Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions Online NP Programs

What to Expect from the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions Online NP Programs

Admission Requirements: Applicants to the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions nursing programs must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and hold an unencumbered RN license. MSN and post-bachelor’s DNP applicants must hold a bachelor of science in nursing degree (or foreign equivalent) from an accredited institution and have at least one year of RN experience. Post-master’s certificate applicants must have a master’s degree in nursing or higher (or foreign equivalent) from an accredited institution with the same minimum 3.0 GPA requirement; at least one year of clinical work experience is required for some certificates (such as AGACNP and PMHNP) and preferred for others (such as FNP and ENP).

Application materials include a completed online application, a statement of professional goals, a resume or CV detailing education, employment, volunteer service, and scholarly activity, two letters of recommendation, official transcripts from all degrees conferred, and proof of current state nursing licensure. Students whose primary language is not English must also provide proof of English language proficiency. An application fee may be required.

State Restrictions: While the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions accepts students from most states through the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), applicants outside of Utah should check with the admissions department to make sure they are eligible for the nursing programs. As always, students should contact the licensing board in their state of residence to determine whether the program meets state requirements for NP licensure. Students from California and Massachusetts in particular may have restrictions.

Study Plan: The MSN-AGACNP is a 50-credit program taught over six semesters and requires 540 clinical hours. The curriculum blends asynchronous online delivery with a requirement that students visit the Utah campus for one week during the three semesters when they are in courses with a clinical component. The MSN-FNP is a 50-credit program taught over five semesters and requires 540 clinical hours. The program offers asynchronous online instruction and periodic visits to the Provo, Utah campus for intensive training. The MSN-PMHNP is a 59-credit program taught over five semesters and requires 540 clinical hours. This program is delivered via distance, online instruction with no on-site visits.

The dual MSN-FNP/ENP is a 65-credit program taught over six semesters and requires 960 clinical hours (540 FNP and 420 ENP). The curriculum blends asynchronous online delivery with a requirement that students visit the Utah campus for one week during the four semesters when they are in courses with a clinical component.

The dual MSN-FNP/PMHNP is a 77-credit program taught over six semesters and requires 1,080 clinical hours (540 FNP and 540 PMHNP). The curriculum blends asynchronous online delivery with a requirement that students visit the Utah campus for one week during the three semesters when they are in FNP courses with a clinical component; PMHNP students do not attend on-site activities.

The dual MSN-FNP/AGACNP is a 68-credit program taught over six semesters and requires 1,080 clinical hours (540 FNP and 540 AGACNP). The curriculum blends asynchronous online delivery with a requirement that students visit the Utah campus for one week during the three semesters when they are in courses with a clinical component.

The post-bachelor’s DNP-FNP is an 80-credit program taught over nine semesters and requires 1,000 post-baccalaureate clinical hours. The program is primarily online with on-site visits during semesters four through eight (one week per semester for three to five consecutive days).

The post-master’s AGACNP certificate requires 30 credits and 540 supervised clinical hours. The program accepts students to begin in Winter, Summer, and Fall terms. The post-master’s ENP certificate requires 15 credits and 420 clinical hours. During the program, students have one week of on-site instruction per semester for three semesters. The post-master’s FNP certificate requires 30 credits and 540 clinical hours. The post-master’s PMHNP certificate requires 39 credits and 540 supervised clinical hours over four semesters. This program is completely online with no on-site visits. The program accepts students to begin in Winter, Summer, and Fall terms.

The post-master’s FNP/ENP dual certificate is a 45-credit, five-semester program requiring 960 clinical contact hours (540 FNP, 420 ENP). Students visit the Utah campus for one week during the semesters when they are in courses with a clinical component (seven weeks of onsite instruction total across five semesters).

The post-master’s FNP/PMHNP dual certificate is a 57-credit, five-semester program requiring 1,080 clinical contact hours (540 FNP, 540 PMHNP). Students visit the Utah campus for one week during the three semesters when they are in FNP clinical courses; PMHNP students do not attend onsite activities.

Most programs are designed for working nurses and allow students to continue practicing as RNs while enrolled. Programs follow a limited-residency model with asynchronous online coursework and required onsite intensives for most tracks except PMHNP, which is 100 percent online. 

MSN Curriculum: All MSN students complete a common set of core courses that provide the foundation for advanced practice. The core courses include scientific underpinnings; health policy and finance; advanced pharmacology; advanced pathophysiology; advanced health assessment; quality improvement and evidence-based practice; organizational behavior management and informatics; health promotion and prevention populations; roles, leadership, and ethics; and transition to practice with capstone portfolio.

• MSN-AGACNP Courses: In addition to the core, the AGACNP concentration includes the following specialty courses: acute care practicum I; acute care focus I; critical care practicum II; critical care focus II; complex and chronic disease practicum III; and complex and chronic disease focus III.
• MSN-FNP Specialty Courses: In addition to the core, the FNP concentration includes the following specialty courses: FNP practicum I: primary care and prevention; FNP focus I: primary care and prevention; FNP practicum II: adult and geriatrics; FNP focus II: adult and geriatrics; FNP practicum III: women and children; and FNP focus III: women and children.
• MSN-PMHNP Specialty Courses: In addition to the core, the PMHNP concentration includes the following specialty courses: assessment and diagnosis of psychiatric disorders across the lifespan; psychotherapy across the lifespan; psychopharmacology; PMHNP practicum I: adults and older adults; PMHNP focus I: adults and older adults; PMHNP practicum II: children, adolescents, and families; PMHNP focus II: children, adolescents, and families; PMHNP practicum III: setting and population based care; and PMHNP focus III: setting and population based care.
• Dual MSN-FNP/ENP Specialty Courses: The FNP/ENP dual concentration includes all FNP specialty courses listed above plus the following ENP courses: ENP practicum I; ENP focus I; ENP practicum II; ENP focus II; ENP practicum III; and ENP focus III.
• Dual MSN-FNP/PMHNP Specialty Courses: The FNP/PMHNP dual concentration includes all FNP specialty courses listed above plus all PMHNP specialty courses listed above.
• Dual MSN-FNP/AGACNP Specialty Courses: The FNP/AGACNP dual concentration includes all FNP specialty courses listed above plus all AGACNP specialty courses listed above.

BSN-to-DNP Curriculum: The post-bachelor’s DNP/FNP program includes all MSN-FNP specialty courses mentioned above plus additional doctoral-level core courses.

The DNP core courses are: epidemiology and population health; statistics and evidence-based practice; scholarly project I: project formation; scholarly project II: project implementation; scholarly project III: project evaluation and publication; scholarly project IV: project continuation; advanced scientific underpinnings; scientific underpinnings; health policy and finance; advanced pharmacology; advanced pathophysiology; advanced health assessment; quality improvement and evidence-based practice; organizational behavior management and informatics; health promotion and prevention populations; roles, leadership, and ethics; and transition to practice with capstone portfolio.

Students also choose one concentration focus: clinical leadership focus (clinical leadership I: advanced clinical pharmacology, clinical leadership II: clinical focus, clinical leadership III: internship in the clinical setting) or executive leadership focus (executive leadership I: regulatory, executive leadership II: fundamentals of leadership, executive leadership III: internship in the executive setting).

Post-Master’s AGACNP Certificate: Several of the post-master’s certificate options include a shared nurse practitioner core. These core courses are advanced pharmacology; advanced health assessment; advanced pathophysiology; and roles, leadership, and ethics. These core courses are included in the AGACNP, FNP, PMHNP, FNP/ENP, and FNP/PMHNP certificate pathways. The ENP certificate includes only ENP specialty coursework.

The specialty components of the post-master’s certificates use the same specialty courses listed in the corresponding MSN and dual MSN programs above. For example, the AGACNP certificate includes the same AGACNP specialty courses as the MSN-AGACNP, the FNP certificate includes the same FNP specialty courses as the MSN-FNP, and the PMHNP certificate includes the same PMHNP specialty courses as the MSN-PMHNP. The dual FNP/ENP and FNP/PMHNP certificates combine the same FNP specialty courses with the ENP or PMHNP specialty courses already described in the MSN dual-concentration sections.

Online Experience: Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions delivers its nursing programs primarily through asynchronous online instruction, allowing students to complete most of their coursework from their own environment while continuing to work in their communities. The MSN, post-master’s certificate, and post-bachelor’s DNP pathways are designed for working nurses and use a limited-residency model that combines online study with local clinical placements. 

Students engage with course materials through Canvas, and weekly participation is required. Faculty may also schedule synchronous sessions for discussion or support on difficult topics, and these sessions are recorded for students who cannot attend. Clinical hours are completed locally with approved preceptors, allowing students to gain experience in their own communities while progressing through the program.

On-Site Requirements: Most RMU nursing programs include required on-site instruction in Provo, Utah, for hands-on skills training and clinical skill development. These onsite visits are mandatory and usually take the form of three- to five-day intensive experiences that include cadaver lab training, mock clinical encounters with live actors, and high- and low-fidelity simulation-based learning. FNP and ENP students receive hands-on training in areas such as pelvic exams, IUD insertion, casting and splinting, suturing, and X-ray interpretation, while ENP students also gain experience in advanced airway management, sonography, advanced suturing, and chest tube insertion. PMHNP students do not attend onsite activities.