The Hunter College School of Nursing and the Department of Urban Policy and Planning, School of Arts and Sciences offer a 52-credit program of study leading to a dual master's degree: A master of science (MS) in nursing administration and a master of science (MS) in urban policy and leadership (UPL). This dual-degree program prepares nurses to assume positions of leadership in a variety of health care settings, systems, and agencies. The program emphasizes multidisciplinary approaches to management and policy in nursing and health care, particularly within urban settings.

Course of Study

The program includes core courses in nursing and urban policy and leadership, electives within both programs, and specialization courses that combine advanced knowledge with 500 hours of precepted clinical experience. Course descriptions are available in the Hunter College Course Catalog.

Nursing Core Courses (12 credits)

NURS 700    Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Science (3 cr.)

NURS 702    Advanced Nursing Research (3 cr.)

NURS 704    Health Care Systems and Policy (3 cr.)

NURS 749    Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Diverse Populations (3 cr.)

Urban Policy and Leadership General Core Courses (12 credits)

URBG 701    Intro to Org and Mgmt for the Public and Non-Profit Sectors (3 cr.)

URBG 790    Urban Development Workshop 1 (6 cr. practicum in applied research)

URBG 792    Urban Affairs Capstone (3 cr. capstone requirement)

Research Methods Courses (6 credits)

URBG 706    Introduction to Policy Analysis (3 cr.)

Plus any one of the following courses:

     URBG 710    Urban Data Analysis (3 cr.)

     URBG 713    Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (3 cr.)

     GTECH 709  Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (3 cr.)

Urban Structure Courses (3 credits)

URBG 702    Structure of the Urban Region (3 cr.)

     OR

URBG 758    Governing the City (3 cr.)

Electives (9 credits)

One Nursing elective (3 cr.)

Two Urban Policy and Leadership electives, such as:

URBG 749    Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.)

URBG 787    Budgeting and Financial Management (3 cr.)

Specialization Clinical Courses (10 credits)

NURS 740    Leadership & Management in Health Care 2 (5 cr.)

NURS 745    Leadership & Management in Health Care 3 (5 cr.)

URBG 790, NURS 740 and NURS 745 require a total of 500 practicum hours.

Nursing Administration/Urban Policy and Leadership fact sheet (PDF)

How to Apply

Review our admission requirements for all nursing master's specializations. Information on the application process is available from the Office of Graduate Admissions. The GRE is not required for admission to this program.

When you apply to the MS/MSUPL program, you are applying for admission to both the Hunter College School of Nursing and the School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Urban Policy and Planning. However, you only need to submit one application (i.e., your application to Hunter). Your application will be reviewed by faculty at both schools.

Statement of Purpose. The personal statement for the MS/MSUPL application requires two parts:

Professional Background–A description of your professional background and your reasons for applying to the Hunter MS/MSUPL program (approx. 500 words).

Issue or Challenge–An additional 500 to 700 words describing an issue or challenge facing your organization, the health care system, or the nursing profession and how your experience and your completion of the MS/MSUPL program will help you to address this issue/challenge.

For more information, please contact contact Dr. Lynda Olender, MS/MSUPL Program Coordinator, at lo208@hunter.cuny.edu.