Master’s Programs
A challenge that will change your life—and the lives of others.
As a Connell School master’s student, you will join a talented cohort of peers with a range of educational backgrounds to become a compassionate, evidence-based nurse leader with the skills needed to advance patient care. Our curriculum and supportive programs reflect our commitment to social justice and belief in the intrinsic value of every student and patient.
Connell School Master’s Programs
Master of Science, Registered Nurse Track
This 14-month program will offer you a fast path to professional nursing, preparing you to become a highly skilled, knowledgeable, and confident RN.
Master of Science, Nurse Practitioner Track
This program will prepare you to take on the most pressing health care challenges as an NP, and choose from five clinical specialties.
- Respects the intrinsic worth of all human beings by valuing and integrating altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and social justice into professional nursing practice across all health care settings and populations (DOMAINS 1, 2)
- Synthesizes concepts from a liberal arts, Jesuit education to develop a philosophy of care that guides professional nursing practice (DOMAINS 1, 9)
- Uses management and leadership skills to coordinate and promote quality health care (DOMAINS 5, 7, 10)
- Uses empirical evidence and theoretical knowledge from nursing and other disciplines to influence health promotion and disease prevention in individuals, families, and populations across the lifespan and across health care environments (DOMAINS 1, 3, 4)
- Generates clinical judgments based on assessment data and implements interventions to achieve individual, family, and population-centered outcomes (DOMAIN 2)
- Collaborates with individuals, families, community partners, and the interdisciplinary healthcare team to ensure safe, clinically efficacious, cost-effective care (DOMAINS 3, 6)
- Articulates the relationships among intrapersonal, interpersonal, social, environmental, cultural, and ethical influences on healthcare delivery in a diverse and global society (DOMAINS 3, 7)
- Uses informatics and electronic technology to document, evaluate, and improve the quality of health care (DOMAIN 8)
- Articulates the influence of policy on health care and professional nursing practice (DOMAINS 3, 7)
- Accesses information and seeks experiences to promote personal and professional growth, advance nursing practice, and improve the care of individuals, families, and populations. (DOMAIN 10).
Approved by Faculty Assembly, January 29, 2025
Continuous improvement through assessment
The Connell School has a systematic plan for ongoing assessment of the master of science in nursing program. The master’s program outcomes, along with the professional standards and guidelines listed below, shape the curriculum.
Assessment data are used to ensure that best practices in nursing education are employed.
Professional Nursing Standards and Guidelines addressed by the Master’s Program
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021). The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. AACN.
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2011). The Essentials of Master’s Education for Advanced Nursing Practice.
- Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN). (2007). Competency Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes for Pre-License.
- Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN). (2012). Graduate-Level QSEN Competencies Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes.
- American Nurses Association (ANA). (2021). Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice.
- American Nurses Association (ANA). (2010). Nursing’s Social Policy Statement: The Essence of the Profession.
- American Nurses Association (ANA). (2025). Code of Ethics for Nurses.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Healthy People 2030.
- The Joint Commission. (2025). National Patient Safety Goals.
Other
- American Nurses Association, American Psychiatric Nurses Association and International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (2022), Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. Silver Spring, MD: Nursebooks.org.
- The Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organization Competencies. (2018). Core Competencies for Public Health Nurses.
- American Nurses Association (ANA). (2022). Public Health Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice.
#1
master of nursing program in New England
U.S. News & World Report, Best Nursing Schools, Master’s
Clinical Placements
Students experience a variety of practice settings by rotating among clinical sites, including:
- Addiction Treatment Center of New England
- Atrius Health
- Beth Israel Lahey Health
- Boston Children’s Hospital
- Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program
- Boston Medical Center
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Cristo Rey Boston High School
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Dimock Center
- Fenway Health
- Franciscan Children’s
- Hebrew SeniorLife
- Joslin Diabetes Center
- McLean Hospital
- Shriners Children’s Boston
- Signature Healthcare
- South Boston Community Health Center
- Spaulding Rehabilitation Network
- VA Boston Healthcare System
Featured Faculty
Patricia Tabloski, Ph.D., GNP-BC, FGSA, FAAN
“My interest in gerontology and palliative care has driven my research, teaching, and publications for more than 30 years. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with those who have similar interests.”
Financial Aid
The Connell School and Boston College offer multiple opportunities to fund a graduate education. CSON graduate students receive financial assistance through internal and external sources—including scholarships, fellowships, grants, teaching and research assistantships, and tuition remission.
Graduates of our master’s program work at health care facilities serving a range of patient populations, including:
- Boston Children’s Hospital
- Boston Medical Center
- Codman Square Health Center
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- East Boston Neighborhood Health Center
- Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- New England Baptist Hospital (Boston)
- Newton-Wellesley Hospital (Newton, MA)
- St. Vincent Hospital (Worcester, MA)
Master’s Program Outcomes
98%
employed with one year of graduation
97.4%
employed within one year of graduation
-
Clinical experience
Hands-on learning, dedicated mentors
Lindsay Spirito, a student in the pediatric nurse practitioner program, shares her experience with preceptor Terry Reardon-Polini, a pediatric nurse practitioner at Children's Health Care in Newburyport, MA.
-
The BC nurse
Educating the nurses of the future
A degree in nursing is the start of an extraordinary journey. Take the first step.
-
Our spaces
Step inside our halls
Take a look at our classrooms and study spaces, as well as labs and exam rooms where students learn through hands-on experiences.
Opportunities at the Connell School
Graduate Nurses’ Association
The GNA facilitates professional development opportunities and sponsors social events, connecting you to your fellow students and serving as a voice for the CSON graduate community.
Keys to Inclusive Leadership in Nursing
The KILN program helps students maximize their leadership potential, prepares them to provide nursing care in an increasingly multicultural society, and nurtures their ability to create positive social change.
Global Trips
Participation in CSON's international programs can count toward nurse practitioner (NP) supervised hours for graduate students.