Nurse Practitioner Option
The Nurse Practitioner option enables the student to acquire advanced knowledge and clinical practice skills 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 an assigned adviser to meet the requirements for specialization as an Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) or Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). All nursing courses are delivered using synchronous videoconference modalities between University Park and Hershey and are extended to the Fayette, Altoona, Worthington Scranton and Mont Alto campuses (based on enrollment) with selected courses delivered using an asynchronous online delivery system.
The program, open to baccalaureate-prepared nurses, combines advanced knowledge and research in nursing with knowledge from the sciences, medicine, and related disciplines.
As part of the program, students complete clinical rotations at a variety of approved clinics, health centers, and private practices. 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 675 clinical hours for the Family Nurse Practitioner option or 630 clinical hours for the Adult Gerontolgy Nurse Practitioner option in supervised practice. Graduates are eligible for national certification and state licensure as family nurse practitioners or adult gerontology nurse practitioners.
The total number of credits required is 41-48 (dependent on the selection of a scholarly paper or thesis in the capstone course).
Degree Requirements
(A) 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)
(B) Advanced Practice Nursing Courses (9-10 credits)
- NURS 502: Advanced Health Assessment of Adult Populations (3 credits
- NURS 502A: Advanced Health Assessment of Pediatric Populations (1 credit- FNP option)
- NURS 503: Pathophysiology (3 credits)
- NURS 504: Pharmacologic Therapy (3 credits)
(C) Nurse Practitioner Specialty Courses (20-21 credits)
- NURS 870: Nurse Practitioner Role with Healthy Individuals & Families(FNP & AGNP, 3 credits)
- NURS 871: Nurse Practitioner Role with Individuals and Families with Complex and/or Chronic Health Problems (FNP & AGNP, 4 credits)
- NURS 872: Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum I (FNP, 3 credits)
- NURS 872A: Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum I (AGNP, 4 credits)
- NURS 873: Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum II (FNP, 4 credits)
- NURS 873A: Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum II (AGNP, 4 credits)
- NURS 874: Family Nurse Practitioner Integrative Practicum (FNP, 6 credits)
- NURS 874A: Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Integrative Practicum (AGNP, 6 credits)
(D) Additional Courses for the Family Nurse Practitioner Specialization (4 credits)
- NURS 875: Nurse Practitioner Role with Children and Families (2 credits)
- NURS 876: Nurse Practitioner Practicum in Child Health (2 credits)
(E) M. S. Capstone Course (3-6 credits)
- NURS 594, Scholarly Paper or NURS 600, Thesis (3-6 credits)
For More Information
Please contact:Patricia Sweeney PhD, CRNP, FNP, BC, Nurse Practitioner Option Coordinator: 717-531-0003 ext. 281284 or 814-867-3848 pxs29@psu.edu.
Post-Master's NP Certificate
The Post-Master's Nurse Practitioner Certificate program serves students who are seeking additional certification as an Adult or Family Nurse Practitioner. The program of study is individualized and is highly variable, dependent on the qualifications and academic credentials of the applicant.