Nursing

Tuition & fees

Costs include tuition & fees. Tuition rate varies depending on residency. New England residents may qualify for a tuition break. See cost details

Credit hours

45 required credit hours. Most courses are equal to 3 credit hours. Browse course list

Financial aid

Over 150 graduate assistantships available with stipend & tuition assistance, plus scholarship, fellowship & research opportunities. Explore aid

Admissions

No GRE required. Apply by April 1 for fall term, October 1 for spring term. View application process & deadlines

Program highlights

Earn your degree on your terms: Study full-time and finish in as few as 2 years and 6 months or study part-time and finish in 4 years.
Prepare to be an advanced practice nurse for adults and older adults with acute, critical, and complex health conditions.
Become eligible to sit for national certification through the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) or American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) upon graduation.
Gain hands-on experience through three practicums in diverse healthcare settings.
Study with engaged faculty members who are committed to advancing excellence in nursing.

Expected career outcomes

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National certification

Graduates are eligible to sit for national certification as an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner.

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Career advancement

Extend your clinical experience to manage acutely ill adults and geriatric populations across the continuum of acute care. You’ll also build a foundation for continued professional development and for doctoral study.

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Program requirements

Our future-oriented coursework focuses on clinical decision-making and differential diagnosis; case management and consultation; and assessments and interventions. Through three practicum experiences, you’ll refine your skills in managing patients across the adult-older adult spectrum.

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Accreditation

Our program is approved by the Maine State Board of Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Simulation spaces

Expand upon your clinical skillset using both traditional and state-of-the-art technology in our simulation labs.

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Hands-on learning

Clinical placement varies by your area of academic concentration. Specialty areas include family practice, internal medicine, cardiology, endocrinology, women’s health, pulmonology, dermatology, orthopedics, and pediatrics, to name a few.

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Dedicated faculty

Our faculty are active in research and policy issues at the state and national level, are board members of state and national nursing associations, and frequently publish in leading nursing journals.

Meet our faculty

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Graduate student support

Our Office of Graduate Studies connects you with opportunities for professional development, scholarships, and graduate assistantships. They also foster our graduate student community through Peer Mentorship and the Graduate Student Board.

Browse resources

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Scholarship opportunities

Scholarships offer financial aid that doesn’t need to be repaid. We encourage students in graduate degree programs to apply for scholarship opportunities.

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Do you live in New England?

You may be eligible for a reduced tuition rate, as part of the NEBHE Tuition Break Program.

Check eligibility

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Connect with us

Our monthly Graduate Information Sessions are an excellent way to learn more about the benefits of our program, as well as our admissions and financial process.

Nursing — Nursing Administration and Leadership | Accelerated Online

Master’s Program (Online)

Nursing — Nursing Education | Accelerated Online

Master’s Program (Online)

Nursing — Family Nurse Practitioner

Master’s Program

Nursing — Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (across the lifespan)

Master’s Program

Doctoral Program

Next steps

Our graduate admissions counselors are here to answer your questions about the admissions process, our academic programs, and student support services.

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Meet us

Apply

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Admission information: MS in Nursing — Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Application deadlines

Application deadline	Fall term start	Spring term start
Final	April 1	October 1

Applications will be reviewed after the deadline.

Because the MS in Nursing program includes supervised clinical experiences and the desire to maintain a high-quality program, the nursing faculty reserves the right to limit enrollments. The number of students accepted varies by program (Family Nurse, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner) and is based on clinical cohorts. Admission to the program is highly selective. The graduate program in nursing seeks candidates whose baccalaureate preparation, scholastic achievement, professional experience, interest, motivation, and references are predictive of successful graduate study.

Each student’s application for admission will be evaluated based on a composite of the following recommended standards.

A baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing from a degree program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the National League for Nursing.
Two years of acute care experience as an RN or two years of NP experience.
Minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or a B average.
An undergraduate course in Microbiology with a grade of B- or better.
An undergraduate course in introductory Statistics that includes descriptive and inferential statistics completed with a grade of B- or better.
An undergraduate course in total health assessment.
Current and unencumbered registered nurse license in Maine.
Maintain current Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certifications throughout the program.
Students with a GPA less than 3.0 may submit GRE or MAT scores to be considered.

A personal interview with graduate faculty of the School of Nursing may be requested following a preliminary review of all required admission materials.

Applicants are required to provide the following materials:

General requirements

Application: Online application
Application fee:
- In-state, out-of-state, and Canadian applicants: Free to apply
- International applicants: Submit US $50 fee to apply
Transcripts: Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, excluding the seven campuses of the University of Maine System (UMS transcripts are accessible to USM). A transcript is official when sent directly from the institution.
- International College transcripts: In addition to an official copy of the transcript, we require an official evaluation of college-level transcripts approved by one of the following transcript analysis agencies
  - National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)
  - Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE)
Resume: Submit a resume or CV that outlines professional, volunteer, and community experience.
Students whose first language is not English may be required to take one of the following: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Pearson Test of English (PTE) or Duolingo. Applicants must submit official scores as part of the application process. See additional information regarding test scores and requirements.

Additional requirements

Essay: A 500-word essay that addresses the following topics:
- Understanding of the nurse practitioner role and reasons for becoming an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.
- Professional goals that will be supported by the Master of Science Degree.
- The experiences, capacity, and abilities brought to a master’s program.
- Reasons for choosing the University of Southern Maine for this program.
Two letters of recommendation reflecting professional practice and academic achievement. Recommendations should come from individuals who are qualified, through direct experience with the applicant’s academic or professional work, to comment on the applicant’s ability to undertake graduate study and the chosen profession.
Evidence (photocopy or PDF) of an unencumbered registered nurse license in Maine.

What are the international student application instructions?

What are the English proficiency test score requirements?

Where do I send my application materials?