UMass Amherst Online Nurse Practitioner Programs

What to Expect from the UMass Amherst Online NP Programs

Admission Requirements: Applicants to the College of Nursing at UMass Amherst must hold a current, unencumbered RN license and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Application materials include the application, an application fee, official transcripts, two letters of reference, a scholarly writing sample, a statement of professional goals, and a current resume or CV. The applicant must also provide documentation of professional licensure and earned certifications.

Prerequisites include undergraduate statistics and health assessment. Students whose primary language is not English must also provide proof of English language proficiency and WES reports if educated outside the United States.

DNP students must hold a BSN degree or an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) plus a non-nursing bachelor’s degree from a nationally accredited school of nursing to apply.

Post-Master’s Certificate students must hold an MSN degree from a nationally accredited school of nursing to apply.

State Restrictions: While UMass Amherst accepts students from most states, applicants outside of Massachusetts should check with the College of Nursing to make sure they are eligible for the nursing programs.

Students from the following states may not enroll in the DNP programs at this time: Alabama, Minnesota, New York, and Oregon. In addition, students from Washington may only enroll in the FNP specialization of the DNP.

Students from Minnesota, Ohio, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Washington may not enroll in the PMHNP certificate program.

Finally, interested students should contact their state licensing board to determine if the program meets state requirements for NP licensure.

Study Plan: NP programs begin in the Fall. The DNP may be completed in four or five years depending on the chosen plan of study. The Post-Master’s PMHNP Certificate may be completed in just two years. Certificate students who already hold APRN certification must complete 560 clinical hours and non-APRNs must complete 728 clinical hours.

DNP Core Curriculum: The DNP core curriculum includes 39 credits. The following courses are required: Theoretical Components of Nursing Practice; Research Methodology in Nursing; Healthcare Quality; Scholarly Writing; Informatics for Nursing Practice; Intermediate Biostatistics; Leadership of Public Health Systems; Nursing Ethics, Health Policy & Politics; Health Disparities and Social Justice; Defining Evidence for Problems & Solutions – Capstone I; Evidence-Based Proposal Development – Capstone II; DNP Project Proposal Finalization and Approval – Capstone III; DNP Project Implementation and Monitoring – Capstone IV; and DNP Project Completion, Evaluation and Dissemination.

DNP AGPCNP and FNP Specialization Curriculum: The AGPCNP and FNP tracks comprise 79 credits and include a minimum of 1,232 clinical hours. Specialty courses include Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning; Advanced Pathophysiology; Advanced Pharmacology; Family Systems and Intervention; Assessment and Diagnosis of Psychiatric and Mental Health; Pharmacotherapy Management; Primary Health Care of Children, Adolescents & Young Adults; Primary Health Care of Middle-Aged and Older Adults; Complex Health Problems in Primary Care – I; Complex Health Problems in Primary Care – II; Complex Health Problems in Primary Care for Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions; Practicums and Role Seminars.

DNP PMHNP Specialization Curriculum: The PMHNP track comprises 85 credits and includes a minimum of 1,232 clinical hours. Specialty courses include Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning; Advanced Pathophysiology; Advanced Pharmacology; Family Systems and Intervention; Integrative Therapies; Pharmacotherapy Management; Assessment and Diagnosis of Psychiatric and Mental Health Disorders; Neuropsychopharmacology; Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing with Children & Adolescents; Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing with Adults & Older Adults; Advanced Psychotherapy Modalities with Individuals, Groups and Families; Psychiatric Mental Health Complex Health Problems; Practica and Role Seminar.

Post-Master’s PMHNP Certificate Curriculum: The PMHNP certificate comprises up to 44 credits depending on prior education and certification, however, most students will be required to complete 25 to 30 credits. An individualized program will be created for each student. Courses follow the required specialty courses for the DNP – PMHNP program. Students who already hold APRN certification must complete 560 clinical hours and non-APRNs must complete 728 clinical hours.

Online Experience: UMass Amherst utilizes Blackboard Learn as its online Learning Management System (LMS). DNP and certificate students begin with an online orientation. Courses are asynchronous providing maximum flexibility in learning online. Students have access to videos and recorded lectures, discussion tools, assignment tools, tests, quizzes, email, blogs, and other online learning resources, grades, syllabi, and online chat. Online students also have access to university resources such as the library, admissions counseling, academic counseling, faculty office hours, career counseling, and 24/7 technical support.

On-Site Requirements: There are no on-site requirements as the coursework is completely online. Students must also complete local clinicals.

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