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Academics

At Penn Nursing, students at every level are afforded an exceptional Ivy League education, and are taught by the top nurse researchers in the country.

Undergraduate 

Our undergraduate BSN program is focused on hands-on clinical practice and nursing research, and offers students the chance to study abroad, to practice in high-fidelity simulations, and to pursue dual-degrees and graduate-level coursework while still an undergraduate. We also offer a Nutrition major in partnership with Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences. The minors we offer reflect the changing face of healthcare today and speak to the areas most in need of skilled nurse clinicians and researchers.

Undergraduate Programs


Master of Professional Nursing

This accelerated entry-level nursing program, offered at the graduate level, prepares students to deliver a full array of health care services to meet the demands of patients and families with increasingly complex health needs. Learn more about this new program and the MPN/MSN option.

Master of Professional Nursing


Master’s

Our highly-ranked MSN programs focus on the science and practice of nursing in a wide range of specialty areas. Interested students also have the opportunity to supplement their MSN program with one of our graduate certificate programs. Additionally, we also offer Post-Graduate APRN Certificate programs for nurse practitioners who have previously earned their MSN or DNP, as well as Certificate Programs for Master’s-prepared nurses. 

Our online Master of Science in Nutrition Science program, built upon years of research and a stellar reputation for high-quality education in Nutrition Science, is designed to meet the educational needs of multiple licensed health care professionals, trainees, and students seeking a rigorous graduate education in advanced nutrition science.

Master of Science in Nursing Programs

Master of Science in Nutrition Science


Doctoral

Our doctoral programs are committed to producing leaders in the field of nursing science, both in scholarship and research (PhD) and clinical scholarship and practice (DNP).

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)


Departments

All of our academic programs fall under two departments: Family and Community Health and Biobehavioral Health Sciences.


Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity is fundamental to every course and all programs of study. The International Center for Academic Integrity states that ‘Academic integrity is a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage. From these values flow principles of behavior that enable academic communities to translate ideals into action.’ Adherence to the University of Pennsylvania Code of Academic Integrity is required of every student in all coursework and all course interactions. Please refer to Penn Nursing guidance on University of Pennsylvania Student Policies.

Penn Nursing News

  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2346-penn-nursing-receives-1-million-grant-to-support"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2662,2133/ignore_cropper/1/9216_gb_181024_5428.rev.1560187361.jpg" alt="" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2662,2133/ignore_cropper/1/9216_gb_181024_5428.rev.1560187361.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2662,2133/ignore_cropper/1/9216_gb_181024_5428.rev.1560187361.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2131" data-max-h="2133"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2346-penn-nursing-receives-1-million-grant-to-support">Penn Nursing Receives $1 Million Grant to Support Nursing Education</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p><a href="about:blank">The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing)</a> has received a $1 million grant from the Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF, a donor-advised fund established by Philanthropists William (Bill) E. Conway Jr., co-founder and co-chairman of The Carlyle Group, and his wife, Joanne. The couple have given millions to support nursing education and scholarships to address the nation’s nursing workforce shortage.</p></div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2246-welcome-to-the-spring-semester-2023-from-dean"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,0,570,380/ignore_cropper/1/13329_gs22078_124_web_560x380_adjusted.rev.1661784111.jpg" alt="Penn Nursing Dean Antonia Villarruel" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" data-max-w="570" data-max-h="380"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2246-welcome-to-the-spring-semester-2023-from-dean">Welcome to the Spring Semester 2023 from Dean Antonia M. Villarruel</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p style="font-weight: 400;"> Happy new year and welcome to the Spring semester!</p></div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2139-congratulations-to-the-class-of-2022"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/1094,0,2099,1003/ignore_cropper/1/10709_Commencement_caps.rev.1587406266.jpg" alt="" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/1094,0,2099,1003/ignore_cropper/1/10709_Commencement_caps.rev.1587406266.jpg 2x" data-max-w="1005" data-max-h="1003"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2139-congratulations-to-the-class-of-2022">Congratulations to the Class of 2022!</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p> Penn Nursing’s 2022 commencement is in the history books. It was the first in-person graduation held in two years! The graduates, their families, friends, and the Penn Nursing community, gathered at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on May 16, 2022. We celebrated their achievements, their studies, their work, their honors, and we welcomed them among the ranks of the <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/alumni/">Penn Nursing Alumni</a>.</p></div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2309-university-names-penn-nursing-professor-as-evan-c"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1506,1085/ignore_cropper/1/12292_Jie_color_1.rev.1646945998.jpg" alt="" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1506,1085/ignore_cropper/1/12292_Jie_color_1.rev.1646945998.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1506,1085/ignore_cropper/1/12292_Jie_color_1.rev.1646945998.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1506" data-max-h="1085"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2309-university-names-penn-nursing-professor-as-evan-c">University Names Penn Nursing Professor as Evan C Thompson Term Chair for Excellence in Teaching</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p> Interim Provost Beth A. Winkelstein and Vice Provost for Education Karen Detlefsen are pleased to announce the appointment of <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu">Penn Nursing</a>’s <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/details/profiles.php?id=15260">Jie Deng, PhD, RN, OCN, FAAN</a>, Associate Professor in the <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/academics/bhs/">Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences</a>, Faculty Director of the Laboratory of Innovative & Translational Nursing Research, and Senior Fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, to the Evan C Thompson Term Chair for Excellence in Teaching, beginning July 1, 2023.</p></div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2122-running-to-shine-a-light-on-mental-health"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/340,0,1672,1333/ignore_cropper/1/12391_roecker-sam-marathon-teaser.rev.1650561842.jpg" alt="Samantha Roecker is a clinic nurse in the otorhinolaryngology practice at the Perelman Center for..." class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/340,0,1672,1333/ignore_cropper/1/12391_roecker-sam-marathon-teaser.rev.1650561842.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/340,0,1672,1333/ignore_cropper/1/12391_roecker-sam-marathon-teaser.rev.1650561842.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1332" data-max-h="1333"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2122-running-to-shine-a-light-on-mental-health">Running to Shine a Light on Mental Health</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p> Samantha Roecker, a Penn Medicine nurse and a student in Penn Nursing’s <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/family/">Family Nurse Practitioner Program,</a> competed in the Boston Marathon. In the process, she raised more than $45,000 to help nurses struggling as a result of the pandemic, and she broke the world record for fastest marathon in scrubs.</p></div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2108-leonard-a-lauder-talks-game-changing-gift-to-penn"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/89,0,469,380/ignore_cropper/1/12305_LAUDER_560x380.rev.1647524343.jpg" alt="Leonard A. Lauder" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" data-max-w="380" data-max-h="380"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2108-leonard-a-lauder-talks-game-changing-gift-to-penn">Leonard A. Lauder Talks Game-changing Gift to Penn Nursing, and More</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p> Lauder, a Penn alumnus and emeritus Trustee, donated $125 million to the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, establishing a new program for aspiring nurse practitioners who intend to work in underserved communities.</p></div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2074-a-first-of-its-kind-academic-social"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/626,0,1990,1365/ignore_cropper/1/484_pennnursing_fagin-3-high300.rev.1466174941.jpg" alt="" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/626,0,1990,1365/ignore_cropper/1/484_pennnursing_fagin-3-high300.rev.1466174941.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/626,0,1990,1365/ignore_cropper/1/484_pennnursing_fagin-3-high300.rev.1466174941.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1364" data-max-h="1365"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2074-a-first-of-its-kind-academic-social">A First-of-its-kind Academic Social Entrepreneurship Lab</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p> The Eidos LGBT+ Health Initiative, anchored in the School of Nursing, is part of a $750 million University investment in science, engineering, and medicine.</p></div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2088-cunningham-to-receive-2022-norma-m-lang-award-for"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/787,0,2918,2134/ignore_cropper/1/8914_ReginaCunningham.rev.1556133552.jpg" alt="Regina Cunningham, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital of the Universi..." class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/787,0,2918,2134/ignore_cropper/1/8914_ReginaCunningham.rev.1556133552.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/787,0,2918,2134/ignore_cropper/1/8914_ReginaCunningham.rev.1556133552.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2131" data-max-h="2134"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2088-cunningham-to-receive-2022-norma-m-lang-award-for">Cunningham to Receive 2022 Norma M. Lang Award for Scholarly Practice and Policy</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p> The award is given biennially to a Penn Nursing faculty member or a graduate from the School’s doctoral program who has made a distinguished contribution to nursing through scholarly practice. It honors Norma M. Lang, PhD, the Professor and Dean Emerita of Penn Nursing for her world-renowned contributions to health policy and practice. The 7th Norma L. Lang Lecture will take place on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, 3:00 – 5:00 pm in the Ann L. Roy Auditorium.</p></div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2165-jane-barnsteiner-to-receive-american-academy-of"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,0,560,369/ignore_cropper/1/13309_3096_jane_barnsteiner_2017_2_560x380.rev.1660658763.jpg" alt="" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" data-max-w="560" data-max-h="369"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2165-jane-barnsteiner-to-receive-american-academy-of">Jane Barnsteiner to Receive American Academy of Nursing’s Highest Honor</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p> The <a href="http://www.aannet.org/home">American Academy of Nursing</a> (AAN) has named <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/details/profiles.php?id=7121">Jane H. Barnsteiner, PhD, RN, FAAN</a>, a <a href="https://www.aannet.org/about/fellows/living-legends">Living Legend</a> for her significant contributions to nursing and health care over the course of her career. The official designation will be made at a ceremony during the AAN’s 2022 <a href="https://www.academypolicyconference.com/">Health Policy Conference</a>, taking place on October 27-29, 2022, at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, DC. This year’s conference – <em>From Reflection to Impact: Positioning Nursing Future</em> – will be in-person only with no virtual option. This is the Academy’s highest honor.</p></div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/jj-nurse-innovation-fellowship/"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,0,560,380/ignore_cropper/1/14005_JJNIF_Logo_RGB_560x380.rev.1677856197.png" alt="" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" data-max-w="560" data-max-h="380"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/jj-nurse-innovation-fellowship/">Announcing the New Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship Program Powered by Penn Nursing & the Wharton School</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary">The program is a ground-breaking, one-year, team-based nursing fellowship for Chief Nursing Officers (CNO), nurse executives, and senior nurse leaders, focused on advancing healthcare by powering-up nurse-led innovation and leadership within health systems.</div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2184-penn-nursing-professor-receives-lienhard-award"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/453,0,1252,800/ignore_cropper/1/8779_Mary_Naylor.rev.1553180064.jpg" alt="" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/453,0,1252,800/ignore_cropper/1/8779_Mary_Naylor.rev.1553180064.jpg 2x" data-max-w="799" data-max-h="800"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2184-penn-nursing-professor-receives-lienhard-award">Penn Nursing Professor Receives Lienhard Award from National Academy of Medicine for Pioneering the Field of Transitional Care</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p> The National Academy of Medicine today announced <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/details/profiles.php?id=52">Mary D. Naylor, PhD, RN, FAAN</a>, the Marian S. Ware Professor in Gerontology and Director of the <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/ncth/">NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health</a>, is the recipient of the 2022 <a href="https://nam.edu/about-the-nam/gustav-o-lienhard-award/">Gustav O. Lienhard Award for Advancement of Health Care</a> for improving the lives of millions of older adults living with complex health and social needs through her role as the architect of the Transitional Care Model and pioneer of the field of transitional care. The award will be presented at the National Academy of Medicine’s <a href="https://nam.edu/event/revolutionizing-the-biomedical-and-health-sciences-nam-annual-meeting/">annual meeting</a> on Oct. 16. Naylor is one of four University of Pennsylvania faculty, and the third from the School of Nursing, to have received this national honor.</p></div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2024-isabel-buckingham-nu22"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,500/ignore_cropper/1/12032_Humans_of_Penn_Nursing_1000x500.rev.1633462301.png" alt="" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,500/ignore_cropper/1/12032_Humans_of_Penn_Nursing_1000x500.rev.1633462301.png 2x" data-max-w="1000" data-max-h="500"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2024-isabel-buckingham-nu22">Isabel Buckingham, Nu’22</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary">As a recently enrolled sub matriculant in Penn Nursing’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program, my primary goal for this past summer was to supplement my psychiatric clinical rotation with additional experience to confirm my interest in pursuing the mental health nursing field.</div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2270-president-ceo-of-the-robert-wood-johnson"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/186,0,852,666/ignore_cropper/1/14016_Besser_Rich_SH2018.rev.1678803661.jpg" alt="" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" data-max-w="666" data-max-h="666"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2270-president-ceo-of-the-robert-wood-johnson">President & CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to be 2023 Penn Nursing Commencement Speaker</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p> Dr. Richard Besser, President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest health philanthropy, will serve as the 2023 Penn Nursing commencement speaker. The event will take place at 3:00 PM EST on <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/calendar/view/event/date/20230515/event_id/4265">Monday, May 15, 2023, at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.</a></p></div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2145-making-meaning-from-the-loss-of-a-child"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/326,0,1739,1413/ignore_cropper/1/13190_iStock-1257781421.rev.1654538135.jpg" alt="frozen breast milk storage bags for new baby on wooden table" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/326,0,1739,1413/ignore_cropper/1/13190_iStock-1257781421.rev.1654538135.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/326,0,1739,1413/ignore_cropper/1/13190_iStock-1257781421.rev.1654538135.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1413" data-max-h="1413"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2145-making-meaning-from-the-loss-of-a-child">Making Meaning from the Loss of a Child</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p> Research by <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/">Penn Nursing</a>’s <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/details/profiles.php?id=40">Diane L. Spatz, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN</a>, Professor of Perinatal Nursing and the Helen M. Shearer Term Professor of Nutrition in the <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/academics/fch/">Department of Family and Community Health</a>, and colleagues reveals how donating milk served as an important part of the grieving process for some parents who had lost a baby before or at birth.</p></div></article>
  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2073-national-award-for-penn-nursing-professor"><img src="/live/image/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/201,0,1707,1507/ignore_cropper/1/12157_Adriana_Perez_for_Award_Announcement.rev.1639678793.png" alt="" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/201,0,1707,1507/ignore_cropper/1/12157_Adriana_Perez_for_Award_Announcement.rev.1639678793.png 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/21/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/201,0,1707,1507/ignore_cropper/1/12157_Adriana_Perez_for_Award_Announcement.rev.1639678793.png 3x" data-max-w="1506" data-max-h="1507"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2073-national-award-for-penn-nursing-professor">National Award for Penn Nursing Professor</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p> The <a href="https://nhcoa.org/">National Hispanic Council on Aging</a> (NHCOA) recently honored <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/details/profiles.php?id=10">Adriana Perez, PhD, ANP-BC, FAAN</a>, Assistant Professor in <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu">Penn Nursing</a>’s <a href="https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/academics/fch/">Department of Family and Community Health</a> with its Research Recognition Award during its 2021 special awards ceremony – <em>United for Equity</em> – on December 9, 2021. The ceremony focused on inequalities impacting health and economic security.</p></div></article>

IN RESEARCH

  • <article class="news-article"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2170-investing-in-patient-care-and-savings"><img src="/live/image/gid/26/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2134/ignore_cropper/1/13336_Male_patient_home_visit_iStock-1218253146.rev.1662042968.jpg" alt="" class="lw_image" width="350" height="250" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/26/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2134/ignore_cropper/1/13336_Male_patient_home_visit_iStock-1218253146.rev.1662042968.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/26/width/350/height/250/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2134/ignore_cropper/1/13336_Male_patient_home_visit_iStock-1218253146.rev.1662042968.jpg 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2134"/></a></span><h4 class="news-article-headline"><a href="/live/news/2170-investing-in-patient-care-and-savings">Investing In Patient Care and Savings</a></h4><div class="news-article-summary"><p> Successful investment bankers have a nose for profitable innovation. In the case of Penn Nursing Board of Advisors member and Wharton alum John J. Rydzewski, he knew as soon as he heard Mary D. Naylor, PhD RN FAAN present early research findings for the Transitional Care Model (TCM) that it was potentially transformational. That led him to recently make a generous gift to Dr. Naylor’s work at Penn Nursing’s NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health.</p></div></article>