Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

MSN Specialty Tracks

Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

The Master of Science in Nursing with Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist allows students to concentrate on this area of content and practice. Nurses with advanced practice preparation may work in acute, primary, or long-term care settings. The student learns the process of developing and sustaining evidence-based practice in illness management, advancing the practice of other nurses and nursing personnel, and developing organizational or systems modifications to support and improve nursing practice. The traditional CNS roles of expert clinical practice, consultation, clinical leadership, research and education are shaped toward producing desirable patient outcomes as the CNS works in several spheres of influence. Graduates are eligible to apply to the state of California for certification as Clinical Nurse Specialists, and may apply for a national credential through examination by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Program Distinctives

• Clinical experiences include hospital care services for diverse cultural/ethnic groups, the poor, the underserved, and the homeless.
• Accredited by WASC and CCNE
• Approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing
• Graduates may apply for national certification through examination by ANCC.

Program Benefits

• The MSN/Adult CNS is designed for the working professional, offering part-time class schedules, evening courses, and customized clinical hours.
• Clinical placement is arranged by faculty.
• Students receive personalized attention in a supportive Christian environment.
• Clinical faculty are experienced as clinical nurse specialists or nurse practitioners in a variety of settings.
• Students may receive traineeships (partial tuition reimbursement) when available through a federal grant.
• Financial aid is available through scholarships and loans.

Program Requirements

For details of Academic Core and Advanced Practice Core courses, please see MSN program requirements.

The Adult CNS includes 11 clinical units equalling 528 clinical hours.

Units shown in parentheses are theory units/clinical units.

*Students must choose either the thesis or comprehensive exam option for one unit of credit to complete the program. For students choosing the thesis, the two-unit course GNRS 514 is a prerequisite to proposing a thesis.

Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP)

This specialty program prepares students to be nurse practitioners for patients across the adult years. The program prepares graduates for certification by the state of California and provides preparation for ANP National Certification examinations. This advanced clinical practice specialty includes direct patient assessment, diagnosis, management, and treatment, client advocacy, client/family education, consultation, and program planning, implementation, evaluation and research. A post-master’s credential is also available.

Program Distinctives

• Clinical experiences include primary health care services for diverse cultural/ethnic groups, the poor, the underserved, and the homeless.
• Accredited by WASC and CCNE
• Approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing
• Graduates may apply for national certification through examination by ANCC.

Program Benefits

• The ANP is designed for the working professional, offering part-time class schedules, evening courses, and customized clinical hours.
• Clinical placement is arranged by faculty.
• Students receive personalized attention in a supportive Christian environment.
• Clinical faculty are experienced as nurse practitioners in a variety of settings.
• Students may receive traineeships (partial tuition reimbursement) when available through a federal grant.
• Financial aid is available through scholarships and loans.

Program Requirements

For details of Academic Core and Advanced Practice Core courses, please see MSN program requirements.

The ANP includes 12 clinical units equalling 576 clinical hours.

Units shown in parentheses are theory units/clinical units.

*Students must choose either the thesis or comprehensive exam option for one unit of credit to complete the program. For students choosing the thesis, the two-unit course GNRS 514 is a prerequisite to proposing a thesis.

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

This specialty program prepares students to be nurse practitioners for patients across the human lifespan. The program prepares graduates for certification by the state of California and provides preparation for FNP National Certification examinations. This advanced clinical practice specialty includes direct patient assessment, diagnosis, management, and treatment, client advocacy, client/family education, consultation, and program planning, implementation, evaluation and research. A post-master’s credential is also available.

Program Distinctives

• Approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN)
• Graduates are eligible for the Nurse Practitioner Certification in California and qualified to sit for FNP national certifying examinations.
• Clinical experiences include primary health care of diverse cultural/ethnic groups, the poor, the underserved, and the homeless.
• Accredited by WASC and CCNE
• Approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing

Program Benefits

• The FNP is designed for the working professional, offering part-time class schedules, evening courses, and customized clinical hours.
• Students receive personalized attention in a supportive Christian environment.
• Clinical faculty are experienced as nurse practitioners in a variety of settings.
• Students may receive traineeships (partial tuition reimbursement) when available through a federal grant.
• Financial aid is available through scholarships and loans.

Program Requirements

For details of Academic Core and Advanced Practice Core courses, please see MSN program requirements.

The FNP includes 13 clinical units equalling 624 clinical hours.

Units shown in parentheses are theory units/clinical units.

*Students must choose either the thesis or comprehensive exam option for one unit of credit to complete the program. For students choosing the thesis, the two-unit course GNRS 514 is a prerequisite to proposing a thesis.

Parent-Child Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

The Master of Science in Nursing with the Parent-Child Clinical Nurse Specialist Credential allows students to specialize in parent-child clinical areas such as pediatrics or obstetrics for content and practice. Students work closely with faculty and clinical preceptors to obtain the theory and practice skills essential for their functional role as teacher or clinical specialist. A post-master’s credential is also available.

Program Distinctives

• Clinical experiences include hospital care services for diverse cultural/ethnic groups, the poor, the underserved, and the homeless.
• Accredited by WASC and CCNE
• Approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing
• Graduates with pediatric focus may apply for national certification through examination by ANCC.

Program Benefits

• The MSN/Parent-Child CNS is designed for the working professional, offering part-time class schedules, evening courses, and customized clinical hours.
• Clinical placement is arranged by faculty.
• Students receive personalized attention in a supportive Christian environment.
• Clinical faculty are experienced as clinical nurse specialists or nurse practitioners in a variety of settings.
• Students may receive traineeships (partial tuition reimbursement) when available through a federal grant.
• Financial aid is available through scholarships and loans.

Program Requirements

For details of Academic Core and Advanced Practice Core courses, please see MSN program requirements.

The Parent-Child CNS includes 11 clinical units equalling 528 clinical hours.

Units shown in parentheses are theory units/clinical units.

*Students must choose either the thesis or comprehensive exam option for one unit of credit to complete the program. For students choosing the thesis, the two-unit course GNRS 514 is a prerequisite to proposing a thesis.

Parish Nursing (PN)

Parish nursing is an interdisciplinary program that prepares nurses to serve within churches or other religiously based settings as nurse specialists in spiritual aspects of patient care.

The parish nurse serves as a church staff associate to the minister (clergy) for health ministry and spiritual care. This program integrates formal theological knowledge and methodology, professional ministry skills, and advanced nursing practice to address the bioethical, health, and spiritual concerns of a faith-based community, its members, and its neighbors. That is, both a ministry of health and faith integration, health maintenance, and health promotion for the prayer community itself, and mission outreach for health advocacy and social ethics are encompassed within this specialization. The uniqueness of this program resides in the depth of theological knowledge and ministry skill that is required to be integrated into advanced nursing practice. A post-master’s nursing credential is also available.

This specialty is also open to ministry students, who are ordained clergy or who are seeking ordination to professional ministry, and who wish an interdisciplinary emphasis on the integration of health and spirituality, health maintenance, and health promotion within congregations and faith traditions/denominations. For ministry students, a health ministries focus is individually designed to meet the specific ministry needs of the student (e.g., family health ministries, older adult-enablement health ministries, youth and child health ministries, women’s health ministries, etc.).

For details of Academic Core and Advanced Practice Core courses, please see MSN program requirements.

*Students must choose either the thesis or comprehensive exam option for one unit of credit to complete the program. For students choosing the thesis, the two-unit course GNRS 514 is a prerequisite to proposing a thesis.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)

This PNP specialty prepares registered nurses to be nurse practitioners with children and their families in primary health care settings. This advanced practice specialty includes direct client assessment, diagnosis, management, and treatment, client advocacy, client/family education, consultation, and program planning, implementation, evaluation, and research. Graduates are eligible to apply to the state of California for certification as a Nurse Practitioner. They are also qualified to seek national certification by examination through specialty boards for the PNP.

Program Distinctives

• Clinical experiences include primary health care services for diverse cultural/ethnic groups, the poor, the underserved, and the homeless.
• Accredited by WASC and CCNE
• Approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing

Program Benefits

• The PNP is designed for the working professional, offering part-time class schedules, evening courses, and customized clinical hours.
• Clinical placement is arranged by faculty.
• Students receive personalized attention in a supportive Christian environment.
• Clinical faculty are experienced as nurse practitioners in a variety of settings.
• Students may receive traineeships (partial tuition reimbursement) when available through a federal grant.
• Financial aid is available through scholarships and loans.

Program Requirements

For details of Academic Core and Advanced Practice Core courses, please see MSN program requirements.

The PNP includes 12 clinical units equalling 576 clinical hours.

Units shown in parentheses are theory units/clinical units.

*Students must choose either the thesis or comprehensive exam option for one unit of credit to complete the program. For students choosing the thesis, the two-unit course GNRS 514 is a prerequisite to proposing a thesis.