The University of Washington's School of Nursing has been at the top of the U.S. News and World Report's rankings of nursing schools for 16 years. For undergraduate students, there is a nursing honors program where bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) students take special seminars in nursing topics and complete a research project with the assistance of a faculty mentor. Students who have a previous bachelor's degree in a non-nursing subject can enroll in either an accelerated BSN program. At the graduate level, there are master's and doctoral degree programs in specialties such as nurse-midwifery, community health, pediatrics and psychiatric nursing. For those who are interested in becoming a professor of nursing, the PhD program prepares students for a career in academia. A number of certificates are also available for graduate students who wish to add to their program's standard curriculum, including certificates in complementary/alternative medicine, infant mental health, infectious disease control and nursing leadership.
University of Washington School of Nursing
1959 NE Pacific Street
Seattle, WA 98195
206-543-8736
son.washington.edu
The University of California's San Francisco (UCSF) campus is home to the UC's graduate health science programs. Although undergraduate programs are not offered at UCSF's School of Nursing, there is a program available for registered nurses without a bachelor's degree to complete their BS through another university in the area, and then receive priority consideration for admission into one of UCSF's graduate programs. There are two different types of master's programs available: a three-year program for students with a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field and two-year degrees for students who already have a BSN. Students in both types of master's programs choose from a variety of concentrations, including oncology, environmental health and cardiovascular nursing. Minors are also available in fields such as HIV/AIDS and mental health nursing. At the doctoral level, UCSF offers three different PhDs in the nursing field. The traditional PhD focuses on research in the areas of family health care, community health or physiological nursing. For students with a particular interest in health-care policy, there is a separate PhD track with an emphasis on nursing health policy. Lastly, the School of Nursing's PhD in sociology focuses specifically on the sociological aspects of health care.
University of California- San Francisco
Nursing Student Affairs Office
2 Koret Way, #N-319X
UCSF Box 0602
San Francisco, CA 94143
415-476-4544
nurseweb.ucsf.edu
The University of Pennsylvania's School of Nursing Science provides an Ivy League education with a wealth of options. Undergraduate students can choose from a range of double major or minor options outside of the nursing school, the most popular of which is a double major in nursing and health-care management through Penn's prestigious Wharton School of Business. Another dual degree option allows qualified students to begin taking law classes during their senior year in the nursing program, meaning they can earn both degrees in six years instead of the typical seven. In order to serve the large number of nurses in the greater Philadelphia area, Penn offers nearly 20 different master's-level programs, including 11 unique nurse-practitioner training programs ranging from pediatric critical care to gerontology. Other master's level programs train students for certain specialty careers, such as that of a nurse anesthetist or health-care administrator. Students in the doctoral program also have multiple options, such as earning any of the aforementioned master's degrees en route to the PhD. Doctoral students can also choose to combine nursing study with a master's in bioethics through Penn's School of Medicine or an MBA through the Wharton School of Business.
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Claire M. Fagin Hall
418 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-898-8281
nursing.upenn.edu