As a leading academic institution, the UCSF School of Nursing continuously evaluates how well our educational programs are meeting the contemporary needs of our students and our ability to address the demands of the ever-evolving health care environment. To meet these goals and advance our educational mission, the school is excited to expand its doctoral education opportunities in 2023 to prepare more nurses to lead innovations in health care.
The school will also pause the Master’s Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) while our evaluation of our academic offerings continues. The decision to pause MEPN will be reassessed in fall 2025. Learn more about this decision on the program's FAQ page.
(Updated June 6, 2023)
Curriculum
The first year of study in the accelerated, three-year Master's Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) includes all the didactic and clinical nursing study usually distributed over one year. It entails 30-37 hours of class and clinical work per week, in addition to study time. Consequently, it is not advisable for students to be employed or take additional coursework during their first year in MEPN.
In the final two years of the program, students join our Master of Science degree program for graduate level nursing specialty training, choosing from a comprehensive selection of specialties and training at sites in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. More information about this portion of the program is available on the Master of Science Program section of our website. These final two years of the program are more individually paced and it may be feasible for students to work part time.
Clinical Sites
Clinical teaching sites are located at major medical centers throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area, within an estimated 50-mile radius of the School of Nursing. By lottery system, each student is assigned rotations at three or more different sites, affording broad exposure to renowned centers of patient care and research.
Students are expected to provide their own transportation to all clinical site locations. It is strongly recommended that students have access to a vehicle or personal transportation, as most clinical sites are not accessible by public transportation.
MEPN First-Year Sample Curriculum
|
Session/ |
Course |
Theory |
Clinical |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Summer |
N141 Pharmacology and Nursing Care |
3.0 |
|
|
Summer |
N142 Intro to Professional Nursing |
3.0 |
8.0 |
|
Summer |
N145 Pathophysiology |
5.0 |
|
|
Fall |
N143 Effective Communication |
3.0 |
|
|
Fall |
N144 Adult Med.-Surgery/Geriatric Nursing |
4.5 |
9.0 |
|
Winter |
N146 Parent-Child Nursing |
4.0 |
3.5 |
|
Winter |
N148 Socio-Cultural Issues in Health, Illness |
2.0 |
|
|
Winter |
N149 Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing |
3.0 |
3.0 |
|
Spring |
N147 Childbearing Families |
4.0 |
3.5 |
|
Spring |
N150 Community Health Nursing |
4.0 |
3.0 |
|
Spring |
N151 Issues in Nursing |
3.0 |
|
|
Totals: |
68.5 units |
38.5 |
30 |
View the objectives for year one of the MEPN program, which provides students with the essential knowledge and skills to take the NCLEX licensure examination and enter the Master of Science degree specialty area.
Certifications
Upon completion of the Master's Entry Program in Nursing, which leads to a Master of Science degree in nursing, students will be eligible to apply for certain national certifications. More detailed certification information for each specialty is outlined on each specialty webpage. Please also see the following notification.
Faculty
Angelita Barrios,DNP, RN, CNS: N142, N142A, N142B, N144, N144A
Cynthia Belew, MS, RN, CNM: N147, N147A
Pam Bellefeuille, RN, MN, ACNS-BC: N144, N144A
Lynda Creighton-Wong, MS, RN, PMHNP-BC: N149, 149A, N151
Kristina Fortes, MS, RN: N141
Katie Hettinger, MS, RN: N142, N142A, N142B, N144, N144A
Kate Holbrook, MS, RN, CNS: N150, N150A
Lin Lin, PhD, RN: N146, N146A, N145
Deena Mallareddy, MS, RN, CNM: N147, N147A
Kevin McGirr, MS, MPH, RN: N143
Andrea Zengion, MS, ND, CNS: N145
Program Leadership
MEPN Director
Marianne Biangone, PhD, RN, PHN
Assistant Director
Lin Lin, PhD, RN
Program Coordinator
Kizza Chadiha