About the Program

Program Details

Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP)

This specialty nurse practitioner program prepares students to care for patients across their adult years. The program prepares graduates for advanced practice by the state of California and provides preparation for AGPCNP national certification examinations. This advanced clinical practice specialty includes direct patient assessment, diagnosis, management, and treatment, client advocacy, client/family education, consultation, and program planning, implementation, evaluation, and research.

View course requirements for the AGPCNP specialty.

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

This specialty program prepares students to be nurse practitioners for patients across the human lifespan. The program prepares graduates for advanced practice by the state of California and provides preparation for FNP national certification examinations. This advanced clinical practice specialty includes direct patient assessment, diagnosis, management, and treatment, client advocacy, client/family education, consultation, and program planning, implementation, evaluation, and research.

View course requirements for the FNP specialty.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner–Primary Care (PNP-PC)

This PNP-PC specialty prepares registered nurses to be nurse practitioners with children and their families in primary health care settings. This advanced practice specialty includes direct client assessment, diagnosis, management, and treatment, client advocacy, client/family education, consultation, and program planning, implementation, evaluation, and research.

Graduates are eligible to apply to the state of California for advanced practice as a nurse practitioner, and are qualified to seek national certification by examination through specialty boards for the PNP-PC.

View course requirements for the PNP-PC specialty.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

This specialty program prepares students to be nurse practitioners for patients in the psychiatric and mental health settings. The graduate of this program is prepared to work respectfully and collaboratively with client consumers who are experiencing severe mental illness to determine biopsychosocial health care needs within a complex and changing environment. Theory and clinical coursework focus on assessment, intervention planning, application, and evaluation of advanced practice therapeutics in response to acute and chronic biologic and psychiatric mental health problems. The life span focus of the curriculum ranges from childhood through geriatrics, and includes health, illness prevention, the therapeutic alliance, health-related policy, and application of research and evidence-based findings to professional practice. The inherent equality and worthiness of those who are vulnerable and disenfranchised, the role of spirituality in health, and the value of diversity are threaded throughout the program.

The program is designed so that graduates are eligible for California advanced practice certification and can also take the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner National Certification Examination.

View course requirements for the PMHNP specialty.

Philosophy

Consistent with the mission and purpose of the university, the School of Nursing is a Christian community of disciples, scholars, and practitioners. Its purpose is to advance the work of God in the world through nursing education, research, professional practice, community, and church service.

Health is defined and understood by the faculty as totality or completeness, whether for an individual, family, or community. That totality or completeness, within this conceptual definition, cannot be seen apart from the constitutive element of spirituality. Our conceptual approach to health highlights our distinctive role as a Christian university and provides the discipline of nursing with a distinctive domain for research and advanced nursing practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is a term?

16 weeks

How many days per week do I attend classes?

Students generally attend class one to two days per week, depending on the number of classes in which they are enrolled.

How soon can I finish this program?

Most students complete the program in two to three years depending on how many courses are taken each term and which specialty is selected.

How are clinicals arranged?

The School of Nursing faculty and staff arrange clinical settings with some student input as needed.

What kind of clinical settings are available?

The School of Nursing identifies appropriate clinical settings based on the student’s specialty. Settings may include hospitals, primary care clinics, churches, and schools, to name a few.

How do I figure out my schedule?

Knowledgeable faculty advisors assist students with a comprehensive course planner to ensure course continuity throughout the program.

How soon can I start?

The MSN program admits students twice per year. Submit your application by March 1 for consideration for the fall term or July 1 for the spring term.