University of Tulsa

What you'll study

The master's programme provides core graduate-level nursing content alongside specialised coursework depending on your chosen pathway: Nursing Administration, Nursing Research or Clinical Nursing. Core topics typically include advanced health assessment, healthcare policy and ethics, evidence-based practice, healthcare informatics, and quality improvement.

• Nursing Administration: courses in organisational leadership and management, financial and human resource management in healthcare, strategic planning, risk management, and healthcare law and policy. Students complete practicum experiences focused on leadership in acute care, community health systems or long-term care settings.
• Nursing Research: coursework in research design and methods, biostatistics, epidemiology, grant writing and translation of research to practice. Students usually complete a capstone research project or thesis under faculty supervision, including data collection and analysis.
• Clinical Nursing: advanced clinical assessment and management courses tailored to population focus or speciality areas, clinical decision-making, pathophysiology and pharmacology at the master's level. Clinical practicums extend competencies in direct patient care and advanced clinical coordination.

The programme combines seminars, simulation-based learning and practicums in affiliated hospitals and community settings. Students can expect a mix of face-to-face and hybrid delivery, with clinical hours arranged in partnership with regional healthcare providers.

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited institution and hold an active, unencumbered RN licence in the United States. Typical requirements include:

• Official transcripts demonstrating satisfactory undergraduate academic performance; many programmes expect a minimum cumulative GPA at the upper-division level.
• Current RN licensure and professional nursing experience; programmes often favour applicants with at least one to two years of clinical practice.
• A personal statement or statement of purpose outlining professional goals and the chosen pathway (Administration, Research or Clinical Nursing).
• Current curriculum vitae or résumé and professional references, usually including at least one clinical supervisor or nursing faculty reference.
• Completion of prerequisite coursework if required (for example statistics or pathophysiology) and satisfactory scores on any programme-specific assessments when applicable. Some specialities may require an interview.

GRE requirements vary by programme and may be waived for qualified applicants; international applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency in line with university policy.

Career prospects

Graduates move into a wide range of advanced nursing roles depending on their pathway. Common career directions include:

• Leadership and management positions such as nurse manager, director of nursing, clinical operations manager or administrative roles within hospitals and health systems (Nursing Administration).
• Research-focused roles in clinical research centres, academic settings, public health agencies or industry positions supporting evidence generation and implementation (Nursing Research).
• Advanced clinical practice roles in speciality units, care coordination, case management and clinical leadership within acute, ambulatory and community care settings (Clinical Nursing).
• Opportunities in quality improvement, patient safety, policy development, education and consultancy across healthcare organisations.

Graduates are prepared for leadership, teaching or doctoral study should they wish to pursue further academic advancement.

Why study at University of Tulsa

The University of Tulsa offers a personalised learning environment with relatively small cohorts and close faculty supervision, which supports intensive practicum experiences and mentoring. The nursing programme works with regional hospitals, clinics and community partners to provide applied clinical placements and opportunities for interprofessional collaboration.

Students benefit from simulation facilities and faculty with active clinical and research experience, allowing integration of theory with hands-on practice. The programme's flexible delivery options and emphasis on leadership, evidence-based practice and research prepare graduates for a range of advanced nursing careers in both urban and regional health contexts.