Why study this program?

The MN program prepares nurses to fulfil advanced nursing roles in diverse settings, including education roles in academic and clinical settings, formal leadership and management roles, clinical nurse practitioner roles,  emerging roles in health care organizations, and preparation for advanced research training. The program creates opportunities to develop advanced knowledge and skills that support inquiry and research to address issues in  health care and nursing practice. Both course-based and thesis-based study options provide a solid foundation for pursuing a PhD in Nursing.

Students who choose a clinical focus may, upon completion of the MN program, apply for Nurse Practitioner (NP) Adult licensure, Nurse Practitioner (NP) Family All Ages licensure, or Nurse Practitioner (NP) Neonate with the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA). See the Faculty of Nursing website for further information about available clinical areas of focus.

Students who have previously completed a Master of Nursing and who wish to be eligible for entry-to-practice as a Nurse Practitioner (Adult, Family/All Ages, or Neonate) may also complete required course work as Post-MN students.

The PhD (Nursing) program is designed to educate for excellence in the development and testing of nursing knowledge and research-based nursing practice. The number and types of courses included in the program will vary according to the individual needs of the student.

The Graduate Embedded Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Nursing Education is recognition of the completion of three specific graduate level courses in teaching and learning. This certificate is provided to those students who, upon fulfillment of the requirements for either the Master of Nursing or PhD (Nursing) Program, have focused on the practice of teaching and completed the three graduate level teaching and learning courses. Preferably, students will declare an intention to receive the Graduate Embedded Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Nursing Education at the beginning of their graduate program.

Entrance Requirements

For the Master of Nursing, the Faculty’s minimum admission requirements are:

• an undergraduate degree in Nursing with an admission GPA of at least 3.0 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent institution.  The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.
• Three letters of reference.
• An undergraduate course in each of statistics and research methods, with a minimum grade of B (or equivalent), preferably completed within the past six years.
• Students applying to the advanced clinical focus (Nurse Practitioner) stream must provide evidence of 4500 hours of registered nursing practice, appropriate to the program category (i.e. Adult, Neonate, or Family/All Ages), prior to entering the program. Applicants must be licensed as a Registered Nurse in a Canadian nursing regulatory jurisdiction.
• Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency (refer to English Language Requirement). Any one of the following is acceptable:
  • A TOEFL score of at least 97 (internet-based) with the following minimum scores on each of the individual skill areas: Listening-27, Reading-21, Writing-27, Speaking-23, or equivalent;
  • an IELTS overall score of 7.0 with the following minimum scores: Listening-7.5, Reading-6.5, Writing-7.0, Speaking-7.0, Overall-7.0.

The requirement for a test of English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirement will be waived for applicants who are currently licensed as an RN with a Canadian nursing regulator.

For the PhD in Nursing, the Faculty’s minimum admission requirements are:

• a Master’s degree in Nursing with an admission GPA of at least 3.5 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework. Students who do not hold the equivalent to this degree may be admitted and required to undertake additional course work in nursing theory, practice and/or research.
• A GPA of 3.5 in the last two years of study.
• Graduate qualitative and quantitative (with some statistics) research courses, or one graduate course in statistics and one in research methods (or equivalent), with a final grade of B or higher.
• Completion of an interview with the prospective supervisor and/or Graduate Admission Committee.
• Written agreement with a supervisor.
• Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency (refer to English Language Requirement). Any one of the following is acceptable:
  • A TOEFL score of at least 97 (internet-based) with the following minimum scores on each of the individual skill areas: Listening-27, Reading-21, Writing-27, Speaking-23, or equivalent;
  • an IELTS overall score of 7.0 with the following minimum scores: Listening-7.5, Reading-6.5, Writing-7.0, Speaking-7.0, Overall-7.0.

The requirement for a test of English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirement will be waived for applicants who are currently licensed as an RN with a Canadian nursing regulator.

The Faculty of Nursing also requires:

• Three letters of reference from academics and professionals knowledgeable about the applicant’s academic and professional capabilities.
• Current curriculum vitae.
• A sample of written scholarly work, preferably a work in which the applicant is the sole or primary author.
• A completed “Background Information on PhD Applicant” form, available on the Faculty of Nursing website, that clearly outlines the applicant’s academic, research and professional plans/expectations including: (a) Career Plans; (b) Research; (c) PhD Program Plan / Supervisory Expectations; (d) Name of Potential PhD Program/Dissertation Supervisor; (e) Awards/Financial Assistance applied for, if applicable.

The MN Bypass allows for outstanding MN Candidates who have successfully completed coursework in the MN program to request a change of program category to the PhD program without completing the MN degree. Additional research experience may be required within the PhD program for students selecting this option. See the Graduate Program Manual 7.2 Change of Category and see the Nursing website for the MN Bypass process.