Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration, MSN

The College of Public Health offers an innovative Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner track to prepare nurse practitioners in primary care.  The program is a competency-based curriculum as students gain the necessary knowledge and skills to provide holistic care to individuals, families, and populations across the health continuum; graduates are highly regarded and have historically readily found employment upon graduation. Our graduates pass their respective certification exams through the ANCC (FNP) well above the national mean. George Mason's School of Nursing is listed among the top graduate and nurse practitioner programs in the country in U.S. News and World Report's Special Fall Edition.

Program Options

Options are offered in the following specialties:

• Family Nurse Practitioner

Graduates are eligible for certification from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner Program (On-Campus Program)

The MSN program offers the Family Nurse Practitioner concentration in an on-campus format or with fully online coursework and in-person practicum experiences. Content of courses, objectives, evaluation methods, and outcomes are identical to those for the on-campus program. Only the delivery format is different.

Learn more about the on-campus program. 

MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner Program (Fully Online Coursework and In-Person Practicum Experiences)

The MSN program offers the Family Nurse Practitioner concentration with fully online coursework and in-person practicum experiences or an on-campus format. For the online program, courses are offered in a condensed 8-week format, with students taking one course at a time. Content of courses, objectives, evaluation methods, and outcomes are identical to those for the on-campus program. Only the delivery format is different.

The online program is intended to be completed in about 2.5 years. Request additional information for the online program, learn more, or apply. 

Degree Requirements

The master's program in nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration requires 49 graduate credits. Of these, a 15-credit core consists of course work in the theoretical and ethical foundations of nursing, nursing research and biostatistics, nursing informatics, and the organization of nursing and health care delivery systems. The remaining credits are satisfied by completing one of the concentrations. The nurse practitioner concentration requires an additional 34 credits.

The curriculum can be completed in two years of full-time study, or three years of part-time study, depending on the number of credits taken each semester. The program entails both didactic and clinical experiences. The clinical component is a minimum of 600 hours.

See degree requirements here.

General Information for all MSN programs 

There are a number of tracks and specialties available within the College of Public Health Graduate School. Applicants to the graduate programs apply directly to the program in which they choose to major. It is possible to switch majors once admitted to a program. Questions about that option should be directed to the program coordinator. 

Student Requirements

Student health exams, immunization records, and criminal background checks are part of the final admission process. Graduate students are required to have up-to-date annual health exams, current immunizations and CPR certification. Students must be in the process of completing a hepatitis B immunization series when they enroll for their first practicum course. Criminal background checks are required of all School of Nursing students. No student may attend practicum courses unless all these requirements are met.

All students enrolled in the School of Nursing are required to maintain health insurance at all times.

All students are required to use an active Mason email account.

Tuition Support

Tuition may vary from year to year. Liability insurance for nurse practitioner students is included in the cost of tuition.

Scholarship information is available through the Office of Student Affairs or on the Scholarship webpage. There are numerous nursing scholarships available. 

Professional Licensure Disclosure
This program has been identified by George Mason University as one that may lead to a career requiring professional licensure/certification. Federal regulations require Mason to disclose information as to whether this program meets/does not meet the educational requirements for licensure/certification in your state, or whether such a determination has not been made. Please consult our Licensure Disclosure Tool (https://provost.gmu.edu/licensure) for the disclosure statement specific to your desired state/program combination.

Graduates provide primary care to clients in a variety of settings, including health maintenance organizations, specialty clinics, public health clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and home care settings, family practice settings, and neighborhood and community clinics for the medically underserved.