Nursing, Family Health - Graduate Admissions

Program Overview

NOTE: Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences is transitioning its Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program to the DNP degree starting in fall 2024. The final cohort admitted to the master's level (MS) NP program in this speciality will occur in fall 2023. After that time, all nurse practitioner education programs will only be offered at the DNP level. We’re making this change in accordance with recommendations from national nursing organizations such as the American Association Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF), which has committed to move all entry-level NP education to the DNP degree by 2025.

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Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences provides excellent preparation in nursing education, scholarship and practice, and offers graduate-level programs of study ranging from certificates to the PhD. The master's degree programs in nursing, doctor of nursing practice programs and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at Decker College are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Many Decker students are full-time, registered nurses and attend classes part time.

In Decker's Master of Science (MS) programs, students select the functional role of nurse educator or nurse practitioner. Dual roles are also available for additional credit.

The Advanced Standing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs prepare nurses to respond more efficiently to changes in healthcare delivery and emerging healthcare needs. The DNP focuses on providing leadership for evidence-based practice and will incorporate the advanced practice content currently included in the master's program.

Applicants to the Advanced Standing DNP program must be master's prepared nurse practitioners. Those wishing to pursue a DNP who are not master's prepared nurse practitioners should apply to Decker's Post-Graduate Nurse Practitioner Certificate program and upon successful completion of that program (obtaining APRN licensure and certification) may then proceed to the Advanced Standing DNP program.

Decker's Post-Graduate Nurse Practitioner Certificate programs are designed for nurses with a master's degree in nursing who seek advanced clinical preparation as a nurse practitioner.

Wondering which graduate nursing program is right for you?

We created a program selection app to help you find the right graduate nursing program. It's quick and easy -- just follow the prompts!

Our new home

Decker College is now located on Binghamton University's Health Sciences Campus in Johnson City. See a video tour of our new facility!

Degrees Offered

MS in Family Nursing
DNP in Family Nursing
certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner

Internships, Research Opportunities and More

Decker College's Innovative Simulation and Practice Center, accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, provides advanced-practice graduate nursing students with regularly scheduled clinical activities to assess and manage common healthcare disorders through the use of standardized patients. Decker's Kresge Center for Nursing Research provides PhD students with opportunities for hands-on learning during all phases of the research process under the supervision of nursing scientists.

Students in the Advanced Standing DNP program can take advantage of a diverse and vigorous curriculum that includes courses on information technology and patient care and healthcare policy for healthcare advocacy. Under the guidance of a committee, students will complete a DNP Scholarly Project that meets the criteria of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's "Essential Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice." This project will focus on a change that impacts healthcare outcomes either through direct or indirect care; it will include planning, implementation and evaluation components.

After You Graduate

Decker boasts high employment rates for our graduates, with many alumni taking positions in healthcare agencies such as Albany Medical Center, Lenox Hill Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital/Ascension, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Mount Sinai Hospital, Stony Brook University Hospital, SUNY Upstate Medical University, United Health Services (UHS) and University of Rochester Medical Center. Recent DNP graduates have continued at government and educational institutions.