Nursing - Nurse Practitioner Specialization

The Master of Nursing (MN) program is a coursework master's program, which includes a clinical placement component. The MN Nurse Practitioner Specialization is primarily intended to prepare students interested in completing the MN Nurse Practitioner program that leads to licensure as a Registered Nurse (Extended Class) Nurse Practitioner. The Nurse Practitioner Primary Health Care Program at Lakehead University is approved by the College of Nurses of Ontario. Current graduates from this program are eligible to apply for Extended Class registration as a Nurse Practitioner in Ontario.

The goals of the Master of Nursing program are to educate Nurse Practitioners to:

  1. synthesize in-depth knowledge and theory related to advanced nursing practice;
  2. design and implement advanced nursing practice with diverse clients;
  3. demonstrate enhanced skills in critical appraisal and research methodologies to contribute to nursing research;
  4. demonstrate leadership skills to influence change in nursing and health care, and
  5. engage in therapeutic relational practice with individuals, families, communities, and interprofessional care providers.

Students in the MN Nurse Practitioner program may complete the core Master of Nursing courses (Nursing Philosophy/Theory, Qualitative Research Methods, Statistics, and Quantitative Research) through technology-enabled synchronous delivery, such as Zoom.

The MN Nurse Practitioner program uses a blended delivery model of face-to-face instruction and distance education. There are face-to-face requirements, on campus, associated with the Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnosis (AHAD) course, and the Therapeutics (THERA) courses. Attendance at these seminars is mandatory. There are also 78 hours of clinical practicum associated with each of these courses and all clinical placements are required to be completed in Lakehead University's geographic boundary. The final practicum is 455 hours and it must also be completed in Lakehead University's geographic boundary, which is east to Wawa, north to Hudson's Bay, west to the Manitoba border, and south to the U.S. border.

The Master of Nursing with Nurse Practitioner Specialization is a six credit program. All students will complete 2.0 FCE of core graduate nursing courses. Thereafter, students will complete 4.0 FCE in this Specialization.

Core Courses

  • Nursing 5015 Nursing Philosophy (0.5 FCE)
  • Nursing 5016 Qualitative Research (0.5 FCE)
  • Nursing 5017 Statistics (0.5 FCE)
  • Nursing 5018 Quantitative Research (0.5 FCE)

Total (2.0 FCE)

Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Specialization

(see np-education.ca).

  • Nursing 5610 Pathophysiology for the Nurse Practitioner (0.5 FCE)
  • Nursing 5615 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnosis I (0.5 FCE)
  • Nursing 5616 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnosis II (0.5 FCE)
  • Nursing 5630 Nurse Practitioner Roles and Responsibilities (0.5 FCE)
  • Nursing 5635 Therapeutics I (0.5 FCE)
  • Nursing 5636 Therapeutics II (0.5 FCE)
  • Nursing 5840 (9840) Integrative Practicum (1.0 FCE)

Total (4.0 FCE)

The Nurse Practitioner Specialization is delivered synchronously via a web-based videoconferencing and teleconferencing system and will require intermittent, scheduled on- campus lab attendance in Thunder Bay. Students will complete clinical practica (across 3 courses as listed above) requiring a triad relationship between the student, course leader and agency preceptor, in addition to seminar hours. Practicum placements will occur based on student's areas of interest and geographical locations. Students should not solicit their own placements.

Students are expected to complete all requirements within six terms (2 years) of continuous full- time registration. As an exception, students in the Master of Nursing programs can be admitted to the Flexible (Flex) Option of six additional terms of continuous registration (total of 12 terms, or 4 years). As this option is intended for working professionals, students admitted to the Flex Option will not be considered for financial support. Note: students will not be permitted to change from the Standard Option to the Flex Option, and vice versa.

Please see our Master of Nursing Frequently Asked Questions for answers to some of our most common program inquiries.

Admission Requirements for Masters

Complete applications are due February 1st.

Applicants for admission must be graduates of a recognized university, college, or institute as well as show evidence of scholarly achievement. Except where otherwise stated in the Admission Requirements of a particular program, degree students must have a four year bachelor's degree or its equivalent with at least second class standing (B; 70% average) based on their last 20 half courses or equivalent.

An applicant holding a degree other than one in the discipline area to which admission is sought will be considered on the basis of courses taken and academic standing. A Qualifying Year at the undergraduate level may be required to meet the admission standards. Courses taken as part of a Qualifying Year can not be used as credit towards a graduate degree.

Meeting the minimum requirements does not necessarily guarantee admission. No candidate will be admitted unless the academic unit recommends admission. All applicants will be advised by the Office of Graduate Studies in writing of their admission status.

Graduate Funding

At Lakehead University, we realize the importance of financial support for graduate students.

Therefore, financial assistance opportunities are available in several forms and are generally awarded to students by individual programs on the basis of academic promise and financial need.

The different funding options available include:

For your convenience, a searchable database of graduate scholarships, bursaries, and awards is provided below. Award eligibility, criteria, and application procedures for graduate funding is indicated for each award. Please use the general search tool to find available funding by program. Alternatively, you may also click the advanced search link to specify available funding by program level, award category and/or award amount.

Although financial support cannot be guaranteed to all graduate students in all programs, we encourage you to inquire about financial assistance with your Graduate Coordinator in your program of study. You may also contact the Graduate Funding Officer in the Faculty of Graduate Studies to learn more about your graduate funding options.

Conditions of Graduate Awards

Graduate scholarships are based on academic merit. Graduate bursaries are based on financial need, although there may be a merit component to the bursary. Where the award designates that an application is required, only those students who have submitted the specified application by the deadline will be considered for those awards. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered. Only successful applicants will be notified.

Recipients of scholarships, awards and bursaries must be registered in order to receive funding. Graduate awards are applied to any outstanding balance on the student's account. Students are entitled to their awards only after their fees are paid in full. Only students with credit account balances will be refunded the balance of the overpayment. Overpayment refunds of these awards will be issued at the end of September, January and May each year.

The University reserves the right to make changes without prior notice to the terms, conditions and award values listed in this section and in the University Calendar.

The most up-to-date internal awards and applications are on our new award system MyAwards

Graduate Studies Funding Database

How to Apply

Applications are due February 1st, 2025.

The first step in the application process is to complete the online graduate studies application form.

After you have submitted the online form along with the required $100 CAD application fee, you will be provided with an online account where you can complete the remaining steps of the application process which include uploading the required supporting documents and monitoring the status of your application.

Click here to Apply to Graduate Studies 

After you have submitted the online application form, you will be provided with instructions by email on how to log in to myinfo, where you will be able to review and upload the remaining and required supporting documents. Official transcripts and proof of degree cannot be uploaded to the myinfo application site as they are not required, unless you receive an offer of admission. At that time, they can be forwarded to the Faculty of Graduate Studies office or email which will be provided in your admission letter. Please do not send these in prior to receiving an offer of admission.

Graduate Studies Reference Form

Two (2) forms required, one academic and one clinical

  • An electronic reference form will be automatically sent by email to the references you identify on the Graduate Studies Application Form.
  • This form is requested in support of the applicant's ability to undertake advanced study and research.
Official Transcript
Proof of Degree
Official English Test Results (If required)

Program Specific Supporting Documents

In addition to the general admission requirements for Master programs, the following requirements also apply for the Master of Nursing program:

  • Four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree or its equivalent from a university of recognized standing with a minimum 70% average
  • Evidence of a commitment to nursing as contained in the student's Curriculum Vitae and personal essay
  • Proof of current registration "without restrictions" with the College of Nurses of Ontario or another jurisdiction in Canada
  • Applicants to the Nurse Practitioner Specialization must have the equivalent of 2 years full-time nursing practice (3640 hours) within the past 5 years. These hours must be fully complete by the time of application.
  • Two references (one academic and one clinical) - the link will be automatically emailed to each of the referees you have identified in your application.

Applicants to the Master of Nursing should indicate their interest in the Nurse Practitioner Specialization at the time of application to the MN program. Such applicants must submit:

  1. A complete application package to the MN program with Nurse Practitioner Specialization as the program of study; unofficial academic transcripts; curriculum vitae; two references; proof of current registration "without restrictions" with the College of Nurses Ontario.
  2. A personal essay – This is a maximum 400 word response to a question.
  3. Employer verification of employment

Preference will be given to Ontario residents.

Use this MN Application Checklist to ensure you have everything you need for a complete application.

Next Steps

Registration Procedures

Before Registering!

Check to make sure all of your course selections are currently being offered by referring to the University Course Calendar and the University Course Time Tables.

University Graduate Studies & General Regulations & Policies

Advanced Standing

As an exception to the Faculty of Graduate Studies Master's Regulations regarding Advanced Standing, applicants to the Master of Nursing with Nurse Practitioner Specialization who hold a current RN (EC) license or equivalent and have completed the following graduate level courses or their equivalent with a minimum grade of 70% within the past 5 years from a COUPN Consortium program: Nursing 5610, 5630, 5615, 5616, 5635, 5636 and 5840; will have the following Master of Nursing courses waived: NURS 5610, 5630, 5615, 5616, 5635, 5636 and 5840; and will be required to successfully complete NURS 5015, 5016, 5017 and 5018. These applicants are eligible for admission to the Flex Option only.

Master of Nursing Program Regulations

In addition to Faculty of Graduate Studies Master's Regulations, the following regulations apply to students in the Master of Nursing program.

Registration

Students in the Master of Nursing program will normally complete a maximum of three half-credit courses (1.5 FCEs) per term (fall, winter, spring/summer). A student who wishes to take more than three half-credit courses in a single term may do so only if the student has:

  1. at least an 80% overall average in the previous term, and
  2. the permission of the Master of Nursing Graduate Coordinator.

Students are not eligible to take more than three half-credit courses in their first term of study.

Clinical Practice Placement

The clinical practice placement (Nursing 5840) normally takes place after completion of the required courses and electives, and after all course grades are available. All students must show up-to-date documentation of immunization status, Basic Life Support Certificate, and Police Records Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening prior to clinical placement.

It is the responsibility of the student to contact the School of Nursing Clinical Coordinator at least 4 months prior to proceeding with the practicum placement, in order to ensure adequate time to plan the practicum.

Students must maintain at least a 70% overall Nursing average to proceed with the practicum placement. If a course must be repeated, it must be successfully completed before the student can proceed with the practicum placement.

The clinical practice placement (Nursing 5840) normally takes place after completion of the required courses and electives, and after all course grades are available. All students must show up-to-date documentation of immunization status, Basic Life Support Certificate, N95 mask fit, and Police Records Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening prior to clinical placement.

Safe Clinical Practice 

Unsafe, unethical, or unprofessional behaviour may result in dismissal from the program. Refer to the School of Nursing Regulations.

Clinical Documentation and Other Requirements 

Students should be aware that criminal reference checks and other clinical requirements must be completed well in advance of completion of clinical courses. Refer to the School of Nursing Regulations.

Minimum Satisfactory Academic Standing

General

As an exception to the Faculty of Graduate Studies Master's Regulations on minimal acceptable academic standing, graduate students must achieve 70% or higher in all courses in the Master of Nursing program. A score of less than 70% in any course will constitute a failure.

As an exception to the Faculty of Graduate Studies Master's Regulations, no more than one course (weighted either 1.0 FCE of 0.5 FCE) in a Master of Nursing program may be repeated/replaced.

Period of Study

Students in a Master's program are expected to complete all requirements within six terms (2 years) of continuous full-time registration, for a total of twelve terms (4 years). As an exception, students in the Master of Nursing programs can be admitted to the Flexible (Flex) Option of six additional terms of continuous registration. As this option is intended for working professionals, students admitted to the Flex Option will not be considered for financial support. Note that students will not be permitted to change from the Standard Option to the Flex Option, and vice versa.