Master of Science (MS) in Nursing - Nurse Practitioner

Nurse Practitioners fill a critical healthcare need in our society. They are health promotion and disease prevention experts who manage and diagnose common acute and chronic illnesses while maintaining a high quality of care. In rural southeastern areas, health and wellness disparities make these nurses vital to the patients they treat. Through The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing, you can earn your advanced degree without interrupting your career.

Program Overview and Rankings

The master’s degree program in nursing at The University of Alabama is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The program is currently Ranked 7th for best online MSN programs for Family Nurse Practitioner by U.S. News & World Report (2022). The convenient blended format combines online courses with face-to-face clinical experiences, and part-time or full-time study is available for individual concentrations.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Required For Entrance is RN licensure. Please note, only baccalaureate prepared registered nurses who are residents of the following 30 states are eligible for admission to NP concentrations: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

The following table outlines the application deadlines for the program:

Curriculum and Clinical Requirements

Courses in the Psychiatric Mental Health and Family Nurse Practitioner concentrations offer nurses the opportunity to advance their knowledge base and clinical skills. Students will be eligible to sit for both the psychiatric mental health and family nurse practitioner national certification exams. The program consists of the following requirements:

• 79 credit hours total for the dual concentration
• 1,560 clinical hour requirement
• Thesis (Optional): An original research project conducted by one student and directed by a graduate committee

Required Courses

The curriculum includes the following core and specialized courses:

• NUR 505: Advanced Health Assessment
• NUR 521: Advanced Pharmacology
• NUR 529: Advanced Pathophysiology
• NUR 567: Family Nurse Practitioner Role and Issues
• NUR 568: Clinical Readiness
• NUR 569: Family Nurse Practitioner I
• NUR 570: Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical I (180 Clinical Hours)
• NUR 591: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Role and Issues
• NUR 593: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner I
• NUR 594: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Clinical I (180 Clinical Hours)
• NUR 727: Foundations of Implementation Science and Evidence-Based Practice