Students selecting the Master of Nursing at University of Washington Bothell create an individualized focus area through the selection of elective courses and the completion of the Pathway Planning, Practicum and Portfolio coursework under the guidance of a Scholarly Chair. Many student elect a nursing education, population health, policy, or nursing research focus area.

All students enroll in a set of core coursework and complete a minimum of 100 hours of practicum (practice hours/fieldwork) as part of the Pathway Planning, Practicum, and Portfolio coursework guided by the student's Scholarly Chair.

The practice hours/fieldwork component in the second year permits substantive experience in a variety of settings in order to examine advanced nursing roles and apply core concepts into the real-world context of heath care. Students also complete a scholarly reflective portfolio guided by the student's Scholarly Chair.