What are you interested in?
- I want to become a nurse practitioner.
- I am a nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist with an MSN and would like to earn a DNP.
- I want to pursue nursing leadership.
- My goal is to become a nursing executive.
- I want to be an educator.
- I like working with data and am interested in nursing informatics.
- I want to be a nurse scientist focused on research.
- I want to gain certification in a different nursing specialization.
- I want to find continuing nursing education courses to satisfied my licensure requirements.
Become a Nurse Practitioner
Nurse practitioners of all types are in high demand throughout Texas and the nation.
Most nurse practitioner programs are transitioning from the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) level to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) level. This means students who have earned Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) degrees and have at least one year of experience can apply directly to DNP programs without first earning their MSN.
While Cizik School of Nursing continues to offer an MSN options for the Family Nurse Practitioner track, prospective students are strongly encouraged to consider preparing for their highest level of advanced practice by earning a DNP.
Nurses with graduate degrees may also complete coursework in any of our nurse practitioner tracks through our nondegree post-graduate program.
Get the details on Cizik School of Nursing’s highly rated graduate programs, and chart your path to becoming a nurse practitioner in one of these specialty areas:
- Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
We also offer a post-master’s program that will prepare you to become an Emergency Nurse Practitioner.
Achieve your highest degree as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)
If you have earned a Master of Science in Nursing degree and are certified as nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse anesthetist, you may complete the core coursework required to obtain a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree through our Post-master’s DNP program.
Learn more about how to achieve your highest-level nursing practice degree at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston.
What’s the difference between a DNP and a PhD? See this comparison.
Step up to Nursing Leadership
At Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston, we prepare nurses to lead from the bedside to the boardroom. Find out how you can play a part in advancing high-quality health care for all through our Nursing Leadership program.
Designed for working nurses, our hybrid program combines online courses with the opportunity to connect with faculty and get to know your classmates face to face. The program is open to students with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and as post-graduate program for students who have already earned a Master of Science in Nursing.
Learn more about our program, and chart your own path to nursing leadership.
Prepare to Lead from the Top
The Nurse Executive track of our Doctor of Nursing Practice program prepares students to serve as chief nursing officers and in other top leadership roles in the largest and most complex health care systems. Students gain a thorough understanding of organizational leadership, quality and safety, and health system business and processes. The Nurse Executive track is open to students with a master’s degree in nursing or a related field.
Teaching the Next Generation of Nurses
The nation’s nursing shortage cannot be remedied without more nursing faculty. Cizik School of Nursing offers multiple pathways for nurses who choose to become educators.
Students who have earned a Master of Science in Nursing or doctoral degree in nursing may complete our post-graduate Nursing Education program. Successful completion will qualify you for roles in staff development or patient education, as a clinical educator or preceptor, and to teach nursing students as a faculty member.
If you have a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and are interested in our Nursing Education program, you must first earn graduate-level degree. Please explore your options through Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston’s MSN, BSN to DNP Nurse Practitioner, BSN to DNP Nurse Anesthesia, or BSN to PhD program.
Lead with Data
Learn how to analyze and manage data to improve health care systems with a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nursing Informatics from Cizik School of Nursing. Our curriculum was designed in partnership with the School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston and integrates nursing science with multiple information and analytical sciences.
The Nursing Informatics track is open to students with a master’s degree in nursing or a related field.
Become a Nurse Scientist
With Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing, you can help shape the future of health care through scientific discovery. A PhD prepares students to become scientists who conduct research and contribute to the expansion of knowledge as nursing researchers, leaders, and educators.
At Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston, nurses with both Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees may apply to the PhD program. The BSN to PhD option enables nurses interested in meaningful research to become nurse scientists earlier in their careers.
In our program, you will build relationships and make connections that will benefit you throughout your career. Each PhD student is assigned an advisor from among our outstanding faculty who assists them from admission to graduation.
Learn more, and chart your path to becoming a nurse scientist.
What’s the difference between a PhD and DNP? See this comparison.
Add a specialty to your skill set
The post-graduate programs offered by Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston enable nurses who have a Master of Science in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice degree to gain knowledge and pursue qualification in another role or clinical specialty. Degree plans are individualized according to the student’s educational needs, past course work, and certification.
Post-graduate programs are offered for the following tracks:
- Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Nursing Leadership
We also offer two tracks as post-graduate programs only:
Learn more about post-graduate opportunities at Cizik School of Nursing.
Lifelong Learning
The Continuing Professional Development program at Cizik School of Nursing provides a variety of options for working nurses to meet their annual licensure requirements. We offer live, interactive webinars, in-person events, and self-paced courses.
Learn more, and find a learning opportunity that is right for you.
Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
