The MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner concentration, will prepare graduates to function in the role of a Family Nurse Practitioner in a primary care setting upon graduation. Through clinical and course content, students will receive content and practicum experience in the areas of Women’s Health, Internal Medicine (adult/geriatric), and Pediatrics. Upon graduation, students will be eligible to sit for both the ANCC and AANP Family Nurse Practitioner board certification exams and become licensed Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs).
All MSN-Coursework is fully online with a combination of synchronous and asynchronous courses. Courses that are scheduled synchronously are all scheduled on Tuesdays for ease of future scheduling and convenience for working professional nurses. Once the core curriculum is completed (1-2 years), students will begin the FNP roles courses, where they will complete 220 clinical hours per semester (3 semesters, for a total of 660 hours upon program completion). FNP roles courses begin every fall semester, and students will complete their final roles course and be eligible for graduation the following summer. Students are encouraged to seek out their own clinical placements early in the program for a variety of reasons that benefit the students; however, SCSU School of Nursing has a robust clinical coordination department that provides extensive support to students throughout this process. We also have a large network of primary care, women’s health, and pediatric providers we can suggest to any student needing guidance in clinical site selection.
Application Deadline
October 1st for admission into the spring semester and February 15th for admission into the fall semester. Incomplete applications after October 15th (for Spring entry) or March 1st (for Fall entry) will not be considered, no exceptions. Please contact the program director if you require an extension due to special circumstances, as these will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
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Entrance Requirements
- MSN from an accredited Nursing school
- Current active, non-restricted RN License
All Program applicants are required to have an active, unrestricted RN license in the State of Connecticut and hold a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in nursing prior to the time of application.
Admission Requirements
Applicants are required to have a 3.0 GPA in the baccalaureate nursing program and a total cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all post-high school education. Selected students who have a total GPA between 2.8 and 3.0 will be permitted to submit GRE or MAT scores as part of their application for consideration. The MSN committee will determine if a conditional acceptance will be offered to students within this GPA range. Applicants must have an active, unrestricted RN license at the time of application, and must have completed a BSN by the end of the semester of the application cycle (i.e., if applying in the spring application cycle for fall admission, the candidate must complete a BSN by the end of the spring semester). Additional requirements include two letters of reference (one academic and one professional are preferred, though two professional references will be accepted) and an admission essay. Letters of reference should be requested to be completed on official letterhead, and recommenders will be emailed with a link to submit letters once the applicant fills out the graduate school application. Prior nursing experience is strongly encouraged and will be considered by the admissions committee, though it is not required as part of the application process. It is strongly recommended that all candidates shadow an FNP prior to applying, as this will give students an idea of the role of the FNP as well as assist them with the application essay.
School / College
College of Health & Human Services
Department
Nursing
Contact
nursinginfo@southernct.edu