Curriculum

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, global health oncology, research, or 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

Advanced Health Assessment
Advanced Pathophysiology
Advanced Pharmacology
Statistics and Research for Evidence-Based Practice Nursing
Transitions to Professional Practice
Population and Community Health

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 concentrations are: Diabetes Care, Entheogen-Assisted Care in Nursing, Gender and Sexuality Health Justice, Global Health, Integrative Health & Precision Wellness, Oncology, Political Determinants of Health, and Research. Each concentration includes at least four course credits.

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. For additional information, see the tuition and fees section of the YSN website at https://nursing.yale.edu/admissions-aid/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 course series that include diabetes-focused clinical, clinical conference, and a didactic course to prepare students for the comprehensive management of patients with diabetes. 

The concentration is open to M.S.N. 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

Entheogen-Assisted Care in Nursing Concentration

The Yale School of Nursing Entheogen-Assisted Care in Nursing (EACIN) Concentration is committed to preparing nursing professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver person-centered, safe, effective, and ethically-grounded care in the field of entheogen-assisted care. In alignment with YSN’s mission to advance better health for all, this concentration aims to explore the transformative potential of entheogens, conscious-expanding medicines, and nonordinary states of consciousness (NOSC) as pathways to healing, wholistic well-being, and deeper human understanding. Through this program, learners gain a robust understanding of entheogens, their mechanisms of action, applications in therapeutic contexts, cultural considerations, ethical practices, and current research findings while centering reverence for the Indigenous origins of these medicines and creating a platform for their teachings to continue speaking. The EACIN concentration is a 4-credit program and consists of two didactic courses (NURS 6400, Foundations of Entheogen-Assisted Care in Nursing, and NURS 6402, Advanced Therapeutic Applications of Entheogens) as well as three immersive experientials focusing on both theoretical and practical learning frameworks. As EACIN derives from an interdisciplinary lens, this concentration is open to final-year M.S.N. students in all specialties in good academic standing.

Concentration co-directors: Christine Rodriguez and Samantha Korbey

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 M.S.N. 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

Global Health Concentration

The Global Health Concentration is designed to prepare students to serve global populations both internationally and domestically as clinicians, educators, scholars, and policy makers. In the concentration, students are exposed to a range of global health concepts through interdisciplinary didactic coursework and through their global health clinical and scholarly activities. There are five pathways in the concentration, including midwifery, indigenous and modern healthcare, refugee health, mental health, and planetary health. Students are required to enroll in Global Health I and II (NURS 6230 and NURS 6240)* and complete a minimum of 90 Global Health experience hours either in an international setting with YSN-approved preceptors or in a domestic site serving global populations. Additionally, students must complete a pathway-specific elective from a Yale school or department, approved by the concentration coordinator. 

Students enrolled in the Global Health concentration have opportunities to enhance their advanced practice nursing education through structured engagement with Yale School of Nursing’s partner institutions and community organizations in various international settings, including Brazil, Cabo Verde, China, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Panama, and Uganda. 

Concentration coordinator: Zhao Ni

Integrative Health & Precision Wellness Concentration

The Yale School of Nursing Integrative Health & Precision Wellness Concentration is committed to preparing nursing professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver evidence-based, person-centered care that integrates conventional medicine with innovative approaches to prevention, precision wellness, and whole-person health. In alignment with YSN’s mission to advance better health for all, this concentration equips students to address the growing demand for individualized, upstream care by exploring integrative and functional health frameworks, precision wellness tools, and lifestyle-based interventions. Through this program, learners develop expertise in functional laboratory interpretation, nutrigenomics, lifestyle medicine, wearable technology, hormonal health, stress physiology, nutrition, and the mind-body connection to create personalized, data-informed care plans that improve health outcomes. The Integrative Health & Precision Wellness concentration includes didactic coursework during the fall and spring semesters, complemented by 67.5 clinical hours in an integrative health setting that provides hands-on experience applying integrative and precision health principles in clinical practice.

As an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare nurses for an evolving healthcare landscape, this concentration is open to students in their second specialty year and provides a distinctive opportunity to expand clinical expertise, differentiate professional preparation, and lead the future of patient-centered, precision healthcare. 

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 M.S.N. 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

Political Determinants of Health Concentration

The Political Determinants of Health (PDOH) concentration provides a unique collaboration with Meharry University, one of the nation’s oldest and historically black academic colleges. Dr. Daniel Dawes, one of Meharry University’s leaders in public health, will unite in this joint affiliation, drawing on his experience working with President Barack Obama on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and from his PDOH model. This program focuses on health policy and legislation and how disparate impact continues to perpetuate, create, and heavily influence health care outcomes. PDOH is important to examine within the nursing lens to understand the structures and systems that have prevented the realization of health equity in the United States. Health inequities today can be directly linked to political decisions, policies, or legislation, written both in the past and the present, that contribute to perpetuating health inequities—but this can be changed. Addressing PDOH requires action and understanding beyond clinical care and the transformation of nursing’s perspective to include upstream policy systems change and establishing the foundational knowledge for nursing professionals to seek a seat at the table of these important political discussions at the local, state, and federal levels to conceptualize and realize the mission of healthcare for all.

The PDOH concentration consists of a fall and spring didactic component, with forty hours of experiential hours occurring in the spring semester to allow for in-person interactions with local governments, legislative sessions, community advocates for health policy, and grassroot organizations. This course is offered in a live online/hybrid format to accommodate the collaboration of Dr. Daniel Dawes and student clinical academic requirements. 

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, NURS 6150 and NURS 6160, which include a research practicum.

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 per 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