Objective To investigate the current status and influencing factors of the core competence in graduates of master of nursing specialist（MNS） in China. Methods A purposive sampling method was used to recruit 210 registered nurses who graduated from MNS programs in 38 nursing schools in Mainland China. The socio-demographics questionnaire and the MNS Core Competence Self-rating Scale were used. Results The total mean score of core competence of the MNS graduates was（3.29±0.50）. The average scores of all dimensions were（3.53±0.54）for ethical decision-making,（3.37±0.52） for leadership and cooperation,（3.32±0.57）for evidence-based research,（3.26±0.57） for clinical practice,（3.08±0.73） for guidance and consultation,respectively. The type of working organizations,working years and work experience before their studying in graduate schools were influencing factors of core competence of MNS graduates（P<0.05）,which could explain 14.0% of the total variability. Conclusion Findings indicate that the core competence of MNS graduates is at a medium and high level generally. Moreover,the findings of this study highlight that both leaders and educational institutes need to further improve the clinical practice abilities,guidance and consultation abilities of MNS graduates.