Master of Science in Nursing: Concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner

The School of Nursing provides master’s level educational opportunities for registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree in nursing who wish to enter the profession or pursue an advanced practice nursing degree.  Through advanced education and clinical training with this emphasis, students are prepared for both California NP license and national board certification (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners & American Nurses Credentialing Center). Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are licensed to practice autonomously and in collaboration with other health care professionals to assess, diagnose, treat, and manage the health needs of patients of all ages. NPs can also serve as health care researchers, interdisciplinary consultants, and patient advocates.

Registered nurses with bachelor’s degrees in nursing can enter the master’s program by demonstrating they have met nursing content comparable to that in the SF State baccalaureate program.

Registered nurses who already hold nursing master’s degrees may apply to the post master’s family nurse practitioner (FNP) certificate program (graduate level coursework). Please note that students taking post master’s FNP certificate courses will enroll for courses through the College of Professional & Global Education.

The master’s level curriculum includes both core courses and specialty courses. The core courses, the portion of the program for all students, include nursing theory, advanced practice nursing roles, pathophysiology, research, leadership, health policy, and ethics for advanced practice nurses. Units taken in addition to the core program are selected with graduate nursing faculty advisement. 

Admission/Application Information 

For all applicants:

  • Visit the School of Nursing website for specific application dates.
  • Meet general requirements for admission to graduate study at SF State and submit a separate application to the Division of Graduate Studies.
  • Complete the School of Nursing supplemental application process.
  • Include a written goal statement.
  • Students whose native language is not English and whose preparatory education was principally in a language other than English must demonstrate competence in English. More information by visiting Graduate Admissions.
  • Three references from work colleagues, supervisors, or educators.
  • Provide a resume or curriculum vitae.
  • Must have a minimum of one year or 2,000 clinical hours of RN experience.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

The University has a requirement for graduate written English proficiency that is to be assessed at two different points (Levels) in the student’s program.

Level One (prior to admission)

Personal Statement

Level Two

Demonstration of English proficiency on the final paper for NURS 794.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students completing the Master’s program will achieve the School of Nursing’s MSN Expected Student Learning Outcomes as outlined below:

  • Applies and integrates broad organizational, client-centered, and culturally appropriate concepts in the planning, delivery, management, and evaluation of evidence-based clinical prevention and population care and services.
  • Demonstrates nursing and inter-professional collaboration that facilitates open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care.
  • Creates collaborative programs and educational approaches that address health promotion and disease prevention needs of culturally-ethnically diverse individuals and populations.
  • Demonstrates a professional leadership role to promote quality and safe clinical patient care that incorporates ethical and critical decision-making approaches, fiscal accountability, effective working relationships, and systems perspectives.
  • Assimilates nursing knowledge and expertise through research utilization, informatics literacy, and generates educational, leadership, or clinical approaches to advance professional nursing practice.
  • Utilizes information technology to communicate effectively, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and to support decision-making.
  • Designs evaluation strategies for nursing care outcomes to assess, manage, and determine resource allocation for evaluation of nursing care outcomes.
  • Evaluate methods, tools, performance measures, and standards related to quality improvement within a healthcare organization.
  • Applies research outcomes within the practice setting to resolve identified practice problems.
  • Organizes interventions at the health care system level utilizing policy development processes, economic principles, and employing advocacy strategies to influence health and health care services for individuals.

Advancement to Candidacy

The student must resolve any admission conditions as soon as possible after beginning the graduate program. The Advancement to Candidacy form should be completed and filed in the Division of Graduate Studies after the student has completed 24 units. The Proposal for Culminating Experience form must be completed and filed before he/she enrolls in the culminating experience course, either NURS 895 or NURS 898. See the Graduate Division website for more details http://www.sfsu.edu/~gradstdy/.

Master of Science in Nursing: Concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner

Entry–Level Nursing Master of Science Degree

Qualified applicants are accepted into the Entry Level or Accelerated Entry Level MSN program conditionally.

Prerequisites — 28 units

The courses listed below or those which are comparable as listed on www.assist.org are required for acceptance into the program.

BIOL 210
BIOL 211
General Microbiology and Public Health
and General Microbiology and Public Health Laboratory
4
BIOL 220Principles of Human Anatomy 14
or BIOL 328 Human Anatomy
BIOL 212
BIOL 213
Principles of Human Physiology
and Principles of Human Physiology Laboratory
4
CHEM 101
CHEM 102
Survey of Chemistry
and Survey of Chemistry Laboratory 2
4
COMM 150Fundamentals of Oral Communication3
ENG 114Writing the First Year: Finding Your Voice (Written Communication I)3
MATH 124Elementary Statistics (Quantitative Reasoning)3
PHIL 110Introduction to Critical Thinking I3
1

 Either anatomy course must include a laboratory component if taken elsewhere

2

This is an integrated course in which students are introduced to topics in general, organic, and biochemistry. Stand alone general, inorganic, or organic chemistry courses will also fulfill the chemistry requirement.

Courses Required for RN Licensure in California

Prior to applying for RN licensure, the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) requires students to have completed a minimum of 16 units comprising natural sciences, behavioral, and social sciences. To complement the anatomy, physiology, and microbiology prerequisites, it is highly recommended that students complete a general psychology course prior to taking NURS 328 and any additional behavioral or social science course as needed to fulfill the BRN's requirement. Anthropology or Sociology is strongly suggested.

Entry Level Masters Nursing Courses — 97 units

Non-Roadmap Plan of Study Grid
First Year
First SemesterUnits
NURS 311 Human Development and Health Assessment Lab (5) 2
NURS 314 Health Promotion in Nursing (3) 3
NURS 315 Health Promotions in Nursing - Practicum (2) 2
NURS 706 Health Care Policy and Nursing Leadership (3) 3
NURS 720 Epidemiology and Biostatistics in Advanced Practice Nursing (3) 3
 Units13
Second Semester
NURS 326 Reproductive Health Theory (3) 3
NURS 327 Reproductive Health Practicum (3) 3
NURS 328 Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Theory (3) 3
NURS 329 Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Practicum (3) 3
NURS 350 Nursing Interventions Practicum I (2) 2
NURS 703 Education, Informatics, and eTechnology in Advanced Nursing Practice (3) 3
 Units17
Second Year
First Semester
NURS 410 Nursing Care of Children Theory (3) 3
NURS 411 Nursing Care of Children Practicum (3) 3
NURS 420 Nursing Care of Adults Theory (3) 3
NURS 421 Nursing Care of Adults Practicum (3) 3
NURS 450 Nursing Interventions Lab II (2) 2
NURS 721 Program Planning and Financial Management in Nursing Practice (3) 3
 Units17
Second Semester
NURS 520 Advanced Medical Surgical and Critical Care Nursing (3) 3
NURS 521 Advanced Medical Surgical and Critical Care Nursing Capstone Practicum (3) 3
NURS 522 Chronic Care and End of Life Care Theory (3) 3
NURS 530 Community Health and Global Perspectives Theory (3) 3
NURS 531 Community Health and Global Perspectives Practicum (3) 3
NURS 794 Research and Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing (3) 3
 Units18
Third Year
First Semester
NURS 702 Health Systems Management (3) 3
NURS 711 Advanced Physical Assessment Across the Life Span (3) 3
NURS 715 Pharmacological Principles Across the Life Span (3) 3
NURS 801 4
NURS 716 Advanced Pathophysiology and Diagnostic Reasoning I (3) 3
 Units12
Second Semester
NURS 732 Ethics in Advanced Nursing Practice (3) 3
NURS 802 4
NURS 895 Applied Research in Nursing (3) 3
NURS 717 Advanced Pathophysiology and Diagnostic Reasoning II (3) 3
 Units9
 Total Units86

Students completing the Entry-Level Master’s program will achieve the School of Nursing’s MSN Expected Student Learning Outcomes as outlined below:

  • Applies and integrates broad organizational, client-centered, and culturally appropriate concepts in the planning, delivery, management, and evaluation of evidence-based clinical prevention and population care and services.
  • Demonstrates nursing and inter-professional collaboration that facilitates open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care.
  • Creates collaborative programs and educational approaches that address health promotion and disease prevention needs of culturally-ethnically diverse individuals and populations.
  • Demonstrates a professional leadership role to promote quality and safe clinical patient care that incorporates ethical and critical decision-making approaches, fiscal accountability, effective working relationships, and systems perspectives.
  • Assimilates nursing knowledge and expertise through research utilization, informatics literacy, and generates educational, leadership, or clinical approaches to advance professional nursing practice.
  • Utilizes information technology to communicate effectively, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and to support decision-making.
  • Designs evaluation strategies for nursing care outcomes to assess, manage, and determine resource allocation for evaluation of nursing care outcomes.
  • Evaluate methods, tools, performance measures, and standards related to quality improvement within a healthcare organization.
  • Applies research outcomes within the practice setting to resolve identified practice problems.
  • Organizes interventions at the health care system level utilizing policy development processes, economic principles, and employing advocacy strategies to influence health and health care services for individuals, families, aggregates/identified diverse populations and communities.

Master of Science in Nursing for Registered Nurses

Nursing for Registered Nurses (M.S.) — 44–52 units

Required Core Courses (44 units)

NURS 702Health Systems Management3
NURS 703Education, Informatics, and eTechnology in Advanced Nursing Practice3
NURS 706Health Care Policy and Nursing Leadership3
NURS 711Advanced Physical Assessment Across the Life Span3
NURS 715Pharmacological Principles Across the Life Span3
NURS 716Advanced Pathophysiology and Diagnostic Reasoning I3
NURS 717Advanced Pathophysiology and Diagnostic Reasoning II3
NURS 720Epidemiology and Biostatistics in Advanced Practice Nursing3
NURS 721Program Planning and Financial Management in Nursing Practice3
NURS 732Ethics in Advanced Nursing Practice3
NURS 794Research and Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing3
NURS 8014
NURS 8024
NURS 895Applied Research in Nursing3
or NURS 898 Master's Thesis

The Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration

The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) concentration requires 52 units and a total of 600 clinical hours. The FNP concentration is designed to prepare FNPs for primary care practice. The following courses are required in addition to the 44 units of RN-MSN required core courses. Family Nurse Practitioner students take NURS 810, NURS 804, and NURS 811 in lieu of NURS 702, NURS 801, and NURS 802.

Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration — 19 units

NURS 708Diagnosis and Management in Primary Care4
NURS 804Professional Issues and Nurse Practitioner Skills3
NURS 810Family Nursing Practitioner Practicum I4
NURS 811Family Nursing Practitioner Practicum II4
NURS 812Family Nursing Practitioner Practicum III4