Program Overview
Do you have an associate’s degree in nursing? Have you considered growing professionally
and working more collaboratively with physicians as a family nurse practitioner?
If you have, the Associate’s Degree in Nursing to Master of Science in Nursing Bridge
(FNP) program at MCPHS Online might be a great fit for you. This part-time program
is designed to provide an entry option to the graduate
Family Nurse Practitioner program for nurses holding an associate’s degree.
The bridge program allows qualified students to move seamlessly into graduate-level
coursework through the bridge program—no bachelor’s degree required!
Innovative Programs
The bridge portion of the ADN to MS in Nursing Bridge program allows students to
complete 100% of their bridge coursework online. Each student will complete two
courses per semester for one year (fall, spring, and summer sessions). Some online
coursework may require participation by live web conferencing. Dates will be announced
well in advance so that you can plan accordingly. Students must complete a 45-hour
health assessment practicum and a 45-hour community nursing clinical rotation. These
experiential requirements can be completed in your respective community with the
approval of the course faculty.
The FNP portion of the program, which has two required residencies, requires a minimum
of 630 unpaid clinical hours (which are in addition to your work hours). These can
be earned at a location of your choice pending program director approval. All students
are encouraged to find their own clinical sites at a location of their choice pending
program director approval. Students having difficulty finding a clinical site may
request assistance from the MCPHS School of Nursing. All candidates must possess
a valid nursing license in the state where they will complete their clinical experience.
Matriculation into MSN Program
Students are eligible for admission upon completion of the six MCPHS bridge courses
(20 credits) prior to a student’s matriculation into the MSN-Family Nurse Practitioner
program. The bridge curriculum prepares the associate’s degree nurse for the advanced
practice role. Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 in the bridge courses
in order to matriculate into the FNP program. Graduates of the
Family Nurse Practitioner program are eligible to sit for the Family Nurse
Practitioner Board Certification Exam. Please see important information regarding upcoming program changes and the
DNP.
Upon the completion of the MSN program students will be able to:
- Provide safe, effective, culturally-competent, and advanced nursing care to individuals
and families across the lifespan as a member of an interdisciplinary team and in
the context of community
- Integrate the core competencies of research, diversity, health care policy, ethics,
health promotion and disease prevention, and theoretical foundation of nursing in
the advanced nursing practice role
- Demonstrate leadership role in the profession of nursing
- Engage in ongoing nursing knowledge development to guide practice
Candidates will complete all FNP courses, including a required master’s thesis and
a FNP clinical practicum of 630 hours, for a total of 42 credits.
This program is no longer accepting applications for 2012. Complete our Request Info Form to receive an email alert when the application is live for Summer 2013.
Prerequisites
The Associate’s Degree in Nursing to Master of Science in Nursing (ADN to MSN) Bridge
program is open to applicants who have earned, or will earn prior to enrollment,
an associate’s degree in nursing, and have or will have met the following prerequisite
requirements:
- An earned associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) from an accredited college or university
- A minimum grade of C in each of the prerequisite courses
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale in nursing courses
- RN Licensure (or eligibility prior to enrollment) in the state in which you intend
to perform your clinical hours
- A minimum TOEFL score of 79 (IBT) or a score of 6.5 on the IELTS is required of
all candidates for whom English is not the native language
- International students should consult the College Catalog regarding transfer of international courses.
Please note that all foreign transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services
(WES) (212) 966.6311 or www.wes.org.
Prospective students may apply to the program with outstanding prerequisites. However,
all prerequisites must be completed with an associate’s degree in nursing and passing
score on NCLEX (RN license) confirmed prior to matriculation. A photocopy of the
RN license must be submitted.
All candidates must possess a valid nursing license in the state in which they intend
to complete their clinical experience.
|
PREREQUISITE COURSES
|
SEMESTER HOURS
|
|
Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II (with labs)
|
8
|
|
General or Medical Microbiology (with lab)
|
4
|
|
Human Growth & Development
|
3
|
|
Statistics
|
3
|
|
Algebra & Trigonometry (or Pre-calculus)
|
3
|
|
Introduction to Psychology
|
3
|
|
Introduction to Sociology
|
3
|
|
English Composition I and II
|
6
|
|
Healthcare or Biomedical Ethics
|
3
|
|
History Elective
|
3
|
|
Humanities Elective
|
3
|
Curriculum
In addition to online coursework, the Bridge program requires students to attend
three residencies, generally 1-3 days in length, during their respective tenure
in the program. These residencies include: new student orientation, second residency
and final residency in May that coincides with graduation.
Bridge Courses (year one)*
|
COURSE
|
TITLE
|
SEMESTER HOURS
|
|
NUR245
|
Health Assessment
|
4
|
|
NUR250
|
Chemistry of Nutrition
|
3
|
|
NUR330
|
Nursing Informatics and Health Care Technologies
|
3
|
|
NUR350
|
Scholarly Inquiry
|
3
|
|
NUR410
|
Professional Role Development
|
3
|
|
NUR426
|
Community Health Nursing
|
4
|
|
|
TOTAL BRIDGE CURRICULUM
|
20
|
Graduate FNP Courses (years two and three)*
|
COURSE
|
TITLE
|
SEMESTER HOURS
|
|
NUR701
|
Professional Role Development in Nursing
|
3
|
|
NUR702
|
Human Diversity, Ethics, and Social Policy Issues
|
3
|
|
NUR703
|
Advanced Health Assessment Across the Lifespan
|
4
|
|
NUR706
|
Advanced Pathophysiology
|
3
|
|
NUR707
|
Advanced Pharmacology
|
3
|
|
NUR708
|
Research for the Advanced Practice Nurse
|
4
|
|
NUR709
|
Family Health Nursing I
|
6
|
|
NUR810
|
Family Health Nursing II
|
6
|
|
NUR811
|
Family Health Nursing III
|
6
|
|
NUR820
|
Translational Research Practicum
|
4
|
|
|
TOTAL FNP CURRICULUM
|
42
|
Total Credits for ADN to MSN BRIDGE PROGRAM (62)
*Taking two courses per semester (year-round), the ADN to MSN Bridge program can
be completed in three years.
Tuition & Fees
Students enrolled in the bridge program during the 2012–2013 academic year
will pay $850/credit hour.
There are no fees for MCPHS Online students in the 2012–2013 academic year.
Financial Aid
An education is an investment. And we don’t think you’ll find a better return on
your investment than by earning your degree from MCPHS. Our Office of Student Financial
Services (SFS) is available to guide students through the process of securing funding
to cover education costs. A dedicated staff member will help you apply for financial
aid, review all sources of funding available to you and assist you with completing
the paperwork necessary for disbursement.
For more information, contact Student Financial Services at 603.314.1729.
Next Steps
If you are applying for admission to MCPHS Online for 2012, complete the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at
www.fafsa.ed.gov. The MCPHS college code for the FAFSA is 002165. You do
not need to be accepted at the College in order to apply.
Admission
Once your application is received, the Admission Office will notify you of any missing
items that we require for your application to be considered complete. We review
all files on a "rolling basis" and will make a decision once all application materials
are received.
Priority Filing Date
The priority filing date for this program is February 1 each year for a summer
(May) semester
start. We continue to review applications until all available seats in the program
have been filled.
This program is no longer accepting applications for 2012. Complete our Request Info Form to receive an email alert when the application is live for Summer 2013.
Additional Links
Questions?
Feel free to call 617.879.5022 or e-mail
us with any questions you have about the application process.
Technical, Non-Academic Standards
In conjunction with the applicable academic and accreditation standards, the faculty
in each of the programs at MCPHS has established certain abilities and characteristics
defined as technical standards. Candidates for enrollment in programs at Massachusetts
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences must meet these technical standards, which
may include but are not limited to observation, communication, sensory and motor
coordination and function, intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative
abilities, and behavioral and social attributes. These standards may be met with
or without reasonable accommodations. Please carefully review the technical standards
for the program to which you have applied. The standards can be found in the MCPHS
College Catalog on the MCPHS website. If you have questions regarding technical
standards, please contact the Office of Admission immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of the program is offered online?
The bridge portion of the program will be offered online with one visit to campus
for new student orientation. During the graduate years of the program, two additional
2-3 day residencies will be required.
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What are the prerequisites for this program?
Applicants must hold (or will earn prior to enrollment) an Associate’s Degree in
Nursing (ADN)and be a licensed RN in the state where they will perform their clinicals.
Please note that students who need assistance finding clinical placement must hold
a Massachusetts RN license. Application requirements include: the nursing application,
all official college transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a personal statement,
a current resume, and a photocopy of your Massachusetts RN license. Please visit
the Prerequisites tab for a list of required courses.
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Do all of the prerequisites need to be completed before I apply?
No, the prerequisite courses can be in-progress or planned at the time you apply,
as long as you would complete them all prior to enrollment at MCPHS.
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Is there a licensing exam at the end of this program?
Yes. All graduates of the ADN to MSN Bridge program will be eligible to sit for
the Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Exam and will be eligible for certification
as a Family Nurse Practitioner. More information about this process is available
at www.nursecredentialing.org.
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This program is part-time. Am I eligible for financial aid?
Yes. As long as you take two courses each semester during the first year (the bridge
year) and take at least 5 graduate-level credits each semester during the second
and third years, you are eligible to apply for financial aid. All financial aid
is awarded through the FAFSA.
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