Find out more about The University of Texas Medical Branch

Students with an undergraduate degree in any field can pursue a Master of Science in Health Professions to advance into leadership roles in the healthcare industry. The program can be completed at the student’s own pace, typically in three to five semesters. Students can also choose between completing a thesis or an additional six credit hours of coursework.

The core curriculum includes studies of healthcare policy, medical ethics, and scientific writing. In addition, the program can be customized through the choice of electives. Some of the options available include Human Resources and Leadership, Financing Health Care, Management of Health Information, Community and Public Health, and more.

The online RN to BSN degree completion program from The University of Texas Medical Branch recognizes the skills and accomplishments of nurses who have been trained at the associate degree level and offers a streamlined educational approach for the working nurse to earn their bachelor's degree. Coursework focuses on topics such as:

• Evidence Based Practice
• Legal and Ethical Issues in Healthcare
• Community and Population Based Care
• ​Leading and Managing in Nursing
• ​Clinical Reasoning in Health Assessment

The online DNP degree program from The University of Texas Medical Branch is designed to train nurse practitioners in clinical competencies and equip them with the skills in science, leadership, and inquiry necessary to transform health care. Graduates of the program possess the ability to:

• ​Integrate nursing science and theory with scientific and theoretical knowledge from other disciplines as the basis for the highest level of nursing practice
• ​Develop and evaluate culturally appropriate and effective approaches to health care delivery that meet current and future health care needs
• ​Use information technology and ethical research methods to improve practice and the practice environment
• ​Demonstrate knowledge of standards and principles for selecting and evaluating information systems, patient care technology, and related ethical, regulatory, and legal issues
• ​Analyze health care policy and function as an advocate for the nursing profession
• ​Communicate and collaborate effectively to function as a leader in interprofessional teams
• ​Analyze epidemiological, biostatistical, occupational, and/or environmental data in the development, implementation, and/or evaluation of clinical prevention and population health
• ​Demonstrate the foundational practice competencies required for DNP practice

The online PhD in Nursing degree program from The University of Texas Medical Branch prepares students to become researchers, educators, or administrators in nursing. Graduates of the program possess the knowledge and skills required to:

• ​Create conceptual systems that reflect synthesis, coherence, and the extension of knowledge about health promotion, human response, and healing within the context of biobehavioral research, vulnerable populations, and contemporary pedagogies
• Design, conduct, communicate, and evaluate research that contributes to a body of knowledge in nursing science
• ​Test, generate, and extend knowledge about nursing practice that includes health promotion, human response, and healing into clinical settings
• ​Collaborate with others on the integration of conceptual, practical, and ethical knowledge of human health in the organization, implementation, and evaluation of health care practices and policies
• Provide leadership to improve the local, national, and international health care environments

Prepare for a role in acute care settings caring for adults at all stages of life with an online Master of Science in Nursing degree specializing in Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Graduates are eligible to sit for national certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Students gain critical thinking skills in order to be able to identify improvement opportunities and implement change to improve care delivery and improve safety. Courses teach theoretical aspects of leadership practice in a healthcare environment. A clinical practicum showcases the student’s acquired nursing skills in their local area.

Classes examine topics including:

• Geriatric syndromes
• Public policy
• Diagnostic reasoning
• Informatics and quality improvement

Advance your career into an Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty with this online MSN program from The University of Texas Medical Branch. Students learn how to work in interdisciplinary teams to provide holistic health to patients from adolescence through geriatrics.

The convenient online format allows nurses to continue working while pursuing their education. Clinical practicum experiences are arranged in the student’s local area, providing hands-on practice of skills acquired through coursework. Students develop critical thinking skills necessary for analysis and improvement of care delivery and safety in healthcare.

The online Adult Nurse Practitioner program covers topics such as:

• Pharmacological principles and clinical therapeutics
• Advanced health assessment
• Diagnostic reasoning
• Acute health problems of adults
• Chronic and complex health problems of adults

The online MSN from The University of Texas Medical Branch prepares students to make significant contributions to the improvement of health care and to influence health care policy through advanced clinical practice and research that meets the complex health challenges and needs of society. 

Students may customize their degree to suit their personal interests and professional goals by choosing a specialized track. The Clinical Nurse Leader track uses evidence-based practice to achieve better outcomes, fiscal strategies to reduce costs, and educational strategies to foster learning with fellow healthcare professionals. Graduates of this nurse administrator degree will be prepared to serve at the forefront of changing the quality and safety of healthcare.

Course content focuses on areas including:

• Quality and safety
• Public health principles in advanced practice nursing
• Healthcare economics and finance
• Role synthesis and integration

The Executive Nurse Leader track of this online MSN degree program is designed around research on the key competencies of successful, transformational leaders. Graduates of this master’s in nursing administration online program are well prepared to lead change and advance healthcare in a variety of settings.

Courses encourage collaboration, innovation, and dissemination of new approaches to healthcare to improve individual as well as population health. Students have the opportunity to interact with nursing and other healthcare leaders through integrative experiences. A practicum component allows for practical application of acquired knowledge.

Students study topics including:

• Public health principles in advanced practice nursing
• Leadership
• Leader as communicator
• Public policy
• Informatics and quality improvement

Family Nurse Practitioners serve a wide-ranging patient base, caring for individuals and families from infancy through geriatrics. The online MSN / Family Nurse Practitioner degree track from The University of Texas Medical Branch prepares expert FNPs ready to work in interdisciplinary teams to promote holistic family and community health. 

Students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the theoretical aspects of leadership practice and apply them in clinical settings. Coursework emphasizes critical thinking related to improvement opportunities in care delivery and safety standards. This BSN to FNP program enhances students’ skills in areas such as cost-effectiveness, process improvement, and risk assessment.

Topics covered in this online FNP degree program include:

• Pathophysiology
• Advanced health assessment
• Nurse practitioner diagnostic reasoning
• Pharmacological principles and clinical therapeutics

The University of Texas Medical Branch offers a Master’s in Nursing online with Neonatal Nurse Practitioner concentration. This degree track trains nurses in the specialized care of critically ill and recovering newborns and their families. Graduates are eligible to sit for national certification by the National Certification Corporation (NCC).

State-of-the-art simulation laboratories provide realistic scenarios to help students understand neonatal care in a realistic environment. In-person clinical practicum experiences allow students to apply their acquired knowledge and skills to improve the quality of healthcare in their local area. 

This concentration includes studies of subject areas such as:

• Advanced neonatal health assessment
• Nurse practitioner role and business principles
• Pharmacological principles and clinical therapeutics
• Informatics and quality improvement

The Nurse Educator concentration of this online Master of Science in Nursing degree explores teaching and learning approaches for both real and virtual classrooms, as well as in community settings. Nurses gain advanced nursing skills and knowledge along with educational leadership abilities.

The master’s in nursing education online provides nurses an opportunity to become a part of the learning community in a variety of educational environments using emerging technologies. The program emphasizes a student-centered academic learning environment. Team projects promote a classroom feel within the online program, while providing students with the necessary tools to lead and learn from peers.

Classes analyze topics including:

• Foundations of adult learning
• Professional role development of the educator
• Foundations of research and theory
• Curriculum design
• Program evaluation