Master of Science - Entry

MSN/Master's Entry Clinical Nurse applicants must provide evidence of the following:

1. Graduation from a recognized college or university having an accredited baccalaureate program satisfactory to the School of Nursing and the UCLA Graduate Division with an overall scholastic average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better, or graduation with a baccalaureate degree from an international institution with a program satisfactory to the School of Nursing and the UCLA Graduate Division.

Completion of approved prerequisite courses or equivalent with a minimum grade of C or better in the subjects listed below. All applicants to the MECN program must complete all approved prerequisite courses (other than Epidemiology) by the end of December 2025 for the Fall 2026 entry. AP course credit with a score of 4 or higher will only be accepted for one prerequisite course. 

• Chemistry (Inorganic, Organic, and Biochemistry)
• Epidemiology (can be completed at UCLA during Summer Session A, if admitted)
• Human Anatomy (Nursing 13  online course offered in the Summer session)
• Human Physiology (Nursing 3  online course offered in the Summer session) (five-year time limit to entry date)
• Microbiology
• Nutrition (five-year time limit to entry date)
• Introductory Psychology
• Lifespan Development Psychology (five-year time limit to entry date)
• Statistics
• English Composition or Writing (2 courses)
• Group and/or Verbal Communication 

2.  Personal and academic competence attested through three letters of recommendation.

3.  Since written and verbal communication skills are basic to the practice of nursing, it is essential that applicants read, write and speak English well. International applicants from a country in which English is not the first language and medium of instruction are required to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of at least 87 on the internet-based test, 220 on the computer-based test or 560 paper-based test or complete International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic examination with an overall band score of 7.0 or higher. Scores must be submitted prior to consideration for admission.

Applicants with Military Experience

UCLA School of Nursing will accept qualified student applicants who have completed relevant military education and experiences, have met the University admission requirements, and who present documented equivalency courses. Once admitted, such individuals are eligible for credit by challenge examination. For additional details, read the full policy here. Contact Mark Covin, Director of Recruitment, Outreach and Admissions for further information.

All applicants to the MECN program must complete the following approved prerequisite courses (other than Epidemiology), and earn a minimum grade of C or better in the subjects listed below by the end of December 2025 for the Fall 2026 entry: Chemistry (combined inorganic, organic and biochemistry), Epidemiology, Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Microbiology, General Psychology, Growth & Development Lifespan Psychology, Nutrition, Statistics, and Written and Oral Communication/Interpersonal or Group Communication. Please see the links below for a list of courses that have already been approved. 

Nursing 50, Fundamentals of Epidemiology, may be offered during the summer at UCLA for students who have not already completed an acceptable course.

Chemistry: An approved undergraduate-level chemistry course with approved content in inorganic, organic, and biochemistry.

• Approved Chemistry Courses

English Reading & Composition:  Two college-level writing courses usually completed during the first two years of a baccalaureate program.  Students who receive a waiver of this requirement in their baccalaureate program due to successful completion of an Advanced Placement Examination must submit proof of the Advanced Placement Examination score. If an applicant has completed a writing intensive course in a department other than English or Writing, he or she must provide documentation that the course included a significant writing component. A thesis is not acceptable.

Epidemiology: An introduction to epidemiology, including factors governing health and disease in populations. (4 quarter units or equivalent of Epidemiology 100A; or Nursing 50 at UCLA).

• Approved Epidemiology Courses

Group or Oral Communication: A Communication Studies or Speech course that covers the principles of oral communication or interpersonal communication.

• Approved Communication Courses

Human Anatomy: A human anatomy course that includes: Structural survey of the human body, including skeletomuscular, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and genitourinary systems. Laboratory includes an examination of human cadaver specimens. (4 quarter units or the equivalent of Physiological Science 13 or Nursing 13 at UCLA).  Take this course online this summer!

• Approved Human Anatomy Courses

Human Physiology: A human physiology course that includes human systems physiology through cell physiology with emphasis on membrane properties (4 quarter units or the equivalent of Physiological Science 3 or Nursing 3 at UCLA). This course must have been completed within the last five years of the program start date. Pathophysiology is not acceptable. Take this course online this summer!

• Approved Human Physiology Courses

Microbiology: A microbiology course that covers an introduction to the biology of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, protozoa, algae, fungi), their significance as model systems for understanding fundamental cellular processes, and their role in human affairs. (4 quarter units or equivalent; Microbiology 6 or 101 at UCLA).

• Approved Microbiology Courses

Nutrition: Examination of primary prevention strategies involving nutrition using population-based and clinical approaches of diverse populations. Investigation of nutrition in relation to the prevention of disease and recovery from disease. Covers biological, public health, and clinical aspects of major macro-and micronutrients, obesity, malnutrition, dietary assessment, nutritional therapies, and exercise using candidate disease approach. This course must have been completed within the last five years to the program start date. (4 quarter units or equivalent; COMHLT 130 or NURS 152B at UCLA)

• Approved Nutrition Courses

Psychology (Intro/General): An introductory or general psychology course that includes topics in cognitive, experimental, personality, developmental, social, and clinical psychology. (4 quarter units or equivalent; Psychology 10 at UCLA)

• Approved Psychology (Intro/General) Courses

Psychology (Lifespan/Developmental): Elaboration of developmental aspects of physical, mental, social, and emotional growth from birth to adolescence. This course must have been completed within the last five years to the program start date. (4 quarter units or equivalent; Psychology 130 at UCLA)

• Approved Psychology (Lifespan/Developmental) Courses

Statistics: An upper-division introductory or equivalent biostatistics course that covers the following topics: distributions, sampling, tests of hypotheses, estimation, types of error, significance and confidence intervals, and sample sizes (4 quarter units or equivalent; Biostatistics 100A at UCLA). Taken within the last five years is recommended, but is not required.

• Approved Statistics Courses

Students are expected to have basic computer skills prior to admission. 

1. Domain #1: Knowledge for Nursing Practice: Integrate established and evolving disciplinary nursing knowledge, the liberal arts, and natural and social sciences to develop clinical judgement in nursing practice.
2. Domain #2: Person-Centered Care: Deliver holistic high-quality care that is person-centered, developmentally appropriate, compassionate, equitable, and evidence-based using the nursing process while collaborating with other healthcare team members to engage additional expertise when necessary.
3. Domain #3: Population Health: Analyze policies that impact population health, implement supporting evidence, address system gaps, and develop interventions by collaborating with traditional and non-traditional partnerships from communities, public health, industry, academia, health care, local government entities and community partners to promote equitable health outcomes.
4. Domain #4: Scholarship for Nursing Practice: Critically evaluate, synthesize, and develop processes based on nursing knowledge to apply evidence-based interventions that target practice problems, health inequities, policy gaps, and system inefficiencies, with the goal of enhancing patient safety, care quality, and equitable health outcomes, while also advocating for ethical conduct in scholarly activities.
5. Domain #5: Quality and Safety: Apply scholarly processes to analyze quality care issues, applying standardized quality improvement processes based on emerging principles of safety and improvement science to enhance quality and minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both individual performance and system effectiveness.
6. Domain #6: Interprofessional Partnerships: Collaborate through interprofessional partnerships to enhance the healthcare experience, promote cost effectiveness, optimize care delivery in all settings, and improve quality and safety outcomes for diverse patients, families, and communities.
7. Domain #7: Systems-Based Practice: Analyze system processes within complex systems to effectively and sustainably coordinate resources and design processes to provide safe, quality, and equitable health care to diverse populations through the use of innovation and evidence-based practice.
8. Domain #8: Informatics and HC Technologies: Use Informatics and healthcare technologies to collect and analyze data that informs evidence-based decision-making; supports safe, ethical, high-quality and efficient person-centered care; and facilitates effective communication.
9. Domain #9: Professionalism: Develop a professional identity fortified by advanced leadership concepts, embodying accountability, a collaborative disposition, diverse perspectives, and ethical behaviors that exemplify the values and characteristics of the nursing profession while prioritizing the integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion in both practice and professional identity.
10. Domain #10: Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development: Demonstrate leadership skills by developing professional nursing expertise and initiating activites that build healthy relationships, enhance self-reflection, foster personal health and wellbeing, and promote lifelong learning.

MECN course sequence