Program Overview

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Nursing – Advanced Practice, Master of Science

The Nursing – Advanced Practice, Master of Science program prepares students to deliver primary care to underserved rural populations. Upon completion, students are eligible for state certification in Arizona and national certification as a family nurse practitioner or a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

University Requirements

To receive a master's degree at Northern Arizona University, students must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject areas, consisting of at least 30 units of graduate-level courses. Additional requirements include:

• All requirements for the specific academic plan(s), which may include a thesis
• All graduate work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0
• All work toward the master's degree must be completed within six consecutive years

Overview

The program requires 48 – 51 units, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The curriculum includes:

• Core requirements: 23 units
• Emphasis requirements: 25 – 28 units
• Fieldwork experience/internship: required
• Arizona endorsement: prepares students for Arizona endorsement
• Thesis: may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option
• Research: individualized research may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option
• Some online/blended coursework: required

Purpose Statement

The philosophy of the School of Nursing at Northern Arizona University is based on an ethic of caring that embraces students, faculty, staff, and the university community. The faculty believes that caring is a conscious, intentional discipline that is part of nursing's unique body of knowledge and is practiced in interdisciplinary contexts.

Student Learning Outcomes

Outcomes align with Standards from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). All students with MS Nursing degrees will be able to:

• Integrate theory, evidence, clinical judgment, research, and interprofessional perspectives using translational processes to improve practice and associated health outcomes for patient aggregates
• Analyze how policies influence the structure and financing of healthcare, practice, and health outcomes
• Advocate for patients, families, caregivers, communities, and members of the healthcare team
• Incorporate core scientific and ethical principles in identifying potential and actual ethical issues arising from practice and assisting patients and other healthcare providers to address such issues

Details

Graduate Admission Information

Admission to the program requires:

• Transcripts
• Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU

Additional Admission Requirements

• A minimum GPA of 3.0 in all nursing coursework
• Completion of a bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited program or an associate's degree in nursing from an accredited program with a bachelor's degree in another field
• Clinical Health Requirements
• Current RN license in good standing to practice as a registered nurse in Arizona or eligibility to obtain an Arizona license
• IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card
• Prerequisite coursework, including:
  • An undergraduate course in nursing research (didactic) with a Grade of 'B' or better
  • An undergraduate course in public health nursing (didactic and clinical) with a Grade of "B" or better
  • An undergraduate introduction to statistics course from a college or university with a grade of "C" or better, or a Pass
• Responses to specific essay questions

Master's Requirements

The Master's degree requires 48 – 51 units, distributed as follows:

• Core Requirements: 23 units
• Emphasis Requirements: 25 – 28 units
  • Family Nurse Practitioner Emphasis: 25 units
  • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Emphasis: 28 units

Campus Availability

The program is available online.

Program Fees

A program fee has been approved for this program, and fees are subject to change.