School of Nursing

Currently, the profession of nursing is undergoing many transformative, positive changes. With these changes comes the necessary modification of the programs that educate graduate-level nurses across the country. Specifically, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has made two ground-breaking decisions that affect all schools of nursing in the United States:

 (1) The development and implementation of a new nursing role at the master’s level: The Clinical Nurse Leader.

 (2) The conversion of all programs that educate advanced practice nurses (e.g. nurse practitioners) from the master’s level to the clinical doctorate level by 2015. See the AACN website for more information on the Doctorate of Nursing Practice.

The School of Nursing wholeheartedly supports these changes and this new direction of nursing education. We have phased out our Family Nurse Practitioner master’s program and now offer a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) master’s degree and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) program with a Family Nurse Practitioner clinical track. The CNL will most likely become the only degree offered at the master’s level in nursing schools across the nation. But, you can be on the cutting-edge of the nursing education wave of the future, by joining our CNL program today. Or, if you are interested in earning your DNP at the University of Portland, you can look forward to being part of an equally innovative, unique program since it will have an integrative health component and an emphasis on relationship-based care.

Our personalized education and dedication to your success are the major reasons students come to the University of Portland School of Nursing for graduate study. There are three ways you can earn your CNL master’s degree at the University of Portland, based on your level and area of education:

(1) The Alternate Entry Master's in Nursing (AEM UP) program. This program is for individuals who have a bachelor's degree in a field other than nursing and have completed (or are in the process of completing) the required prerequisites.  Graduates of the program earn their Registered Nurse license and their Master of Science degree as a Clinical Nurse Leader. A new cohort of students begins every July. 

(2) The CNL program. To be eligible for this program, you must already have your Bachelor of Science in Nursing and an R.N. license to practice in Oregon. A new cohort of students begins every May. 

(3) The RN to MS program. This program provides an efficient path for associate degree nurses to earn a Clinical Nurse Leader master's degree. A new cohort of students begins every August.