Nursing (MSN and RN to MSN)

The University of Michigan-Flint’s School of Nursing (SON) offers the Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration as a Family Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Educator. Students admitted to the nurse practitioner track have the option of completing the program full or part-time. Students are admitted in both tracks for the Winter semester only.

Family Nurse Practitioner

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) (1) make independent and collaborative health care decisions; (2) engage in clinical practice as expert clinicians who use theory and evidence-based practice to perform history and physical exams, interpret laboratory and diagnostic tests, treat common illnesses and injuries, prescribe medications (in accordance with state practice laws) and evaluate outcomes; (3) demonstrate leadership as consultants, educators, researchers and administrators; and (4) participate in legislative and professional activities to promote professional advancement and health related social policies.

Career opportunities for APRNs are continually expanding and include positions in hospitals, outpatient clinics, home health care agencies, schools, universities, industry, nursing homes, wellness centers, employee health programs, physicians’ office practices, community mental health agencies, public health agencies, acute care facilities and private practice.

Graduates are qualified to sit for the Family Nurse Practitioner certification examination.

Nurse Educator

Students are prepared for the nurse educator role, in addition to focusing on the graduate level competencies. The program will include coursework in curriculum design and development, teaching methodologies including instructional technology, educational needs assessment and evaluation, and learner-centered theories and methods.

Nurses with a master’s degree may teach students in schools of nursing, patients and their families, staff nurses, and a variety of direct care providers. Master’s-prepared nurses will develop competence in applying teaching/learning principles in work with patients and/or students across the continuum of care in a variety of settings. Students will be provided additional content within the nursing practice environment to integrate the knowledge and skills into one’s nursing practice as a Nurse Educator.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must provide proof of the following requirements:

1. A current unencumbered RN license in the United States
2. A 3-credit college-level statistics with a minimum grade of C (2.0)
3. One of the following:

• A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from an accredited college or university with an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale (3.5 for graduate work)
• Associate Degree Nurses with or without a non-Nursing bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 post-secondary credits (if the ADN degree does not meet the 60-credit minimum, the most recent 60 college-level credits will be considered).

Academic Rules and Regulations

See the School of Nursing (SON)  and Graduate Study  sections of this Catalog for academic rules and regulations pertaining to graduate programs offered by the School.