Online and Distance Degrees > Degree Programs > MS in Nursing – Nurse Practitioner concentration

MASTER OF SCIENCE (MS) IN
Nursing - Nurse Practitioner concentration

Primarily Online

Program Overview

Nurse Practitioners fill a critical healthcare need in our society. They are health promotion and disease prevention experts who manage and diagnose common acute and chronic illnesses while maintaining a high quality of care. In rural southeastern areas, health and wellness disparities make these nurses vital to the patients they treat.

Program Format
Primarily Online
Credit Hours
45-72
Tuition Per Hour
$420

Practice Nursing at an Advanced Level

Through The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing, you can earn your advanced degree without interrupting your career. The convenient blended format combines online courses with face-to-face clinical experiences.

Upon graduation, you will be able to increase access to primary and mental health care for families living in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi.

Please note, only baccalaureate prepared registered nurses who are Alabama, Florida, Georgia or Mississippi residents are eligible for admission.

The master’s degree program in nursing at The University of Alabama is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Application DeadlineMarch 1 for fall admission; August 1 for spring admission; December 1 for summer admission
RankingRanked 9th for best online MSN programs for Family Nurse Practitioner by U.S. News & World Report (2020)
Required For EntranceRN licensure
PracticumYes
Other Program SpecificsPart-time or full-time study available for individual concentrations

Curriculum

Select an option below to learn more about each program’s curriculum. Please note that courses are subject to change.

Courses in the Psychiatric Mental Health and Family Nurse Practitioner dual concentration offer nurses the opportunity to advance their knowledge base and clinical skills. Students in the dual concentration will be eligible to sit for both the psychiatric mental health and family nurse practitioner national certification exams. This concentration can be completed in less than three years (8 semesters) of full-time study.

About the program

66-72 credit hours
Program progression – 8 semesters – Full-time option only
1,080 clinical hour requirement
Optional thesis

Required Courses

NUR 500: Population Health
NUR 503: Informatics in Healthcare
NUR 505: Advanced Health Assessment
NUR 507: Organizational and Systems Leadership
NUR 514: Research and Evidence-Based Practice
NUR 519: Health Policy and Finance
NUR 521: Advanced Pharmacology
NUR 529: Advanced Pathophysiology
NUR 567: Family Nurse Practitioner Role and Issues
NUR 569: Family Nurse Practitioner I
NUR 570: Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical I (120 Clinical Hours)
NUR 571: Family Nurse Practitioner II
NUR 572: Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical II (180 Clinical Hours)
NUR 573: Family Nurse Practitioner III
NUR 574: Family Nurse Practitioner III (240 Clinical Hours)
NUR 591: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Role and Issues
NUR 593: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner I
NUR 594: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner I (120 Clinical Hours)
NUR 595: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner II
NUR 596: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Clinical II (180 Clinical Hours)
NUR 597: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner III
NUR 598: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Clinical III (240 Clinical Hours)
NUR 599: Thesis (Optional)

About the program

45-51 credit hours
Program progression – Part-time (8 semesters) or full-time (5 semesters) options
540 clinical hour requirement
Optional thesis
Upon successful completion of coursework and clinical requirements, students are eligible to take the psychiatric-mental health national certification examination.

Courses

NUR 500: Population Health
NUR 503: Informatics in Healthcare
NUR 505: Advanced Health Assessment
NUR 507: Organizational and Systems Leadership
NUR 514: Research and Evidence-Based Practice
NUR 519: Health Policy and Finance
NUR 521: Advanced Pharmacology
NUR 529: Advanced Pathophysiology
NUR 591: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Role and Issues
NUR 593: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner I
NUR 594: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner I (120 Clinical Hours)
NUR 595: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner II
NUR 596: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Clinical II (180 Clinical Hours)
NUR 597: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner III
NUR 598: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Clinical III (240 Clinical Hours)
NUR 599: Thesis (Optional)

About the program

45-51 credit hours
Program progression – part-time (8 semesters) or full-time (5 semesters) option
540 clinical hour requirement
Optional thesis
Upon successful completion of coursework and clinical requirements, students are eligible to sit for the family nurse practitioner national certification examination.

Courses

NUR 500: Population Health
NUR 503: Informatics in Healthcare
NUR 505: Advanced Health Assessment
NUR 507: Organizational and Systems Leadership
NUR 514: Research and Evidence-Based Practice
NUR 519: Health Policy and Finance
NUR 521: Advanced Pharmacology
NUR 529: Advanced Pathophysiology
NUR 567: Family Nurse Practitioner Role and Issues
NUR 569: Family Nurse Practitioner I
NUR 570: Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical I (120 Clinical Hours)
NUR 571: Family Nurse Practitioner II
NUR 572: Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical II (180 Clinical Hours)
NUR 573: Family Nurse Practitioner III
NUR 574: Family Nurse Practitioner III (240 Clinical Hours)
NUR 599: Thesis (Optional)

Watch a previously recorded online information session.

Admission

Applications and all required documentation must be submitted by:

March 1 for fall admission
August 1 for spring admission
December 1 for summer admission

Only residents of Alabama, Florida, Georgia or Mississippi are eligible for admission to the Nurse Practitioner concentrations.

Admission Requirements:

GPA of at least 3.0 overall based on 4.0 grading scale or 3.0 for the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate work
Baccalaureate degree in nursing from a regionally accredited school of nursing
Current unencumbered RN licensure in Alabama, Florida, Georgia or Mississippi

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