A graduate of this program is prepared for advanced nursing practice with a concentration as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). Please see an advisor at The Valley Foundation School of Nursing  for more details.

Requirements for Admission

Candidates must meet all the university admission requirements . Students can be admitted in either classified or conditionally classified standing.

The FNP option is offered in Special Session and only if student enrollment is adequate.

Minimum requirements for admission are:  After earning a baccalaureate degree in Nursing from an accredited program with a minimum GPA of 3.0  The applicant will submit:

1. A personal statement describing the applicant’s interest in the field and professional goals.
2. Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
3. A short video submission describing the applicant’s interest.
4. Two letters of recommendations from professionals in the field who can testify to the applicant’s ability to succeed in a graduate-level academic program and their suitability to succeed in the profession. 
5. Evidence of having met the health requirements of the school.
6. Evidence of knowledge and skills in the following areas: physical and psychosocial assessment skills developed to the level that the applicant can perform a complete history and physical exam on a well adult of either gender within one hour. Work completed to make up any of the above deficiencies will not be counted as part of the required units for the MS - Nursing.

Additionally, two years of acute care experience are preferred.

Requirements for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy

The University requires that all graduate students complete the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) as a condition for advancement to candidacy and for conversion from conditional to classified standing. Advancement to candidacy for the MS - Nursing program also requires that the candidate must have:

1. Earned at least a “B” (3.0) average in a minimum of 9 letter-graded semester units of 100-level and/or 200-level coursework completed while in graduate standing at San José State University and in any coursework completed while in graduate standing at other institutions before enrollment here.
2. Classified standing.
3. Planned a proposed program of study approved by the Nursing Graduate Coordinator and approved by GAPE.

Requirements for Graduation

University Graduation Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements  section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures .

MS - Nursing, Concentration FNP Graduation Requirements

Culminating Experience: Project

Candidates for the degree complete a written capstone project as part of their 40-unit regular degree requirement. This project is an investigation of an evidenced-based nursing topic.  It shall identify a clinical problem and question(s), state the major theoretical perspectives, explain the significance of the undertaking, relate it to relevant, scholarly and professional literature, set forth the appropriate sources for and methods of gathering and analyzing the data, and offer a conclusion or recommendation.

Completion of Clinical Hours: Practice

All students shall complete a minimum of 540 supervised clinical hours.

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

At SJSU, students must pass the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) .