MSN — Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)

A Leader From the Beginning

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, whether they are nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, hospitalists or nurse midwives, are playing a pivotal role in the future of health care. 

  • The year 1965 was a pivotal point in our nation’s history. Sweeping social and healthcare reforms included the Voting Rights Act and the launch of Medicare and Medicaid. 
  • With Medicare and Medicaid came challenges and opportunities. These two programs brought increased healthcare coverage for older adults, people with disabilities and those with lower incomes. But the number of primary care clinicians needed to care for this expanded audience decreased.
  • UCLA has its own place in the early development of educating the nurse practitioner. The Schools of Medicine and Nursing were among the first seven family nurse practitioner programs funded by the Health Resources Service Administration (HRSA) in 1971. In 1994, the school established one of the West’s first (and largest) acute care nurse practitioner programs.

Overall APRN Program

The School of Nursing offers a two-year course of graduate study leading to the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) designed to prepare registered nurses with a bachelor's degree in nursing for advanced practice. The MSN Advanced Practice Registered Nurse/Post-licensure program prepares nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists for the national certification examinations in the specialty that they are admitted into.

Advanced practice specialties offered through the UCLA School of Nursing are as follows:

Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Population

Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Population

Family Population

Pediatric Population