comparison of the curricula of master of science in nursing (mscn) programs in iran and japan: a descriptive comparative study

Background: lack of suitable educational programs in nursing causes irreparable damage to the community’s health and reduces the academic credibility of universities. in iran, the master of science in nursing (mscn) program is not tailored to the needs of the community, and graduates lack the required nursing skills. considering the distinguished quality of higher education in japan, the aim of the present study is to perform a comparative analysis of mscn programs in iran and japan. methods: in this descriptive comparative study, an extensive electronic search was carried out in persian and english databases, including pubmed, iran medex, medline, scopus, google scholar, scientific information database (sid), and magiran among articles published during 1997 - 2016. the gathered data were categorized and compared according to the study objectives. results: in comparison with iran, japan has a longer history of postgraduate nursing programs, and its educational system has prominent strengths and advantages including: admission interviews; english language requirements for admission; versatility and flexibility of the educational curricula to facilitate student employment during education; integration of research-based units in the curricula; and attention to community-based and home care nursing. conclusions: comparison of the educational systems of iran and japan highlights the need for more flexible curricula in iran in accordance with the community’s needs.