School of Nursing

Welcome to the School of Nursing at UNLV. Our nursing program is the oldest in Southern Nevada and the only School of Nursing in Nevada to offer a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D.) Degree. 

All of our graduate programs are all web-based to allow for “anytime, anyplace” education but may involve occasional visits to campus.

Our Master of Science in Nursing Degree (MSN), offers two tracks, Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Nurse Educator (NE). We also offer an Advanced Graduate Certificate FNP and NE post-masters certificate.

FNPs provide primary care for individuals across the lifespan and often provide care to indigent and uninsured populations. The NE prepares graduates to teach nursing. Thus, increasing qualified faculty so that area nursing schools may increase their enrollment. The MSN degree program is growing rapidly because of the great need for advanced practice nurses and nurse educators in Nevada. The master’s program has full accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and is designed to provide students the requisite knowledge and skills for safe and effective nursing practice.

A new Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program is now available at UNLV to educate both post-bachelor’s degree and post-master’s degree students.  The DNP degree is a terminal professional practice degree and prepares graduates in the tracks of advanced clinical practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner, Academic Leadership or Nurse Executive. The DNP program is online but requires occasional trips to campus for orientation, skills training, and testing. 

Our Ph.D. in Nursing degree program is research-focused with an emphasis on education. A bridge program, Post Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) to Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D.) is also available.  Our goal is to prepare scholars to advance nursing science and practice through rigorous research, evidence-based education, and dynamic leadership.

Our new Interdisciplinary Health Sciences (IHS) Ph.D. is offered in collaboration with Kinesiology, Nutrition, Health Physics, and Physical Therapy. This program is focused on biobehavioral issues and prepares nurses to work collaboratively with other health care professionals to advance research and education.  There is a subtrack in the IHS Program for Nursing.

Expansion of our research activities includes a number of well-funded graduate assistant positions available for full-time students.  Graduate assistants work closely with faculty on their research and/or teaching and this may include teaching in the clinical setting. It is a wonderful opportunity to gain additional knowledge and skills and foster professional relationships with faculty.

I encourage you to read the catalog and explore our website to find out more about all of these programs and to visit us when you are in the Las Vegas area.

Carolyn Yucha, Ph.D., RN, CNE, Dean
Rebecca Benfield, Ph.D., C.N.M, R.N., Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Mary Bondmass, Ph.D., R.N., C.N.E., Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Du Feng, Ph.D., Interim Associate Dean for Research

Program Information 

School of Nursing Faculty  

School of Nursing Courses  

School of Nursing Website 

Plans  

Advanced Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education  

Advanced Graduate Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner  

Post Graduate Certificate in Biobehavioral Nursing  

Master of Science - Nursing  

Doctor of Nursing Practice   

Doctor of Philosophy - Nursing   

Doctor of Philosophy - Interdisciplinary Health Sciences