Admission requirements for the M.Sc. are:

• Graduation with a minimum of a second class standing of 3.0 GPA from an baccalaureate program in nursing that has been approved by the provincial/territorial authority;
• registration (or eligible to register) as a Registered Nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario;
• malpractice insurance (available with membership in the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario);
•  undergraduate courses in research methodology and statistics.

Applicants to the Pattern I Program (thesis)

A statement of research interest is requested to match student interests with faculty research programs to assign thesis supervision.

International Applicants

International applicants must be graduates of a baccalaureate program in nursing that is equivalent to a four year Canadian program and have  a minimum of a second class standing.  Applicants must provide proof of registration as a nurse in their own country, but will not be required to register with the College of Nurses of Ontario.  Please note that international students who are not registered in Ontario will be unable to provide direct patient care or conduct thesis research that requires registration. The applicant and potential thesis supervisors should discuss this limitation on thesis research topics during the matching process

Applicants to the Pattern II Program (Primary Health Care Nursing )

Applicants to the primary health care nursing program must have the equivalent of two years of full-time practice as a Registered Nurse within the past five years and must hold current registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario at the time of admission to the program. Applicants with advanced academic credentials may be considered for advanced standing.

International applicants are not normally eligible for this program as they do not hold current registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario.

The Programs

Pattern 1 Thesis: The M.Sc. Pattern 1 is a two-year program that focuses on nursing research.   The program is built on a foundation of nursing theory and clinical expertise. Typically, required course work is completed in year one with classes held on 2 consecutive weekdays. Thesis work begins in year one and is the primary focus of year two. This is a unique approach, as other nursing graduate programs focus on advanced clinical practice or a combination of advanced practice and research. Nursing research is operationally defined as the scientific investigation of health, health promotion, illness and care-related questions and hypotheses of interest to nursing. It includes the identification of factors influencing nursing care decisions and testing the effectiveness of nursing interventions on patient outcomes. The graduate of this research-intensive master's program will have:

 i) the theoretical knowledge and skills to conduct small nursing research projects and participate on research teams;

ii) an area of expertise as well as the knowledge and skill to introduce and use their own and published research findings; and,

iii) critical appraisal skills needed for developing the scientific basis for nursing practice.

There are two fields of study offered:   women's and children's health and health and chronic illness which alternate on a yearly basis. The program provides course work in research methods and skills, nursing theories and the conceptualization of nursing research in the two fields. Theoretical and empirical analysis and conclusions on special topics of critical concern to the student's clinical field are integral to course and thesis work. Pattern I in the School of Nursing is a program of study which requires one full course and three half courses plus, a thesis. The course work is as follows:

Foundation Courses (Required)

NURS-800 Advanced Research Design and Analysis

NURS-801* Topics in Nursing Research

NURS-811*Theoretical Bases of Nursing Research

Special Topics (One of these half courses is required. Some years only one of these courses may be offered).

NURS-805*Nursing, Health Services & Public Policy in Canada

NURS-822* Nursing Research in Women's & Children's Health

NURS-832*Nursing Research in Health and Chronic Illness:  Lifestyle Modification for Cardiovascular Health 

NURS-833 * Mental Health and Chronic Illness

NURS-852 * Educational Strategies

NURS-862 * Health Care Management Systems

Optional Elective

NURS-892 *Independent Study

Research (Required)

NURS-899 Master's Thesis Research

*Denotes half courses (3.0 credits).

Students whose research is closely linked to other disciplines, such as basic, behavioural, or social sciences, may be advised or may wish to complement core nursing courses with courses in the relevant discipline.

Pattern II Primary Health Care Nursing: The MSc Pattern II Primary Health Care Nursing field is a two-year full time program.  The program provides opportunities for students to examine theory and research relevant to primary health care health care nursing, enhance knowledge and skills in critical analysis/synthesis of evidence and professional leadership and develop advanced skills and knowledge in health assessment for clinical nursing roles in primary health care settings.  The graduates of the program will:

• possess knowledge of the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of the discipline;
• be able to contribute to nursing research projects
•  gain critical appraisal skills required to evaluate and synthesize the scientific evidence for practice in a primary health care settings; and,
• be able to undertake leadership roles in primary health care.

The Primary Health Care Nursing field consists of two full course and seven half courses. The coursework is as follows:

NURS-800 Advanced Research Design and Analysis

NURS-811* Theoretical Bases of Nursing Research

NURS-898 Project in Advanced Nursing Practice

One Special Topics Course (at least two offered each year)

 NURS-822* Nursing Research in Women's and Children's Health Issues (one term course) OR

NURS-832* Lifestyles and Cardiovascular Health (one term course) OR

NURS-833* Mental Health and Chronic Illness OR

NURS-852* Educational Strategies OR

NURS-862* Health Care Management Systems OR

NURS-805*Nursing, Health Services, and Public Policy in Canada

The following four courses are delivered via a consortium of nine Ontario universities:

NURS-850* Pathophysiology

NURS-853* Primary Health Care NP Roles and Responsibilities

NURS-856* Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnosis I

NURS-857* Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnosis II

*Denotes half courses (3.0 credits).

Field in the Ph.D. program

The program has one field, Transitions in health and illness. This field is concerned with the nature, impact, outcome, and management of the following types of health and illness related transitions: developmental transitions such as birth, death, and the passage to old age; illness transitions such as the passage to chronic illness or the experience of a health crisis; and transitions through the health care environment.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements are:

Master's degree in Science taken through the School of Nursing at Queen's University, or an equivalent master's degree in nursing, with a minimum average of 75% calculated over the core courses of the program; and satisfactory letters of reference. A statement of academic, research and professional plans is requested to match student with faculty interests.

Please note that international applicants must provide proof of registration as a nurse in their own country, but will not be required to register with the College of Nurses of Ontario.  Applicants who are not registered in Ontario will be unable to provide direct patient care or conduct thesis research that requires registration.  The applicant and potential thesis supervisors should discuss this limitation on thesis research topics during the matching process.

The Program

The Ph.D. program will normally involve four years of full-time study. The program involves:

1. Course work

A minimum of three term length courses and one full length course. Normally, the following courses will be required:

• NURS-901* Philosophy of Nursing Science
• RHBS-932*/NURS-902* Qualitative Research Methods in Health Sciences
• NURS-903 Advanced Measurement, Design and Analytic Techniques
• NURS-906* Thesis Seminar Course

One of the following:

• NURS-905* Nursing, Health Services and Public Policy in Canada OR
• NURS-907* Independent Study OR
• NURS-822* Nursing Research in Women's and Children's Health OR
• NURS-832* Lifestyle and Cardiovascular Health OR
• NURS-833* Mental Health and Chronic Illness

2. Comprehensive Examination

The purpose of the comprehensive exam is to assess students' ability to critically synthesize knowledge in a substantive area of the discipline and to assess their ability to successfully pursue independent scholarship. Students will be evaluated for in-depth knowledge in theoretical and applied nursing and research methods; and theoretical and applied knowledge in their substantive area. Students will normally begin to work on the Comprehensive Examination after all coursework has been completed. The Comprehensive Examination will contain a written and an oral component and both will normally be completed in the first part of the second year of study. The comprehensive exam must to be completed within 24 months of enrolment in the program.

 3. Thesis requirement

Independent, original research and the preparation of a thesis are major requirements and make up at least two thirds of the time normally required for the program.