Vanderbilt University School of Nursing

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) is one of the graduate schools of Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. VUSN enjoys a close relationship with its university parent and with the separate nonprofit Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The School of Nursing is ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. Its master of science in nursing program ranked at No. 8 in the 2020 rankings. Its doctor of nursing practice program ranked at No. 5.
History.
With a history dating back to 1908, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing has a long-standing reputation in nursing teaching, practice, informatics and research. As one of the first five schools to receive Rockefeller funding to implement the Goldmark Report of 1923, the School of Nursing was a leader in drastically altering the nature of nursing education and moving it into institutions of higher learning. The School began offering the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in 1955. It was one of the first to launch a PreSpecialty program in 1986 allowing students who hold non-nursing degrees to enter the MSN program without repeating undergraduate classes. This permitted an accelerated path to the master's degree. Vanderbilt's Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, first conferred in 1935, was restructured into the PreSpecialty program as one of several innovative entry options.
In 1993, Vanderbilt School of Nursing established the PhD in Nursing Science program, leading to nursing research and scholarly activity that has positively impacted health care delivery in a variety of areas. The Doctor of Nursing Practice Program began in August 2008. The inaugural class of 31 students graduated in 2010.
Education.
The school became exclusively a graduate school in 1989 with a mission of educating advanced level nurses. It has established Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs in numerous advanced practice nursing specialty areas. The school has multiple entry options for nurses and non-nurses, admitting students from educational backgrounds other than nursing and allowing them to complete a course of work leading to an advanced practice nursing degree. The school also offers a PhD in Nursing Science—clinical research or health services research—and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
VUSN offers the following MSN specialty programs:
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing also offers these advanced degree programs: