Nursing [Graduate]

Faculty of Nursing, Graduate Studies Office
4-171 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1C9
Telephone: (780) 492-9546
FAX: (780) 492-2551
E-mail: graduate@nurs.ualberta.ca

General Information

The MN program prepares nurses to fulfil leadership roles in advanced practice nursing; provide health promotion, prevention and specialized care in a variety of health care settings; teach in academic and clinical settings; and contribute to the development of health programs and policies. It provides a solid academic and practice foundation for pursuing a PhD in Nursing.

Students who choose a clinical focus may, upon completion of the MN program, apply for Nurse Practitioner (NP) Adult licensure, Nurse Practitioner (NP) Family All Ages licensure, or Nurse Practitioner (NP) Neonate with the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA). See the Faculty of Nursing website for further information about available clinical areas of focus.

The Post MN Program is for those who wish to be eligible for entry-to-practice as a Nurse Practitioner (Adult, Family/All Ages, or Neonate) and did not complete the required courses while in the MN program.

The PhD (Nursing) program is designed to educate for excellence in the development and testing of nursing knowledge and research-based nursing practice. The number and types of courses included in the program will vary according to the individual needs of the student.

The Graduate Embedded Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Nursing Education is recognition of the completion of three specific graduate level courses in teaching and learning. This certificate is provided to those students who, upon fulfillment of the requirements for either the Master of Nursing or PhD (Nursing) Program, have focused on the practice of teaching and completed the three graduate level teaching and learning courses. Preferably, students will declare an intention to receive the Graduate Embedded Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Nursing Education at the beginning of their graduate program.

Entrance Requirements

For the Master of Nursing, the Faculty’s minimum admission requirements are:

an undergraduate degree in Nursing with an admission GPA of at least 3.0 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last ★60 of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.
Three letters of reference.
An undergraduate course in each of statistics and research methods, with a minimum grade of B (or equivalent), preferably completed within the past six years.
A minimum of one year of nursing experience is typically required.
Students applying to the clinical focus stream must provide evidence of 4500 hours of RN experience and be a regulated member in a Canadian jurisdiction.
Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency (refer to English Language Requirement). Any one of the following is acceptable:
- A TOEFL score of at least 97 (internet-based)with a score of at least 22 on each of the individual skill areas, or equivalent;
- an IELTS overall score of 7.0 with the following minimum scores: Listening-7.5, Reading-6.5, Writing-7.0, Speaking-7.0, Overall-7.0.

For the PhD in Nursing, the Faculty’s minimum admission requirements are:

a Master’s degree in Nursing with an admission GPA of at least 3.5 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last ★60 of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework. Students who do not hold the equivalent to this degree may be admitted and required to undertake additional course work in nursing theory, practice and/or research.
A GPA of 3.5 in the last two years of study.
Graduate qualitative and quantitative (with some statistics) research courses, or one graduate course in statistics and one in research methods (or equivalent), with a final grade of B or higher.
Completion of an interview with the prospective supervisor.
Written agreement with a supervisor.
Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency (refer to English Language Requirement). Any one of the following is acceptable:
- TOEFL score of 93 (internet-based) with a score of at least 24 on speaking and writing, and 21 on reading and listening, or equivalent;
- an IELTS overall score of 7.0 with the following minimum scores: Listening-7.5, Reading-6.5, Writing-7.0, Speaking-7.0, Overall-7.0.

The Faculty of Nursing also requires:

Three letters of reference from academics and professionals knowledgeable about the applicant’s academic and professional capabilities.
Current curriculum vitae.
A sample of written scholarly work, preferably a work in which the applicant is the sole or primary author.
A completed “Background Information on PhD Applicant” form, available on the Faculty of Nursing website, that clearly outlines the applicant’s academic, research and professional plans/expectations including: (a) Career Plans; (b) Research; (c) PhD Program Plan / Supervisory Expectations; (d) Name of Potential PhD Program/Dissertation Supervisor; (e) Awards/Financial Assistance applied for, if applicable.

The MN Bypass allows for outstanding MN Candidates who have successfully completed coursework in the MN program to request a change of program category to the PhD program without completing the MN degree. Additional research experience may be required within the PhD program for students selecting this option. See the Graduate Program Manual 7.2 Change of Category and see the Nursing website for the MN Bypass process.

Financial Assistance

Information regarding graduate assistantships and other forms of financial assistance will be supplied upon request.

Graduate Program Requirements

Graduate Courses

Course offerings vary from term to term depending upon student enrolment and availability of suitable instructors. A current listing is available on Bear Tracks: https://www.beartracks.ualberta.ca/

Graduate courses can be found in Course Listings , under the subject heading Nursing (NURS).