Program will be offered by the newly created Department of Nursing

The USC School of Social Work announced today plans to develop an online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) for aspiring family nurse practitioners (FNPs). Program graduates will help meet the increasing nationwide demand for advanced practice nurses in primary care settings.

The MSN program, which will be called Nursing@USC, has a projected class start in fall 2016 and will be offered through the school’s newly created Department of Nursing. Using technology partner 2U’s state-of-the art learning management system, the online program will provide registered nurses across the country the opportunity to participate in live, face-to-face classes with fellow students and USC faculty. Each student also will engage in multiple clinical rotations in a variety of health care settings to gain experience assessing, diagnosing and managing health problems across the patient lifespan. These clinical rotations will be selected and supervised by USC faculty.

The USC School of Social Work’s Department of Nursing aims to be a leader in addressing health care needs in the context of society, combining the nursing profession’s traditional scientific foundation, holistic approach and commitment to competent care with the wide-ranging vision and expertise of social work. These unique capabilities will position students to apply new understanding of the biological, socioeconomic, psychosocial, behavioral and social factors that influence health to practical interventions on behalf of patients, particularly those in vulnerable populations.

“The USC Department of Nursing will provide students with an unmatched and exceptional educational experience through an approach to nurse practitioner training that emphasizes nursing’s core traditions while infusing dynamic new fluency and consideration for the social influences on patient health,” said Dean Marilyn Flynn.

The master's degree program in nursing at University of Southern California is pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org). Applying for accreditation does not guarantee that accreditation will be granted.

For more information, visit nursing.usc.edu.