• Nursing Leadership and Administration in Health Systems
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
• Women’s Health Care
• Oncology 2

1  The School of Nursing offers an Addictions Focus.

2  The School of Nursing offers a post master’s in Palliative Care.

Master of Science in Nursing Program role components available:

Clinical Nurse Specialist
The Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) role prepares advanced practice nurses to function in the roles of direct clinical practice, expert coaching and guidance, consultation, research, leadership and collaboration.

Nurse Practitioner
The Nurse Practitioner (NP) role prepares advanced practice nurses to care for patients across the continuum of care. The focus is on health promotion, risk reduction, prevention and providing interdisciplinary collaborative practice.

Administration
The administration role prepares students to be nurse administrators in the health care delivery system. This role focuses on organizational analysis, design and systems thinking, human resource management, leadership and management development, problem-solving and decision-making, intra- and inter-disciplinary communication and health care delivery issues.

Education
The education role prepares nursing students for faculty positions in programs of basic professional education, staff development or consumer education. This role focuses on curriculum and instructional design, principles of teacher-learner communication, learner assessment and evaluation.

Master of Science in Nursing Program clinical concentration programs:

Acute Care Nursing Program
The Acute Care Nursing Program prepares advanced practice nurses to function in the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and the Nurse Practitioner (NP) roles. The CNS is prepared to work with acutely/critically ill adult populations with complex health problems and in complex health care systems. The focus of the NP program is to prepare advance practice nurses to practice in interdisciplinary collaborative practice models to provide care for physiologically-unstable, technologically-dependent, vulnerable patients. Clinical experience is provided in a variety of acute settings such as intensive care units, step-down units, general care units and clinics with hospital and private practice teams. Graduates of this program are qualified to take the Clinical Specialist Medical-Surgical Nursing examination or the ACNP certification examination offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist examination offered by the American Association of Critical
Care Nurses.

Adult Health Program
The Adult Health Program prepares registered nurses in advanced practice to care for adults from adolescence through the lifespan. A systems approach is used to consider common health problems in adults. A holistic and multidisciplinary approach to patient care focusing on health promotion and disease prevention is emphasized. The clinical component provides experiences in caring for adults in primary care settings. Graduates of the program are qualified to take the ANP certification examination offered by the American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

Emergency Care Nursing
The Emergency Care Nursing Program prepares Nurse Practitioners (NP) and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) to care for persons with primary care as well as non-urgent through emergency conditions. The focus is on the provision of primary and emergency care in many settings with a strong emphasis in emergency departments. The NP program began in 1994 and was the first of its kind in the nation. The CNS emergency program at the UT School of Nursing provides a more generic systems level education related to care of all persons in the ED. The student learns how to develop and implement processes to ensure that high-quality and cost-effective care are delivered in the ED. The student also learns how to monitor the outcomes of the care provided. NP graduates are qualified to sit for the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) certification and the CNS graduates sit for the Med-Surg certification, both administered by the ANCC.