Virginia's top-ranked nursing programs, UVA offers pathways for nurses at every professional stage.
As healthcare grows increasingly complex, the need for advanced practice nurses has never been greater. UVA's graduate nursing programs draw upon the academic excellence of UVA, the clinical strength of UVA Health's University Medical Center, and a collective commitment to serve the needs of citizens of Virginia, the nation, and the world.
The DNP is now the preferred degree for individuals who seek to become advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners or Clinical Nurse Specialists. Developed in congruence with guidance from advisory bodies such as the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculty and the American Association for Colleges of Nursing, among others, UVA’s DNP program offers students an affordable, efficient format, and a choice of six specialty areas and ample preparation for the national certification exam of their choice. Given this, the School is not accepting applications for the MSN nurse practitioner and MSN Clinical Nurse Specialist programs for fall 2026 entry.
If you are interested in becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist or nurse practitioner, apply to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program.
For individuals interested in a generalist MSN, apply to the direct-entry Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) for non-nurses, the leadership-focused RN to CNL program, or a post-master's certificate track.
The School of Nursing also guarantees admission to its alumni graduates interested in attending any of the School's post-master's specialty certificate, RN to CNL, or DNP programs.
EXPLORE
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program
An affordable, efficient, hybrid format, full- or part-time program leading to the highest clinical degree, no clinical experience required (a BSN to DNP and MSN to DNP pathways available) - Clinical Nurse Leader direct-entry MSN program
For non-nurses with at least a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing profession - RN to Clinical Nurse Leader MSN program
A part-time leadership-focused generalist master's degree for working RNs - Post-master's certificates
For advanced practice nurses looking to specialize in a new area of practice
Nurses across the School's advanced practice specialty areas, including its MSN specialties, post-master's certificates, and DNP program pathways, earn clinical hours with qualified, highly-experienced mentor nurses, at sites across the Charlottesville-Albemarle area, central Virginia, the commonwealth, and the mid-Atlantic region, at sites including:
- Addiction Allies, LLC
- Bon Secours Blackstone Family Practice
- Bon Secours Patterson Avenue Family Practice
- Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital
- Capitol Pediatrics, PC
- Carilion Clinic Family Medicine - Brambleton
- Carilion Roanoke Memorial (Clinic & Hospitalists)
- Charlottesville Integrated Psychiatry, LLC
- Children's Hospital a.k.a. CNMC
- CVHS - Buckingham
- CVHS - Southern Albemarle
- Family Medicine of Albemarle
- Inova Fairfax Hospital - Inova Health System
- Inova Health System
- KidMed Urgent Care
- Mental Fitness Matters, PLLC
- Old Dominion University Student Health Services
- Planned Parenthood
- Raphine Medical Associates
- Revolution Healthcare LLC
- Sentara Cardiology Specialists
- Sentara Family & Internal Med Physicians - Hampton
- Sentara Family Medicine - Virginia Beach
- Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital
- Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
- Sentara Obici Hospital
- The Pediatric Center - VCC Main Office
- UNC Medical Center (Neurosciences Hospital)
- UVA Child and Family Psychiatry
- UVA Child Development & Rehabilitation (was KCRC)
- UVA Children's Hospital
- UVA Developmental Pediatrics Clinic
- UVA Family Medicine Stoney Creek
- UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center
- UVA Heart and Vascular Center Fontaine
- UVA HIV Clinic
- UVA Infectious Diseases Clinic
- UVA Medical Center
- UVA Memory and Aging Care Clinic
- UVA Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Clinic
- UVA Midlife & Gynecologic Specialties Northridge
- UVA OB/GYN Outpatient Clinic
- UVA Pediatric Hematology/Oncology(Battle Building)
- UVA Pediatric Neurology and Epilepsy Clinic
- UVA Primary Care Locust Grove
- UVA Primary Care Riverside
- UVA School of Nursing Clinical Simulation Learning Center (CSLC)
- UVA Student Health and Wellness Center
- UVA Teen and Young Adult Health Center
- UVA Transplant Center
- UVA University Medical Associates (UMA) Clinic
- VCU CHoR - Hematology and Oncology Clinic
- VCU Student Health Services
- VCU Virginia Commonwealth University Health System
- Veterans Affairs, Richmond, VA (McGuire)
- Virginia Hospital Center Arlington Health System
- Virginia Skin Medical and Cosmetic Dermatology
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