3 Best Nurse Practitioner Programs in Arizona – 2024

Written By: Editorial Staff @ NursingProcess.org

Accredited nurse practitioner schools in Arizona prepare their graduates to practice independently since The Grand Canyon State is one of the 22 U.S. states where NPs can practice within their area of certification without physician oversight. Mental health and obesity continue to rank high among the state’s chronic health challenges, and these are issues that nurse practitioners are well equipped to tackle. On average, Arizona NPs earn $121,410 a year and demand for their services is expected to escalate by nearly 101 percent over the next decade. To find out about the best nurse practitioner programs in Arizona for 2024, continue browsing this page.

WHAT ARE THE BEST NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAMS IN ARIZONA (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2024?

(Based on our ranking methodology, the following are the 3 Best NP programs in Arizona for the year 2024.)

1) University Of Arizona - Tucson

Programs Offered: DNP and Post-Graduate Certificate

The College of Nursing at the University of Arizona in Tucson ranks among the top 15 percent of American nursing schools. Proximity to the Mexican border as well as to access to tribal communities gives aspiring NPs who attend this school the opportunity to learn how to optimize health care delivery within many different cultures. This university is widely considered to offer one of the best nurse practitioner programs in Arizona. Students pursuing their Doctor of Nurse Practice degrees at UArizona can choose to study one of four advanced practice options. These same four options are available as certificate concentrations to nurse practitioners who want to enhance their scope of practice with a new clinical specialty.

DNP Concentrations: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP), Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Before you can be admitted into UArizona’s DNP program, you must have at least one year (1,800 hours) of clinical experience. Full-time students should be able to complete this degree in 2.5 years while part-time students will typically take 3.5 years. The DNP program has two tracks: a BSN to DNP pathway and an MSN to DNP pathway; the advanced practice specialties can be pursued while enrolled in either track. “U.S. News & World Report” recognizes UArizona as one of the best nurse practitioner schools in Arizona as well as in the nation at large.

The DNP program is a hybrid program that combines online learning with campus visits. The program is not available to students living in certain states that have restrictions on distance learning, so check with the University of Arizona before you apply. Clinical rotations will be scheduled in areas where students live or work.

Students must complete a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours in conjunction with their core DNP coursework. Part of those clinical hours will involve immersion in their own chosen specialty area. The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialties require 67 credits and 720 clinical hours. The Family Nurse Practitioner specialty consists of 68 credits and 720 clinical hours. Students pursuing the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner specialty will need to complete 64 credits and 720 clinical hours.

Post-Graduate Certificate Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

The University of Arizona’s four post-graduate nurse practitioner programs in Arizona can all be taken online. Full-time students should be able to complete the curriculum in four semesters. Each of the four NP specialties entails 540 clinical hours. The Family Nurse Practitioner track consists of 30-semester credits while the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner tracks require 29 credits. You will have to take 26 credits to finish the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner track.

2) Arizona State University - Phoenix

Programs Offered: DNP and Graduate Certificates

“U.S. News & World Report” has called Arizona State University the most innovative school in the U.S. and ranks the DNP program at the university’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation among the top 25 in the nation. If you want to become a nurse practitioner in Arizona, the university offers six NP tracks. The university also offers seven NP tracks as graduate certificate options; these are open to experienced nurse practitioners who are interested in acquiring the skills necessary to practice in a new specialty area.

DNP Concentrations: Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner

Coursework for all ASU’s DNP-related advanced practice specialties except the Women’s Health specialty is taught at the university’s campus in downtown Phoenix. Fulltime students are expected to complete the course of study in eight semesters. Students also have the option to enroll in the DNP program part-time.

The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner pathways entail 84 credits and 1,125 clinical hours, while the Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner pathway involves 85-semester credits and 1,170 clinical hours. The Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner track requires 74 semester hours and 1,125 clinical hours for completion. The Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner requires 85-semester credits and 1,125 clinical hours.

The Women's Health Nurse Practitioner track is a hybrid course of study that combines online coursework with campus visits. Students will visit the campus in downtown Phoenix for orientation and for skills intensives two or three times each semester. Every attempt will be made to schedule clinical rotations at locations where students live and work.

Graduate Certificate Concentrations: Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner, Emergency Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner

ASU’s advanced practice certificate concentrations are open to MSN-prepared NPs who want to boost their clinical competencies. All coursework is offered in a hybrid format; most of the coursework is offered online, but students will be required to spend a week on campus for orientation and to make two or three campus visits throughout each semester. Students are responsible for finding their own clinical rotation placements. Study plans for each individual specialty are similar to the study plans for the DNP-affiliated specialty.

3) Northern Arizona University - Flagstaff

Programs Offered: MSN and Post-Master's Certificate

When it opened in 1899, Northern Arizona University was one of the first schools in what was then the Arizona Territory to prepare women for professional roles. Today, nursing is one of the university’s most popular majors. This nurse practitioner program in Arizona offers one NP track, which applicants can pursue either as an MSN concentration or as post-master’s certificate concentration.

MSN Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner

NAU is among the very few colleges offering MSN-online nurse practitioner programs in Arizona. Applicants must hold an Arizona RN license or be eligible to obtain an Arizona RN license. Coursework for this MSN-Family Nurse Practitioner specialty is taught online and entails the completion of 48 credits. Students are also responsible for completing an evidence-based capstone project.

Post-Master's Certificate Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner

This post-masters certificate is specifically designed to impart the skills necessary to deliver primary care to underserved rural populations. Students are responsible for completing 38 credits, and coursework is delivered online.

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