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Anyone applying to UIC's graduate entry program starting Jan. 2013? I've glanced at the threads from the past couple of year's and thought I'd start one for the next application cycle. I'm finishing up pre-reqs and taking the GRE in a month. Good luck to all who plan on applying!
I was also curious, and I found this on last year's board for GEP UIC (by someone currently in the program):
I graduate with my M.S. from UIC in May. Be warned, you are NOT getting M.S.N. You are legally getting a M.S. degree with a focus on nursing (can't explain why, them's the rules).
It takes roughly 3 years to finish the program after 15 months. While there is nothing legally preventing you from going "full time" you will find that the class offerings prevent you from moving any faster than 3 years. In addition, anyone that tries to become an NP without working as a nurse is shooting themselves in the foot. I've been through the program, and you'll find yourself completely lost without some nursing experience to build on (which is why I wouldn't recommend even trying to move faster than 3 years).
The bad news is, despite what you've been told, the additional 3 years will cost slightly more than the first 15 months. I paid for my summer semesters (all 4 of them) at roughly $4,000 a semester (which isn't easy with a wife, a mortgage, and car payments, and several hundred dollars worth of books every 4 months), and I will still end up with roughly $100K in debt. Shocking considering the salary range of NPs in Illinois. Had I know this was going to cost more than 1/2 my home, I would have thought twice.
Finally, be prepared...NO ONE at UIC will give you a straight answer. On Monday you'll be told A and on Tuesday it will be B. In fact, pretty much everything I've written should be taken with a grain of salt because by tomorrow the information will be outdated and/or changed.
This sounds like a disgruntled student to me. Once you are an RN you should be working at a hospital that offers tuition reimbursement - some at 100%. He said he is working at Loyola, which is a hospital that offers tuition reimbursement.
Every general entry masters is an MS in Nursing, because no one is an RN entering the program. It is still a Masters.
Also, the reason you finish your specialty and Masters part time is because you NEED at least two years of experience before you can sit for your specialty. Remember, in this program you are getting your NP or CNS, unlike DePaul where you get your RN and a Master's with no ANP.
If he would have done his research beforehand, there shouldn't be any complaints! The program is ranked #11 nationally, above some of the Ivy league schools. Don't let naysayers make an impression on you because what they wanted was not in line with what you want!
And also, most positive people who are networking while they are in school have NO problem landing a job. Many of many friends had jobs waiting for them before they graduated, because they did things the smart way.
cbrennan1188
17 Posts
Thanks everyone, I contacted Julie Kim and got the UIN