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Nurse Practitioner FAQs

Which classes are offered online?

All graduate classes meet once per week.  Patho, Ethics, Research, nursing science, Independent study and some electives are offered online or in the classroom.  Other class are either 5:15 -7:15p or 7:30 to 9:15p in general. Leadership generally meets every other week in the classroom.  Physical assessment is an all-day class (Mondays or Thursdays) the semester before clinical.  Clinical always begins in January and runs until December.  The NP students graduate in December.

How many weeks does a semester last and how many credits are considered part-time and full-time?

A spring and fall semesters are 16 weeks (one week break) and summer is 8 weeks.  Part time is 3 – 6 credits and fulltime is 9 credits.

Is it a requirement that you attend Fall, Spring and Summer sessions?

You can take one, two or three classes a semester.  You can take a semester off here and there BUT once you begin clinical in January you must go through the whole year.

Is there assistance available for the process of setting up clinical sites and preceptors?

Yes, we do your placements but are happy to have you suggest, recommend sites.

What are options for start date?

You can begin in fall or spring semester. You can take one, two or three classes a semester.  You can take a semester off here and there, BUT once you begin clinical in January you must go through the whole year.

Are practicum hours done under the supervision of a practicing nurse practitioner? Are sites researched by the student or assigned by Villanova?

Preceptors are NPs, MDs or DOs .  Yes we do your placements but are happy to have you suggest or recommend sites.

What is the full-time length of the program?   How many hours per week does a student spend in class and clinical practicum?

A spring and fall semesters are 16 weeks (one week break) and summer is 8 weeks.  Part time is 3 – 6 credits and fulltime is 9 credits.  Classes are generally once a week for 3 hours per class (3 credits).  ANP-GNP and FNP are all 730 hours clinical.  PNP is 610 hours.  Full-time students should be able to finish the program in 18 to 24 months. Most students are part-time and take around 2.5 years to finish their program. Students have up to five years to complete all requirements for graduation.

With whom could an introductory appointment be made?  To whom would admission documents be directed?

Admissions are all online.  Depending on the track you are interested in (Adult/Gero, PNP, or FNP) would determine the best faculty for you to speak to.