Overview
By royal charter of King George II of England, Columbia University was founded in 1754 as King's College. It is the oldest institution of higher learning in New York State and the fifth-largest in the nation. A private, nonsectarian institution, Columbia University is organized into fifteen schools and is associated with more than seventy research and public service institutions and twenty-two scholarly journals. Founded in 1892 as the Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing, the School began offering baccalaureate degrees when it joined Columbia University's Faculty of Medicine in 1937. In 1956, it became the first nursing program in the country to award a master's degree in a clinical nursing specialty.

The nearly 500 students enrolled in the School of Nursing represent a diverse group of nursing professionals. They come from all over the country, but most are from the tristate area.

Columbia University School of Nursing's faculty members are outstanding educators who are committed to providing the best educational experience possible. They are responsive to student needs and to changes in the health-care market. As a result, Columbia graduates are sought after by employers, and more than 90 percent of recent graduates have secured employment in positions that are consistent with their education.

The Location and Community
The School of Nursing is part of the Columbia University Medical Center, a 20-acre campus overlooking the Hudson River on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Students can take advantage of the world-renowned recreational, cultural, educational, and entertainment events and sites that have made New York City famous.

Programs of study and degree requirements
Columbia University School of Nursing is distinguished by the clinical excellence of its programs and graduates. The School strives to accommodate the widely varying pool of applicants with multiple pathways to reach the master's degree, including a joint B.S./M.S. degree program for experienced nurses from associate degree programs and an Entry to Practice (ETP) program for college graduates with nonnursing degrees. The School offers specialization in twelve different graduate majors, including adult, geriatric, pediatric, family, and neonatal primary care; critical care; psychiatric mental health; oncology; nurse anesthesia; nurse midwifery; women's health; and informatics. In addition, subspecialization is available in HIV/AIDS, substance abuse counseling, clinical genetics, acute pediatric care, integrative therapies, behavioral pediatrics, clinical research coordination, emergency preparedness response, and palliative/end-of-life care. The Doctor of Nursing Science (D.N.Sc.) program is the first in the nation to have a health policy and clinical research focus. More than 90 percent of master's graduates are working as advanced practice nurses.

Facilities & Resources
The School of Nursing is part of the Columbia University Medical Center, along with the School of Public Health, the School of Dental and Oral Surgery, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons, which, together with New York-Presbyterian Hospital, create one of the world's greatest academic health centers. Other facilities include the Neurological Institute, the Eye Institute, Babies and Children's Hospital, Sloane Hospital for Women, the Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, the Organ Transplant Center, and the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. In addition, approximately 150 other sites in the tristate area are available for clinical education. The Augustus C. Long Library is the fourth-largest academic medical library in the country and is part of the Columbia University Library system, which encompasses approximately forty libraries and more than 4 million volumes. The Long Library houses more than 400,000 volumes and receives more than 4,500 journals, most of which can be accessed through online computer search programs. The Media and Computer Center contains more than 3,000 audiovisual and computer-assisted instruction programs, including slides, videodiscs, tapes, and a wide variety of personal computer applications. The Special Collections section houses several thousand rare and unique works, including the Florence Nightingale Collection, which is featured at exhibitions along with rare holdings of Freud and Webster. The School of Nursing's Technology Learning Center contains seven patient units, which provide a hands-on environment for developing psychomotor skills, as well as state-of-the-art, computer-assisted monitoring equipment that simulates a real clinical environment.

Expenses and Aid
Graduate tuition ranges from $1,227 to $1,851 per credit.

Financial Aid:
The goal of the School of Nursing financial aid program is to provide as many students as possible with sufficient resources to meet their needs, distributing funds to eligible students in a fair and equitable manner. Financial aid is met through a combination of scholarships, grants, work, and loans. Students should be able to meet all expenses for the academic year through a combination of these resources.

Housing/Living Expenses:
Housing costs on the Health Sciences Campus range from $4000 to $6000 per term. Other expenses, including health fees, books, personal expenses, transportation, and uniforms, are estimated at $5000.

How to Apply
Applications are accepted for programs beginning in September, January, and May. Admission is based on past academic and professional performance. Admission requirements include an application form with fee; a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; a GPA of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0; satisfactory scores on the GRE; an undergraduate course in statistics; a physical assessment course; three references attesting to the applicant's academic ability and potential; and a personal goal statement that is congruent with program goals. Students should contact the Office of Student Services/Admissions or visit the Web site listed below for program-specific admission guidelines.

Go To Profile Index Page

Go To Top Of Page