Announcement
Effective September 2027: The University of Rochester School of Nursing & Health Sciences is proud to announce an updated Master's Entry Program (MDE) curriculum, launching for students entering in Fall 2027. Building on the program’s previous curriculum and strong foundation in nursing education, the updated five-semester curriculum provides students with additional time to integrate classroom and clinical experiences while developing the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed for professional nursing practice.
Thoughtful course sequencing supports continuity in clinical development and provides opportunities for students to grow their professional identity over time. In addition to developing fundamental nursing competencies, students will complete master's-level coursework in quality improvement, healthcare policy, evidence-based practice, population health, ethics, and leadership. The curriculum also provides greater flexibility to explore specialty interests through elective coursework and begin considering future opportunities for advanced practice or doctoral study.
See the updated MDE curriculum, including coursework, credits, and clinical hours, below.
Program format
The Master's Direct Entry into Nursing Practice (MDE) program features a full-time curriculum designed to prepare non-nurses to enter the nursing profession with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree.
Over five consecutive semesters, students complete 73 credits, 90 lab/skills hours, and 660 clinical hours. The curriculum prepares students to pass the NCLEX-RN licensing exam and enter professional nursing practice or pursue further advanced nursing education.
In addition to developing foundational nursing competencies, students complete master’s-level coursework in quality improvement, healthcare policy, evidence-based practice, population health, ethics, and leadership. Access, Connection, and Engagement (ACE), leadership, quality and safety, and evidence-based practice are integrated throughout all five semesters and reinforced through a cohesive Graduate Symposium sequence.
Clinical & lab experiences
Students complete clinical rotations across the street at the University of Rochester Medicine Health Sciences Campus, which includes Golisano Children's Hospital, Wilmot Cancer Institute, and Strong Memorial Hospital. In the School’s new, state-of-the-art experiential learning facilities, students build clinical skills through hands-on simulation practice. This experiential learning prepares students to:
- Interact with patients and provide high-quality care
- Build skills and confidence by learning from mistakes in a safe environment
- Solve clinical problems and apply clinical judgment
- Communicate and collaborate as part of a healthcare team
Across all five semesters, sustained clinical immersion and high-fidelity simulation reinforce specialty skills and interprofessional collaboration in medical-surgical, pediatric, obstetric/gynecologic, and psychiatric/mental health settings.
To see a typical course schedule for the Master's Direct Entry into Nursing Practice (MDE) program, visit the Course Schedules webpage.
Electives & professional formation
Built-in elective choices give students the flexibility to explore teaching, leadership, population health, and advanced practice. Options such as teaching and learning, physiology/pathophysiology/pharmacology, evidence-based practice, and foundations of healthcare leadership allow students to develop knowledge aligned with their interests and future goals, including nursing leadership, education, population health, and graduate study.
An expanded Graduate Symposium sequence spans all five semesters, culminating in a fifth symposium and an intensive capstone experience. Together, these experiences support students' transition into professional nursing practice and future advanced study while developing professional identity, reflective practice, and readiness to lead improvement efforts.
Master's Direct Entry into Nursing Practice (MDE) curriculum