The Clinical Nurse Leader program prepares nurses to better understand the challenges and opportunities faced by the broader patient base and health care system. Learn how to put evidence-based practice into action and expand your role as a leader.
Program Length
37 credits
Plus 448 clinical immersion hours
Program Format
Hybrid Online
Coursework is offered in-person or online in the evenings.
Application Deadline
Sept. 15
For the Spring 2026 semester start
Graduates of this program will be prepared to sit for the national certification exam with the Commission on Nurse Certification (CNC) to earn professional certification as a CNL. Over the last four years, 100% of our CNL graduates passed the CNL certification exam on their first attempt.
Why Become a CNL?
There is a critical need to improve the quality of patient care outcomes. Nurses who earn a master's degree as a CNL become clinical leaders who work at the complex intersection of clinical care, population health, and health care management to focus on safety and quality.
Program Curriculum & Outcomes
We were one of the first institutions to offer a master’s degree aligned with the CNL certification, and we are the only CNL program in Upstate NY. The CNL program features hybrid coursework and an immersion experience/capstone project, preparing nurses to:
put evidence-based clinical practice into action with a focus on safety and quality
improve patient care at the point of care delivery
expand their role as care coordinators, clinical informaticists, unit educators, program coordinators, nurse managers, or nurse executives.
The CNL degree really prepares you to jump into any environment and change it for the better. In my current role, I am able to dive into clinical challenges that people are having or clinical workflows on a unit and find ways for technology to meet those needs.
Linda Migliore is a well-known clinical leader with more than four decades of leadership experience at the University of Rochester Medical Center; providing leadership as a senior nurse manager, retention officer, and leadership internship coordinator, as well as co-coordinator for the nursing leadership and nurse manager orientation programs. Having earned a CNL degree from the University of Rochester School of Nursing in 2012, she has specialized in staff and leadership development focusing on how successful leaders impact patient outcomes.
Graduates of this program will be prepared to sit for the national certification exam with the Commission on Nurse Certification (CNC) to earn professional certification as a CNL. Over the last four years, 100% of our CNL graduates passed the CNL certification exam on their first attempt. 
