If you are looking to advance your career in nursing, we have an option for you. The MSN is a valuable, respected degree. Advanced practice nurses are often called on to assume leadership roles in the profession and health care delivery. As a working nursing professional with multiple commitments, you need a program that is flexible. USF offers online courses with built-in learning support. As a master’s graduate of the Leach College of Nursing, you can be an advanced nurse who functions as a family nurse practitioner, psychiatric mental health nurse, nurse educator, or nurse administrator. Graduate students of the FNP or PMHNP are eligible to sit for exams through AANP or ANCC.
Pass rates of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification (AANP) – FNP and the American Nurses Credentialing Center Certification (ANCC) – FNP/PMHNP are available here.
Online, In Person
$799/credit hour
24-48 Months
Classes run in sixteen-week cycles, with new cohorts every semester, and are mostly offered online. We offer a few different concentrations:
Tailor your degree to fit your career goals! The MSN program at the University of St. Francis includes a competitive curriculum with several concentrations to choose from, including:
Family Nurse Practitioner
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
R.N./BSN to MSN option is available.
RELATED PROGRAMS
Post-Master’s Certificates:
Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
1. Theoretical and Empirical Knowledge for Evidence-based Practice
Synthesize nursing knowledge and related disciplines as evidence for nursing practice decisions through ethical conduct of scholarly activities and clinical reasoning.
2. Effective, Compassionate, Ethical, Culturally Sensitive, and Holistic Nursing Care
Promote ethical clinical decision-making, holistic person-centered care, and culturally-sensitive relationships at the level of advanced nursing practice.
3. Quality Improvement and Culture of Safety
Formulate quality improvement strategies by evaluating system-level data and integrating best evidence to promote safety and optimal system-level outcomes.
4. Advocacy and Social Justice
Advocate for improving the system’s capability and resources by addressing social determinants of health, equitable healthcare access, cost-effectiveness, and quality of care to diverse populations.
5. Leadership
Exemplify leadership roles and strategies to promote quality nursing practice within complex healthcare systems across the continuum of care.
6. Communication and Collaboration
Promote collaborative relationships with interprofessional team members, patients, families, and other stakeholders to enhance quality patient-centered care.
7. Informatics and Technologies
Apply information technologies and management skills ethically for the provision of efficient health care services, team collaboration, decision-making, and patient engagement in a variety of settings.
8. Professionalism
Cultivate the professional identity of nursing through modeling personal well-being, professional maturity, leadership, accountability to the profession, and a culture of lifelong learning.
The University of St. Francis is accredited by both the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org) and the Illinois Board of Higher Education (ibhe.org). Leach College of Nursing programs are further accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (aacnnursing.org/ccne-accreditation).
Our programs are top-ranked! U.S. News & World Report has placed the University of St. Francis on several of its annual listings, year after year, including its “Best National Universities,” “Best Value Schools” and “Best Online Programs” lists.
“What I learned in the Leach College of Nursing MSN program has made me a better nurse. Thank you to the University of St. Francis for giving me the formation to become a competent and caring clinician and a leader in my workplace.”
MSN Program Graduate
Curious to know more about online learning and what it entails? USF prides itself on delivering a practical, real-world curriculum and faculty expertise in a medium proven to be conducive to the needs of working adults. Explore USF’s online learning environment here!
Continuing and adult students are eligible for some aid and scholarships. Review our scholarships page to see what’s available to make financing your education easier.
Our admissions staff is here to make sure every question you have about graduate studies gets answered. Learn more about graduate studies and make an appointment today!
Graduate students are invited to participate in student life, even if you’re an adult or studying from afar! Learn about the resources USF provides to all students to prepare them for success.
