Master of Science in Nursing
The Master of Science (MS) program is designed to meet our statewide demand for a highly competent nursing workforce equipped with the skills to ensure the delivery of safe, quality nursing care in Hawaii. It is a post-baccalaureate program for registered nurses (RNs) with a bachelor’s degree in nursing; an associate’s degree in nursing and a bachelor’s degree or higher in another field
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Master of Science Degree Entry Pathways
Online Advanced Population Health Nursing
The Online Advanced Population Health Nursing (APHN) Program is a distance-based master’s degree that prepares registered nurses for leadership roles in population health nursing. The program is geared towards registered nurses who wish to practice in Hawai‘i, the US mainland, or an international setting. APHN program coursework is completed online and includes individual and group learning, as well as fieldwork activities conducted locally in the student’s community.
Advanced population health nurses practice using outcome-driven strategies to manage health for groups of individuals. The APHN program equips graduates with skills to engage with patients in diverse contexts and develop valuable insight into how health care affects individuals, families, and communities. The program focuses on population-level health, wellness, social determinants of health, health promotion, and disease prevention. Students learn critical population health skills such as community and population assessment; leadership, complex project/program management; disaster nursing, health services research; and health policy analysis.
The 30 credit program can be completed in one year as a full-time student or in two years or longer as a part-time student. Students in the (APHN) program complete a six-credit capstone designed to provide students with experience in the indirect care level of service at the aggregate population, organizational or systems level.
Nursing Education and Leadership
The Master of Science (MS) in Nursing Education & Leadership is designed for post-baccalaureate nurses and advanced practice nurses to expand their knowledge and expertise in nursing education, best practices and innovation in teaching and learning, and leadership development. A total of 36 credits is required for this program. Part-time and full-time study options are available.
The MS in Nursing Education & Leadership program is distance-based with a hybrid format. Most of the courses are offered online except for three, lab, fieldwork, and practicum courses. Accommodations will be made for graduate nursing students on the neighbor islands for these experiences.
Students begin coursework in nursing education and leadership in their first year taking core courses in research and evidence-based practice, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment. In the final two semesters, students will be immersed in real-world teaching and learning opportunities in didactic, lab, fieldwork, and practicum experiences with a master teacher and leader in the community. These experiences bridge role change and development from novice to expert in the discipline of nursing education and leadership development. This program is ideal for nurses committed to advancing their careers as educators and leaders in the nursing profession.
Visit the school’s event page for upcoming online informational sessions at nursing.hawaii.edu/events/.