Advising
Prospective graduate students may contact the Office of Student Services with questions about graduate programs at 309-438-7400 or e-mail mcninfo@ilstu.edu.
Newly admitted graduate students will receive advising information upon admission. Students will recieve an overview of the program, information about the plan of study and registration process as well as other important information necessary to progress through the program.
Current students in the graduate programs will be contacted via ISU email from the Academic Advisor every semester prior to early registration to verify and clear course enrollment for the upcoming term. Registration opens mid-semester prior to and for the upcoming semester. Students must be in compliance with all health and safety requirements in order to register for upcoming terms.
Common Questions
Is it feasible to work full-time and complete the program?
No, it will not be feasible to work full-time during the three clinical semesters. Students will need to complete 12-16 hours of clinical per week for the Fall, Spring, and second Summer semesters. It is feasible for students to work full-time during the first Summer semester.
Can any of the hours be completed during your work hours?
No, clinical hours cannot be work hours. The hours need to be in the capacity of a precepted student, not an employee.
Is the program completely online?
The coursework is 100% online with no need to come on campus. There are occasionally synchronous virtual classes – maybe once or twice each semester.
Do you help secure preceptors?
We have a large network of preceptors, which we can assist with placement in the Bloomington/Normal area. However, we can't guarantee placement. We do have other preceptors outside of this area that we can do our best to assist with placement, but cannot guarantee.
Out-of-State Policies Related to Program Enrollment and Clinical Experiences
There are policies set by the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement and the individual State Boards of Nursing around participating in out of state, online programs as well as participating in clinical outside of the state in which you live. Students will be required to have a clinical site agreement for their proposed clinical experience. ISU will work with students on proposed out of state placements but may not be able to guarantee ability to meet practice requirements from states other than Illinois. It is necessary that students consult the applicable licensure boards in their state of residence or in the state where they intend to practice a profession before beginning an academic program or beginning a clinical or practicum experience to identify any requirements that impact the student’s ability to obtain a license, certification, or complete a clinical or practicum experience. Please know that there could be additional costs incurred by the student based on that State's requirements.
Illinois State University maintains a list of our programs that customarily lead to licensure or certification which is available at Provost.IllinoisState.edu/planning/nc-sara/state-information. This list includes information on whether a program:
- Does meet licensure/certification standards in a specific state;
- Does not meet requirements for licensure/certification in a specific state; or
- Illinois State University has not determined whether the program leads to licensure/certification in a state.
The list also includes contact information for many state licensing boards.