G R A D UATE P R O G R A M
Family Nurse Practitioner
FINANCIAL AID
finaid.wcu.edu
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DISTANCE EDUCATION
828.227.7398 | 800.369.9854
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GRADUATE SCHOOL & RESEARCH
SCHOOL OF NURSING
828.654.6499 | 866.WCU.GRAD
jshirley@wcu.edu | nursing.wcu.edu
Western Carolina University’s Master of
Science in Nursing degree in the Family
Nurse Practitioner track prepares students
with the necessary competencies to
become family nurse practitioner and
meets eligibility requirements to sit for the
national certification exam.
School of Nursing
28 Schenck Parkway, Suite 309
Asheville, NC 28803
If you’re a nurse with a passion for patient
and family care, enjoy health promotion,
disease prevention and the challenge of
diagnosing and managing common health
problems for patients of all ages and have a
commitment to lifelong learning, a career as
a family nurse practitioner could be for you.
WCU is a University of North Carolina campus and an Equal Opportunity Institution.
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Clinical Courses These clinical courses provide the
experiential practicum needed to prepare students to function
as an advanced practice nurse in the FNP role. Each FNP Clinical
Management Course has a focus area.
GRADUATE PR OGRAM
Family Nurse Practitioner
The Master of Science in Family Nurse Practitioner is a
two-year program consisting of 51-52 semester hours.
Courses are taught at the Biltmore Park campus on
Tuesdays and online. Students take an active role in
the learning process. Clinical placements are arranged
on an individual basis with a preceptor in a variety of
locations, including a rural site.
Advanced Nursing Courses
You will focus on core issues
in advance practice nursing.
NSG 517*
NSG 814
NSG 823
Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice Nursing
Foundations and Applications of Evidence
Based Practice
Economics and Finance in Healthcare
Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty Courses
These courses will prepare you for specific competencies
required of family nurse practitioners.
NSG 622* Advanced Pharmacology
NSG 690* Advanced Physical/Health Assessment and
Diagnostics
NSG 691* Applied Advanced Assessment and Diagnostics
NSG 671* Social and Behavioral Health Problems
NSG 673* Primary Care of Female Adolescents and
Women’s Health
NSG 674* Primary Care of Children and Adolescents
NSG 675* Primary Care of Adults
NSG 692* Primary Care of Geriatric Clients
NSG 694* FNP Primary Care Seminar
NSG 683*
NSG 684*
NSG 685*
NSG 784*
NSG 686*
Women’s Health
Pediatric Focus
Adult Focus
Geriatric Focus
Internship
Advanced Nursing Project Or Thesis
You will have
the choice of completing either a scholarly project, such as an
integrated literature review, or a traditional thesis focusing on a
problem encountered in FNP practice.
NSG 679 or NSG 699
Culminating Experiences Your success will be measured
by a comprehensive exam at the end of your coursework. An
oral presentation of your project or defense of your thesis is
required. You will be required to submit your project or thesis
for publication.
Application Process
Admission Requirements
1.Registered Nurse: All applicants must hold an unencumbered
license to practice as a registered nurse.
2.Educational Background: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
awarded by a school of nursing accredited by the National
League for Nursing (NLN) or by the Commission on
Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Grade Point
Average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on the last 60 hours of
undergraduate coursework.
3.One Year Work Experience as a Registered Nurse Within the Past Five Years.
4.Completion of Prerequisite Coursework: Introductory level statistics course and a nursing research course with an
earned grade of C or better.
5.Satisfactory Performance on a Standardized Exam: A combined score of 300 or higher on the GRE or 400 on the
MAT is recommended.
6.Recommendations that document potential for academic
success, including recommendations from a current,
immediate supervisor.
Apply online at grad.wcu.edu. You will be asked to submit
your transcripts, your GRE or MAT scores, three letters of
recommendation, a professional statement, your resume and an
application fee.
Admission and program requirements are subject to change at any time.
Visit nursing.wcu.edu for the most current requirements.
Specific instructions on recommendations, professional
statement and resume are available at the application
website. Applicants under consideration will be contacted
for an interview by the School of Nursing’s Graduate
Admissions Committee.
students who have earned a Master’s in Nursing (MN) degree
from a nationally accredited program. The postgraduate
certificate program requires 43 semester hours of study and
courses are taught at the Biltmore Park campus on Tuesdays or
online. Courses required for the certificate program are marked
with an asterisk (*).
nursing.wcu.edu | wcunursing@wcu.edu
Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner
Certificate Program This certificate is available for those
828.654.6499 | 866.WCU.GRAD