Nursing

• Ingram School of Nursing
• 680 Sherbrooke West, Suite 1800
• Montreal QC H3A 2M7 Canada
• Telephone: 514-398-4151
• Fax: 514-398-8455
• Website: mcgill.ca/nursing

The Ingram School of Nursing is a professional school within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences that has been educating nurses since 1920. On September 10, 2012 the School was formally renamed the Ingram School of Nursing in recognition of Richard and Satoko Ingram and their exceptional support for Nursing at McGill. The School is internationally recognized for its distinctive vision, leadership in nursing, and the quality of its programs. McGill nursing graduates have earned a reputation as outstanding clinicians, educators, researchers, and leaders in their discipline.

Recently, the Ingram School of Nursing adopted Strengths-Based Nursing (SBN) as its foundation for practice, education, and research. SBN is a culmination of an approach to nursing that has been an integral part of the McGill School of Nursing since its founding in 1920, evolving from the McGill Model of Nursing. SBN is both a philosophy- as well as a value-driven approach that has as its foundational pillars in person/family-centered care, empowerment, relational care, and innate and acquired healing.

At the graduate level, the Ingram School of Nursing offers tailored programs in advanced nursing practice that prepare our students to be leaders in their field. The learning experience at the School is geared to foster individual judgment, creativity, and initiative. Led by nationally recognized researchers and clinicians, students will participate in cutting-edge programs of research and knowledge translation projects related to nursing practice and administration. McGill's Ingram School of Nursing is for you if you want to contribute to the knowledge base of advanced nursing practice and want to be involved actively in changing how healthcare is delivered locally, nationally, and internationally.

The School and its laboratories are situated at 680 Sherbrooke Street West and occupy the 18th, 19th, and 20th floors of that building. The state-of-the-art Satoko Shibata Clinical Nursing Laboratories are designed to offer students a wealth of hands-on experience. The School also accommodates student lounges, faculty and staff offices, mid- and small-sized classrooms, and meeting rooms. Students registered in the School also take courses in other faculties within the University. Selected experience in nursing is provided in the McGill University Health Centre, other McGill-affiliated hospitals, and in a wide variety of health agencies in Montreal.

For information on undergraduate programs, please consult the Ingram School of Nursing's Undergraduate section.

M.Sc.A. Program and Concentrations

The Master's (Applied) is offered in three majors and a number of formal concentrations, which are listed in the table below.

Graduate Certificates and Diplomas

Nurse applicants with a Master of Science degree in Nursing and with the required clinical experience are prepared to assume the nurse practitioner (NP) role through our Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma programs in five NP specialties (Adult Care, Neonatology, Mental Health, Primary Care, and Pediatrics). The Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma programs develop in these students the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare for the Quebec Order of Nurses (OIIQ) (Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec) nurse practitioner professional licensing exam.

Doctoral Program

The Ph.D. program in Nursing is designed to prepare nurses for careers as researchers, academics, and health care leaders who will develop the discipline of nursing through the advancement of nursing knowledge, practice, and education.

Proficiency in English

Since the language of instruction at McGill University is English, some applicants may need to provide proof of English language proficiency. Please visit the Future Graduate Students website to see if this applies to you. Applicants must write term papers, examinations, and theses in English or in French.

Before being considered for admission, appropriate exam results must be submitted directly from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems) office using McGill's Institutional code: 0935.

• TOEFL: a minimum score of 100 on the Internet-based test (iBT) with each component score no less than 20
• IELTS: a minimum overall score of 7.5

An institutional version of the TOEFL is not acceptable. Applications will not be considered if TOEFL or IELTS test results are not available.

For more information about the Language Policy at McGill University, please refer to University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Regulations > Language Policy.

GRE (Graduate Record Examination) general test results may be required in individual circumstances.

Students who have not completed their studies in North America may be asked to arrange for an interview as part of the application process.

CASPer Assessment

Applicants to the Master's Advanced Nursing, and Master's Nurse Practitioner

All applicants to the Master of Science, Applied (M.Sc.A.) Advanced Nursing and Nurse Practitioner programs and each of its concentrations at McGill University will be required to complete a mandatory online 90-minute computer-based assessment called CASPerTM, as a component of the selection process. CASPerTM, the computer-based assessment for sampling personal characteristics is a web-based situational judgement test designed to evaluate key personal and professional characteristics essential for students to be successful in nursing school and ultimately, as practicing nurses. Some of these characteristics include professionalism, empathy, compassion and cultural sensitivity. Since CASPerTM assesses no-cognitive and interpersonal characteristics, studying is not required.

For more information please review mcgill.ca/nursing/apply.

General Admission Requirements and Information

Nurse applicants to the master's program may complete their studies on a part-time basis (with the exception of those in Nurse Practitioner areas of study, where only the first year may be taken part-time—i.e., minimum of 3 credits per term to a maximum of 4 years—as well as M.Sc.A. - Nursing, which can only be completed on a full-time basis). Applicants to the Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas should consult with their advisor concerning course load.

Nurse applicants are expected to hold current registration in their Canadian province or in the United States. Nurses who are not licensed in Quebec must be registered with the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec upon the start of their graduate studies. Nurse applicants to the Nurse Practitioner programs must hold current and full licensure with the OIIQ.

Nurse applicants whose previous nursing degree(s) was completed outside of Canada are required to have at least one year of experience as nurses in their country of origin, in addition to one year of experience as nurses in Canada or the United States.

All applicants to the nursing Masters of Science (Applied), Graduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas, and Ph.D. programs should consult the Ingram School of Nursing website for more information on admission requirements and application processes.

Additional Admission Requirements (by Program)

Master's Nursing Program

M.Sc.A. - Nursing applicants must complete their Qualifying Year and the master's program of study on a full-time basis, i.e., a total of three years. The School considers admissions to this program for the Fall term only.

French Language Proficiency

In the clinical settings where much of our program delivery takes place, the ability to communicate proficiently in French is necessary to effectively learn and safely work with and support patients, families, and healthcare teams. French is essential to the successful completion of this Nursing degree program. Candidates are encouraged to consult the Ingram School of Nursing website for more information on French Language Proficiency and for all admission requirements to the Qualifying Year, at: mcgill.ca/nursing/apply.

Upon successful completion of the Qualifying Year, candidates must apply to the Master's program. The applicant's undergraduate record must meet the minimum general requirements of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, which includes a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or a high "B" standing in undergraduate studies. Entering students normally hold an undergraduate degree in arts, humanities, science, or social science disciplines because the program draws heavily on skills and knowledge typically developed in such areas.

Master's Advanced Nursing Program—All Concentrations

Applicants to the master's degree must have completed a bachelor's degree in nursing with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0. This preparation must be comparable to that offered in the bachelor's in nursing programs at McGill, which includes an Introductory Statistics course (3 credits).

Prospective applicants whose undergraduate degree differs from the McGill degree can use the Nurse Bachelor Assessment Form, published at mcgill.ca/nursing/apply/graduate-programs/masters-science-applied-non-thesis-advanced-nursing to self-assess their degrees. Once an application is submitted, this form is used by the Admissions Committee to assess equivalency of Bachelors’ degrees.

Master's Nurse Practitioner Programs—All Concentrations

Applicants to the Master of Science (Applied) Nurse Practitioner degree must have completed a bachelor's degree in nursing with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0. This preparation must be comparable to that offered in the bachelor's in nursing programs at McGill, which includes an Introductory Statistics course (3 credits).

Prospective applicants whose undergraduate degree was not obtained at McGill, will need to have the biological sciences content (biology/physiology, pathophysiology, pathology, pharmacology) and the introductory statistics course equivalency to the McGill University B.Sc.(N.) assessed. The Nurse Bachelor Assessment Form must be completed, with the course descriptions included. A minimum of 3,360 hours of experience in nursing, including within the specialty, is required. Candidates are encouraged to consult the Ingram School of Nursing website for more information on the type of experience required for each concentration.

International applicants who have been licensed in another country must have worked as a registered nurse in the United States or Canada for at least one year, which will provide them with the necessary knowledge of the health care system required for advanced nursing studies.

Graduate Certificate in Nurse Practitioner—Mental Health, Primary Care, Pediatrics

Applicants must hold a M.Sc.A in nursing comparable to that of McGill University, with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale required. Please note that the Graduate Certificate leads to the Graduate Diploma in the specialty area and is only open to students who have completed or are in the process of completing a Special Term. Prior to admission to the Graduate Certificate, applicants are required to have a minimum of 3,360 hours of nursing experience in Canada within the specialty area in the previous five years.

Applicants must complete the Graduate Diploma in the same concentration in order to qualify for the professional licensing exam.

Graduate Certificate in Nurse Practitioner—Neonatology

Applicants must hold a master’s degree in nursing comparable to that of McGill University's, with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale required. Prior to admission, applicants are required to have a minimum of 3,360 hours of nursing experience in Canada in the specialty area in the previous five years. Applicants will be required to complete the Graduate Diploma in the same concentration in order to qualify for the professional licensing exam.

Graduate Certificate Nurse Practitioner—Adult Care, Mental Health

Applicants will complete the M.Sc.A Nurse Practitioner or the Graduate Certificate Nurse Practitioner simultaneously with the Graduate Diploma in the same specialty.

Graduate Diplomas in Nurse Practitioner

For nurse applicants with a Bachelor degree in Nursing, an M.Sc.A Nurse Practitioner and a Graduate Diploma in an Nurse Practitioner ('NP') specialty must be completed to qualify for the professional licensing exam. For nurse applicants with a M.Sc.A. in Nursing, a Graduate Certificate and a Graduate Diploma in an NP specialty must be completed to qualify for the professional licensing exam.

The Graduate Diploma is only open to students who have completed or are in the process of completing McGill's M.Sc.A. Nurse Practitioner Program or the Graduate Certificate Nurse Practitioner Program. Prior to admission, applicants are required to have a minimum of 3,360 hours of nursing experience in Canada within the specialty area over the previous five years.

International students must obtain a current licensure from the OIIQ before submitting their application to any NP program specialty. Please note that in order to obtain a nursing license in Quebec, one must be proficient in French language. For more information regarding the OIIQ licensure eligibility criteria, please contact the OIIQ directly.

All Nurse Practitioner concentrations deliver some courses in French, making proficiency in French a requirement for these programs as well.

Graduate Diploma Nurse Practitioner—Adult Care, Mental Health

Applicants will complete the M.Sc.A. Nurse Practitioner or the Graduate Certificate Nurse Practitioner simultaneously with the Graduate Diploma in the same specialty.

Ph.D. Program

Applicants admitted to the doctoral program through McGill University must have completed master’s-level studies with either their undergraduate or graduate degree in nursing comparable to McGill. Applicants must have a CGPA minimum of 3.3 on a scale of 4.0 or a B+ standing.

The School considers admissions to the doctoral program for the Fall and Winter terms.

Official registration through Minerva must be completed by August 14. Students registering late for reasons unrelated to the admission procedure are subject to the late payment fee.

Newly admitted students will receive information from the Graduate Nursing Student Affairs Office regarding any orientation sessions being scheduled for the fall. Students should contact their academic adviser for approval of complementary courses before the add/drop deadline.

For the list of advisors by concentration, refer to the Graduate Program Student and Faculty Handbook.

All students (new admits and returning students) are responsible for ensuring that registration is completed according to the University timetable deadlines.

Course Requirements

Students are provided with the course objectives, requirements, and methods of evaluation at the beginning of each course. Students will not be permitted to write an examination in any course unless they have fulfilled the requirements, including attendance.

Clinical Requirements

Please visit mcgill.ca/nursing/students/student-portal/clinical for further details. A table of these requirements and respective deadline dates is outlined on this page. Then, log in to the student portal to the site where you can upload your documents is also on this page.

University Success Workshop Series

Any student who is experiencing difficulty in meeting program requirements is encouraged to seek help and take advantage of academic services that McGill offers. Information is available at mcgill.ca/firstyear/graduate-postdoctoral/resources-success. Further information on services available to students is available at University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Student Services and Information > Student Services – Downtown Campus.

Regulations Concerning Clinical Placement Courses

• Clinical courses must be taken sequentially as identified in the course of study for your concentration.
• Students must be registered with the OIIQ before they can have access to clinical placements. Students who have not completed the registration procedure cannot commence clinical studies.
• Students must have met the vaccination/immunization requirements prior to commencing clinical studies in September.
• Students are required to purchase equipment such as a stethoscope and physical-assessment equipment. Information is provided at registration or within specific courses.
• Students are expected to demonstrate professional behaviour at all times. The Code of Ethics for Nurses and the McGill University Code of Student Conduct (as outlined in the mcgill.ca/students/srr/academicrights and mcgill.ca/secretariat/policies-and-regulations) provide guidelines. Professional behaviour is expected in relation to classmates, teachers, patients, the interprofessional team, and the institutions within which studies take place.
• In any formal documentation, students must identify themselves as a McGill Nursing Student with the respective year of study noted.
• Name badges must be worn at all times in clinical studies. These are ordered in the Fall semester of the first year of studies and the cost is charged directly to the student's fee account. Name badges are ordered through the Ingram School of Nursing and students will be required to purchase two sets of name badges in early Fall prior to starting clinical placement. Students must comply with the uniform policy during clinical placements.
• Students must have a photo I.D. taken at the MUHC for their clinical placements there.
• Attendance in clinical courses is mandatory and absences must be discussed with the instructor. Students with repeat absences may be asked to defer clinical studies if progress in the clinical course is compromised.
• Students whose performance in clinical studies does not meet the course objectives will be informed in writing and a learning plan will be developed. Students whose performance is below expectations or who are unsafe in clinical studies may be required to withdraw from the course at any time.
• Students whose academic performance is below expectation or considered to be incompetent or unsafe in clinical studies can be required to withdraw from the course at any time—in such cases, the student will receive a grade of WF or F.
• While an effort is made to place students within reasonable travelling distance for clinical studies, each student must budget a sum of money to travel to and from a patient home and clinical institutions.
• Special requests for specific locations or hours of clinical study cannot be accommodated.
• Students who are seropositive for Hepatitis B, C, or HIV and/or any other blood-borne pathogens have an obligation to notify their Program Director. These students are referred to the Blood-Borne Infection Risk Assessment Unit (Service d'évaluation des risques de transmission d'infection hématogènes (SERTIH)) of the Québec Institut national de santé publique responsible for all infected workers, including nursing students. The service will make recommendations regarding clinical placement based on the nature of the situation.
• Clinical courses that are offered during the Summer session may require that students study during the day, evening, night, or weekend.
• Clinical agencies generally require students entering their facility to undergo a Criminal Reference Check prior to being granted permission to enter their facility.
• For more information on clinical requirements, see mcgill.ca/nursing/students/student-portal/clinical.

RN Licensure (Registration) to Practice

Graduates of an entry-to-practice program in nursing must seek licensure to practice on completion of the degree. The granting of a license to practice nursing and the right to be called a "Nurse – N" is a jurisdictional issue and varies from province to province within Canada, state to state in the United States, and country to country around the world.

NP Licensure (Registration) to Practice

Graduates of an entry to practice program in nurse practitioner must seek licensure to practice as a nurse practitioner upon completion of the degree. The granting of a license to practice as a nurse practitioner and the right to be called a "Nurse Practitioner – NP" is a jurisdictional issue which the professional order of Nurses determines and assigns. In Quebec, the licensure exam for NPs is a joint exam with the OIIQ and the Collège des médecins du Québec.

McGill's online application for graduate program candidates is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply.

See University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Graduate Admissions and Application Procedures > Application Procedures for detailed application procedures.

For information on the application process as well as the supporting documents required in addition to the online application, please visit the Nursing website, then search for your program of study.

Application opening dates are set by Enrolment Services in consultation with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), while application deadlines are set by the Ingram School of Nursing and may be revised at any time. Applicants must verify all deadlines and documentation requirements well in advance on the appropriate McGill departmental website; please consult the list at mcgill.ca/gps/contact/graduate-program.

Information on application deadlines is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/application-steps/application-deadlines.

Admission to graduate studies is competitive; accordingly, late and/or incomplete applications are considered only as time and space permit.