KU School of Nursing to launch region’s only master’s degree direct-entry program
Kansas Board of Nursing approved several curriculum changes, including a new degree program that will allow those with degrees in other fields to transition more easily to nursing.
Students with bachelor’s degrees in other fields may now more easily transition into nursing with a new degree program to be launched at the University of Kansas School of Nursing. Known as a master’s degree direct-entry program, this change is part of an ongoing effort at KU to keep up with national trends in nursing curricula.
The Kansas Board of Nursing approved the new program, along with numerous curriculum changes proposed by the KU School of Nursing faculty and leadership.
FAAN, dean of KU
School of Nursing
“The transition from a Master of Science with a major in nursing to a Master of Science in Nursing direct-entry pre-licensure program represents more than a name change,” said Jean Giddens, Ph.D., FAAN, dean of KU School of Nursing. “It marks a fundamental philosophical and structural shift in graduate nursing education at KU School of Nursing.”
Giddens noted that the previous master’s degree program at KU School of Nursing prepared nurses for roles in education, public health and organizational leadership — areas rooted in post-licensure specialization.
“By contrast, the new master’s degree direct-entry program is designed exclusively for students who hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing discipline and who seek entry into the nursing profession. It does not contain specialties; rather, it provides the full complement of didactic, simulation and clinical experiences required for licensure as an entry-level registered nurse,” Giddens said.
That change is part of a curriculum trend nationwide, and it helps more students — who previously may not have realized the many opportunities nursing provides — transition into the field. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the United States is expected to continue to experience a shortage of registered nurses as baby boomers age.
The new master’s degree direct-entry program will launch in fall 2027, with new classes of students accepted into the program every fall.
Another significant change involves reworking the undergraduate degree, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, to provide for a more holistic approach. The revised curriculum combines what were previously separate lab, simulation and clinical experiences into applied practice courses, giving students a continuous approach to practice within a single course structure.
“Students will experience a direct link between classroom content and application in experiential learning,” Giddens said. “Students will progress in their learning from foundational, to emerging, to integrating, and then transitioning to the nurse role for practice readiness.”
The purpose of all the changes was to fully align with the guidelines produced by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, of which Giddens is an author. These national curriculum guidelines define what every nursing graduate should know and be able to do at both entry and advanced levels.
Giddens, who also serves as president of the board of the association, noted that “this alignment means competencies are intentionally scaffolded across the student experience and emphasis is placed on the student’s ability to demonstrate learning in an observable way. In practice, this creates clear expectations for progression, strong integration of classroom, simulation and clinical learning, and meaningful ways to assess how students are developing as nurses.”
Changes to the bachelor’s degree program will take effect beginning in fall 2026. Recognizing the growth of the aging population in the United States, a new Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner post-master's certificate program will begin in summer 2026. Changes to the doctorate in nursing practice curriculum begin in fall 2026, while other post-graduate certificates will begin in summer 2027. See the KU School of Nursing website for more information on how and when to apply to all programs.
“The formal approval of these programmatic changes was the last step needed before we could begin recruiting students to the new curriculum plans,” Giddens said, noting that the approvals were the result of numerous hours of effort by a large team at KU School of Nursing, who worked to better align the curriculum with national standards and best practices.
“This truly represents a new chapter for the school’s academic mission as we prepare to launch the revised programs in fall 2026,” she said.