Master of Science in Nursing (Nurse Practitioner)

A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who holds a master’s or doctoral degree in a specific population focus.  These include family (primary care), adult-gerontology (primary or acute care), neonatal, pediatrics (primary or acute care), women’s health, or psychiatric-mental health populations.  Texas Woman’s University offers programs for family, adult-gerontology (both primary and acute care), pediatric primary care, and women’s health. 

The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) provides care for patients of all ages and within many settings.  This is a primary care role and focuses on health promotion and health maintenance of patients.  

The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) provides care to children and adolescents within a variety of settings.  While there are both primary and acute care programs, TWU prepares students for the primary care role. 

The Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) provides care for women from adolescence to adults.  The TWU WHNP program prepares graduates to provide normal and high-risk prenatal management, family planning, fertility care, and well-woman care. 

The Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner may be prepared and function in a primary care role (AGPCNP) or an acute care role (AGACNP).  Texas Woman’s University has both programs.  The AGPCNP provides acute, chronic, and preventative care for adults from adolescence to old age, typically in a primary care setting.  An AGACNP provides care for brief and severe episodes of illness, injury or trauma, and may continue that care after the acute phase.

See corresponding tabs for specific program requirements.

Marketable Skills

Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."

Admissions

All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.

This academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.

Degree Requirements

Total Semester Credit Hours Required

46 semester credit hours (SCH).

Course List

Code	Title	SCHs
Required Courses
BIOL 5333	Advanced Pathophysiology	3
NURS 5001	Advanced Practice Nursing Seminar	1
NURS 5002	Advanced Practice Nursing Role	2
NURS 5003	Health Policy and Health Promotion	3
NURS 5013	Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice	3
NURS 5024	Research and Quality Improvement in Nursing	4
NURS 5644	Advanced Assessment/Differential Diagnosis	4
NURS 5663	Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing Practice	3
Total SCHs		23

Complete One of the Following Tracks

Course List

Code	Title	SCHs
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
NURS 5605	Family Health Nursing II	5
NURS 5615	Family Health Nursing III	5
NURS 5625	Family Health Nursing I	5
NURS 5683	Family Nurse Practitioner Preceptorship I	3
NURS 5695	Family Nurse Practitioner Preceptorship II	5
Total SCHs		23

Course List

Code	Title	SCHs
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)
NURS 5305	Child Health Nursing II	5
NURS 5315	Child Health Nursing III	5
NURS 5325	Child Health Nursing I	5
NURS 5383	Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Preceptorship I	3
NURS 5395	Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Preceptorship II	5
Total SCHs		23

Course List

Code	Title	SCHs
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
NURS 5405	Women's Health Nursing II	5
NURS 5415	Women's Health Nursing III	5
NURS 5425	Women's Health Nursing I	5
NURS 5483	Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Preceptorship I	3
NURS 5495	Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Preceptorship II	5
Total SCHs		23

Course List

Code	Title	SCHs
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
NURS 5505	Adult/Gerontology Nursing II	5
NURS 5515	Adult/Gerontology Nursing III	5
NURS 5525	Adult/Gerontology Nursing I	5
NURS 5583	Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Preceptorship I	3
NURS 5595	Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Preceptorship II	5
Total SCHs		23

Course List

Code	Title	SCHs
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
NURS 5005	Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner I	5
NURS 5015	Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner II	5
NURS 5025	Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner III	5
NURS 5083	Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Preceptorship I	3
NURS 5095	Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Preceptorship II	5
Total SCHs		23

Special Requirements for all Master’s Degrees

1. A grade of B or higher must be achieved in all required courses. A student who has earned a grade of less than B (C, D, or F) in two required courses at the graduate level or who has earned a grade of less than B (C, D, or F) twice in the same graduate level required course will be removed from the nursing program. For the purpose of removal from the nursing program, a grade of less than B is counted as a grade of less than B even if the course has been successfully repeated.
2. Students admitted to the master’s program provisionally, based on low GPA, must complete the first 12 semester credit hours of graduate courses with grades of B or better in each course; at least 9 semester credit hours must be in nursing courses. A provisionally admitted student will be dismissed from the program if a grade of C or lower is made in any course during the probationary period.
3. For the MS graduate who is unsuccessful on a certification examination and is accepted for the re-education process, if the student earns a grade of C or below (D, or F) in one of the required re-education courses, he/she will not be allowed to continue in the re-education process.

Time Limit

Semester credit hours older than six years, including transfer courses, cannot apply toward the master’s degree.

Final Examination

Oral examination of the completed professional or clinical project (course work optional).