A graduate of this program is prepared for advanced nursing practice with a focus as a Nurse Educator (NE). Please see an advisor at The Valley Foundation School of Nursing  for more details.

Additional information is available on the department website: https://www.sjsu.edu/nursing/. 

MSN Program Coordinator and Advisor: Dr. Nicole Zhang

University Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete graduate application by applying through the CSU Cal State Apply system and meet all the university admission requirements .

 Advancement to Candidacy 

The university requirements for advancement to candidacy  for the master’s degree are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures  section. Students should seek advancement to candidacy as soon as possible for their given program and on the advice of their graduate program coordinator. Graduate students may submit a Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form to the Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations (GAPE) office after satisfying the following: achieved classified status; completed a minimum of nine letter-graded units with all grades “C” or higher; fulfilled the Campus Graduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (CGGWAR) requirement; achieved a minimum cumulative and program 3.0 GPA, and, graduate within the seven-year time limit for degree completion. Graduate students must submit their petition no later than one semester prior to graduating. Courses that satisfy the CGGWAR are listed in the course requirements for the program.

Department Requirements 

The MS - Nursing degree also requires that the applicant has been granted classified standing and has removed any deficiencies involved. In addition, the candidate must have:

1. Earned at least a “B” (3.0) average in a minimum of nine graded semester units of 100- and/or 200-level work completed in graduate standing at San José State University and in any coursework completed in graduate standing at other institutions before enrollment here.
2. Classified standing.
3. MSN Project Plan approved by the Nursing School Graduate Coordinator.

Program of Study Requirements 

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements  section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures .

Culminating Experience

Plan B (Project)

Candidates for the degree complete a written capstone project as part of their 40-unit regular degree requirement. This project is an investigation of an evidenced-based nursing topic.  It shall identify a clinical problem and question(s), state the major theoretical perspectives, explain the significance of the undertaking, relate it to relevant, scholarly and professional literature, set forth the appropriate sources for and methods of gathering and analyzing the data, and offer a conclusion or recommendation. Students must comply with all other graduate requirements contained in this catalog.

Completion of Clinical Hours: Practice

All students shall complete direct patient care supervised clinical hours