Master of Science in Nursing: FNP

While much of the learning takes place online, FNP students will need to complete their practicum hours in an approved state. Please click here to see if this program meets the educational requirements of professional licensure in your state.

Transfer credit may be given for up to 6 credit hours for the Education and Transformational Leadership tracks and up to 9 credit hours for the FNP and Post-Graduate FNP tracks of graduate credit with a grade of B- or higher for any of the MSN core courses listed below. Courses may be accepted as a substitute for comparable core courses in programs that permit transfer credit if work was completed within five years of a student’s Olivet matriculation. Note: For a transfer credit request similar to the NRSG 679/680 (four total credit hours) course, the maximum credit hours that can be transferred is three credit hours. Course transfers convert the credit hours achieved from a course at another college/university to credit hours at Olivet. Transfer credit may be given for the following Olivet courses after review for syllabi similarity.

• NRSG 626: Moral/Ethical Decision Making
• NRSG 628: Nursing Informatics
• NRSG 653: Theoretical & Professional Foundations of Nursing
• NRSG 679: Evidence-Based Practice I
• NRSG 680: Evidence-Based Practice II

All students must submit a “Request to Transfer Credit” form, the course description(s), and a copy of the catalog cover, and the course syllabus to the program director/coordinator prior to beginning a graduate program. To determine transferability of credit, please contact the appropriate program director to receive a recommendation for transfer.

Course waivers eliminate a student’s requirement to register for a particular course in the Post-Master’s Nursing Education or Post-Graduate Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Certificate tracks. Waivers are for courses that have been used toward a degree previously earned, whether at Olivet or another college/university. These courses must have been taken within the past five years and have been successfully completed with a B- or higher. The waiver only applies to the 21 following Olivet courses:

• NRSG 673/NRSG 674: Advanced Pathophysiology I and II
• NRSG 675/NRSG 676: Advanced Pharmacology I and II
• NRSG 677/NRSG 678: Advanced Health Assessment I and II after review of course descriptions/syllabi for similarity.

In addition to the General Admissions Requirements, the applicant must:

• Complete an application.
• Submit an official transcript from a regionally accredited college or university showing an earned Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
• Submit transcripts from any accredited institutions attended, where pre-requisites for a nursing program and BSN nursing courses were completed, and any completed nursing graduate coursework.
• Have attained a BSN undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 or better (4.0 scale).*
• Submit a current, unencumbered registered nurse (RN) license in a geographical jurisdiction of the United States.*
• Have successfully completed (defined as a grade of C or above) an approved undergraduate statistics course. An official transcript for same should be submitted.
• Submit a signed consent regarding criminal background and drug screening requirements.
• Submit evidence of having worked as an RN for at least 2,000 hours prior to starting the respective clinical/practicum tracks (ED: NRSG 634, FNP: NRSG 665, & TL: NRSG 648).**
• Students may not be admitted to the Olivet MSN program who have been dismissed from another MSN program.

*Students who do not meet these criteria, please speak with an Admissions Counselor about a possible conditional admission.

** Students who do not meet these criteria, please speak with an Admissions Counselor about a possible conditional enrollment.

While a family nurse practitioner is a specialization in Primary Care in a family practice setting, there are plenty of opportunities available in the following settings:

• Family practice
• Internal medicine
• Military bases
• Outpatient clinics
• Pediatrics
• Primary care
•  Prisons/jail
• Retail health clinics
• School clinics
• Short and Long Term Care
• Specialty Primary Care
• Women’s health
• Urgent/Immediate Care

Discounts are available for our practice partners, alumni, and faculty. For a compiled list of available scholarships click here!

Upon completion of this track, students are educationally prepared to take the national FNP certification examination from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and/or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB).

The Family Nurse Practitioner track may be completed in as little as 24 months with an accelerated schedule.

All courses are online; however, a student is required to complete 120-hour clinical hours per clinical course with an approved, self-selected preceptor. There is a total of 6 clinical courses in the FNP track and students will need to complete a total of 720 clinical hours for the entire program.

Our school is dedicated to supporting Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) students throughout their practicum placement process. Initially, students are encouraged to leverage their personal and professional networks to find a preceptor and practicum site, allowing them the opportunity to choose a location and preceptors with whom they might already be familiar or prefer. This autonomy in selection is highly beneficial, as it allows students to align their practicum experience with their specific interests and geographical preferences.

However, we also recognize that finding a preceptor can be challenging. If a student is unable to secure a preceptor after 30 attempts, our MSN/FNP Practicum Director will provide substantial assistance. At this stage, the Director works closely with the student, employing the school’s resources and networks to ensure a placement is found. While this collaborative effort prioritizes securing a quality educational experience for the student, it may not always align with the student’s preferred location. The emphasis shifts towards the importance of completing the practicum at a site that offers a comprehensive learning opportunity, even if it means considering locations beyond the student’s initial preferences.