Master of Science in Nursing
Nurse Practitioner Program

Point of Contact

Adele Young
Coordinator
703-993-1952
ayoung5@gmu.edu

General Information for all MSN programs

There are a number of tracks and specialties available within the CHHS Graduate School. Regardless of the chosen area of specialty, there is a pre-requisite graduate level course in bivariate statistics which can be taken at George Mason University (GMU) {NURS 597 Data Analysis in Nursing Research} or a comparable course such as STAT 510 from GMU or from another accredited university. This course may also be taken after admission to the University, but will not be counted in the credits towards the Master's Degree.

Applicants to the Graduate Programs can apply directly to the program in which they choose to major, OR they may apply as an undeclared major in order to take the Core Courses prior to application and admission to one of the specific tracks. Questions about these options for application should go directly to the CHHS Associate Dean for Graduate Programs (703) 993-1947. Completion of the Master's core does not guarantee admission to the Nurse Practitioner Track.

Programs Available for Nurse Practitioner Education

• MSN for the FNP, ANP, GNP specialties.
• GNP for the certified adult nurse practitioner.
• MSN for the certified practicing nurse practitioner without a master's degree.

The Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care

The College of Health and Human Services offers an innovative MSN Track to prepare Nurse Practitioners in Primary Care in collaboration with The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Options are offered in 1) the Family Nurse Practitioner and 2) the Adult Nurse Practitioner specialties. Adult NP students have the option to take additional course credit and clinical hours to be eligible to also sit for the Adult/Gerontological Nurse Practitioner certification exam.

Practice Opportunities

Graduates of the GMU nurse practitioner track will provide primary care to clients in a variety of settings. These settings include health maintenance organizations, specialty clinics, public health clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, home care, family practice settings and neighborhood and community clinics serving the medically underserved.

Employment and Certification of Program Graduates

The GMU NP program is a competency based curriculum; graduates are highly regarded and historically readily find employment upon graduation. The program is recognized locally, nationally, and internationally. Our graduates pass their respective certification exams through the ANCC (FNP, ANP, GNP) well above the national mean. George Mason University CHHS is listed among the top 50 graduate and NP programs in the country each year in U.S. News and World Report's Special Fall Edition.

Accreditation of the Program

The College of Nursing at George Mason University is accredited by the the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The Nurse Practitioner Track has been approved by the State Boards of Nursing and Medicine in Virginia.

Admissions & Applications

Please consult our Application Deadline Calendar for current application due dates.

Students already admitted to a GMU MSN program who wish to apply to the Nurse Practitione program need to complete a Request for Internal Change of Major Form. These students records will be pulled and reviewed at the same time as other applicants are reviewed in the Fall and Spring for admission to the NP program.

Students are admitted directly to College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) Graduate School of George Mason University. Applications can be requested from the Admissions Office at (703) 993-2400 or (703) 993-2402. Once the application form is completed, it should be mailed to the College of Health and Human Services at MSN 5A8 or hand carried to Student Records Robinson Hall A-391 . Questions specific to the nursing application can be directed to (703) 993-4636.

Students are strongly encouraged to submit all required admission materials as early as possible. A graduate bivariate statistics course (NURS 597 or STAT 510) is a pre-requisite course for the program, but may be taken concurrently with other courses after admission to the NP Program. An upper division health assessment course is also required, prior to beginning NP clinical coursework. This course is available in the Fall and Spring semesters (NURS 425). Individuals who have completed an upper division health assessment course which is less recent than 18 months are required to complete a health assessment review course after admission to the program. This course is available through GMU and offered in the Summer and again in the Fall semester. Information will be provided to students during the initial advising session.

When applying, please make sure that it is clear whether you are applying for the Family track OR the Adult track and whether or not you are applying for Full-time or Part-time status. The letter of acceptance into the program will specifically state which track and in what status you have been accepted.

Requirements

• BSN from a program accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency.
• GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work
• Three (3) letters of recommendation
• Successful completion of an undergraduate health assessment course
• Licensed as a registered nurse
• Graduate Record Exam, only upon request
• Completed application form*
• A minimum of one year of work experience as a nurse
• A 250 word goal statement to be submitted with the application

*A resume is also very helpful - but not required.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition will be based on the current tuition rate of each institution offering the coursework. GMU graduate tuition rates will be charged for all coursework offered at GMU. GWU graduate tuition rates are charged for all coursework offered at GWU. Tuition at both schools may vary from year to year. Liability insurance for nurse practitioner students is included in the cost of tuition.

Full-time students may apply for Division of Nursing Professional Nurse Traineeships and teaching assistantships which may be available. Contact (703) 993-1947 for information. The U.S. Public Health Service offers the National Health Service Corps Scholarship program. The Mary Marshall Scholarship is available to Virginia residents who currently live and plan to practice in an underserved area of Virginia after graduation. Information packets for both these scholarships are available through the Nurse Practitioner Program Office.