Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Stanislaus State.
We have one concentration which is Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).
An undergraduate Statistics course must be completed with a minimum grade of a C prior to admission into the program.
A current California Registered Nurse license is required for acceptance into the MSN program.
An overall GPA average of 3.0 in your last sixty units or better is required for admission into the MSN program.
The program is designed as a full-time program (4 semesters with no summer courses) for the FNP concentration. Students will move through the program as a cohort. For those who cannot attend full-time, we will attempt to work with these students to create an accessible plan.
We do NOT currently offer a fully online FNP program. We are a hybrid program that combines virtual and in-person courses. During the first semester, you can expect to be
on campus one day per week at most. For the following semesters, it is approximately one to two times per month. Mondays are the day in-person courses are held.
Please visit the Financial Aid & Scholarship webpage for graduate school costs. The Financial Aid & Scholarships website has many resources available; their information and forms are located on the website. In addition, there is specialty funding, such as a forgivable loan for tuition, schoolbooks, and supplies each semester of the program for FNPs who are willing to work within a specific 19-zip code region within our service region after graduating. Contact the Program Director for more information related to this specialty funding as soon as you are admitted to acquire this funding before the first semester starts.
We admit between 16 and 24 students to our FNP concentration.
See the School of Nursing website for information regarding the application process.
Admission Semester - Fall
Concentration - FNP
Application Period - October 1st – March 1st.
With approval from the Graduate Program Director, nine units may be considered for transfer from other MSN programs. A description of the course and the number of units will be needed to determine acceptance for transfer.
The FNP concentration will have a full-day mandatory orientation in the spring, prior to the fall start date.
You will be engaged in clinical practice 1-2 days per week, until the last semester when it will be at least 2 days per week. The days of the week clinical practice takes place is dependent on the site. The School of Nursing arranges clinical placement for its students within our five-county service region (Merced, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Calaveras, and Tuolumne). If you need placement outside of our service region within California, we will work with you to attempt to find a site.
Practicum placements require completed castlebranch.com documentation.
The typical equation is that for every course unit taken, there will be an average of 3 hours of coursework per week. This may differ for some lab/clinical courses.
It is strongly recommended that students work 3/4 time or less to achieve a healthy balance of employment, student learning, and personal well-being.
Students are allowed to step out. A risk is that courses are not offered every semester and stepping out may result in the student needing to attend extra semesters in order to complete all required nursing courses. In addition, a risk of stepping out of the FNP concentration would be a lack of space to return and join a future cohort.
Non-nursing bachelor’s degree and an Associate Nurse (AND) from accredited institutions with a current CA RN license can apply to the BRIDGE program. The four BRIDGE courses are NURS3000, NURS4400, NURS4410, and NURS3310. The BRIDGE courses correspond with the current Online RN-BSN roadmap. All BRIDGE courses must be completed prior to applying for the FNP concentration. Please visit the RN-MSN Bridge Program website. Contact the Program Director if more information related to the BRIDGE program is needed.
A Nurse Educator Certificate will be offered beginning in Fall 2023 and will require the completion of four courses over two semesters. Didactic courses will be online and the practicum where you are given the opportunity to teach in a variety of settings may be face-to-face. Contact the Program Director for more information related to the Nurse Educator Certificate.
We are expecting that a PMHNP certificate will be offered beginning in spring 2025. Contact the Program Director for more information related to the PMHNP certificate.
Contact the Program Director if you have more questions.
Mechelle Perea-Ryan Ph.D., FNP-BC, RN-PBC, PHN
Health Science Program Co-Director, SON
Graduate/FNP Program Director, SON
Stanislaus State
209-667-3491
mperearyan@csustan.edu
Updated: October 11, 2023