Masters

Nursing (MSN) - Family Nurse Practitioner

Partially Online

Overview

If you are interested in elevating your nursing degree (BSN) and becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), this program is for you! This program prepares nurses for an advanced practice role, with an emphasis on integrating preventative and self-care measures, as well as the diagnosis and management of commonly occurring acute and chronic health conditions. This program also includes participation in and use of research, development, and implementation of health policy, and education of individuals and groups.

MCN's FNP sequence is known for providing an outstanding experience for students. The program is a mix of online and on-campus education. We offer students highly skilled FNP faculty certified in their specialty and active in their practice area, excellent on-campus and online learning environments, student-centered approaches to learning, and reasonable tuition rates at a state university known for exceptional programs.

After completing our program, you will be eligible to sit for FNP certification and apply for licensure.

Sample Schedule

Our program is a hybrid. The following courses are held on campus: NUR 431, NUR 433, NUR 437, NUR 471, NUR 473, NUR 475 and NUR 477. Most classes have class on campus one day per week. For NUR 431 and NUR 437, you’ll be on campus two days per week. Thursdays and Fridays are typically the days used for campus courses. Then, of course, you would also have clinicals. Below is more information on the in-person classes.

This is the current plan, which is designed to give you an idea of what to expect. However, please be aware that it is subject to change, so be prepared for some flexibility!

NUR 431 –On campus for lecture on Thursdays and lab on Fridays
NUR 433 –On campus for lecture on Thursdays
NUR 437 –On campus for lecture on Thursdays
NUR 471 – On campus for a lecture on Thursdays plus clinicals 1 to1.5 days/week
NUR 473 –On campus for a lecture on Thursdays plus clinicals 1.5 to 2 days/week
NUR 475 – On campus for a lecture on Thursdays plus clinicals 1.5 to 2 days/week
NUR 477- On campus for a lecture on Thursdays plus clinical two days/week

Work/Life Balance

This is very individualized and a decision that needs to be made by the students after consideration of their personal responsibilities/time commitments. Most of our students work part-time and have the flexibility to adjust their work schedule to facilitate their course and clinical schedule.

Perceptors

We do place students who live within about an hour of campus. If you think of Bloomington-Normal in the middle, we place students who live as far west as Peoria, south to Springfield/Decatur, east to Champaign-Urbana, and north to Pontiac or some surrounding towns.

You can find a placement outside our region. A majority of your hours must be in primary or urgent care, not specialty settings. We cannot guarantee placement outside our area.

You can complete your clinical hours at your place of employment under the following conditions:

Complete hours outside of work hours
Preceptor meets our precepting requirements
Preceptor is not your direct supervisor
You receive approval from our clinical coordinator

View all preceptor requirements.

Clinicals must be done in the state of Illinois.

This application is now closed for the fall 2025 admission term, as the priority deadline has passed and target enrollment numbers have been met. Should additional space in the program become available, we welcome applications to the Fall 2025 FNP Waitlist. If you are interested in applying to the Fall 2025 FNP Waitlist, please contact Melissa Moody at mkmoody@ilstu.edu. The waitlist is for the fall 2025 term only. Applicants who are not admitted from the waitlist by July 15, 2025, should reapply for fall 2026 consideration; a new application and fee would be required.

Point of Pride

After completing the program, students are eligible to take the FNP certification examination through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) to become certified as family nurse practitioners. The cumulative pass rate on the certification exam for MCN students since the sequence began is 99%.

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How to Apply

University Admission Requirements

A student applying to this program must:

Have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so by the time of program matriculation.
Submit unofficial transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. The unofficial transcript should be easily readable and clearly indicate degree(s) awarded, courses and course grades for each term.
If admitted, official domestic transcripts can be emailed from the university to GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, Graduate School, 208 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 4040, Normal, IL 61790-4040.
If admitted, official international transcripts can be emailed directly from the international institution to InternationalAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, International Admissions, Campus Box 6180, Normal, IL 61790-6180.

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Graduate School Admission Requirements.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

Prior to enrolling in nursing coursework students must meet health and safety compliance requirements, to include drug testing, a criminal background check, a physical examination, and several immunizations. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in dismissal from the major.

International applicants must comply with the International Applicant Requirements as directed by the Illinois State University Office of Admissions. Please apply early in the application time frame to ensure adequate time to review transcripts.

To be considered for this program, you must meet the following requirements.

Bachelor's Degree

You must have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

GPA

You must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate coursework. This includes courses in which you are currently enrolled.

The Grade Point Average (GPA) of all undergraduate credentials earned in the United States that are used for graduate degree admission evaluation is calculated by the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. International credentials are evaluated by using cumulative GPA (CGPA) in lieu of the GPA from the last 60 hours of undergraduate work.

Coursework

Submit evidence of satisfactory completion of statistics, nursing research, and physical assessment courses. You must have earned a C or better at the baccalaureate level.

Essay

Submit a two to three-page essay that outline your educational and professional goals.

Resume

Submit your current resume.

License

Submit a copy of your current, unencumbered RN license in from the state of Illinois.

Recommendation Form

Include on the application the names and email addresses of at least two professional or academic references from persons qualified to assess your potential to succeed in the MSN program. At least one reference must be from a nursing faculty member from applicant's baccalaureate program or a master's prepared nurse. Your recommenders will receive instructions to complete and upload this reference form to the recommender site.

Credentials Evaluation Service Academic Report (International Students Only)

International applicants must submit to Mennonite College of Nursing a Credentials Evaluation Service Academic Report from CGFNS (Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools) or WES (World Education Services). International applicants must comply with the International Applicant Requirements as directed by the Illinois State University Office of Admissions.

English Proficiency Scores (International Students Only)

International students applying to this program must have a TOEFL score of at least 79 iBT or IELTS score of 6.5 band. Due to limited on-campus courses, immigration documentation cannot be issued for students seeking F-1 or J-1 status.

Application Deadlines

Fall Term — No longer accepting applications

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Graduate Assistantships

The University provides graduate assistantships as a means of financial support. They are intended as a way to facilitate a student's progress to degree while providing important professional development.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an assistantship a student must, generally,

be admitted unconditionally as a degree-seeking student into a graduate academic program, or have a minimum of 120 undergraduate hours if in an integrated degree program
be in good-standing
be enrolled full-time (typically at least 9 credit hours during the fall or spring semesters, or at least 6 hours during the summer session).

Benefits

Graduate assistants receive

monthly wages paid in the form of either a stipend or an hourly wage
a waiver for 100% of tuition during a semester of appointment
a waiver for up to 12 credit hours of tuition for the summer term immediately following a fall or spring appointment

Costs & Funding

See Student Accounts for information on tuition and fees. Funding for graduate students is available from several different sources. Students who have been admitted from contiguous states including Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin will receive in-state tuition.

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