Offered in a Hybrid Format
The Family Nurse Practitioner program is designed to prepare expert advanced practice primary care clinicians capable of providing care to families in primary care settings. The program builds on the undergraduate foundation and develops advanced assessment, planning, and evidence-based clinical management skills. Family nurse practitioners provide primary and preventive care in such areas as pediatrics, family health, women’s health, and gerontological care. They are advocates and health educators for patients, families, and communities.
The program emphasizes clinical competence through theoretical understanding and practical application to primary care practice. Clinical expertise is acquired through clinical placements in a variety of public, private, and community-based primary care agencies. The FNP student will complete approximately 750 hours of clinical practice in this 45 credit-hour program of study. In addition, the program provides a strong foundation for doctoral study and research.
The MS program accommodates both full-time and part-time students. Full-time students can complete the program in two years; part-time completion typically takes four years.
Degree Requirements
Pre-Requisite Undergraduate Courses
Statistics
Health Assessment (within 5 years of taking NUR 566)
Program Requirements
The MS in Nursing with a major in Family Nurse Practitioner consists of 45 credit hours:
- NUR 500 Theoretical Foundations for Nursing Practice (3 credits)
- NUR 503 Advanced Nursing, Health Policy & the Health System (3 credits)
- NUR 531 Family Theory (2 credits)
- NUR 555 Clinical Pharmacology (3 credits)
- NUR 560 Nursing Research Methods (3 credits)
- NUR 566 Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits)
- NUR 567 Advanced Health Assessment Clinical (2 credits)
- NUR 570 Clinical Pathophysiology (3 credits)
- NUR 572 Family Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
- NUR 580 Beginning Level Family Clinical (2 credits)
- NUR 652 Family Primary Health Care I (3 credits)
- NUR 658 Women’s Health Care (2 credits)
- NUR 668 Family Primary Health Care II (4 credits)
- NUR 670 Intermediate Level Family Clinical (3 credits)
- NUR 680 Advanced Level Family Clinical (4 credits)
- NUR 692 Culminating Seminar for Nurse Practitioners (2 credits)
Special Program Notes – Family Nurse Practitioner Program
- All students applying for the Masters of Science Nurse Practitioner programs must provide a letter of verification demonstrating completion of a lab/clinical based health assessment course taken within 5 years of registering for NUR566/567.
- All Family nurse practitioner majors must attain a grade of “B” or better in all components of their nurse practitioner theoretical specific and clinical courses (566, 567, 572, 580, 652, 658, 670, 668, 680)
- Regardless of overall GPA, students can apply only two “C” grades in courses taken towards the degree.
- A “C” grade will only be acceptable towards degree requirements in common nursing core courses: NUR 500, NUR 503, NUR 531 and NUR 560.
- All students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher to graduate.
- Graduate students may repeat a total of three nursing courses that count towards graduation; each of these courses may only be repeated once.
- Nurse Practitioner majors must complete and pass a comprehensive final examination at the completion of their program of study.
- Students may transfer up to 12 credit hours, if applicable, from another graduate program.
- Students must maintain continuous registration, equal to or greater than one credit while completing degree requirements. MS Nursing students can do this by registering for CMT 600 – Continuous Registration. This only applies to students who have an incomplete in their last semester and it can only be applied once.
Sample Curriculum Plan for Full-Time Study
| 1st Fall Semester | Credit | 1st Spring Semester | Credit |
| NUR 500 Theoretical Foundations for Nursing Practice | 3 | NUR 555 Clinical Pharmacology | 3 |
| NUR 566 Advanced Health Assessment | 3 | NUR 572 Family Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NUR 567 Advanced Health Assessment Clinical | 2 | NUR 580 Beginning Level Family Clinical | 2 |
| NUR 570 Clinical Pathophysiology | 3 | NUR 560 Nursing Research Methods | 3 |
| NUR 531 Family Theory | 2 | ||
| Semester Total | 13 | Semester Total | 11 |
| 2nd Fall Semester | 2nd Spring Semester | ||
| NUR 652 Family Primary Health Care I | 3 | NUR 668 Family Primary Health Care II | 4 |
| NUR 658 Women’s Health Care | 2 | NUR 680 Advanced Level Family Clinical | 4 |
| NUR 670 Intermediate Level Family Clinical | 3 | NUR 692 Culminating Seminar | 2 |
| NUR 503 Advanced Nursing, Health Policy and the Health System | 3 | ||
| Semester Total | 11 | Semester Total | 10 |
Sample Curriculum Plan for Part-Time Study
| 1st Fall Semester | Cr | 1st Spring Semester | Cr |
| NUR 500 Theoretical Foundations for Nursing Practice | 3 | NUR 555 Clinical Pharmacology | 3 |
| NUR 570 Clinical Pathophysiology | 3 | NUR 560 Nursing Research Methods | 3 |
| Semester Total | 6 | Semester Total | 6 |
| 2nd Fall Semester | 2nd Spring Semester | ||
| NUR 566 Advanced Health Assessment | 3 | NUR 572 Family Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NUR 567 Advanced Health Assessment Clinical | 2 | NUR 580 Beginning Level Family Clinical | 2 |
| NUR 531 Family Theory | 2 | ||
| Semester Total | 7 | Semester Total | 5 |
| 3rd Fall Semester | 3rd Spring Semester | ||
| NUR 652 Family Primary Health Care I | 3 | NUR 668 Family Primary Health Care II | 4 |
| NUR 670 Intermediate Level Family Clinical | 1 | NUR 670 Intermediate Level Family Clinical | 2 |
| NUR 503 Advanced Nursing, Health Policy and the Health System | 3 | ||
| Semester Total | 7 | Semester Total | 6 |
| 4th Fall Semester | 4th Spring Semester | ||
| NUR 658 Women’s Health Care | 2 | NUR 692 Culminating Seminar | 2 |
| NUR 680 Advanced Level Family Clinical | 2 | NUR 680 Advanced Level Family Clinical | 2 |
| Semester Total | 4 | Semester Total | 4 |