COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Science in Nursing program at CSUSB is a 38-unit graduate program designed to prepare nurse educators and leaders in population health promotion. The program emphasizes teaching, clinical practice, leadership, and service in culturally diverse settings, equipping graduates to work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals in academic, clinical, and community-based environments. Core requirements, totaling 28 units, cover essential nursing knowledge and advanced practice skills, including integrated pathophysiology, health assessment, pharmacology, epidemiology, biostatistics, evidence-based practice, and ethical leadership in population health. Students also develop expertise in nursing education through courses on curriculum design, assessment and evaluation, instructional technology, and both clinical and academic teaching internships.In addition to the core, students complete a 10-unit concentration in Population Health Leadership for Nurse Educators, which includes courses on assessing population health, planning health programs, and an integration practicum to apply learning in real-world settings. The program culminates in a comprehensive examination designed to evaluate students’ critical thinking, knowledge integration, and mastery of core and concentration competencies. Students must be advanced to candidacy at least one term before taking the examination, which ensures readiness for this integrative assessment. If a student does not pass the comprehensive exam on the first attempt, they may petition to retake it within a year, with guidance from their advisor to address any areas needing improvement.The program is offered primarily online, with practicum and internship experiences providing hands-on, project-based learning. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to remain in good standing, reflecting the program’s rigorous academic and professional standards. Overall, the MS in Nursing balances advanced nursing theory, evidence-based practice, leadership development, and practical application, preparing graduates to excel as nurse educators, advance population health initiatives, and contribute to the improvement of healthcare outcomes in a variety of professional settings.