Increase your professional opportunities and become a leader in your field.
Average Salary*
*Source: 2021 Bureau of Labor Statistics Illinois Annual Mean Wage
Pass Rates
Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (2023) | |||
---|---|---|---|
MSN/AGACNP | 100% |
3/3 |
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) |
Family Nurse Practitioner (2023) | |||
---|---|---|---|
MSN/FNP | 92% |
36/39 |
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) |
School Nurse | ||
---|---|---|
2016 | Low N | - |
2017 | Low N | - |
2018 | 16/17 | 94% |
2019 | 17/17 | 100% |
2020 | 18/18 | 100% |
2021 | 37/40 | 93% |
2022 | 12/13 | 92% |
2023 | 12/13 | 92% |
2024 | 10/10 | 100% |
Students in the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program at Lewis University learn how to design and execute complex healthcare strategies for a rapidly changing healthcare environment, allowing them to take the next step in their career.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find the answers to questions that are most often asked by prospective students here.
Specialization Options Based on Career Goals
- Nursing Education – Become a nurse educator within an academic, healthcare or community setting. Develop skills in curriculum design, instructional methodology, program evaluation and educational research. Also available online.
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- Healthcare Systems Leadership - Lead the administration of nursing and patient care services, improving the delivery of healthcare and nursing at large. Develop skills in finance, economics, human resources and organizational management. Also available online.
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- Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner – Prepare to provide direct management of acutely ill patients in collaboration with physicians and other members of the healthcare team. Develop analytical skills in biostatistics and informatics, and an understanding of the epidemiology and nursing management in special populations.
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- Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner – Prepare to provide primary healthcare for adolescents and adults in a wide variety of settings, possessing advanced skills in patient education, health promotion, diagnostics, testing and disease prevention.
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- Family Nurse Practitioner – Prepare to provide primary health care for infants, children, adolescents, adults and women in a wide variety of settings. Develop advanced skills in patient education, health promotion, diagnostics, testing and disease prevention.
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- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – Specialize in the care of patients with psychiatric and mental health issues across the life span, including depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, substance use disorders, and more. Learn how to conduct physical exams, order and interpret tests, psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and counsel on preventative health care. Offered as a Master of Science in Nursing degree in Oak Brook or online, and as a post-masters APRN certificate online only.
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- School Nurse – Prepare to serve in the field of education and nursing, provide leadership in advancing school nursing, apply advanced nursing theory to improve school wellness and identify concerns that interfere with students’ learning. VIEW THE PROGRAM CURRICULUM
These specializations within the MSN degree are also available as certificates and non-degree programs. Visit the Post-Master’s Nursing Certificates page for more information.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing/master’s degree program in nursing/Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Lewis University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
Financial Aid Options
In addition to a competitive cost of tuition, Lewis offers various opportunities for discounts and scholarships for students who qualify.- Employer Tuition Assistance – Advocate, Provena Alverno and other partner healthcare organization employees may take advantage of special tuition pricing.
- Membership Discounts - Through partnership with the IONL, INAI and ISAPN, eligible students can earn a 15% tuition discount towards their degree. Students must submit the necessary membership discount form just once in order to receive the discount.
- Illinois Organization of Nurse Leaders
- Illinois Society of Advanced Proactive Nursing (ISAPN)
- Indian Nurses Association of Illinois (INAI)
- Frequent Flyer Scholarship – Lewis University alumni qualify for a 20% tuition scholarship when admitted into a graduate degree, doctoral degree, second bachelor degree, or qualifying certificate program. More information about the Frequent Flyer Scholarship Program.
Please refer to the Financial Aid Office for more information on types of aid and tuition assistance.
Nurse Faculty Loan Forgiveness Program
Nursing students enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, students in the MSN Nursing Education program or students in any of the 4 Nurse Practitioner tracks (FNP, AGACNP, AGPCNP, PMHNP) are eligible to apply if they are committed to assuming a full-time faculty role upon graduation in an accredited nursing program or as a full-time preceptor through an academic practice partnership agreement.
Full-time or part-time graduate students who plan careers as nurse faculty are eligible to apply and may be eligible for up to five (5) years of financial support. (All support is contingent upon ongoing federal funding and therefore subject to change.) Up to 85 percent of the total loan amount will be forgiven if the graduate works full-time for four (4) years in a nurse faculty position immediately following graduation.
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
Contact: Dr. Pam Taylor at ptaylor4@lewisu.edu
Sample Courses:
- Applied Biostatistics for Advanced Nursing Practice
- Healthcare Organizations, Systems and Policy
- Theoretical Basis for Advanced Nursing Practice
- Population Health
- Healthcare Informatics
Admission Requirements
- All admission requirements MUST be completed within 12 months from the date of application. For all admitted students, failure to enroll within 12 months will require reapplication. Failure to meet this requirement will result in denied admission and require reapplication.
- Admission to the Department of Nursing graduate programs is based on individual qualifications of the applicant, without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender, national or ethnic origin, or disability.
- In addition to meeting health and clinical requirements in the MSN program prior to enrollment in clinical/practicum courses, all incoming students born after January 1, 1957 who are taking six (6) or more credit hours per semester on the Romeoville campus must have an updated immunization record sent to the Student Wellness Center .
- Requests for exceptions to any of the stated admission criteria must be submitted in writing to the Graduate Nursing Chairperson and will be considered on an individual basis.
- Graduation from a baccalaureate nursing program (BSN), accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Current licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN) in Illinois or state/country of practice
- Official transcripts from all institutions previously attended
- Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA from ADN degree if applicable
- Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA from BSN degree; OR
- Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA from post BSN, graduate level coursework of no less than 6 credit hours; OR
- Minimum of 3.0 cumulative GPA from MSN and post-MSN coursework for entry into post-MSN, programs.
- Successful completion of a Statistics course and Nursing Research course
- Equivalent courses must be taken prior to or concurrent with the first graduate-level nursing course with a grade “B” or above. If a student does not receive a grade of “B” or above in a bridge course, the student may not repeat the course and will be dismissed from the program.
- Two completed Lewis University College of Nursing and Health Sciences' recommendation forms
- One reference must be from a nurse with a master's degree or doctoral degree in the specialty for which you are applying
- One reference should be from your current supervisor or manager
- Letters from persons deemed to have a conflict of interest will not be accepted, e.g. relatives or persons in a reporting position to the applicant.
- A current resume or curriculum vitae
- Essay (500 words) addressing the following:
- How your work and life experiences prepared you for graduate studies
- How graduate study will facilitate achievement of your short and long term professional goals in your chosen track
- How the Lewis University Mission integrates with your personal and professional identity.
For candidates for the School Nurse program:
- NOTE: Students must also successfully pass the ISBE Content Area test in School Nursing (236).
Fingerprint Background Checks - Licensure from the ISBE may be denied for the presence of certain felonies on a candidate's criminal record. Candidates are encouraged to review the licensure requirements (105 ILCS 5/21-23a).
- The College of Nursing and Health Sciences maintains a relationship with a vendor for the convenience of candidates. Candidates will be given information during orientation and will complete the background check in advance of their first field experience.
- Candidates will be required to submit a hard copy to the School Nurse Program.
- Candidates who have concerns about their past criminal record should seek counsel through the School Nurse Program Coordinator.
- A second fingerprint check may be required by the school district(s) at the time of school nurse internship.
- Candidates will be required to incur the costs for all fingerprint background checks.
The Graduate Nursing Program in the Department of Nursing offers a step-up program for BSN graduating students with outstanding academic performance in the Traditional and Baccalaureate to BSN programs within Lewis University. The step-up program allows qualified undergraduates nursing students during the last semester of their undergraduate study to apply for the MSN program without an RN license.
Applicants with a Registered Nurse license and a Non-Nursing Baccalaureate Degree:- Meet all requirements for admission to the desired track in the graduate program in nursing as delineated above, except having a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. If not, equivalent course(s) must be taken prior to or concurrent with the first graduate-level nursing course.
- Graduation from a state-approved associate degree with a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA from an ADN degree.
- Graduation from a state-approved non-nursing baccalaureate degree program with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.
- Successful completion of the following bridge courses with a grade of "B' or above:
- A statistics course - 3 semester hours
- Concepts of Professional Nursing course – 4 semester hours (NURS 30600 in the Lewis University RN/BSN program)
- An Evidence-Based Practice course – 3 semester hours (NURS 30100 in the Lewis University RN/BSN program)
- Promoting Healthy Communities course – 5 semester hours (NURS 43200 in the Lewis University RN/BSN program)
If a student does not receive a grade of "B" or above in a bridge course, the student may not repeat the course and will be dismissed from the program.
More details for specific admission requirements can be found in the MSN course catalog.
Please refer to the Office of Graduate Admissions for application requirements and specific next steps.
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