Family Nurse Practitioner

Kent State's Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) master's degree concentration will prepare you to provide comprehensive primary health care in an outpatient setting for patients of all ages.

Family Nurse Practitioner students acquire advanced practice nursing competencies to provide continuity of health care to persons across the life span and to maximize the effectiveness of community and health care system services through collaboration with other health professionals.

Family NPs provide primary health care to children, adolescents, adults, and older adults in many outpatient settings. They offer preventive health services and health education, as well as manage acute and chronic diseases. FNPs play a vital role in addressing the national shortage of primary care providers.

Clinical experiences are offered in a variety of ambulatory care settings and specialty clinics in primary care offices including family practice, internal medicine, managed care offices, long-term care facilities, and academic and occupational health settings.

Graduates of this program meet educational eligibility requirements to take either the ANCC or the AANP examination for the Family Nurse Practitioner. 2021 MSN FNP graduates attained an average pass rate of 100% on board certification examinations.

Why Kent State? We offer you:

Faculty mentorship and advising from board-certified advanced practice nurses with decades of experience
Hybrid program featuring both online and face-to-face courses
Full- and part-time academic plans so you can complete the program in as few as 2 years or continue working and finish in 3 years
Clinical experiences that foster development of clinical judgment and primary care skills that cover pediatric, adolescent, young and older adult populations
A program that is known for its academic rigor and clinical quality

Admissions Criteria

We invite you to apply to the MSN program if you meet the following criteria:

Bachelor's and/or graduate degree from an accredited registered nursing program.¹
Minimum 3.000 undergraduate/graduate GPA on a 4.000 point scale. ²
The completion of an undergraduate statistics course with a minimum C grade.
Active, unrestricted registered nurse license in Ohio

A résumé or curriculum vita.
Essay (2-3 pages) describing reasons for seeking the master's degree in the identified specialty and professional goals.
Three letters of reference from a health care professional or academic faculty who can speak to the applicant's professional and academic abilities.
English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning one of the following:
- Minimum 560 TOEFL PBT score (paper-based version)
- Minimum 83 TOEFL IBT score (Internet-based version)
- Minimum 78 MELAB score
- Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
- Minimum 55 PTE score

Admission to the MSN degree is a selective process. In the selection process for applicants, program faculty will consider years of registered nurse experience, professional experience relevant to the specific MSN concentration and evidence of scholarship and involvement in the nursing profession as indicated on the applicant's résumé, along with GPA and intent for full-time study.

1. Applicants with an RN license and a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field will be considered based on faculty review of a portfolio submitted with the application.

2. Applicants with a lower GPA may be considered for conditional admission according to the University's Graduate Student Admission Policy.

Additional Requirements

Apply Now How to Submit Application Materials

Curriculum

The Family NP concentration is 47 credit hours which includes 675 practicum hours. Options for part-time plans of study are also available.

View Course Requirements

Post-Master's Certificate

We also offer a Family Nurse Practitioner post-master's certificate for nurses who already hold a Master's degree or higher in nursing.

Learn more about the Family NP post-master's certificate

Meet the Faculty

Learn more about the Family NP course instructors:

Louise Knox
DNP, RN, FNP-BC
Coordinator & Associate Professor

Lynn Gaddis
DNP, RN, CNP
Assistant Professor

Marilyn Nibling
DNP, APRN, NNP-BC, PNP-BC
Assistant Professor

Lisa Onesko
DNP, APRN-BC
DNP Program Director & Professor

Denise Pacholski
DNP, APRN, NP-C
Associate Lecturer

Meet all MSN Faculty

Begin Your Transformation

Discover why Kent State's Family NP master's concentration is right for you. Enrollment advisors can be reached at 330-672-7911.

Request More Information Apply Now

Partially Online
A hybrid format with both online & in-person classes.

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Application Deadline

Fall 2023: March 1, 2023 (priority deadline)

Graduate Information

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Additional Graduate
Admission Resources

Graduate Admissions
Office Contact

Phone: 330-672-2661
Toll Free: 855-277-6952
Fax: 330-672-6262
www.kent.edu/graduatestudies
Domestic Email: gradapps@kent.edu
International: www.kent.edu/admissions/international
intladm@kent.edu

For information on all of Kent State’s degrees and majors, go online to www.kent.edu/gps

Accolades & Accreditation

CCNE Accredited Seal

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Kent State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. Kent State University College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) concentrations within the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program and APRN Certificates, along with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice (BSN-to-DNP) program qualify graduates to sit for national APRN certification and APRN licensure in Ohio. States other than Ohio may have additional requirements to apply for or obtain an APRN license, including but not limited to specific state examinations, letters of recommendation, or proof of completion of an accredited nursing program. The College of Nursing is in the process of collecting information from all states and has not yet made a determination whether graduates from the Kent State University College of Nursing MSN, Certificate, and BSN-to-DNP programs meet the requirements for APRN licensure outside the state of Ohio.