2025-2026 Graduate Catalog Nursing

The Master of Science in Nursing program, post-graduate APRN certificate program, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Illinois State University Mennonite College of Nursing are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

The Master of Science in Nursing is distributed among core, support, and nursing specialty courses. 34-44 semester hour program (depending on sequence chosen).

All students must successfully complete a synthesis project within the specified capstone course from each sequence. NUR 477 is the capstone course identified for the Family Nurse Practitioner sequence, NUR 483 is the capstone course identified for the Leadership and Management (NLM) sequence. Those students interested in research and doctoral study may choose to complete a thesis that would result in additional degree hours.

The master’s program is developed based on nationally recognized standards for graduate education in nursing. All courses applied toward the degree must be completed at the 400 level or above. In order to maintain clinical proficiency, students who have completed the final practicum course for their enrolled sequence but who do not meet the requirements for graduation must enroll in ongoing practicum independent study (NUR 400) until graduation. A contract outlining the specific requirements for the Independent Study will be developed between the Director of Graduate Programs and the student.

Mennonite College of Nursing requires that any student receiving a grade of C or below in graduate coursework must repeat the course. Multiple enrollments allowed for a maximum of 3 semester hours.

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Sequence

This 44-hour blended curriculum sequence requires:

• 12 hour core: NUR 401, NUR 405, NUR 407, and NUR 511
• 9 hours support courses: NUR 431, NUR 433, and NUR 437
• 23 hours specialty courses: NUR 471, NUR 471a01, NUR 473, NUR 473a01, NUR 475, NUR 475a01, and NUR 477, NUR 477a01; the 5 family nurse practitioner courses (NUR 431, NUR 471, NUR 473, NUR 475, and NUR 477) must be taken in sequential order and in consecutive academic terms

Graduates of the program will be eligible to take the certification exam for Family Nurse Practitioners offered through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB).

Leadership and Management Sequence

This 34-hour fully online sequence requires:

• NUR 401, NUR 405, NUR 407, NUR 425, NUR 451, NUR 453, NUR 483, NUR 509, NUR 511, NUR 562 and NUR 565

The DNP program is based on national expectations and competencies for graduates of DNP programs as stated by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. There are two entry points to the DNP program. Students admitted with a Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) degree will be required to complete up to 78 semester hours depending on the sequence selected. Students admitted with a Master of Science in nursing (MSN) degree will be required to complete a minimum of 34 semester hours beyond the master’s degree. For students with an MSN who completed the MCN NSA/NLM sequence, advanced standing credits may be transferred from the NSA/NLM degree. Advanced standing credit will only be granted for courses completed within five years of admission to the doctoral professional practice program. All courses applied to the degree must be completed at the graduate level. Mennonite College of Nursing requires that any student receiving a grade of C or below in graduate coursework must repeat the course. Students may repeat a maximum of 3 semester hours.

A student with a BSN degree will be able to complete the DNP degree in 4 to 5 years depending on the sequence selected. Prerequisites to the DNP curriculum for applicants with a BSN degree include:

• BSN degree from a CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) or an NLN (National League for Nursing)-accredited program
• Minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate coursework; to include courses in which the student is currently enrolled
• Evidence of satisfactory completion of statistics, nursing research, and physical assessment courses with a grade of a C or better at the baccalaureate level

A student with a MSN degree will be able to complete the DNP degree in a minimum of seven (7) semesters of study. Prerequisites to the DNP curriculum for applicants with a MSN degree include:

• MSN degree from a CCNE or NLN-accredited program
• A minimum grade point average of 3.0 for the last 30 hours of graduate or 60 hours of undergraduate coursework; to include courses in which the student is currently enrolled
• Certified and licensed as an advanced practice nurse (certified nurse practitioner, certified clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse midwife, certified registered nurse anesthetist) or have completed a master's degree program in nursing administration/leadership. Other MSN specialties will be considered.
• A graduate level epidemiology course, a graduate level theory course, a graduate level research course, and a master's level statistics course
• Completion of 640 post-BSN clinical hours. Students who do not meet the prerequisite postBSN clinical hours will be required to register for NUR 560 Advanced Nursing Practice Experience.

All applicants will be evaluated individually based on prior educational work as well as current experience. Their programs of study will be designed to include additional coursework, if necessary, to position them to achieve the educational objectives of the curriculum.

DNP Leadership and Management Sequence

This 64-semester hour fully online sequence requires:

• 27 hours of core courses: NUR 401, NUR 405, NUR 407, NUR 451, NUR 509, NUR 511, NUR 562, NUR 564, NUR 565
• 16 hours of specialty courses: NUR 425, NUR 453, NUR 483; NUR 569, NUR 563
• 2 hours of advanced nursing practice experience: NUR 560
• 6 hours of statistics and applied data management: NUR 409, NUR 535
• 6 hours of in-depth clinical residency experience: NUR 550, NUR 552, NUR 554
• 7 hours of scholarly project courses: NUR 539, NUR 543, NUR 545, NUR 547
• A minimum of 1,000 clinical hours upon completion

DNP Family Nurse Practitioner Sequence

This 78-semester hour hybrid sequence requires:

• 27 hours of core courses: NUR 401, NUR 405, NUR 407, NUR 451, NUR 509, NUR 511, NUR 562, NUR 564, NUR 565
• 32 hours of specialty courses: NUR 431, NUR 433, NUR 437, NUR 471, NUR 473, NUR 475, NUR 477
• 6 hours of statistics and applied data management: NUR 409, NUR 535
• 6 hours of in-depth clinical residency experience: NUR 550, NUR 552, NUR 554
• 7 hours of scholarly project courses: NUR 539, NUR 543, NUR 545, NUR 547
• A minimum of 1,000 clinical hours upon completion

Post-Master's DNP

This minimum of 34-semester hour fully online sequence requires:

• 18 hours of core courses: NUR 451, NUR 509, NUR 511, NUR 562, NUR 564, NUR 565
• 3 hours of applied data management: NUR 535
• 6 hours of in-depth clinical residency experience: NUR 550, NUR 552, NUR 554
• 7 hours of scholarly project courses: NUR 539, NUR 543, NUR 545, NUR 547
• A minimum of 1,000 clinical hours postbaccalaureate degree

The Illinois State University residency requirement will be followed and may be fulfilled in the following ways:

DNP students meet the residency requirement upon successful completion of NUR 543 and NUR 550 taken in their final fall semester of the program followed by successful completion of NUR 545 and NUR 552 in their final spring semester. These two semesters are completed consecutively and in sequence according to prerequisites.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing program consists of 75 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree or 63 credit hours beyond the master’s degree. This program primarily consists of online asynchronous course work with some online synchronous sessions most semesters. The Doctor of Philosophy degree prepares nurse researchers to serve the public health by designing and conducting research on relevant clinical, educational, health systems and/or health policy topics.

There are two entry points to the PhD program. In the BSN to PhD sequence, students admitted with a Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) degree will be required to complete a minimum of 75 credit hours. In the post master’s PhD sequence, students admitted with a BSN and a Master of Science (in nursing or other related area) degree will be required to complete a minimum of 63 credit hours. All courses applied to the degree must be completed at the graduate level. Mennonite College of Nursing requires that any student receiving a grade of C or below in graduate coursework must repeat the course. Students may repeat a maximum of 3 credit hours.

A student with a BSN degree will be able to complete the PhD degree in 4 years. Prerequisites to the PhD curriculum for applicants with a BSN degree include:

BSN degree from a CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) or an ACEN (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing) accredited program
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 the student is currently enrolled
Evidence of satisfactory completion of statistics and nursing research, with a grade of a C or better at the baccalaureate level
A student with a BSN and a master’s degree in nursing or a related field will be able to complete the 63 credit hours required for a PhD degree in a minimum of 3 years. A master's level statistics course or completion of the MCN statistics proficiency exam with a minimum score of 80% is required. Prerequisites to the post master’s PhD sequence include:

MSN degree from a CCNE or ACEN-accredited program, or a master’s degree in a related field
A minimum grade point average of 3.0 for the last 30 hours of graduate or 60 hours of undergraduate coursework; this includes courses in which the student is currently enrolled.

BSN to PhD Sequence

This 75-credit hour degree requires:

• 12 hours of beginning graduate course work: NUR 401, NUR 407, NUR 409, NUR 509
• 24 hour core: NUR 502, NUR 503, NUR 504, NUR 505, NUR 506, NUR 507, NUR 511, NUR 515
• 6 hours research practica: NUR 523, NUR 526
• 9 hours statistics and measurement: NUR 540, NUR 541, NUR 544
• 9 hours: elective courses
• 15 dissertation hours: All students must successfully complete a dissertation comprised of original research.
• Enrollment in the non-credit colloquium course (NUR 530) every fall and spring semester throughout the program
• Other university requirements for Ph.D. degrees are listed elsewhere in this catalog.

Post-Master's PhD Sequence

This 63-credit hour degree requires:

• 24 hour core: NUR 502, NUR 503, NUR 504, NUR 505, NUR 506, NUR 507, NUR 511, NUR 515
• 6 hours research practica: NUR 523, NUR 526
• 9 hours statistics and measurement: NUR 540, NUR 541, NUR 544
• 9 hours*: elective courses
• 15 dissertation hours: All students must successfully complete a dissertation comprised of original research.
• Enrollment in the non-credit colloquium course (NUR 530) every fall and spring semester throughout the program

* If a master’s level statistics course is needed, it may serve as one of the three electives.

Mennonite College of Nursing requires that any student receiving a grade of C or below in graduate coursework must repeat the course. Multiple enrollments allowed for a maximum of 3 semester hours.

Coursework for the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) post-master’s certificate is determined for each student following an assessment of the applicant’s graduate nursing education transcript. Candidates for the post-master’s FNP certificate are required to complete a minimum of 26 credits in Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University, including NUR 431 and 23 hours of specialty courses in the FNP sequence.

The School Nurse Graduate Certificate program is a fully online 10 credit hour certificate that meets the Illinois State Board of Education certified Professional Educator License (PEL) and certified school nurses requirements. The certificate will be a full-cost recovery, post baccalaureate program open to school nurses with an unencumbered Illinois Registered Nurse license and 2 years of relevant nursing experience. Theory courses will be offered in the summer followed by a 3 credit hour clinical practicum during the fall semester.

10 total hours are required to complete this graduate certificate.

3.00 GPA or above is required to graduate with this graduate certificate

• Required courses (10 hours): NUR 416, NUR 417, NUR 418

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) post-master’s certificate program consists of 24 credit hours of specialty coursework and 540 clinical hours. Specialty PMHNP courses are fully online. Program applicants must 1) hold an unencumbered advanced practice registered nurse license in the state in which they will perform clinical, and 2) be nationally certified as a family nurse practitioner.

Coursework for the PMHNP post-master’s certificate is determined for each student following an assessment of the applicant’s previously completed graduate nursing courses. Candidates for the PMHNP post-master’s certificate are required to complete all 24 credits of the PMHNP specialty courses at Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University. Applicants should refer to the Mennonite College of Nursing website for detailed information related to program plan of study and admission requirements.

Mennonite College of Nursing requires that any student receiving a grade of C or below in graduate coursework must repeat the course. Students may repeat a maximum of 3 semester hours. A 3.0 GPA or above is required to graduate with this certificate. Graduates of the program will be eligible to take the certification exam for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners offered through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

The PMHNP post-master’s certificate includes the following requirements:

• 24 hours of specialty courses: NUR 420, NUR 421, NUR 422, NUR 422a01, NUR 423, NUR 423a01, NUR 424, NUR 424a01
• A minimum of 540 clinical hours upon completion