Nurse Practitioner Option
In This Section:
Penn State's Nurse Practitioner option offers a master's degree for registered nurses who want to function in an expanded role as a family nurse practitioner, providing direct care to individuals and families throughout the life span. The role of the independent practitioner in rural and medically underserved communities is emphasized.
The program, open to baccalaureate-prepared nurses, combines advanced knowledge and research in nursing with knowledge from the sciences, medicine, and related disciplines.
The option enables the student to acquire advanced knowledge and clinical practice skill in direct care of individuals, families, and aggregate populations in primary and/or acute care settings. On admission, students plan either a part-time or full-time program of study with your assigned adviser to meet the requirements for specialization as an adult nurse practitioner (ANP) or family nurse practitioner (FNP).
As part of the program, students complete clinical rotations at a variety of approved clinics, health centers, and private practices, with at least one rotation being in a rural or underserved community. The program is designed to be completed in two years (four semesters) of full-time study. (Part-time study and post-master's options are also available.) The required courses include 45 clinical lab hours in physical assessment (N502) and 765 clinical hours for the Family Nurse Practitioner option or 585 clinical hours for the Adult Nurse Practitioner option in supervised practice, total of 810 hours. Graduates are eligible for state and national certification as family nurse practitioners or adult nurse practitioners.
The total number of credits required is 47-50 (dependent on the selection of a scholarly paper or thesis in the capstone experience).
Degree Requirements
MS Program Core (9 credits)
- NURS 501, Issues in Nursing and Health Care (3 credits)
- NURS 510, Theoretical Foundation of Nursing (3 credits)
- NURS 512, Nursing Research (3 credits)
Advanced Practice Core (9 credits)
- NURS 503, Pathophysiology (3 credits)
- NURS 504, Pharmacologic Therapy (3 credits)
- NURS 502, Physical Assessment Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
Adult and Family Nurse Practitioner Core (14 credits)
- NURS 570, Nursing Partnership with Healthy Individuals & Families (3 credits)
- NURS 572, Nurse Practitioner Practicum (3 credits)
- NURS 571, Nurse Partnership with Healthy Individuals and Families with Complex/Chronic health Issues (4 credits)
- NURS 573, Nurse Practitioner Practicum (4 credits)
Additional Courses for the Family Nurse Practitioner Specialization
- NURS 575, Nursing Partnership with Children and their Families (2 credits)
- NURS 576, Nurse Practitioner Practicum in Child Health (2 credits)
MS Capstone Experiences (11-14 credits)
- NURS 574, Rural Integrative Practicum (FNP, 8 credits)
- NURS 574A, Adult Nurse Practitioner Integrative Practicum (ANP, 6 credits)
- NURS 594, Scholarly Paper or NURS 600, Thesis (3-6 credits)
Post-Master's NP Certificate
The Post-Master's Nurse Practitioner Certificate program serves students who are seeking additional certification as a family nurse practitioner. The program of study is individualized and is highly variable, dependent on the qualifications and academic credentials of the applicant.