The master’s curriculum is organized by specialty. The first year of the Graduate Entry Prespecialty in Nursing is described separately.

All course descriptions are listed in numerical order in the chapter Courses. Courses designated “a” meet in the fall term. Courses designated “b” meet in the spring term. Courses designated “a” and “b” are yearlong courses. Courses designated “c” meet in the summer. Bracketed courses are not offered in the current academic year. The a/b/c course designations appear in the YSN bulletin only.

Required courses for each specialty are listed in the description of each specialty. The listings describe schedules for full-time study. The course plan for scheduled part-time study may be found online or obtained from the YSN registrar and specialty directors. The school reserves the right to offer course substitutions and to amend the overall curriculum.

Elective courses: Students may elect School of Nursing courses offered by specialties other than the one in which they are enrolled or by other schools or departments within Yale University, with the permission of the course instructor and their specialty director. The School of Nursing also offers electives and concentrations. More information can be found in the chapter Courses and in the sections on concentrations.

The master’s program is designed to prepare advanced practice nurses to provide high-quality evidence-based care, to engage in scholarly inquiry, and to be leaders in the profession. The first year includes assessment of clinical skill development, foundational knowledge in pathophysiology of common diseases, and principles of evidence-based practice. The final year provides advanced clinical management skills, role development, integration of practice and policy theory, and leadership. Students are expected to remain in the specialty to which they were accepted.

The specialties offered in the master’s program are (1) Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner; (2) Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner; (3) Family Nurse Practitioner; (4) Midwifery and/or Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner; (5) Pediatric Nurse Practitioner—Primary Care; (6) Pediatric Nurse Practitioner—Acute Care; and (7) Psychiatric–Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Each student is assigned a faculty adviser who is a clinical expert in the student’s chosen field of specialization. Within the specialty area, emphasis is placed upon the development of clinical judgment. In addition to clinical experience, conferences with individual faculty advisers, group conferences with specialty faculty members, and courses presenting scientific data and content relevant to the specialty area provide opportunity for in-depth study. Students may also have an opportunity to pursue clinical concentrations in the areas of diabetes, oncology, research, and gender and sexuality health justice. Students will be required to have access to transportation for their clinical site placements, including sites away from the State of Connecticut.

The following is a list of core courses for all specialties of the master’s program. In addition, each specialty requires specific didactic and clinical courses, which are listed in the plans of study for each specialty. Course descriptions can be found in the chapter Courses.

Core Courses

NURS 6000	Advanced Health Assessment
NURS 6010	Advanced Pathophysiology
NURS 6020	Advanced Pharmacology
NURS 6040	Statistics and Research for Evidence-Based Practice Nursing
NURS 6050	Transitions to Professional Practice
NURS 6060	Promoting Health in the Community

The required research methods and evidence-based practice course in the first year of specialization provides the foundation for evidence-based, patient-centered care.

The curriculum of specialties is intended to prepare students to apply for certification through credentialing agencies. Please note that there is no program in the nation that can meet each state’s individual certification requirements. The school recommends that students review all state requirements and consult their academic adviser to plan how they can meet those requirements while enrolled in the school.

Concentrations

Yale School of Nursing offers students the opportunity to specialize in a particular concentration area that further develops a clinical or conceptual interest. The four concentrations are: Diabetes Care, Gender and Sexuality Health Justice, Oncology, and Research. Upon completion of the concentration, students may be eligible for the certification exam in the area of the concentration.

First-year specialty students in good standing, and with adviser approval, are encouraged to submit an online application to a concentration of their choice. Those interested are encouraged to visit the YSN website for concentration-specific information. Communication about concentrations is shared by the YSN Office of the Registrar at the beginning of the fall term. Enrollment is limited.

Those pursuing a concentration will incur additional fees. See the tuition and fees section of the YSN website for additional information: https://nursing.yale.edu/enrollment-management/office-financial-aid/tuition-and-fees.

Diabetes Care Concentration

The Diabetes Care concentration consists of a series of courses that focus on advanced preparation in the subspecialty of diabetes care practice and management. It is designed for current M.S.N. students in their final year of study. Students are required to complete a series of clinical practice courses and a didactic course, which includes comprehensive management of patients with diabetes.

The concentration is open to students in the Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Midwifery/Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner—Primary Care, and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner—Acute Care specialties. The concentration is designed to prepare specialists in these fields for practice in diabetes care and management.

All students in the concentration enroll in Advanced Concepts and Principles of Diabetes Care (NURS 6100), and Clinical Practice in Diabetes Care and Management (NURS 6110 and NURS 6111), which require four hours per week of clinical practice. The course work encompasses diabetes care, its complications across the lifespan, and the pathophysiology and management of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, monogenic forms of diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Concentration coordinator: Elizabeth Doyle

Gender and Sexuality Health Justice Concentration

The Gender and Sexuality Health Justice concentration is designed to educate current M.S.N. students in their specialty years about the health disparities of LGBTQI+ patients through a racial and economic justice lens. Students are taught about LGBTQI+ primary care, gender affirming surgery and hormonal care, substance use, trauma-informed care, HIV care, global equity, fertility and reproductive care, disability justice, intersex health, and clinical care and health assessment in LGBTQI+ communities.

The concentration is open to students in the Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Midwifery/Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner- Primary Care, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialties. 

All students in this concentration are required to enroll in Gender and Sexuality Health Justice: Introduction to Health Disparities in LGBTQI+ People (NURS 6180), Gender and Sexuality Health Justice II: Specialized Primary Care of LGBTQI+ Patients and Communities (NURS 6200) and a clinical conference course (NURS 6202). Students may elect to enroll in the didactic courses only without applying to the concentration. Concentration coordinator: Nathan Levitt

Oncology Concentration

The Oncology concentration is designed to provide current M.S.N. students with a foundation of knowledge and skill for an advanced practice nursing role in the care of adults with cancer. Students are required to complete a series of didactic courses and a clinical experience. Opportunities for scholarly activities with faculty are available and encouraged.

The concentration is open to students in the Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, and Family Nurse Practitioner specialties. Students in the Psychiatric–Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner—Primary Care, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner—Acute Care, and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner specialties must obtain permission from the concentration coordinator prior to applying to ensure placements are available. The concentration is not available to Nurse-Midwifery or Nurse-Midwifery/Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner students.

Students are required to enroll in Principles of Advanced Oncology Practice (NURS 6120), Advanced Management of Oncology Problems (NURS 6130), and Oncology Clinical Practicum (NURS 6140) in their final year. Concentration coordinator: Marianne Davies

Research Concentration

The Research concentration is designed to further expose current M.S.N. students to nursing research and foster an interest in future doctoral study. The concentration includes a seminar in which students learn how to review the literature and develop a preliminary proposal that can be used in their application to a Ph.D. program. The concentration includes a research practicum in which students work on faculty research to gain research skills. All students in this concentration enroll in two approved graduate-level Research Seminar courses, which include a research practicum (NURS 6150 and NURS 6160).

The research practicum allows students the opportunity to work on faculty research to gain research skills. The research practicum is an equivalent of three hours per week participating in a faculty member’s ongoing research (45 hours/term). The faculty member will assist the student in preparing goals and objectives for the experience and meet with the student at a minimum of every two weeks for research mentoring and supervision.

The concentration is open to M.S.N. students in their final year of study. Concentration coordinator: Monica Ordway

Global Health Track

The Global Health track is designed to prepare students to serve global populations both internationally and domestically as clinicians, educators, scholars, and policy makers. In the track, students are exposed to a range of global health concepts through interdisciplinary didactic course work and through their clinical and scholarly activities. All students in the track take two approved graduate-level courses in global and planetary health from a preselected list curated from Yale schools or departments. Students must also enroll in Clinical Practice I and II for Global Health Track (NURS 6230 and NURS 6240) and complete a minimum of 60 additional clinical hours either in an international setting with YSN-approved preceptors or in a domestic site serving global populations.

Eligibility The track is open to students in their first year of specialty study in the M.S.N. program. Enrollment is limited. 

Application Requirements Students must complete a track application in the fall term of their first specialty year. Specialty faculty recommendation is required. Students are also strongly advised to discuss their interests with the Global Health track faculty lead prior to applying to the Global Health track.