Cohorts are available in an online and in-person format (with residency requirements for online students).

This program is designed for California licensed Registered Nurses with a baccalaureate degree in nursing who seek to expand entry-level nursing practice through graduate MSN education.  Coursework builds on Associate or entry-level nursing practice, meets the AACN Essentials (2021), and culminates in graduate-level direct care in one of the following concentration areas.

The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) concentration prepares students to provide advanced-level care to adult and geriatric patients within various acute and critical care settings. AGACNPs assess, diagnose, and treat patients by ordering and interpreting labs and diagnostic tests, perform procedures, coordinate care to manage acute, subacute, and complex illness and chronic diseases, and evaluate the outcomes of interventions. Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to apply to the California Board of Registered Nursing for certification as a nurse practitioner and will be eligible to apply for national certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).

The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program prepares students through didactic education and clinical supervision, to provide comprehensive, quality primary health care to individuals across the lifespan. With an emphasis on preventative care, graduates make significant contributions to underserved populations. 

The Nurse Educator (NE) concentration prepares students in curriculum design and development, teaching methodologies, educational needs assessment, and learner-centered theories and methods. 

The Nursing Informatics specialty prepares advanced practice nurses to serve the profession of nursing by supporting the information processing needs of patient care and management. Nursing informatics integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science in identifying, collecting, processing, and managing data, information, and knowledge to support nursing practice, administration, education, and research. Graduates of this specialty are known as informatics nurse specialists, recognizing that the person is both a nurse and an informaticist. The informatics nurse specialist is one of the specialties recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with certification via computer-based testing. CBU CON informatics curriculum ensures that the content and concepts taught include current and emerging health care information technology trends with an emphasis on data science and evidence-based care.

The Nursing Organizational Leadership (NOL) concentration will prepare students to examine roles in nursing administration, emphasizing clinical outcomes management, care environment management, and inter-professional collaboration. After successful completion of coursework, required clinical hours, and any other criteria deemed necessary, students can apply for certification. The program is aligned with the Nurse Manager/Leader competencies established by the Association of Nurse Leaders (AONL).

The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) is an advanced practice registered nurse who focuses clinical practice on individuals, families, or populations across the life span at risk for developing and/or having a diagnosis of psychiatric disorders or mental health problems. Graduates are prepared to work respectfully and collaboratively with clients/consumers who are experiencing severe or chronic mental illnesses to determine biopsychosocial healthcare needs within a complex and changing environment. Theory and clinical coursework focus on assessment, differential diagnosis and disease management, intervention planning, individual, family, and group psychotherapy, health promotion, and disease prevention.

Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to apply to the California Board of Registered Nursing for certification as a nurse practitioner and will be eligible to apply for national certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).