UNH Online Nurse Practitioner Programs

What to Expect from the UNH Online MSN, DNP and PMC Programs

Admission Requirements: Admission to UNH nursing programs is open to various applicants. Applicants must generally submit an online application,  letters of recommendation, a resume, and a personal statement/essay. Applicants must also submit official transcripts of each college/university attended and disclose any past academic or disciplinary sanctions that caused a temporary or permanent separation from a past post-secondary institution. New Hampshire-based students must claim their in-state residency with a Proof of Residence form after receiving an admission offer.

Program admission requirements vary among all the different programs UNH offers. Additional department requirements that apply to some tracks include holding a current, unencumbered nursing license in the United States, past completion of prerequisite undergraduate coursework in statistics, and past nursing experience. For example, the MSN-PMHNP program requires a minimum of one full year of RN experience and at least one full year of med surg/neuro/intensive care/emergency room experience. RNs whose baccalaureate degree is in a non-nursing discipline may also apply to the MSN program. Faculty review such candidates and offer admission to a track determined most suitable to the applicant’s clinical experience.

State Restrictions: International students are also welcome to apply to UNH nursing programs. Such prospective students should follow the same initial steps as domestic applicants do, as indicated on the UNH website. Unlike domestic applicants, international applicants must provide two to three recommenders’ names and email addresses. 

Applicants, regardless of background, should check the program of study page for comprehensive information on admissions requirements for their program of interest. All international applicants must submit English language proficiency scores from an accepted examination provider. However, there are instances in which such applicants may request a test score waiver. Such instances include applicants whose first language is English, those whose medium of instruction is English, and those who earned a degree in the United States. Waiver approval is at the discretion of the academic department.

All applicants should also be aware of the variations in certification and licensure requirements between states in the USA and other countries. Applicants intent to secure certification and/or licensure should review the Professional Licensure Disclosure Information webpage.

Study Plan: The content and duration of a course of study varies according to a variety of factors including whether a student is pursuing a certificate or degree, the particular specialization of interest, existing educational and professional experience, and other factors. Degree and certificate programs both require completion of a clinical training placement. While the AGACNP graduate certificate can be completed in as little as 12 months the post-baccalaureate DNP programs can require four years to complete. Students can craft an appropriate study plan targeted to their career goals by entering the application process clearly understanding their options and interests. 

MSN Curriculum: All UNH’s MSN program students complete a sequence of core coursework. These courses include foundations of evidence-based practice, health promotion theory and population health, advanced physiology and pathophysiology across the lifespan, advanced pharmacology and therapeutics, advanced health assessment across the lifespan, and diagnosis & management – diagnostic reasoning.

• AGACNP Specialization Courses: AGACNP track students complete the following courses: genomics & ethics, foundations in acute care, foundations in acute care clinical practicum, adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner I, adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner I clinical practicum, adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner II, adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner II clinical practicum, adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner III, adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner III clinical practicum, adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner IV, adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner IV clinical practicum.
• FNP Specialization Courses: FNP track students complete the following courses: health systems policy, economics & financial planning, leadership, role & collaboration, genomics & ethics, biostats and epidemiology, FNP health management I – didactic, FNP health management I – clinical, FNP health management II – didactic, FNP health management II – clinical, FNP health management III – didactic, FNP health management III – clinical.
• PMHNP Specialization Courses: PMHNP track students complete the following courses: leadership, role & collaboration, neurobiology of mental disorders across the lifespan; foundations of psychiatric-mental health practice and assessment; psychopharmacology of mental health disorders across the lifespan I; diagnosis & management of mental health disorders across the lifespan I; psychopharmacology of mental health disorders across the lifespan II; diagnosis & management of mental health disorders across the lifespan II; psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner practicum I; mental health & special populations; psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner practicum II; psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner practicum III; psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner practicum IV.

DNP Curriculum: All BS to DNP students complete the following courses: biostats and epidemiology; information systems and technology improvement; evidence based practice methods; health systems policy, economics & financial planning; quality & safety; doctoral scholarly project I, II and III (three courses).

• AGACNP Specialization Courses: Advanced pharmacology and therapeutics; advanced health assessment across the lifespan; health promotion theory and population health; foundations of evidence-based practice; advanced physiology and pathophysiology across the lifespan; foundations of scholarly writing & professional communication; genomics & ethics; diagnosis & management – diagnostic reasoning; leadership, role & collaboration; foundations in acute care; foundations in acute care clinical practicum; adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner I, II, III, and IV  (four courses); and adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner clinical practicum I, II, III, and IV (four courses).
• FNP Specialization Courses: Foundations of scholarly writing & professional communication; health promotion theory and population health; leadership, role & collaboration; foundations of evidence based practice; applied analytics for QI in healthcare; genomics & ethics; advanced physiology and pathophysiology across the lifespan; advanced pharmacology and therapeutics; advanced health assessment across the lifespan; diagnosis & management – diagnostic reasoning; FNP health management – didactic I, II, and III (three courses); FNP health management – clinical I, II, and III (three courses).
• PMHNP Specialization Courses: Advanced pharmacology and therapeutics; advanced health assessment across the lifespan; health promotion theory and population health; foundations of evidence-based practice; advanced physiology and pathophysiology across the lifespan; foundations of scholarly writing & professional communication; genomics & ethics; diagnosis & management – diagnostic reasoning; leadership, role & collaboration; neurobiology of mental disorders across the lifespan; psychopharmacology of mental health disorders across the lifespan I and II (two courses); foundations of psychiatric-mental health practice and assessment; psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner practicum I, II, III, and IV (four courses); mental health & special populations; diagnosis & management of mental health disorders across the lifespan I and II (two courses).
• Post-master’s Track Specialization Courses: Nursing students who already hold a master’s degree in nursing are eligible to complete the post-master’s DNP program This program requires completion of 21 to 33 credit-hours and 500 practicum hours. To graduate from this track students must complete DNP coursework, have completed 1,000 documented advanced practice clinical hours (up to 500 clinical hours are assumed to have been earned in past master’s program), craft a publishable scholarly paper, and present their final DNP project. Students who completed fewer than 500 clinical hours in their master’s program must enroll in the two-credit clinical practicum for advanced practice nurse course. Required courses of this track include quality and process improvement in healthcare or applied analytics for QI in healthcare; healthcare finance management; creative leadership: embracing disruption and innovation.

Post-master’s graduate certificate Curriculum: Post-master’s graduate certificate students complete a variety of courses. There are no courses common to all three of the certificate programs.

• AGACNP Specialization Courses (25 credits): Foundations in acute care; foundations in acute care clinical practicum; adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner I, II, III and IV (four courses); adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner clinical practicum I, II, III and IV (four courses).
• FNP Specialization Courses (customized total credits): Foundations of evidence-based practice; health systems policy, economics & financial planning; health promotion theory and population health; leadership, role & collaboration; genomics & ethics; advanced physiology and pathophysiology across the lifespan; advanced pharmacology and therapeutics; advanced health assessment across the lifespan; diagnosis & management – diagnostic reasoning; biostats and epidemiology; FNP health management – didactic I, II, III (three courses) and FNP health management – clinical I, II, III (three courses).
• PMHNP Specialization Courses (29 credits): Neurobiology of mental disorders across the lifespan; foundations of psychiatric-mental health practice and assessment; psychopharmacology of mental health disorders across the lifespan I and II (two courses); diagnosis & management of mental health disorders across the lifespan I and II  (two courses); mental health & special populations; psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner practicu  I, II, III, and IV (four courses).

Online Experience: UNH MSN, DNP, and certificate programs are offered online. UNH uses an online learning delivery model to recognize that many nurses want or need to continue working while advancing their education. Online programming provides greater flexibility to students and thus also makes such programs more accessible to a wider variety of student backgrounds.

On-Site Requirements: This page also features an on-site learning requirement as a clinical placement for all MSN, DNP, and certificate programs. Nursing is one of the most hands-on professions out there. Therefore, nursing professionals must gain sufficient in-person experience to develop skills and confidence. Clinical placement hour requirements typically range between 500 and 750 hours.