About us

The Future of Nursing

University of Washington nursing schools are home to some of the top programs in the nation. We are ranked #1 among public institutions with Doctor of Nursing Practice programs (tied for #2 overall) and #1 among public schools with master’s degree programs (#5 overall and specific to UW Bothell and UW Tacoma) by U.S. News and World Report. We are also tied for #2 as the country’s best program and ranked #1 among public universities for our Bachelor of Science program in Nursing (BSN). Our mission is to address the health care needs of communities in Washington and around the world through education, research, and service.  Our impact is profound — whether we are launching our graduates into a world of opportunities or confronting the greatest health challenges of our time through undaunted research and scholarship. Together, our students, faculty and staff work boundlessly to turn ideas into impact and improve the health of people and communities locally and globally.

Degree programs

UW School of Nursing (Seattle)

UW Tacoma School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership

UW Bothell School of Nursing and Health Studies

We awarded 572 degrees across all three campuses in 2021-22

  • 108 Doctorate (PhD and DNP)
  • 79 Master’s (MN and MS)
  • 385 Bachelor’s (BSN and ABSN)

Students

Number of enrolled students across all three campuses 2022-23 by program:

Rebecca O'Connor with students

  • 202 RN to BSN
  • 328 DNP
  • 158 BSN
  • 71 MN
  • 64 ABSN
  • 67 PhD
  • 55 Graduate Certificates
  • 54 MS

Faculty

Number of nationally and internationally recognized faculty across all three campuses 2022-23:

  • 63 tenure and tenure track professorial rank faculty
  • 21 teaching professorial rank faculty
  • 5 research professorial rank faculty
  • 42 teaching associates and lecturers
  • 40 clinical faculty
  • 237 adjunct and affiliate faculty

We have 40 faculty members elected fellows of the American Academy of Nursing,  2 faculty members elected to the National Academy of Medicine and 8 faculty members elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences

Leadership

The Executive Dean provides leadership of the Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma nursing programs. The Bothell and Tacoma academic program directors oversee operations at their campuses in collaboration with the Executive Dean.

Seattle campus

Department chairs

Executive Dean’s Advisory Board 

The UW School of Nursing has maintained an active and engaged Advisory Board for over 30 years. The Advisory Board fosters closer ties between the University of Washington School of Nursing, its alumni, and the community. The Board offers strategic advice to the Dean with a focus on building community, raising awareness, and attracting resources to the School. Learn more about the board.

Honorary Assistant Deans of Clinical Practice

The UW School of Nursing appoints Honorary Assistant Deans of Clinical Practice in recognition of their particularly significant role in the School of Nursing and our community. Eight Chief Nursing Officers and administrators have been appointed/reappointed as Honorary Assistant Deans of Clinical Practice in recognition of their particularly significant role in the School of Nursing and our community. Learn more about the Honorary Assistant Deans of Clinical Practice.

Bothell campus

Tacoma campus

Seattle Campus Impact

  • $2.215 million scholarships awarded to students
    • 13 recruitment awards to new/continuing PhD students

Research

Scientist using a microscope

  • 15.02 million total grant dollars awarded in FY 2021
    • 73 research grant awards

Our Centers of Excellence include:

Seattle Campus Initiatives

Diversity, equity and inclusion

We share an unwavering commitment to creating and nurturing an inclusive, diverse and welcoming community so that we can continue providing quality and equitable healthcare for all. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Action Plan has been a model for similar plans by UW, the American Academy of Colleges of Nursing and nursing schools in China and Japan. Learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion at our school.

Global health

Together, we increase the visibility of nurses’ contributions and diverse roles in improving health globally while giving students a fundamental understanding of the way culture impacts health. Our Center for Global Health Nursing is an important part of the network of UW academics working in global health research and training across disciplines and across borders to improve health and address questions of health disparities locally and worldwide.

Population health

Our school is undertaking major efforts to see that population health is an embedded part of every nursing experience, at every level from DNP tracks  to innovative research projects. We want all nurses to be prepared to address the social determinants of health through assessment, leadership, collaborative practice, and policy development. The Academic Health Department, an alliance between the UW Schools of Nursing and Public Health and Public Health – Seattle & King County, builds important bridges between academia and the public sector for the good of the community.

Healthy aging

Our innovative research and education serve as a catalyst for promoting healthy aging in older adults because everyone deserves the best possible quality of life as they age. Our de Tornyay Center for Healthy Aging is a vibrant community of faculty, students, alumni, visiting scholars and community members who collaborate on aging initiatives, conduct research, secure funding, train our next generation of leaders, and are welcoming to those in and outside the School of Nursing with shared interests and passion.

Our mission, vision and values

Our mission is to advance nursing science and practice through generating knowledge and educating future leaders to address health for all. Our vision is to pioneer improvements in health and health care through innovative nursing science, education and practice.

Our values include:

  • Collaboration
  • Social responsibility
  • Integrity
  • Respect
  • Accountability
  • Diversity
  • Excellence

Learn more