graduate

Graduate Programs

Women's Health Nurse Practitioner

Our graduate program offers a Master of Science degree with a major in nursing with a specialization as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. The program is designed to expand the knowledge base of registered professional nurses to an advanced practice level. The program will provide theoretical and practical knowledge in the areas of evidence-based practice, pharmacology, pathophysiology, assessment, and the care of women in a variety of settings.

The curriculum evolves from the aspects of the role of the nurse practitioner as identified by National League for Nursing (NLN), The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), and The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty (NONPF). At the completion of this program, graduates will be eligible for certification and licensure/prescriptive authority as an advanced practice provider. This 43 credit hour program includes 600+ hours in supervised clinical practice in primary and acute care settings. This program is designed to be completed in eight semesters or three calendar years.

Admission Requirements

You may be considered for conditional admission status if you do not meet one or more of the following requirements:

  • Baccalaureate of Science (B.S.) Degree with a major in nursing from an accredited program such as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
  • Undergraduate 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
  • Registered nurse licensure and eligible for Indiana licensure
  • TOEFL examination required for students whose native language is not English
  • Undergraduate research and statistics course within the last five years

Admission Procedures

A Purdue University Graduate Application must be submitted electronically. You should complete the application according to the procedures detailed on cover page of the form and indicate Fort Wayne as the selected campus.

  1. 300-350 word essay which addresses the following topics:
    1. Your reasons for pursuing this graduate degree.
    2. The area of specialization (Adult Nurse Practitioner, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Education, or Nursing Administration) you are applying for.
    3. Your career goals and professional plans.
  2. Two (2) official transcripts from each college/university attended.
  3. Three references utilizing the recommendation for admission form. One of the references must be from a current or former nurse educator and one must be from a current or former nurse supervisor/manager.
  4. One (1) copy of your current resume.
  5. The completed application is to be submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office at Fort Wayne. When all the necessary materials to complete your application file have been received, they will be forwarded to the Nursing Department.
  6. The application will then be submitted to the Department Chairperson for evaluation and recommendation to the Graduate Committee. The application will be reviewed and evaluated by the Graduate Committee of the Nursing Department for acceptance or rejection. If no major professor has been designated, the Graduate Committee will designate a major professor. Each member of the Committee will recommend acceptance or rejection of the candidate. Applicants are notified of official acceptance by the Graduate School of Purdue University.

Application Checklist

You should arrange to have the following sent to:

Graduate Admissions Office
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
2101 East Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499

  • Two copies of your essay
  • Two copies of official transcripts from all institutions attended
  • At lease three letters of recommendation
    • One of the references must be from a current or former nurse educator and one must be from a current or former nurse supervisor/manager.

Application Deadlines

Fall - All application materials must be turned in by May 1st for priority admission. Rolling admission continues until classes are filled. No applications will be accepted after July 1 for fall admission into the program.

Post Baccalaureate Admission

Students may enroll as post baccalaureate students and complete up to 12 credit hours by submitting a non degree status application as well as the application for degree enrollment. This is an option for any potential student and the appropriate admission process for students that have missed the graduate admission deadlines.

General Academic Information

Requirements for the Masters Degree

English proficiency requirement: The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language System (IELTS) is required for students whose native language is not English. Applicants must achieve a TOEFL score of 550 or higher on the paper-based test, 213 or higher on the computer- based test. Applicants who take the Internet-based test (TOEFLiBT) must achieve the following minimum test scores, in addition to an overall (combined) score of at least 77: reading, 19; listening, 14; speaking, 18; writing, 18. Applicants taking the IELTS must score at least 6.5 on the academic module.

Selection of a Committee: A student's graduate committee consists of at least three faculty members from the department, and possibly one or more external members.

Submission of a Plan of Study:A tentative plan of study ideally should be drawn up prior to registration for the first semester of graduate work. Students must file a formal plan of study at least two semesters before planning to graduate.

Transfer of Credits: A maximum of 21 hours of graduate credit from another institution may be approved by the student's committee for inclusion in a program of study.

Although students may take courses on other Purdue campuses, at least 51% of the total credit hours used to satisfy degree requirements must be earned in residence on the IPFW campus. Remote televised instruction from a campus is considered to have been obtained from that campus, regardless of the student's physical location.

Credit for courses taken in post baccalaureate status: Students are eligible to include in the program of study no more than twelve hours of graduate credit taken while enrolled as a post baccalaureate residents prior to being admitted to a graduate degree program.

Graduate Core Requirements
15 Credits
NUR 521 Theoretical Constructs
3
NUR 523 Nursing Research
3
NUR 525 Informatics in Nursing
3
NUR 540 Evidence-Based Practice
3
NUR 555 Health Disparities and Other
       Healthcare Issues

3
   
Nurse Practitioner Core
16 credits
NUR 502 Pharmacotheraputics in
      Advanced Practice Nursing

3
NUR 503 Advanced Health Assessment
3
NUR 507 Physiologic Concepts for
      Advanced Practice Nursing

4
NUR 511 Concepts and application of
      Health Promotion for Advanced
      Advance Practice Nursing


3
NUR 568 Practice Management
3
   
Women's Health Nurse Practitioner      Concentration

12 credits
NUR 565 Women's Health I

3
NUR 566 Women's Health Clinical
      Practitcum I

3
NUR 569 Women's Health II
3
NUR 570 Women's Health Clinical
      Practicum II

3