MSN, Family Nursing Practitioner

Nursing, Master of Science Degree

Family Nursing Practitioner (FNP) Program

The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Graduate Nursing Program is designed for students who have already earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from an accredited program and who wish to continue their education in order to earn their Master of Science in Nursing as an advanced practice registered nurse to provide comprehensive family-focused healthcare with an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention.

The application process for this program is as follows: Students should apply to the Graduate School for admission for the Summer semester, designating Nursing as their preferred major. Students should simultaneously apply for the FNP program itself via the "Nursing Application" section, being mindful of the application period. Please note that while the deadlines for Graduate School applications and documentation are later than those of the graduate program, students intending to begin the FNP program in the Fall should submit their application to and documentation for the Graduate School by NO LATER THAN February 28/29. While we will honor the Graduate School's deadlines, submission prior to this deadline will ensure that students receive ample time to schedule their required interviews with our program director(s) before their Summer courses begin. Beginning in April, students who have completed both application processes detailed previously will be eligible to arrange an interview with the Graduate Nursing Programs Director and the Family Nurse Practitioner Program Director, during which their application will be reviewed and their admission status determined.

In whole, the FNP program is designed to last six (6) consecutive semesters (comprising 44 credit hours), which includes the first Summer semester spent taking the courses necessary for student to become eligible to begin the FNP program in the Fall. This program culminates with the student earning a Master of Science in Nursing with a specialization as a Family Nurse Practitioner, which grants them eligibility to take either the American Association of Nursing Practitioners (AANP) or the American Nurses Credentialing Corporation (ANCC) examinations.

Family Nursing Practitioner (44 Hours)

Comprehensive Examination Policy

The purposes of the comprehensive examination is to: (a) evaluate the student's theoretical and analytical knowledge of nursing, research, and other critical scientific concepts, issues, and processes presented in advanced core courses; and (b) evaluate the student's ability to apply critical nursing and other scientific theory in clinical decision making at the advanced level of nursing practice. To be eligible to take the departmental comprehensive examinations, the student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater.

The departmental comprehensive examination is administered by Graduate Faculty representing the student's area of clinical concentration or specialization at the completion of clinical coursework and prior or the same semester the student will be completing enrollment in Thesis/Project.

The student has one opportunity to retake the comprehensive examination. Additional study may be required before the exam maybe retaken, as determined by the faculty advisor and the student. A student who does not pass the examination on the second attempt is not permitted to continue in the program.

A student must be registered during the semester in which the comprehensive examination is taken. A letter of intent to write the examination must be filed with the Graduate Nursing Programs Director during the semester for the term in which the examination is to be written. The comprehensive examination can be taken only once in a given semester with a maximum of [two] attempts permitted. The student will be notified in writing of the date, time, and place of the examination. Examination objectives will be given to the student prior to scheduled testing.

Degree Requirements

To earn the Master of Science in Nursing degree, a student must meet the criteria identified below:

1. Earn a 3.00 grade point average calculated on all graduate work attempted, including transfer credit approved in advance of enrollment.
2. Complete a minimum of a 35 semester hours (Nurse Educator program), 44 hours (Family Nurse Practitioner program), or 33 hours (Nursing Informatics) of prescribed curriculum with an overall grade point average of 3.00 or better.
3. Earn a 3.0 grade point average calculated on all graduate work attempted, including transfer credit approved in advance of enrollment in the program.
4. Earn a minimum of 26 semester hours (Nurse Educator program), 35 (Family Nurse Practitioner program),  24 (Nursing Informatics) in residence.
5. Complete all course work within 6 years of the date of admission or beginning of the first clinical nursing course, whichever is later.
6. Pass all departmental comprehensive examinations and complete a thesis or major research project.

Family Nurse Practitioner, Program Maps

Full-Time Plan of Study, Fall Entry

Part-Time Plan of Study, Fall Entry

Part-Time Plan of Study, Spring Entry

Part-Time Plan of Study, Summer Entry

Post-Master Certification, Spring Entry