Hybrid Delivery
This program is 58 credit hours, which includes clinical/simulation/ab hours.
- You can complete the program in 3 years, attending part-time (fewer than 9 credits
per term).
- This is a hybrid (partially face-to-face and online) delivery. You will attend one
day per week (Thursdays) in person. Most courses are delivered in Greeley on the UNC
campus. Some courses will be at our Loveland Center at Centerra. Additional face-to-face
hours are required for your scheduled clinical and practicum work.
- Comprehensive exam and thesis options are available. Most students fulfill the MSN
requirements via successful completion of a comprehensive exam.
Coursework (58 Credit Hours)
To see a typical list of courses by term, visit an example Current Students page for this program.
For full program requirement details, see the official program listing in the UNC Graduate Catalog.
Clinical/Simulation/Lab Hours
A minimum of 855 clinical/simulation/lab hours are completed while enrolled in the
program courses:
- 765 minimum total clinical hours. At least 180 of the total 765 clinical hours must
be with a nurse practitioner and part of these hours can be with a nurse midwife.
- 90 minimum total simulation/lab hours.
The clinical courses involve advanced skills labs, evidence-based practice simulations,
and clinical decision-making competencies, as well as clinical hours in advanced practice
skill acquisition.
Our clinical placement coordinator is dedicated to the Nurse Practitioner programs
to assist Nurse Practitioner students in finding clinical placements and qualified
preceptors (which include: licensed physicians, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives,
or physician assistants).
Post-Master's Certificate Option
Nurses who already have a master's degree can pursue the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Graduate Certificate.
This post-master's certificate program features a personalized plan of study, based
on a gap analysis of your previous coursework. Contact the Program Coordinator for
information about available start terms.
Admission Requirements
All Applicants
Current Colorado Registered Nurse (RN) license; or current RN license in the state
where you practice and eligibility for Colorado RN licensure.
-
One year or more of clinical RN experience is required by the application deadline.
Note: the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is NOT required for this program.
Master's Program Applicants
Possess a bachelor’s degree from an NLN or CCNE accredited institution with an upper
division major in nursing and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better (4.0 scale).
If you are still completing your bachelor's degree at the time you apply, admission
will be based on your current cumulative GPA, and you will need to re-submit your
official transcript (showing your conferred degree and final GPA) during your first
semester. If your final GPA fell below 3.00, you will be given additional academic
stipulations to remain enrolled at UNC.
If you have completed a master's degree, or at least 18 credit hours towards a master's
degree, the GPA of your master's work will be used.
Post-Master's Certificate Program Applicants
Possess a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in Nursing from accredited (NLN/ACEN
or CCNE) programs in nursing, with a cumulative master's GPA of 3.00 or better (4.00
scale).
If you are still completing your master's degree at the time you apply, admission
will be based on your current cumulative GPA, and you will need to re-submit your
official transcript (showing your conferred degree and final GPA) during your first
semester. If your final GPA fell below 3.00, you will be given additional academic
stipulations to remain enrolled at UNC.
International Student Eligibility
Though international students can attend many UNC Extended Campus programs, this delivery
of this program is not well-suited for international students due to U.S. immigration
requirements concerning the ratio of credit hours that international students must
take in the classroom setting compared to how many credits are taken in online courses
(immigration counts partially online courses as online).
Transferring Credit
Master's Program Applicants
UNC graduate school accepts applicable graduate credit with a grade of C or higher
from accredited institutions. Please note that if your chosen program has a higher
grade minimum for any program coursework, that minimum would apply to transfer requests
for those courses. Graduate program faculty are responsible for reviewing any proposed
transfer credit to ensure that course content and objectives match program content.
- Students must complete at least 50% of their graduate program credits at UNC, not
including research, capstone, seminar, internship/externship/practicum, thesis, dissertation
proposal, dissertation and any credits graded with S/U (P/F).
- Courses requested for transfer must not be more than five years old for master's degree
credit, and cannot have been used to fulfill requirements for a previously awarded
degree. See the full Graduate Transfer Credit Policy.
Students should first send course syllabi for the applicable courses to their program
advisor for review. Student and advisor then complete a Transfer of Credit form. The graduate school requires a copy/copies of your official transcript(s) in order
to process transfer credit; it is likely that they will have this as part of your
original application packet.
Certificate Program Applicants
Our graduate certificate programs feature highly specialized learning outcomes determined
by our expert faculty. Therefore, to ensure that certificate graduates attain this
specialized knowledge, students will need to complete all certificate coursework directly
from this UNC program.
Tuition
This is an Extended Campus program, which means:
- A flat per-credit tuition rate for all students (in-state or out-of-state)
- There are no student fees – they are incorporated into our flat tuition rate
- Certain courses, such as clinical and practicum courses, may carry specific course
fees for additional services and materials
Program tuition for the 2023-24 academic year (which runs Fall, Spring, and Summer
terms) is $706 per credit hour. Tuition for the 2024-25 academic year will be determined
mid-June 2024.
Estimates of additional costs: For the purposes of determining financial aid, UNC
follows Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and federal guidelines to develop
an estimated, average Cost of Attendance (budget) for different student classifications.
For your personal tuition estimates, we recommend using the program-specific tuition
information above. But UNC's official Cost of Attendance/Student Budgets page can help you identify other estimated expenses for which you may be responsible while
completing your program.
Financial Aid
Master's Students
Degree-seeking students who cannot pay for tuition alone are encouraged to apply for
federal financial aid. Students must first complete the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA). The UNC FAFSA/financial aid page for graduate students has key dates and support, including the release date and deadline for each academic
year (a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle which begins each August).
Late submissions of the FAFSA are still accepted throughout the school year but you
may not be considered for the maximum amount of aid. If the priority deadline has
passed for the upcoming/current school year, we encourage you to apply for FAFSA consideration
as soon as you enroll for your first courses. Depending on the time of year, you may
be able to submit an application for the current academic year and an early/priority
application for the following academic year.
Master's degree students must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 credits per academic term for financial aid eligibility. Full time
enrollment is based on 9 credits per term.
To apply for federal financial aid assistance
Fill out the FAFSA form at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
Certificate Students
Certificate program students (non-degree seeking) are not eligible for aid through
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Your program coordinator may
be aware of your eligibility for any discipline or campus-based aid if available.
All Students
For more specific help, contact the Office of Financial Aid: ofa@unco.edu, 970-351-4862 or via the UNC Financial Aid website.
Students can also find helpful information such as the Guide to Federal Student Aid
at https://studentaid.gov/resources. Most of the resources are available in English, Spanish, and Braille.
Insurance
Malpractice Insurance
You must carry student nurse practitioner malpractice insurance while fulfilling the
clinical/practicum courses. Due to clinical contract requirements students must provide
proof of insurance about three months prior to the semester that your clinical begins.
Student Health Insurance (For Master's Program Students)
The University of Northern Colorado offers a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
to all degree-seeking students who enroll in courses on our main UNC Campus, an Extended
Campus Center, or Online.
Degree-seeking graduate students enrolled in 6 or more credit hours will automatically
receive this benefit each term. SHIP premiums will appear on your semester bill. If
you have comparable insurance coverage, and do not want to be charged for SHIP coverage,
you must opt out of this plan each Fall via an online waiver process.
Please visit the UNC Student Health Insurance pages for more information about the insurance plan.
