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University of Washington

Independent Master of Nursing (IMN)

Important Master's Degree Applicant Information

The School of Nursing is temporarily pausing admissions to the following Master’s-level options for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  1. Adult: NP (includes Acute Care NP) and CNS
  2. Pediatric: NP and CNS
  3. Nurse Midwifery
  4. Psych/Mental Health NP
  5. Perinatal and Neonatal: NP and CNS
  6. Independent Master of Nursing option
  7. Independent Master of Science option

No changes are envisioned for the Master of Nursing entry option for Community Health (which also has a DNP option) or the Master of Science offering in Clinical Informatics and Patient Centered Technologies (CIPCT).

Students who are currently enrolled in our Master of Nursing offerings or our Master of Science independent option are not affected by this change.

If you have applied to or were considering application to a graduate program in advanced practice and have questions about your options or how this affects your plans, please contact sonas@uw.edu.

We value each and every student at the School of Nursing and are committed to assisting all of our students reach their educational and career goals either here at the University of Washington Seattle campus or at other nursing programs in the region. Please contact Interim Academic Services Director Dagmar Schmidt at dagmar@uw.edu for any assistance you may need as a result of these recent changes in our programs.


Students pursuing the Independent Master of Nursing (IMN) plan their Master of Nursing course of study with a faculty advisor and supervisory committee to meet the minimum requirements below. Students may take courses in the School of Nursing or in other UW departments, and may supplement the course work listed below as appropriate to their interests. The IMN option takes approximately one year of full-time study to complete. It is also possible to attend part-time, taking as few or as many courses as one likes. Graduate non-matriculated status is welcome for the first 12 credits of any IMN program of study.

The IMN is designed to offer maximum flexibility and convenience and is molded to fit individual career goals and settings. For example, students may independently design a program of study that would prepare them for certification as a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) through the IMN. The IMN may be completed on a part or full-time basis, and offers a growing number of distance learning opportunities.

If you are interested in pursuing the IMN, you should be:

  • with faculty assistance, take initiative in the design of your individualized program curriculum
  • able to monitor the incremental achievement of your educational goals and objectives