Why UCI Nursing – Degrees and Programs – UCI Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing

Why UC Irvine Nursing?

Nurses fill an indispensable role in society. Yet U.S. healthcare system faces a critical shortage of skilled nurses fill the need.

The UC Irvine Sue and Bill Gross School is committed to training more nurse leaders who are grounded in research and equipped to drive innovation and lasting improvements in healthcare. We provide a comprehensive nursing science education anchored by our strategic pillars: lessening human vulnerability, making the invisible visible, advancing the world’s health as human health, and increasing our capacity. These values ensure that our graduates are trained to provide care with compassion and competence and that they are well-rounded and ready to fill the need and serve society’s most vulnerable populations.

With our tripartite focus on research, education and clinical practice, UC Irvine’s Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing is powerfully positioned to supply more nurse-leaders, drive breakthroughs, and advocate for person-centered care. Nurses are already the nation’s most trusted professionals. We’ll prepare nurses who deliver on that trust — and elevate it further.

UCI nurses are trained not just for frontline nursing — direct patient care — but also for research and leadership.

Every BS student takes research and a nursing leadership course.
Every MS student proposes a research project designed to improve patient outcomes.
Every DNP student designs, implements, and evaluates a project designed to improve outcomes.
Summer nursing camps for pre-college students generate excitement about nursing careers — and about studying nursing at UC Irvine.

As the research-intensive nursing school within a research-intensive university, we advance both knowledge and clinical innovation.

UC Irvine nurses benefit from — and advance — exceptional research expertise.
As part of UC Irvine’s College of Health Sciences. the school leans into cross-disciplinary, collaborative education.
Our PhD program drives breakthroughs in nursing research and clinical practice—and trains the next generation of nurse-researchers.

As part of the UCI Health System — Orange County’s only academic health system — creates extraordinary clinical training opportunities for students.

UC Irvine Health is Orange County’s only academic health system, so clinical training familiarizes our students with complex cases.
With five hospitals (soon to be six) and 1,500+ beds, UCI Health serves a remarkable diversity of patients, including some of our community’s most vulnerable.
These clinical experiences make our graduates ready to hit the ground running.
Their clinical training quality fast-tracks our graduates’ careers.

More About Our School

People to Learn and Grow With

Our students, faculty and alumni are living out our school’s values every day. They strive to improve patient care and promote population health, locally and globally. They are leaders in research, education, and clinical practice who champion collaborative, compassionate, and interdisciplinary evidence-based practice.

MEPN Student Trang Truong Sitting outside the Sue & Bill Gross Nursing and Health Sciences Hall

MEPN Student Trang Truong Finds Her Voice

Trang Truong, who’s pursuing an entry-level master’s degree in nursing at UC Irvine, believes that patient self-advocacy is the first step toward making the U.S. healthcare system more accessible.

Our Faculty Make a Difference

Adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect or family dysfunction are a widespread public health concern, affecting more than half of the U.S. population. Dawn Bounds, associate professor of nursing, has received a five-year, $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to evaluate the efficacy of the Garnering Resilience in Traumatized Youth and Families program.

Alumnus JohnRey Hassan received the Lauds and Laurels Alumni Award in 2024

Alumni Impact

Starting his journey as a political science major at UC Irvine, JohnRey Hassan embraced the unexpected and found his calling in nursing. From flight nurse to In-House Counsel at Royal Ambulance Inc., his adventurous spirit and passion for helping others have been guiding lights throughout his career.

What Our Students Say

UC Irvine’s nursing program offers a dynamic, safe learning environment with emphasis on compassion, clinical excellence, and research. It fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation, and academic excellence. The diverse faculty equips students with skills to make meaningful impacts in healthcare.

Nikki Sincero

BS, 2025

I chose UCI for its reputation of fostering a dynamic, safe learning environment where students like me are empowered to contribute meaningfully to nursing. The emphasis on compassion, clinical excellence, and research opportunities, along with a supportive, collaborative community, aligns with my passion for change and advancing impactful patient care.”

Thomas Hughes, MSN, AGACNP-BC, CCRN

PhD Student, 2025-2026

I chose UCI because of the vast scope of knowledge amongst the nursing faculty and strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. In my research, I work closely with experts and fellow PhD students in nursing, pain medicine, and computer science. My eyes were opened to consider new possibilities in the world.”

Grace Schroeder

DNP-FNP Student, 2026

Choosing to pursue my advanced and terminal degree at UCI has been the highlight of my nursing career. The School of Nursing’s commitment to academic excellence and innovation is demonstrated through the diverse teaching perspectives from faculty members who are dedicated to equipping their students with the skills to make a meaningful impact in the field of healthcare.”

A Place for All

The Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing is committed to a culture of integrity, respect, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging for all. We acknowledge the universality of implicit biases about various personal characteristics (race, ethnicity, gender/sexuality, socioeconomic status, religion, ability) and are committed to preventing their influence on our school culture.

The Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing is committed to a culture of integrity, respect, equity, diversity, and inclusion for all. We acknowledge the universality of implicit biases about various personal characteristics (race, ethnicity, gender/sexuality, socioeconomic status, religion, ability) and are committed to preventing their influence on our school culture.

We encourage collective reflection, self-awareness, and openness to change that advances inclusive excellence, and we support open and honest dialogue about our learning and working environments. We focus our efforts on producing nurses who are knowledgeable, culturally sensitive, prepared to engage high-quality nursing practice and scholarship sensitive to diverse populations; and who will provide safe, effective, and non-judgmental care to all.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

Campus Environment

The UC Irvine Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing is located in Southern California about halfway in between Los Angeles and San Diego. Our weather is beautiful year-round. We are just minutes away from the airport, shopping, entertainment and the beach. And we are about an hour away from the local mountains.

An aerial shot of the campus looking south to our nearby beaches with Santa Catalina island in the distance.

A winter aerial shot of the campus looking east to our local snowcapped mountains.

Take the Next Step

Our programs include pre-licensure (Bachelor’s and Master’s of Nursing Science), Doctor of Nursing Practice, PhD, and PMNHP certificate programs. No matter which program you enter, you will be poised to make a difference by touching lives, translating science into practice and improving healthcare for vulnerable populations.

BS in Nursing Science

Master’s Entry Program

DNP Post-Master’s

DNP FNP

PhD in Nursing Science

PMHNP Certificate Program