Research shows that New Jersey is facing a critical shortage of primary care physicians, with some reports finding that the state has around 17 physicians for every 100,000 people. Nurse practitioners (NPs) can help address these shortages by working alongside physicians to bring necessary care to the people of the Garden State.
In New Jersey, NPs enter into career-long collaborative agreements with physicians to provide direct patient care. They can diagnose and treat various health conditions, interpret diagnostic tests, and prescribe some medications. These agreements put them front and center to help the state meet its primary and acute care needs now and in the future.
There are multiple colleges and universities in New Jersey where nurses can pursue advanced degrees and begin their careers as NPs. Whether you’re interested in pursuing an MSN or DNP or looking for a post-graduate program, there are plenty of options, including those listed below.
Program Overview:
Berkeley College promises a career-focused education and has multiple campuses in New Jersey and one in Midtown Manhattan. The BSN to FNP program is available at its Woodland Park campus, about a 30-minutes north of Newark. This hybrid program features online, synchronous lectures and coursework and consists of 46 credits, 630 clinical hours, and simulation training that takes place both virtually and on campus.
Program Overview:
Fairleigh Dickinson University was founded in 1942 and has grown into the largest private university in New Jersey. The Florham Campus is about 20 miles northwest of Newark.
FDU’s Henry P. Becton School of Nursing and Allied Health offers NP and AGNP tracks, each with options for nurses already holding a BSN or MSN. These programs all have in-person clinical requirements, but no campus visits are required.
Both the BSN to FNP MSN and BSN to AGNP MSN programs consist of 43 credits with 750 clinical hours. Online courses are scheduled with weekly synchronous sessions. Lectures may be recorded for asynchronous access, but because of the rigorous pace of these programs, the school recommends students attend synchronous sessions.
Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP and Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP options are also available. These programs feature synchronous and asynchronous class sessions for a total of 24 credits and 750 clinical hours, but these may be prorated after gap analysis.
Program Overview:
Another Fairleigh Dickinson University campus where students can pursue degrees as FNPs or AGNPs is the Metropolitan Campus, which is about 20 miles north-northeast of Newark.
This campus offers the same programs as the Florham Campus, with the 43-credit BSN to FNP MSN and BSN to AGNP MSN programs requiring 750 clinical hours and consisting of weekly synchronous classes.
The Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP and Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP have the same requirements as well: 24 credits and 750 clinical hours, though transfer credits may be available after a gap analysis.
Program Overview:
As the only Franciscan university in New Jersey, Felician University offers an education that emphasizes service and respect for humanity. It has four NP options, all of which offer online classes with one on-campus residency.
The BSN to FNP MSN program is 47 credits with 750 clinical hours, and the BSN to AGNP Primary Care MSN program is 44 credits with 750 hours. Both take two years and three months to complete, and students can apply to start in the fall, spring, or summer.
Felician University also offers a 40-credit Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP and a 37-credit Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP Primary Care. Both take two years to complete and have 750 clinical hours.
Program Overview:
Monmouth University was founded in 1933 during the Great Depression. It focused on providing educational opportunities to high school graduates who couldn’t afford a four-year college education, offering two-year programs and holding classes only in the evenings. The school grew and evolved over the years, achieving university status in 1995.
NP degrees are offered through the Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies, where students get hands-on experience in the school’s Linda Grunin Simulation Lab and Learning Center, which features high-tech simulation suits, standardized patient exam rooms, and more.
The 42-credit BSN to FNP MSN and the 39-credit BSN to AGNP Primary Care options are offered on a hybrid basis, with both online and in-person requirements and in-person clinical. The University also offers two post-master’s options, a Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP and a Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP in Primary Care.
Program Overview:
Ramapo College of New Jersey is a public liberal arts college in Mahwah, about 30 miles north of Newark. This school offers two NP tracks, both of which are offered in a hybrid format that requires students to be on campus between three and five times a year.
The BSN to FNP MSN track is 48 credits with 720 clinical hours, and the BSN to AGNP is 43 credits with 585 clinical hours. Both programs are only offered on a part-time basis. The FNP program takes three years to complete, and the AGNP takes 2.5.
Program Overview:
The graduate nursing program at Rider University features FNP and AGNP options for those with either a BSN or MSN. The 48-credit BSN to FNP MSN program and 45-credit BSN to AGNP Primary Care program both require 750 clinical hours. These part-time programs are designed so that students can continue working during their education. Classes are asynchronous and entirely online, with core classes delivered over seven weeks and advanced concentration and clinical courses spanning an entire semester. One on-campus residency is required before the start of the first clinical semester.
Rider also offers a 48-credit Post-Graduate MSN to FNP with 660 clinical hours and a 30-credit Post-Graduate MSN to AGNP Primary option with 540 clinical hours, both of which feature online courses. Depending on the gap analysis, these programs may require an on-campus residency.
Program Overview:
The Rita & Larry Salva School of Nursing and Health Professions at Rowan University offers two NP programs. Both feature a mix of online classes, on-campus instruction, and in-person clinicals.
The BSN to FNP MSN option requires 44 to 53 credits and 750 clinical hours, and the BSN to AGNP Acute Care MSN option is 44 to 53 credits with 600 clinical hours. Both programs start with the same seven core graduate-level courses before moving into specialty classes, and students can apply to begin in the fall, spring, or summer semesters.
Program Overview:
Rutgers is America’s eighth oldest institution of higher learning and offers a variety of opportunities on its three campuses. The Camden campus has been educating nurses for more than 50 years and offers exciting opportunities for them to advance their education and careers. It offers two doctorate-level programs, a BSN to DNP FNP and a BSN to DNP AGNP Primary Care option, both of which offer part-time and full-time options, a blend of online and live classes, and opportunities to learn in the school’s simulation lab.
Rutgers University – Camden also offers a unique Nurse Practitioner Residency Program that provides unique opportunities for those admitted to the program. In this program, nurses work four days per week at CompleteCare Health Network from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and attend classes once a week. Residents receive a competitive stipend and are eligible for health insurance and other benefits.
Program Overview:
The New Brunswick campus of Rutgers University offers a range of options for those wishing to pursue a DNP. They include a BSN to DNP FNP, BSN to DNP FNP in Emergency Care, BSN to DNP AGNP Acute Care, BSN to DNP AGNP Primary Care, BSN to DNP PNP Acute/Primary Care, and BSN to DNP PNP Primary Care. These programs take three to five years to complete; online and on-campus course requirements vary by program.
Rutgers New Brunswick also offers six post-master’s programs: Post-Graduate MSN to FNP, Post-Graduate MSN to FNP Emergency Care, Post-Graduate MSN to AGNP Acute Care, Post-Graduate MSN to AGNP Primary Care, Post-Graduate MSN to PNP Acute Care, and Post-Graduate MSN to PNP Primary Care. Program requirements vary, ranging between 22 and 26 credits and between 540 and 945 clinical hours.
Program Overview:
Saint Peter’s University, the Jesuit College of New Jersey, is in Jersey City, across the Hudson River from Lower Manhattan. The school’s BSN to AGNP in Primary Care program is offered online with 39 credits and at least 600 clinical hours. Most students complete the program in three years. There’s also an RN to MSN Bridge Program for professionals with an associate’s or diploma and a bachelor’s in a field other than nursing. This 14-credit program takes 14 to 36 months to complete and prepares nurses to enter the MSN program.
For those with an MSN in another specialty, there is also a Post-Graduate MSN to AGNP Primary Care option. This online program is 25 credits with 600 clinical hours.
Program Overview:
The College of Nursing at Seton Hall University has been educating nurses since 1937 and offers four MSN options for nurses wishing to work as NPs.
The BSN to FNP MSN program is 100% online. It consists of 48 credits and 600 clinical hours and is designed to work with a nurse’s busy schedule. Students will attend three on-campus immersions throughout the program to enhance clinical skills and interact with peers and instructors. The first is an orientation at the beginning of the program; the second allows students to practice hands-on skills in the simulation lab, and the third features hands-on skills practice and guest lecturers.
The BSN to AGNP Acute Care program boasts a 95% pass rate on the national certification exams. This track consists of 48 credits and 675 clinical hours. Students can take up to two classes a semester, and all coursework is completed online. There is also a BSN to AGNP Primary Care option with 48 credits and 600 clinical hours. This online program also has on-campus immersions and has a 100% pass rate for national certification exams.
Finally, Seton Hall also offers a BSN to PNP Primary Care track, which is also an online program with three on-campus immersions. It has 24 credits with 540 clinical hours and can be completed in as little as two years. This program also has a 100% pass rate on the national certification exam.
Program Overview:
The School of Health Sciences at Stockton University offers various NP options with various entry points. All programs feature online synchronous and asynchronous classes with on-campus intensives at least once a semester.
Those interested in pursuing an FNP have three options. The BSN to FNP MSN program is 53 credits with 770 clinical hours and can be completed in two or three years. Nurses with a BSN or MSN also have the option to enter the BSN/MSN to DNP FNP program. Those entering the program will have to complete 71 credits and 1270 clinical hours; for those with an MSN, it is 27 credits with 500 clinical hours. There is also a Post-Graduate MSN to FNP track; program details will depend on the student’s previous experience and education.
There are also three similar tracks for those wishing to work as AGNPs in primary care. The BSN to AGNP Primary Care option is 47 credits with 750 clinical hours; the BSN/MSN to DNP AGNP Primary Care is 67 credits with 1250 clinical hours for those with a BSN and 27 with 500 clinical hours for those with an MSN; and the Post-Graduate MSN to AGNP Primary Care option depends on a gap analysis.
Program Overview:
The College of New Jersey’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences offers BSN and FNP options for nurses. All programs are delivered in a hybrid format.
The BSN to FNP MSN track is 47 credits with 715 clinical hours. There is also an MSN to FNP option for nurses who are already certified as a nurse practitioner in another specialty who want to expand their population practice. This program is 30 credits with 715 clinical hours. There is also a BSN to AGNP Primary Care MSN option that is 43 credits with 585 clinical hours.
The College of New Jersey also offers three post-master’s certificates. The Post-Graduate MSN to FNP option is 33 credits with 725 clinical hours and 35 hours of health assessment clinical, and the Post-Graduate MSN to AGNP Primary Care option is 37 credits with 585 clinical hours and 35 hours of health assessment clinical. This school also offers a unique Post-Graduate MSN to FNP Specialist track designed for nurses who specialize in geriatric care and want to expand their specialization with a certificate as an FNP; this program is only 11.5 credits and 200 hours of clinical.
Program Overview:
Finally, William Paterson University of New Jersey offers multiple options and entry points for nurses interested in pursuing an FNP or AGNP certification. The school offers both online and on-campus options.
The online RN to FNP MSN option is designed for working nurses and allows diploma- or associate-prepared nurses to complete an MSN degree without having to complete a BSN first. This 65-credit program has 830 clinical hours and a 100% certification exam pass rate.
The 47-credit BSN to FNP MSN program is offered both in person and online. Each has 680 clinical hours and covers the same courses, but the material is delivered in a different format. There is also an online Post-Graduate MSN to FNP.
These options are also available for students wishing to pursue an AGNP, with an online RN to FNP AGNP Primary Care, an on-campus BSN to AGNP Primary Care, a BSN to AGNP Primary Online option, and an online Post-Graduate MSN to AGNP Primary Care.
NP Programs in Other States
New York
Delaware
Maryland
Pennsylvania
Connecticut