Simmons College’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences offers three online degree programs for licensed RN’s who wish to work in advanced practice family nursing: an RN to MSN program, an MSN Family Nurse Practitioner program, and a BS/BA to DNP program.. Their programs feature synchronous, interactive lectures, and additional video course content that students can access 24/7, and dynamic online tools for office hours and networking. Simmons College’s online FNP programs offer full-time and part-time tracks.
Both the MSN and RN to MSN program require that students visit Simmons College’s Boston campus once during their enrollment for a 3-day intensive immersion weekend that includes clinical simulations, networking events, and workshops. The online BS/BA to DNP program requires no campus visits.
Upon graduating from Simmons College’s online FNP program, students are eligible to sit for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) credentialing examination for the FNP specialty.
Nursing@Simmons Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program
Simmons College’s online MSN program is for licensed registered nurses who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and who wish to gain advanced training in primary care family nursing. This program is comprised of 48 credits and 672 clinical practicum hours, which students can complete over 20 months of full-time study or 28 months of part-time study. Students must also attend one on-campus intensive during their enrollment in the program. Students can enter this program at multiple points during the academic year, specifically during January, March, May, September, and November.
Classes that are a part of this program include foundational courses such as Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan, Advanced Pathophysiology, and The Health Care System: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, as well as concentration courses such as FNP II: Primary Care Nursing of the Childbearing and Childrearing Family, FNP III: Clinical Decision-Making, and FNP IV: Primary Care Nursing.
Admission requirements for this program include a current registered nurse license, a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. university or college, three letters of recommendation, and the completion of a statistics course and a health assessment course with a grade of 83 or higher. Prospective students should note that this Family Nurse Practitioner program does not accept applicants who are residents of New York or Tennessee.
Nursing@Simmons Online RN to MSN Program
Simmons College’s online RN to MSN program is for licensed RNs who do not currently hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, but have earned an associate degree, or a diploma or certificate from a hospital-based program. This program consists of 68 course credits and a minimum of 836 clinical hours, which students can complete over the course of 30 months of full-time study or 36 months of part-time study. Students can enter this program at multiple points during the academic year, specifically in January, May, and September.
Graduate classes in this program are equivalent to the classes for Simmons College’s online MSN program. However, the RN to MSN program also includes undergraduate courses such as Nursing Care of Individuals, Families, and Communities, Leadership and Management in the Clinical Setting, Health Assessment, and Introductory Statistics.
Applicants to this program must hold a current registered nurse license, as well as an ADN or a nursing diploma from an accredited institution. They must also submit three letters of recommendation. Prospective students should note that this program does not accept applicants who are residents of New York or Tennessee.
Nursing@Simmons Online BS/BA to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program
Simmons College’s online BS/BA to DNP program is for licensed RNs who possess a bachelor’s degree, and want to pursue both a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree and APRN certification as a family nurse practitioner. The program consists of 68 course credits, and requires a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours. There are both full-time and part-time options available to students. The full-time program is 10 terms, and can be completed in approximately three years. The part-time program is 13 terms, and takes approximately three and a half to four years to complete. Students can enter the program in January, May, or September.
The online BS/BA to DNP program contains all of the same foundational and FNP concentration courses as the MSN programs described above. Students earn their MSN degree after completing term five in the full-time program, or term eight in the part-time program. Once they have completed this portion of the curriculum, students move on to DNP-level courses, which include Ethical/Legal Issues in Advanced Practice, Health Policy, Professional Leadership and Practice Change, Quality Improvement in Health Care, Advanced Research Methods, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics. The last three terms of the BS/BA to DNP program focus entirely on the DNP project, with students taking one project seminar each term.
Along with a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, applicants must possess a current RN license, with at least two years of professional experience as a licensed registered nurse. They must also be a U.S. citizen, have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, and have passed both a statistics course and a health assessment course with a grade of 83 or better. The GRE is not required. To be considered for admission, students must submit their resume, postsecondary transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and a one to two page personal statement essay outlining their background in nursing practice, educational and professional goals, and preliminary ideas for the DNP project. There is also the option to submit a professional portfolio with up to three supplement items, such as professional publications, presentations, or research, however this is not mandatory.
Simmons College’s online BS/BA to DNP program currently does not accept students from the following states: Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.
Overview: Simmons College: School of Nursing and Health Sciences
Programs Offered: FNP
Degree Types: RN to MSN, MSN, BS/BA to DNP
Accreditation: CCNE
Instruction Methods: Live interactive classes with cutting-edge technology for networking and office hours; student-to-faculty ratio of approximately 15:1.
Social Media: Facebook and Twitter
Simmons College Online FNP Programs
Nursing@Simmons online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – Family Nurse Practitioner program (FNP)
Program Overview
Program Specialty: Family Nurse Practitioner
Degree Type: MSN
Program Structure: Online with on-campus intensives and clinical hours requirements
Phone Number: (855) 461-7466
Program Requirements
Clinical Hours Requirements: 672 clinical hours required
Number of Credits Required: 48 credits needed to graduate
Number of Campus Visits Required: 1 (throughout entire program)
Program Options
Curriculum Options: Full-time and Part-time
Program Length: Full-time program takes 20 months to complete; Part-time program takes 28 months to complete
Program Start Date: Multiple start dates per year
Number of Terms: Full-Time: 5 terms; Part-Time: 7 terms
Requirements and Tuition
Application Requirements: Bachelor’s degree required; current RN license
Standardized Testing: Not required
Tuition: ~$61,152 + fees
Cost Per Credit Hour: $1,274 per credit hour
Eligibility Restrictions: Program does not currently accept students from New York and Tennessee
Nursing@Simmons online RN to MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner program (FNP)
Program Overview
Program Specialty: Family Nurse Practitioner
Degree Type: RN to MSN
Program Structure: Online with on-campus intensives and clinical hours requirements
Phone Number: (855) 461-7466
Program Requirements
Clinical Hours Requirements: 836 clinical hours required
Number of Credits Required: 68 credits needed to graduate
Number of Campus Visits Required: 1 (throughout entire program)
Program Options
Curriculum Options: Full-time and Part-time
Program Length: Full-time program takes 30 months to complete; Part-time program takes 36 months to complete
Program Start Date: Multiple start dates per year
Number of Terms: Full-Time: 8 terms; Part-Time: 10 terms
Requirements and Tuition
Application Requirements: Current RN; ADN or Diploma/Certificate from a hospital-based program
Standardized Testing: Not required
Tuition: ~$86,632 + fees
Cost Per Credit Hour: $1,274 per credit hour
Eligibility Restrictions: Program does not currently accept students from New York and Tennessee
Online Post-BS/BA to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program
Program Overview
Program Specialty: Family Nurse Practitioner
Degree Type: BS/BA to DNP
Program Structure: Online instruction with clinical hours requirements
Program Requirements
Clinical Hours Requirements: 1,000 clinical hours required (minimum)
Number of Credits Required: 68 credits needed to graduate
Number of Campus Visits Required: 0
Program Options
Curriculum Options: Full-time and Part-time
Program Length: Full-time: program can be completed in approximately 3 years; Part-time program can be completed in approximately 3.5 to 4 years
Program Start Date: Three starts per year: January, May and September
Number of Terms: Full-Time: 10 terms; Part-Time: 13 terms
Requirements and Tuition
Application Requirements: BSN or RN plus Bachelor’s degree required; current RN license; minimum 2 years of experience as a licensed RN
GPA: Minimum GPA 3.0 in nursing courses
Standardized Testing: Not Required
Tuition: ~$88,400 + fees
Cost Per Credit Hour: $1,300 per credit hour
Eligibility Restrictions: Program does not currently accept students from Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington
