Objective To investigate the current status of the curricula for nursing academic master′s degree program in China, and provide a reference for optimization of curricular design by the education administration and nursing schools. Methods A total of 66 nursing schools were investigated regarding the curriculum of nursing academic master′s degree program by using questionnaire survey method. Results The curriculum were mainly composed of common compulsory courses, specialized compulsory courses and elective courses.The average number of courses was 23.44 among the 66 nursing schools, and the specialized courses in nursing were inadequate.The curriculum mainly included political education, medical professional knowledge, basic nursing theories, research methodology, and so on. The minimally required academic credits varied among the schools,averaging 32.07 credits among 64 nursing schools. Conclusion The curriculum system of nursing academic master′s degree program in China has been gradually improved. However, the minimally required academic credits varied among the schools, and specialized courses in nursing are inadequate. Based on the real condition, each nursing school should optimize the curriculum from the aspects of adjusting credit requirement, strengthening the construction of nursing specialized courses, and reducing medical specialized courses, etc. The education administrative departments need to take measures to help nursing schools to set up the core courses of nursing more scienti-fically.