Nursing (M.S.)
The MSN student completes 48-51 credits and a minimum of 750 hours of direct, supervised clinical hours across the lifespan. Students are required to complete the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) concentration or the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) concentration.
- The MSN with a FNP concentration prepares the student to sit for the national Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) examination.
- The MSN with a PMHNP concentration prepares the student to sit for the national Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) examination.
The curriculum prepares the student to achieve the following outcomes:
- Prepare for independent practice as an advanced care provider embodying the tenets of nursing and practice to the highest level of licensure. The advanced practice nurse provides safe, holistic, innovative, and comprehensive care across the lifespan using evidence, scientific knowledge, and science-based theory.
- Demonstrate leadership skills through assessing patient’s bio-physical, emotional, behavioral, and social determinants impacting health, improving healthcare outcomes, and engaging in collaborative communication with patients, caregivers, communities, and other healthcare professionals and leaders.
- Analyze, evaluate, and integrate quality improvement, evidence-based research, evidenced-based quality patient care, informatics, and healthcare technologies to enhance interprofessional communication and resources for quality care delivery.
- Evaluate, interpret, and integrate healthcare policies to deliver care as an advocate for health to provide safe, effective, ethical, equitable, and holistic care.
- Employ health promotion, education, resilience, and self-care strategies for patients, healthcare providers, and oneself through integrating technology, science-based resources, and community services.
All students must complete the curriculum as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUR-503 | Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NUR-505 | Foundations of the Advanced Practice Nurse | 3 |
| NUR-511 | Global and Social Influences on Healthcare | 3 |
| NUR-512 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
| NUR-514 | Advanced Healthcare Informatics | 3 |
| NUR-520 | Research for Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| NUR-535 | Pharmacologic Principles for Advanced Practice Nursing | 3 |
| Concentration Courses | 27-30 | |
| Total Credits | 48-51 | |
All graduate nursing courses require both synchronous and asynchronous learning, as outlined in the syllabi.
The minimum acceptable grade is B- or greater. If a student earns less than a B- in a course, the student will be required to retake it. A required course may be repeated once. If the student does not earn a B- or higher, the student will be disenrolled from the program.
Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUR-506 | Comprehensive Care for Gender, Women and Children | 3 |
| NUR-540 | Application of the Advanced Practice Nurse Role I | 6 |
| NUR-550 | Advanced Practice Care I | 3 |
| NUR-552 | Advanced Practice Care II | 3 |
| NUR-555 | Application of the Advanced Practice Nurse Role II | 6 |
| NUR-565 | Application of the Advanced Practical Nurse Role III | 6 |
| Total Credits | 27 | |
At completion of 48 credits, the student is prepared to sit for the national certification examination for Family Nurse Practitioners.
Students enrolled in NUR-552 Advanced Practice Care II are mandated to attend a 3-day on-campus, in-person colloquium to complete the course requirements and proceed within the program to direct supervised patient care courses. If the student does not attend the colloquium, they will not be successful in the course and will need to repeat it.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUR-542 | Advanced Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NUR-546 | Psychiatric Mental Health NP I | 3 |
| NUR-558 | Psychiatric Mental Health NP II | 3 |
| NUR-568 | Psychiatric Mental Health NP Ill | 3 |
| NUR-570 | Role of Psychiatric Mental Health NP I | 6 |
| NUR-575 | Role of Psychiatric Mental Health NP II | 6 |
| NUR-580 | Role of Psychiatric Mental Health NP Il | 6 |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Students enrolled in NUR-568 Psychiatric Mental Health NP Ill are mandated to attend a 2-day on-campus, in-person colloquium to complete the course requirements and proceed within the program to direct supervised patient care courses. If the student does not attend the colloquium, they will not be successful in the course and will need to repeat it.
At completion of 51 credits, the student is prepared to sit for the national certification examination for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners.
Degree Plan for M.S. in Nursing with FNP Concentration
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| NUR-503 | Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NUR-505 | Foundations of the Advanced Practice Nurse | 3 |
| NUR-511 | Global and Social Influences on Healthcare | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| NUR-512 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
| NUR-514 | Advanced Healthcare Informatics | 3 |
| NUR-520 | Research for Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Summer | ||
| NUR-550 | Advanced Practice Care I | 3 |
| NUR-535 | Pharmacologic Principles for Advanced Practice Nursing | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| NUR-506 | Comprehensive Care for Gender, Women and Children | 3 |
| NUR-552 | Advanced Practice Care II | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| NUR-540 | Application of the Advanced Practice Nurse Role I | 6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Summer | ||
| NUR-555 | Application of the Advanced Practice Nurse Role II | 6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| NUR-565 | Application of the Advanced Practical Nurse Role III | 6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 48 | |
Degree Plan for M.S. in Nursing with PMHNP Concentration
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| NUR-503 | Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NUR-505 | Foundations of the Advanced Practice Nurse | 3 |
| NUR-511 | Global and Social Influences on Healthcare | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| NUR-512 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
| NUR-514 | Advanced Healthcare Informatics | 3 |
| NUR-520 | Research for Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Summer | ||
| NUR-535 | Pharmacologic Principles for Advanced Practice Nursing | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| NUR-542 | Advanced Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NUR-546 | Psychiatric Mental Health NP I | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| NUR-558 | Psychiatric Mental Health NP II | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Summer | ||
| NUR-568 | Psychiatric Mental Health NP Ill | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| NUR-570 | Role of Psychiatric Mental Health NP I | 6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| NUR-575 | Role of Psychiatric Mental Health NP II | 6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Summer | ||
| NUR-580 | Role of Psychiatric Mental Health NP Il | 6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 51 | |