Entry Level Master's in Nursing, Clinical Nurse Leader

Yes. ELM-CNL students complete clinical experiences in leading hospital systems and healthcare organizations throughout the greater Los Angeles and Ventura County regions. Clinical partners include major academic medical centers, community hospitals, specialty facilities, and healthcare organizations, including Cedars-Sinai. Clinical placements are arranged and coordinated by the School of Nursing based on curriculum requirements, student learning needs, and clinical site availability as students progress through the program.

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree (BA or BS) from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher. In addition, all nine prerequisite courses (or their equivalents) must be completed with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and no grade lower than a “C” in any individual course.

The nine required prerequisites are:

• Human Anatomy with laboratory (4 units)
• Human Physiology with laboratory (4 units)
• Microbiology with laboratory (4 units)
• Chemistry with laboratory (4 units)
• Introduction to Psychology (3 units)
• Introduction to Sociology (3 units)
• English Composition (3 units)
• Speech and Rhetoric (4 units)
• Introductory Statistics for Healthcare Professionals (3 units)

If you’re unsure whether a previously completed course counts as an equivalent, you can use assist.org to explore course equivalencies or contact our admissions team for guidance.

The ELM-CNL program is designed specifically for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field. The program is 29 months long, spanning 7 semesters and 104 units of coursework. Cohorts begin in both fall and spring terms.

The curriculum is structured in two phases: foundation pre-licensure nursing courses that build core clinical knowledge and skills, followed by graduate-level post-licensure courses that focus on master's-prepared Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) specialization. Graduates leave prepared to sit for both the NCLEX-RN licensure exam and the CNL certification exam.

The ELM-CNL program is a full-time, in-person program with daytime and some evening classes held at the Calabasas campus. The curriculum is intensive by design and includes both classroom instruction and 850+ supervised clinical hours.

Given this commitment, working full-time while enrolled would be extremely difficult and is generally not recommended. Some students may manage limited part-time work, but we encourage prospective students to speak with our admissions counselor to understand the day-to-day demands of the program before making that decision.

For the supervised clinical hours (850+), placements are coordinated across a variety of healthcare settings to expose students to diverse patient populations and care environments throughout the Los Angeles and Ventura County region. Clinical rotations are arranged by the program.

A traditional Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) typically takes 12–18 months and results in a BSN degree. Pepperdine’s ELM-CNL takes 29 months and results in a Master of Science in Nursing, rather than a second bachelor’s degree.

In terms of time, an ABSN is faster. The ELM-CNL, however, offers a higher credential: graduates earn a master’s degree, are prepared for the NCLEX-RN, and are also ready to sit for the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) certification exam. For career changers seeking to enter nursing at the highest possible level without completing a BSN first, the ELM-CNL provides a direct, accelerated path to a graduate nursing degree.

Graduates of the ELM-CNL program earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Upon completing the program, graduates are prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination to become a registered nurse, as well as the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) certification exam. Upon program completion, graduates will also qualify for a Public Health Nurse certificate. 

The Pepperdine ELM-CNL program prepares graduates to become licensed Registered Nurses and master's-prepared Clinical Nurse Leaders, but it does not prepare graduates for Nurse Practitioner (NP) certification or APRN licensure. Graduates who wish to become NPs must complete additional graduate education in an NP specialty (such as Family, Pediatric, or Psychiatric-Mental Health NP), either through a post-master's certificate or DNP program, and then obtain national certification and state NP licensure.

The prelicensure nursing programs are approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) and by Pepperdine University’s national accreditor, the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

The baccalaureate and master’s degree programs in nursing at Pepperdine University are pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Graduates who pass the NCLEX-RN are eligible to apply for California RN licensure through the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). California is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), so practicing in additional states requires applying for licensure in each state individually. Most states offer an endorsement process for nurses who are already licensed and in good standing in another state. 

The ELM-CNL is designed for individuals who already hold a completed bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field and want to enter nursing at the graduate level. The BSN is designed for students who do not yet hold a bachelor's degree, either entering directly from high school or transferring from another college after completing prerequisite coursework. Applicants who already hold a bachelor's degree in any non-nursing discipline should pursue the ELM-CNL pathway at Pepperdine.