MSN FNP or Post-MSN cert?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Dec 20, 2018

That will really depend on the transfer policies of the NP programs you are considering. Really, those post-Masters NP programs are set up for existing NPs to add other specialties such as acute care, psych, peds, geri, etc., so for people with non-clinical MSN degrees it's a bit of a longer trip.

JenH3, ASN, BSN, MSN, EMT-B, EMT-I, APRN · Dec 20, 2018

Core MSN courses are the same across the board, so why would they even be added? In reality, if I've already taken all of the courses in the MSN portion, I should only need clinical courses to complete the certificate. What am I missing here?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Dec 20, 2018

Core MSN courses are the same across the board, so why would they even be added? In reality, if I've already taken all of the courses in the MSN portion, I should only need clinical courses to complete the certificate. What am I missing here?

I agree! But again, the transfer policies will make that difference. An FNP from Whatever University can go back to Whatever University for a different NP focus via a post-Masters program, but Whatever University might not accept all the courses a student took during a different university's MSN program.

RyzenRN, ASN, BSN, MSN · Dec 21, 2018

Yes- Purdue Global doesn't accept those 3 core classes- one of the reasons I dropped them. One of WGU's is a 2 credit class where Purdue is 5 credit. They wouldn't accept my class because it was a 2 credit class. You don't find this crap out until after you put your deposit down - which if you drop- you lose. I'm finished with WGU and now finished with school. Proud of my degree from WGU and will continue on that route. Good luck.

JenH3, ASN, BSN, MSN, EMT-B, EMT-I, APRN · Dec 21, 2018

I appreciate the comments. I fully understand how things may or may not transfer; I'm not new to this rodeo. You are missing the point of this thread. My intentions were to ask the advice of those who had taken each route, MSNFNP or PMFNP, not why credits wouldn't transfer.

JenH3, ASN, BSN, MSN, EMT-B, EMT-I, APRN · Dec 21, 2018

Joshsc,

Did you finish your MSN through WGU or elsewhere? When you were at Perdue Global, what were you going for?

RyzenRN, ASN, BSN, MSN · Dec 21, 2018

Yes, I got my MSN with WGU. I was going for the Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner certificate at Purdue. With them I found if you wanted to transfer any classes- you had to go with the certificate program. I thought it would cut out a lot of time rather than going full MSN in it (since i already had my MSN). I didn't even look at going full MSN because I already had taken a lot of those classes. And how things transfer is VERY important if you are already taking MSN classes with WGU. They wouldn't transfer with Purdue because a lot of WGU's classes are 2 credit classes vs. Purdue's 5 credit classes. So, with them, you'd basically be doing the full MSN. The point of doing the certificate is so you don't have to redo those basic MSN paper writing classes. Nurse Practitioner is a certificate anyway. I think, JMO, if you want to do FNP and you really haven't done a lot in the MSN courses with WGU, just try to switch to that to get your MSN FNP so you don't have to retake classes and waste time. I mean- if it's going to take 18 months for both- go ahead and switch otherwise you'll be taking MSN classes over and wasting that time and money for the certificate (or for the full MSN if you go that route). I stayed with WGU thinking classes would transfer better and I was mistaken.