In the eyes of a family, an FNP may be the most important medical care provider of all. Ready to submit your applications for the DNP? Feel free to skip ahead to our program listings. But if you’re looking for tips on FNP certification requirements, an inside look at the DNP degree, and examples of DNP capstone projects, read on!
Becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner
The Modern Family Nurse Practitioner
Family Nurse Practitioners – otherwise known as FNPs – are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who provide primary care to patients of all ages. Like GPs of old, FNPs often become trusted medical advisers to families. They may be responsible for treating acute illnesses, managing chronic conditions, conducting physicals and diagnostic tests, prescribing medications, and counseling families on better health and wellness.
AdvertisementFeatured Online DNP Programs
| School Name | Program Name & Tracks Available | More Info |
|---|---|---|
| Regis College | Online MSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice Pediatric NP (PNP), Psychiatric Mental Health NP (PMHNP), Women’s Health NP (WHNP), Family NP (FNP), Adult Gerontology - Primary Care NP (AGPCNP), Nurse Education |
program website |
| Regis College | Online BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice Adult Gerontology - Primary Care NP (AGPCNP), Adult Gerontology - Acute Care NP (AGACNP), Family NP (FNP), Pediatric NP (PNP), Psychiatric Mental Health NP (PMHNP), Women’s Health NP (WHNP) |
program website |
| Bradley University | Online DNP Program Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Leadership, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner |
program website |
| Duquesne University | Online Doctor of Nursing Practice, BSN-DNP Executive Nurse Leadership |
program website |
| Duquesne University | Online Doctor of Nursing Practice, MSN-DNP Clinical Leadership, Executive Nurse Leadership |
program website |
| The University of Texas at Arlington | Online Doctor of Nursing Practice | program website |
| Purdue University Global | Online MSN to DNP Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP, Executive Leader, Family NP, Nurse Educator, Psychiatric Mental Health NP |
program website |
| Purdue University Global | Online BSN to DNP Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP, Executive Leader, Family NP, Nurse Educator, Psychiatric Mental Health NP |
program website |
| Northern Kentucky University | Online Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice Nursing Leadership |
program website |
| Capella University | Online Doctor of Nursing Practice | program website |
| Georgetown University | Online BSN to DNP Program Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP (AG-ACNP), Family NP (FNP), Dual Nurse-Midwifery/Women’s Health NP (NM/WHNP), Women’s Health NP (WHNP) |
program website |
| Simmons University | Online Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) | program website |
| Sacred Heart University | Online Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice Nursing Leadership |
program website |
This last task is also one of the most important. A large part of a FNP’s job is focused on disease prevention, health promotion, and holistic care. Regardless of the setting – be it a doctor’s office, a rural clinic, a private home, a school, or a hospital – FNPs act as patient advocates, helping families deal with complex healthcare systems. Although many FNPs work under the supervision of a clinical physician, some run their own private practices. Others take up leadership positions as hospital administrators, researchers, or healthcare policy makers.
FNP Certification Requirements
Once you have completed graduate nursing education, you have 2 major options for FNP certification. The first is the Family Nurse Practitioner – Board Certified (FNP-BC) credential offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The second is the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) credential offered by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
There is a lot of debate about which FNP credential is better to pursue. However, most FNP nurses claim there is absolutely no difference when it comes to job applications. When in doubt, talk to your mentors and check with your State Board of Nursing for advice. Regardless of your choice, your DNP program should clearly state that it is accredited and able to prepare you for FNP certification exams. If you can’t find information about certification exam pass rates on the program website, ask the school to provide you with the statistics.
FNP-BC Requirements
- Hold a current, active RN license.
- Hold a master’s, postgraduate, or doctoral degree from a family nurse practitioner program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
- Complete a minimum of 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours during your family nurse practitioner program.
- Complete graduate-level courses in advanced physiology/pathophysiology, advanced health assessment, and advanced pharmacology, as well as coursework in health promotion/maintenance, differential diagnosis, and disease management.
- Pass the national FNP-BC exam administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
- Maintain your certification & licensure through continuing education.
FNP Requirements
- Hold a current, active RN license.
- Hold a master’s, post-master’s, or doctoral degree from a family nurse practitioner program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
- Complete a minimum of 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours during your program.
- Complete APRN core courses in advanced physical assessment, advanced pharmacology, and advanced pathophysiology.
- Pass the national FNP exam administered by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
- Maintain your certification & licensure through continuing education.
Helpful Professional Organizations
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
- American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC)
- Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE)
- National Nursing Centers Consortium (NNCC)
- National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
The Family Nurse Practitioner DNP
Typical DNP-FNP Curriculum
Most FNP programs are listed as “graduate tracks” or “concentrations” in DNP degrees. In other words, you start by taking general APRN courses and gradually concentrate on family health. Good DNP programs tend to focus on 3 pillars of learning:
- Advanced clinical skills
- Nursing leadership
- Evidence-based theory & practice
Look for DNPs that give you plenty of primary care experience with a variety of clients (e.g. vulnerable populations, infants, hospice patients, etc.) in a range of settings (e.g. rural homes, inner city hospitals, specialty clinics, etc.). And take advantage of every on-site resource. For example, to give your independent DNP capstone project extra heft, you may wish to work with your university’s medical research center.
Make no mistake – the DNP is a long haul. Because of FNP certification requirements, the curriculum must cover key APRN courses such as advanced physical assessment, advanced pharmacology, and advanced pathophysiology. To meet AACN Competencies, the program will also include classes such as healthcare policy, information technology, biostatistics, healthcare delivery systems, and evidence-based practice. Happily, most programs will allow you to focus on a sub-specialty (e.g. cardiology, urology, gerontology, orthopedics, critical care, etc.).
Experience Requirements
Experience requirements for DNP programs differ from school to school. You may be asked to have 3-5 years of clinical experience as an RN or you may simply be required to provide proof of work in primary care. Most universities recommend that you spend some time shadowing a primary care provider (e.g. physician or NP) in a related setting. The more clinical hours you’ve amassed dealing with patients of different ages and populations, the better your chances for acceptance.
Examples of DNP-FNP Capstone Projects
- Implementation of an Evidence-Based Educational Workshop and Toolkit: Menopausal Women’s Healthcare Needs for the Primary Care Provider (University of San Francisco)
- Implementing Clinical Practice Guideline Recommendations to Address Adult Obesity: A Practice Change in Primary Care (West Virginia University)
- Patient Care Enhancement of Acute Viral Upper Respiratory Illness (Frontier Nursing University)
- Using a DNP-Led Transitional Care Program to Prevent Rehospitalization in Elderly Patients with Heart Failure or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (University of Massachusetts Amherst)
DNP Programs with a Family Nurse Practitioner Focus (DNP-FNP)
203 schools
Skip to State
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
FNP DNP Programs in Alabama
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville, Alabama
Accreditation: CCNE
Nurses with a BSN can complete the Doctor of Nursing Practice in Family Nurse Practitioner at Jacksonville State University in 12 semesters of full-time study or 15 semesters as part-time students. Graduates receive both a master's and a doctorate. The program uses an online format to prepare students to provide primary care for patients of all ages. Early in the program, students take DNP courses, followed by foundational advanced nursing classes. FNP specialty classes and clinical practicum begin in the second or third year. Students also work residency experiences in conjunction with the DNP project. Nurses complete their practicum and residencies in a primary care setting such as out-patient clinics, including pediatric and specialty clinics.
Samford University
Birmingham, Alabama
Accreditation: CCNE
Samford University has a DNP program for nurses who have earned an MSN and want to prepare for Family Nurse Practitioner certification. The DNP Advanced Practice FNP program starts in the summer semester. Full-time students can complete it is six semesters and part-timers in nine semesters. Students complete 52 credits and work enough practice hours to total 1,000 post-BSN hours (including practice hours from their master's degree). During the first two semesters, full-time students take advanced nursing and theory classes. They begin the FNP coursework and practice hours in the third semester. FNP courses include care of women, care of adults, and pediatrics. Classes are online, and students must travel to the campus four times while earning the degree.
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Dual Psychiatric Mental Health and Family Nurse Practitioner Track[online][BSN to DNP option]
MSN to DNP - Dual Psychiatric Mental Health and Family Nurse Practitioner Track[online][MSN required]
BSN-prepared nurses in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi are eligible for the BSN to DNP program at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Two tracks with a family nursing focus are available: Family Nurse Practitioner and a dual concentration in FNP and Psychiatric Mental Health NP. The FNP-DNP requires 11 semesters and 70 credits, while the dual degree requires 12 semesters and 91 credits. Both programs emphasize the need for data-driven health practices. To that end, students take classes in program evaluation, informatics, clinical data analysis, and evidence-based practice design and strategies. Courses use a distance accessible format, and students can complete their clinical hours near their homes. Each student is responsible for locating clinical sites and preceptors, which the university must approve.
Troy University
Troy, Alabama
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) - Post Baccalaureate Family Nurse Practitioner[online][BSN to DNP option]
The Family Nurse Practitioner concentration of the DNP at Troy School of Nursing is 70 to 74 units in length. Credits are broken down into multiple categories. The program dedicates 17 credits to the advanced nursing core, which includes didactic instruction in everything from epidemiology to informatics. Another 12 credits go to research methods and statistics classes, which prepare students for an 11- to 15-credit project and research paper. Six credits are reserved for an FNP internship and related seminar. That leaves 24 credits in the specialty. Those classes cover assessment, pharmacology, and pathophysiology, which complement courses and preceptorships for two separate client populations: women/children and adults/geriatrics. A course plan bypassing the MSN cuts out a few of the advanced nursing core and research courses; that program is 65 to 69 credits long. All courses in the post-BSN program are available online.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Accreditation: CCNE
The BSN to DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner offered by the University of Alabama at Birmingham is designed for nurses who want to keep working while pursuing an advanced degree. Students attend on a part-time schedule, and most of the program is online - both factors that make it easier for nurses to schedule work and school into their lives. Once a year, students must travel to Birmingham for an on-campus intensive. Courses cover evidence-based practice, health policy and politics, and leadership skills. Most semesters, students take two courses, although during the third year, they enroll in an academic class or seminar along with core FNP didactic and clinical courses. In the 10th and final semester, students wrap up their DNP project.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Huntsville, Alabama
Accreditation: CCNE
The University of Alabama in Huntsville offers a hybrid BSN to DNP-Family Nurse Practitioner program that awards an MSN after students complete all the requirements for the master's degree. Students come to the campus every other week during the MSN portion of the program, but once they advance to the DNP portion, the coursework is all online. DNP courses cover a variety of domains, including leadership skills, evidence-based practice, and program evaluation. All DNP students come to campus for a three-day intensive seminar that focuses on clinical scholarship and includes guest speakers, networking events, and presentations from students' DNP projects. UAH allows students to follow a full-time or part-time schedule to complete the 73 credits.
University of Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Accreditation: CCNE
The School of Nursing at the University of Mobile has a nine-semester BSN to DNP that prepares nurses for a career as a Family Nurse Practitioner. The curriculum jumps into advanced nursing classes in the first semester, with courses in diagnostic reasoning, pharmacology, and quality and safety in health care systems. By the end of the second semester, students have completed the Advanced P classes and have begun FNP courses. One course in the family nursing specialty hones in on care of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, while others cover broader populations, such as children, women, and adults. Students also select a specialty focus for one of their practicum experiences. The program is online, but students visit Mobile three times for intensive sessions that include hands-on training and networking.
University of South Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Accreditation: CCNE
Advanced Emergency Nursing (Family NP/Adult-Gerontological Acute Care Dual Role NP)[online][BSN to DNP option]
Aspiring nurse practitioners who want to work with families can choose from three relevant DNP specialties at USA College of Nursing. The BSN-DNP pathway is anywhere from 69 to 81 credits depending on whether students enroll in the Family Nurse Practitioner (69), Dual Role FNP/Adult-Gerontological Acute Care NP (81), or Psychiatric (Family) NP specialty (69). The MSN-DNP versions are just 36 credit hours, which equates to around five semesters of full-time study compared to nine semesters for the BSN-DNP. Post-master's students with a certification in a different specialty can also enroll, but they'll still encounter at least 69 credits. DNP students who want to specialize further can add subspecialties in Cardiovascular, Advanced Forensic Nursing Care, Palliative Care, Nursing Education, or Clinical Lipidology. Each requires taking additional classes and/or clinical practicums in addition to the 1,000+ hours required in the DNP.
FNP DNP Programs in Arizona
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona
ASU's Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation offers a Family Nurse Practitioner DNP at its downtown Phoenix campus. The hybrid program attempts to secure clinicals where students are based. Still, enrollees head to the Arizona capital for an orientation and several class meetings each term. The college accepts RNs with a BSN or MSN, and it prefers applicants have at least a year working with family populations. The curriculum requires 41 credits of core DNP work, 34 credits in the concentration, 6 elective and research credits, and 3 capstone credits. Concentration work includes a clinical residency plus a health promotion practicum. It splits coursework into common health problems and complex or chronic problems. A separate DNP in Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner shares the learning format and curriculum structure. However, the 34 concentration credits differ, instead mostly touching on neuropsychopathology, psychopharmacology, and management of mental health disorders.
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Accreditation: CCNE
Students kick off their time in the DNP-Family Nurse Practitioner specialty at UA College of Nursing by participating in the Resident Intensive Summer Experience (RISE). After finishing the August intensive, they embark on a 68-credit curriculum designed for incoming RNs with their Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Much of that curriculum is online, with clinical practicums and Tucson-based intensives sprinkled in. If the three-year program doesn't pack enough in, students can add a Rural Telehealth certificate or Rural Health certificate, the latter of which requires additional coursework and a clinical practicum in an underserved area. The Rural Health Professions Program ups the ante by offering stipends to some students. Students who want to teach in the FNP field may apply for loan forgiveness from the Nurse Faculty Loan Program. They'll have to take an elective and a teaching practicum to be eligible.
FNP DNP Programs in Arkansas
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, Arkansas
Accreditation: CCNE
Post-BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Post-BSN nurses can earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Family Nurse Practitioner at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The College of Nursing is part of the region's major academic health center. It has outreach programs throughout northwest Arkansas that provide students with multiple clinical sites and research opportunities. Students also have access to a modern simulation center where they receive interprofessional education. The DNP core emphasizes expertise in evaluating and translating scientific evidence into practice. The program requires full-time attendance. During FNP clinical courses, students may perform up to 24 hours of clinical rotations a week, making it difficult to maintain a regular job.
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
The Tonya Terry Endowed Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarship and the Briton Endowed Award in Nursing help the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at UA recruit qualified RNs to its doctoral programs. The school also participates in the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, which gives - and then forgives - loans to students who agree to teach in the state. The state-funded Fields Nursing Scholarship has similar benefits for Arkansas residents who stick around to practice in the state. Before funding, however, comes the application. One of two DNP tracks, the Family Nurse Practitioner concentration accepts applications from both BSN- and MSN-holders. If admitted, the former can enroll in the 78-credit program; the latter head into a 60-credit version. The program is online but features a few visits to the campus in Fayetteville, including for orientation, a project presentation, and skills training.
University of Central Arkansas
Conway, Arkansas
Accreditation: AACN
Nurses pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice for certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner follow a part-time schedule at the University of Central Arkansas. That schedule allows them to stretch the requirements over 11 semesters, so they enroll in six to eight credits per semester. For additional convenience, most courses are delivered in an online format. When students take their FNP clinical classes, they must visit the campus in Conway three or four times each semester. Some DNP courses also require clinical hours, and students spend about 12 hours a week at clinical sites to complete those practice hours. Coursework in this program touches on several domains, including health care quality, leadership, translational research, and clinical decision making.
FNP DNP Programs in California
Brandman University
Irvine, California
Accreditation: CCNE
Brandman University has a hybrid program that prepares RNs with a BSN to receive a Doctor of Nursing Practice and qualify as a Family/Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner. The specialty classes focus on managing the care of patients of all ages who have common, complex, acute, and chronic conditions. Graduates can find employment in settings such as private practice, outpatient clinics, and urgent care clinics. The hybrid format combines online lectures with immersion sessions that meet in Irvine, California, where students participate in learning exercises and demonstrations. Students can complete clinical rotations in their home community, and they can finish the degree in as few as three years.
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, California
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[MSN required]
At Loma Linda University, DNP students attend full time for three years to complete the doctorate and prepare for a career as a Family Nurse Practitioner. The curriculum includes 122 quarter units or the equivalent of 81 semester hours. In the FNP specialty classes, students learn about pharmacology, health assessment, and pathophysiology. They also complete an FNP skills lab, a course on pediatric and adolescent health, and five clinical classes focused on preventative care across the lifespan. With their core courses, students learn about health care from the system level, taking courses in leadership, health policy, health system finance, and ethics and health disparities. Candidates also devote more than 500 clinical hours to the DNP project, where they apply research and evidence to practice.
Samuel Merritt University
Oakland, California
Accreditation: CCNE
Budding primary care providers may look to Samuel Merritt University for a DNP. The School of Nursing's hybrid FNP program lasts three years. Applicants need a BSN and an RN license from any state to win a spot. The curriculum calls for five to nine credits a term for nine terms. The first year covers ethics, research, advanced nursing basics, population health, IT, and health promotion. Year 2 rolls out courses in policy, pathophysiology, pharmacology, leadership, management, acute care, and assessment. The last year is the most intense, composed of three residencies and three clinicals totaling 525 hours, making it impractical to continue working while studying. Those clinicals can occur near where enrollees live, even if outside the range of the Sacramento campus. However, students will depart from online instruction three times across the program to come to the California capital.
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, California
Accreditation: CCNE
The DNP with a Family Nurse Practitioner concentration is for working nurses who don't want to pause their careers but don't want to delay a degree either. Whether they enter UC Irvine with a BSN or MSN, enrollees in the program finish in just three years. That may sound speedy, but with just one cohort session per quarter, it may be doable for driven nurses. Of the 37 courses, some are delivered asynchronously and others synchronously. Some are purely online, while others mix online and on-campus study. To complete the 105 units and 1,020 practice hours, students go year-round: fall, winter, spring, and summer. Electives in leadership and teaching help participants tailor the degree to their preferred career path. The Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing considers applicants who not only have a California RN license but also have used it for at least a year.
University of San Diego
San Diego, California
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Dual Adult-Gerontology / Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
BSN to DNP - Dual Pediatric / Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
BSN to DNP - Family Nursing Practitioner in Emergency Care[BSN to DNP option]
While the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty generally focuses on primary care for patients of all ages, the BSN to DNP program at the University of San Diego has multiple options that allow NPs to broaden their skills or more closely target a specific population. In addition to a concentration in FNP, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science offers a track in FNP in emergency care and dual tracks in Adult-Gerontology/FNP or Pediatric/FNP. The emergency care track prepares grads to work in emergency departments, urgent care clinics, and other sites where they'll manage life-threatening situations. The dual tracks prepare nurses for certification in two specialty roles. All the tracks emphasize translating science into practice, developing collaborative leadership skills, and improving health care delivery systems.
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
Accreditation: CCNE
Doctor of Nursing Practice: Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner[online][BSN to DNP option]
The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty in USF's Doctor of Nursing Practice program is oriented toward families. Graduates should be comfortable diagnosing, treating, and observing children and adults alike in nearly any health setting, including emergency rooms and assisted living facilities. The Family Nurse Practitioner specialty, meanwhile, produces grads who can manage acute and chronic illnesses in primary care settings. Students who enroll in either program with a BSN can get an MSN en route to the DNP, and PMHNP enrollees can instead opt for an MPH. Nurses entering with an MSN can get their MPH. The USF School of Nursing and Health Professions uses a hybrid format, scheduling on-campus classes on Fridays and Saturdays, with additional work completed online. Both specialties mandate 1,000 supervised clinical hours and an immersive residency in the final semester. The post-bachelor's option takes four years to complete, and the post-master's just three.
FNP DNP Programs in Colorado
Colorado Mesa University
Grand Junction, Colorado
Accreditation: CCNE
The Department of Health Sciences at Colorado Mesa targets two types of nurses for its DNP-Family Nurse Practitioner degree: rural nurses who don't want to move and working RNs who don't want to quit to get their degree. As part of the required 1,000 hours of clinical practice, the hybrid program provides hands-on work experience caring for underserved populations, whether rural or urban, as well as groups with chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, and cancer. The department asks students to have a BSN and places MSN-holders on a fast track to the doctorate. Students need a license in the state from which they'll complete their clinical hours. The entire degree is 72 credits. Twenty-seven of those come in core courses that provide leadership and health policy instruction alongside research and statistics work. The latter should be useful when completing the six-credit capstone.
Colorado State University-Pueblo
Pueblo, Colorado
Accreditation: ACEN
BSN to DNP - Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Family Nurse Practitioner[online][BSN to DNP option]
Nurses who enjoy both acute and primary care can prepare for certification in both specialties at Colorado State University Pueblo. The School of Nursing offers a dual Family/Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner concentration for the BSN to DNP. Graduates receive an MSN and DNP and qualify to take the FNP and AGACNP certification exams. The curriculum includes 104 credits and 1,710 practicum hours - 585 hours each in AGAC and family medicine and 540 hours in DNP practicum. The program uses a hybrid format that combines some online lessons with in-person class participation, and students can earn a degree in 11 semesters. When considering applicants, the program gives preferences to RNs with at least one year of professional experience, residents of southern Colorado, and CSU-Pueblo alumni.
Regis University
Denver, Colorado
Accreditation: CCNE
Nurses who graduate from the Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program at Regis University receive both an MSN and a doctorate. The FNP specialty is available in two pathways. The traditional FNP courses meet face-to-face in Northwest Denver one day a week. The second FNP pathway focuses on the care of rural and underserved communities and is a low-residency program that incorporates synchronous online learning. Once students in either path advance to doctoral-level classes, all the lessons are online, and they don't have to come to campus. The curriculum includes preparation for the FNP national certification exam, and the program is designed to allow students to work as an NP while completing the DNP requirements.
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
Denver, Colorado
Accreditation: CCNE
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, Colorado
Accreditation: CCNE
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Built for working RNs within driving distance of Greeley, Colorado, the DNP with Family Nurse Practitioner emphasis lets students take their time getting a doctorate. RNs with a bachelor's take 95 credits in five years, with no full-time option. For the first eight semesters, students have class meetings every Thursday, usually on campus. These feature a mix of theory, healthcare concepts, research, policy, and care. Toward the end of the second year, students take their first clinical. Semesters 9-14 are purely online. Students take a few more research methods classes, along with subject-specific coursework, before embarking on a final project their last year. The Extended Campus, which runs the program, charges non-residents the same price as Coloradans, so Wyoming and Nebraska residents might consider making the commute.
FNP DNP Programs in Connecticut
Fairfield University
Fairfield, Connecticut
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies at Fairfield runs a DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program for RNs with a BSN. Working nurses can choose the part-time option, which takes four years. The full-time option is three years. The Connecticut-based university believes graduates will be able to get jobs directing clinical programs, providing advanced care, managing other nurses, or even teaching. And its Jesuit philosophy is woven into the curriculum. Foundational courses cover epidemiology, healthcare policy, research methods, and nursing roles. DNP core work, meanwhile, looks at the operational side of the field, with students exploring information technology, finance management, and collaborative leadership. Twenty-five of the 72 required credits are in the specialty. That translates to two courses in adult health plus a practicum, one course on caring for children, and another on caring for at-risk groups. Two practicums delve into advanced practice nursing for all ages.
Quinnipiac University
Hamden, Connecticut
Accreditation: CCNE
Post-Bachelor's DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The Quinnipiac School of Nursing seeks to create family nurse practitioners who thrive in holistic care settings. Students get exposure to diverse areas like radiography and ECG interpretation while also learning to control costs and increase adoption of healthy behaviors. The 75-credit program asks students to synthesize their learning when taking four practicums and producing a DNP project. The FNP track can be taken on a part-time or full-time basis. It welcomes Connecticut RNs with a bachelor's, though they don't need to have a BSN. The school boasts a reach of 300 clinics for student practicum placements.
Sacred Heart University
Fairfield, Connecticut
Accreditation: CCNE
Sacred Heart University uses a hybrid format for the Family Nurse Practitioner DNP. Students move through the mostly online program in a small cohort that allows them to build relationships with fellow students. Classes meet on campus about six days a semester, allowing students to work with faculty members who are also practicing nurses. The program requires 69 credits, and students can choose a full-time or part-time schedule. In addition to gaining skills in primary care, nurses hone their patient education skills to promote health strategies. They also learn to translate scientific evidence into the basis for clinical judgments - including using technology to evaluate patient care for safety and efficacy. Through four seminar classes, candidates apply what they've learned in class to produce a scholarly project.
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
UCONN School of Nursing aims to produce graduates who can not only practice but also teach and promote good health in patients from the very young to the very old. RNs who hold a BSN can apply for part- or full-time enrollment into the Family Nurse Practitioner program. Full-time study involves 75 credits spread over 9 semesters. Of those, 27 happen after enrollees wrap up the MSN part of the program in the fifth semester. Electives in grant writing and quantitative and qualitative research methods could expand options for graduates not going into practice. Alternatively, certificates in holistic nursing and pain management provide further specialization opportunities. Much of the program is online, with enrollees arriving in Storrs for intensives in August and January. If they're lucky, they'll be able to pick up a $20,000 check for the Jorgensen Fellowship, which provides an annual stipend for each year of the program.
University of Saint Joseph
West Hartford, Connecticut
Accreditation: CCNE
While the University of Saint Joseph uses a hybrid format for BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner coursework, the program is best suited for nurses who live in Connecticut. That's because classes have an on-campus element, and clinical placements take place in Connecticut. The curriculum includes 75 credits, and part-time students can earn a degree in four years. BSN-prepared nurses advance their skills in assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients across the lifespan, whether those individuals are facing acute, chronic, or complex conditions. Students even learn to diagnose and manage mental health issues. Beyond direct care, nurses gain skills in evidence-based practice, clinical scholarship, and health promotion, allowing them to affect population health and policy.
FNP DNP Programs in Delaware
Wilmington University
New Castle, Delaware
Accreditation: CCNE
Nursing students pursuing an MSN in Family Nurse Practitioner from Wilmington University can accelerate their pathway to a Doctor of Nursing Practice through the College of Health Professions. Wilmington allows MSN-FNP students to take two DNP courses (bioethics and health care informatics) while they're working on their master's. Because the MSN curriculum already includes two DNP courses, students who opt for the additional DNP courses only need to complete another 21 credits to earn the DNP. They can do that in 20 months, compared with the 33 credits and 28 months required of students who aren't part of the accelerated option. Once students indicate their intent to pursue the accelerated option, a faculty member will contact them for advisement and course sequencing.
FNP DNP Programs in District of Columbia
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia
Students can enroll in the Family Nurse Practitioner option for GW's DNP program either full- or part-time. Although courses are online and practicums are completed in students' home states, the post-BSN program is designed more for part-time nurses than those who want to keep full-time hours throughout their studies. That's probably because they have to come to campus several times in the course of completing their 81 credits: for orientation, a project kickoff and final presentation, an intensive during the Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning course, objective structured clinical examinations, and a final skills examination right before graduation. Additional coursework covers policy, pathophysiology, genetics, pharmacology, and biostatistics - all the necessary topics to excel in practice. Economics, policy, and knowledge management classes add something for aspiring nurse leaders.
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia
Accreditation: CCNE
The Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program at Georgetown University prepares nurses to work in family practice and clinical care settings, filling clinical leadership roles. Beyond advanced nursing skills, students become grounded in evidence-based practice to ensure that the care their team delivers aligns with current research. Georgetown also emphasizes the importance of ethical leadership and working to improve care to underserved populations. The program combines online classes with two or three on-campus intensives where students take part in simulations, work on clinical skills, and work with standardized patients. Full-time students can complete the program in eight semesters, and part-time students can finish in 11 semesters. Students can also turn to a clinical placement team if they need help finding a site in their specialty near their home.
FNP DNP Programs in Florida
Barry University
Miami, Florida
Accreditation: CCNE
Post-Baccalaureate DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Post-Master's DNP - Family Practice[MSN required]
Barry University presents a post-baccalaureate DNP with a specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner that allows students to attend school part time. Students complete 76 credits and earn a degree in 12 semesters. Courses meet just once a week, so it's easy for working nurses to fit classes into their schedule. The program begins with foundational courses in pathophysiology, pharmacology, health promotion, and diagnostic reasoning. By the third semester, students study differential diagnosis and start to accumulate clinical hours. Classes in the specialty include pediatrics, geriatrics, adult nursing, and behavioral health. In the final year, students devote their time to a clinical residency and the DNP scholarly project. Barry also has a post-master's DNP for practicing FNPs.
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
Accreditation: CCNE
Florida Atlantic University uses a combination of online classes and intensive weekend meetings for the BSN to DNP program that offers a major in Family Nurse Practitioner. The six-semester program is designed for full-time students. FAU's College of Nursing emphasizes caring for underserved, culturally diverse, and vulnerable populations, including classes that focus on the integration of cultural concepts and advanced practice nursing grounded in caring. Courses in the FNP specialty include caring for children, women's health, and primary care of families. Students also complete more than 1,000 practice hours, divided into family nursing practicum, APRN residencies, and a DNP residency. Classes meet in person about once a month on a Saturday or Sunday.
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
Accreditation: CCNE
The Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences at FIU offers two programs for budding FNPs. The first is the BSN-DNP with a Family Health Nurse Practitioner focus. Its 81 credits are spread out over 10 semesters and supply a broad knowledge base. It exposes students to diverse healthcare settings and patient groups so that, upon graduation, they'll feel just as comfortable treating adults in ambulatory care as they will diagnosing children in rural county clinics. Classes are held at FIU's Miami campus. APRNs coming in with an MSN can apply for the online DNP in the Family Health track. They'll still come to Miami up to three times a term and are welcome to learn alongside colleagues and faculty at the FIU Academic Health Center. The 36-credit, 6-semester program offers both fall and spring starts and doesn't require the GRE, making it possible to apply year-round.
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
Accreditation: CCNE
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The DNP-FNP at Florida State is 79 credits long for nurses coming in with a BSN and work experience, but shorter for those who have their master's. The blended curriculum asks enrollees to be in Tallahassee just five times during the program. Aside from the orientation and final research presentations at either end, those appearances are for OSCEs - 'objective structured clinical exams.' The 1,000+ hours of clinicals can be performed in students' local communities with the preceptor of their choice. Students can select an 8-semester, full-time experience or a 14-credit, part-time one. The former involves four classes in the spring and fall terms and three during the summer. Part-time enrollees take just one or two classes per term, though the intensity ramps up toward the end as they complete practicums and their project.
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville's Keigwin School of Nursing keeps its BSN-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner curriculum wide-ranging so graduates can work with individuals and groups in a variety of settings. Among the 68 credits, there is standard fare dealing with pediatrics and women's health, but there are also courses in mental health and emerging therapies. Of course, 1,000 hours of clinical and residency hours are also built into the three-year curriculum. Some of the classes are presented in a hybrid format. As students progress through the program, they increasingly move from on-campus classes to online ones. To get in, applicants need Florida licensure, a BSN, and either a 3.0 undergraduate GPA or a 290 on the GRE. Enrollees who want to teach after graduation should look into the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, which can cancel up to 85% of the direct costs for a degree in exchange for teaching service.
Palm Beach Atlantic University
West Palm Beach, Florida
Accreditation: CCNE
Palm Beach Atlantic University has a 74-credit DNP program with a Family Nurse Practitioner track that full-time students can complete in nine semesters. Students begin the program with foundational courses and quickly transition to advanced nursing content such as pathophysiology, health assessment, and diagnostic reasoning. By the fifth semester, students take the FNP specialty classes, which prepare them to provide care to patients of all ages. Clinical courses cover acute and chronic health problems, pediatrics, women's health, and complex family health. After students finish the FNP coursework, they are eligible to take the national FNP certification exam before completing all DNP requirements. During the last two semesters, students complete a culminating DNP project where they demonstrate their expertise and synthesize a leadership role.
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida
Accreditation: CCNE
Students in UCF's hybrid BSN-DNP should come from Central Florida. For one thing, that's where the College of Nursing arranges the 1,020 hours' worth of clinical practicums. For another, enrollees in the Family Nurse Practitioner program need to come to campus regularly for intensives and labs. They can take the 74-credit course plan full-time over three years or part-time over four. The curriculum involves separate clinicals for women's health, gerontologic care, adult care, and pediatric care. Students also spend three terms pursuing a final DNP project. Courses include Nursing Environment Management, Health Promotion, and Healthcare Systems and Policy.
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Accreditation: CCNE
The Family Nurse Practitioner clinical track of UF College of Nursing's BSN-DNP program is mostly online and can be taken part-time over 12 semesters (the full-time program takes 8). That makes it a possible destination for RNs who want to keep their current jobs. Still, it's best for Floridians, as students must crisscross the state to complete 1,000+ clinical hours. The 75- to 78-unit curriculum asks students to balance 8 to 11 credits per term. Halfway through, they'll begin work on an advanced nursing project, which includes residencies during each of the final four semesters. Like the post-bachelor's program, the MSN-DNP is online with some on-campus work. The 35-credit program is specifically for ARNPs practicing in Florida, meaning incoming students should already be family nurse practitioners. Over five semesters, they'll complete a project and three residencies, plus courses in statistics, leadership, information management, and other classes designed for professional growth.
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Accreditation: CCNE
Doctor of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The Family Nurse Practitioner track of the DNP program at UNF's Brooks College of Health is structured for Florida-based nurses with a BSN, though MSN-holders looking for certification can also apply. Applicants need to have graduated with a 3.0 and have spent a year as a clinical RN. They also need to have an MAT score of 410 or GRE scores of 153 on the verbal, 144 on the quantitative, and 3.5 on the analytical. Once accepted, they can enroll full- or part-time in the 82-credit program. Though coursework is heavy toward the beginning, by the end the program consists mainly of practicums and a project. For full-time enrollees, the first residency comes five semesters in, with an additional residency each semester until graduation. All clinical sites are in northeastern Florida.
University of South Florida-Main Campus
Tampa, Florida
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
USF College or Nursing doesn't offer online programs, per se, but the BSN-DNP Family Health concentration is meant to be accessible to working nurses. On-campus classes are often held just once or twice a week. Clinical practicums occur in the Sunshine State, so enrollees need a Florida RN license. Students go at their own pace, choosing between multiple full-time and part-time options to complete their 82 credits and 720 clinical hours. The units could be done in as few as 7 semesters or as many as 13. The curriculum includes courses in systems leadership, informatics, diagnostics, research, and statistics. Of course, given the FNP specialty, students also take individual courses and practicums around older adults, children, and families. FNP applicants can enter with an MSN, though they'll have to work with the college to settle on a course plan.
FNP DNP Programs in Georgia
Augusta University
Augusta, Georgia
Accreditation: CCNE
The DNP with a concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner at Augusta University College of Nursing requires at least a BSN for entry. Students can enroll full- or part-time. If they choose the former, they could finish in under three years. The part-time program, while tacking on another year, adds flexibility for the types of working nurses the program targets. The degree's hybrid nature is another selling point. The first year is mostly spent in the classroom, over half of it in a distance learning format, and the rest in Augusta or Athens. The second year flips the script, with students completing over 500 clinical hours. In their final year, students complete another 600 across just two semesters.
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
Accreditation: CCNE
Emory University offers two tracks for the BSN to DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner: health systems leadership or population health. Both programs require seven semesters and combine online classwork with on-campus sessions. There are five Saturday on-campus meetings each year, two in the fall semester, two in the spring, and one in the summer. These all-day sessions are set up like a business conference and include student presentations, guest speakers, group work, and meetings with advisors. The leadership track requires 72 credits, while the population health program requires 76 credits. The curriculum for the two tracks is similar, but the health systems track includes an informatics class. Students in either track begin clinical practicum in the fifth semester.
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia
Accreditation: CCNE
Georgia Southern University is unusual because it provides an "opt-out" option for BSN to DNP students in the Family Nurse Practitioner program. Students can opt out of the program after completing the FNP specialty coursework and take the FNP certification exam. If they decide they want to complete the DNP after all, they have four years to return to GSU and finish the requirements. The opt-out point occurs after 43 credits, and the complete BSN to DNP program requires 77 credits. Classes are online and mainly asynchronous, although some courses require synchronous online meetings. Doctoral-level courses in the program include biometrics, biomedical ethics, outcomes management, and leadership. Students also take part in a clinical project and complete three electives that match their career goals.
Mercer University
Macon, Georgia
Accreditation: CCNE
Mercer University's BSN to DNP program awards Family Nurse Practitioner students an MSN at the end of the seventh semester. Students can then take the national FNP certification exam and practice as an APRN while completing the final DNP requirements, which take another two semesters. Mercer uses a hybrid delivery system for the courses in this program. A few classes meet on campus, and some of the online courses require synchronous attendance. During the early semesters, students take a mix of DNP and MSN required courses. There's a practicum in population-based health in the third semester, and students begin primary care practicum in the fifth semester. FNP-specific classes cover the care of children and adolescents, women's health, and care of adults in a primary care setting.
FNP DNP Programs in Hawaii
University of Hawaii at Hilo
Hilo, Hawaii
Accreditation: CCNE
The DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner at the University of Hawaii Hilo has a focus on rural health care that meshes with the College of Nursing's goal of increasing primary caregivers in the state. Students are also encouraged to take courses in nursing education as electives, which aligns with the mission of preparing more nursing faculty in Hawaii. The BSN to DNP-FNP is a three-year program that starts in the fall semester. Classes in the FNP specialty include rural health, primary care of adults and older adults, pediatrics, and women's health. Other courses provide students with knowledge in health economics, evidence-based practice, systems-based leadership, and health policy. All candidates complete a practice inquiry project where they design and implement an evidence-based practice improvement.
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, Hawaii
The School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene at UH Manoa has a unique admission policy: It allows students to enter its Family Nurse Practitioner program without any nursing experience as long as they have a baccalaureate in something. Aspiring leaders accepted into the Graduate Entry Program in Nursing take a fast-paced program that gets them ready for licensure and admission to the doctoral program. Once they join their cohort, they'll move through 77 post-BSN credits in lockstep for three years, starting with an on-campus summer intensive. Students can enter in other ways, too: with an associate degree in nursing, a BSN, or an Executive MBA in Health Care from UH Manoa Shidler College of Business. Classes employ online, face-to-face, and hybrid learning formats. Given its full-time model and the 1,000 supervised clinical hours, the DNP is best for those based in Oahu.
FNP DNP Programs in Idaho
Idaho State University
Pocatello, Idaho
The online BSN-DNP at ISU's College of Nursing in Pocatello features 78 credits spread across three years of full-time study or five years part-time. (The program prefers full-timers.) Certified family nurse practitioners with a master's, meanwhile, need just 26 credits and four semesters to come home with a DNP. The post-bachelor's program requires several multiday intensives per semester, including an orientation, with the remainder of the coursework online. Year 1 of the BSN program focuses on didactic learning. Starting with the second semester, the program mixes in practicums each term. Moreover, students start working on a DNP project toward the end of Year 2. MSN-DNP students complete their scholarly project in fewer semesters and bypass clinical hours in favor of courses on professional issues, nursing practice in different communities, academic writing, leadership, genetics, information technology, and statistical analysis.
FNP DNP Programs in Illinois
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois
Online Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family Nurse Practitioner Track (BSN entry)[online][BSN to DNP option]
The Family Nurse Practitioner track of Bradley's online DNP program aims to prepare nurses to lead and potentially take jobs as nursing directors, nurse educators, and even lobbyists. It lets enrollees learn to lead from afar, with no on-campus requirements and five clinical practicums. In conjunction with their practicums, students also take five different classes titled Principles of FNP Practice, each one covering a different population: acute disease sufferers, chronic disease sufferers, women, children, and adults. Outside of the standard nursing courses, students gain exposure to information systems, economics, and other areas by taking Advanced Pathophysiology, Data Management, Health Care Economics & Finance, Statistic Procedures, and Management in Healthcare Organizations. The four-year program is designed to be completed in 12 semesters. Applicants need a BSN and a 3.0 to get in.
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
To graduate from DePaul's DNP-FNP program, you'll need 100 credits: 38 in the doctoral core and 62 in the track. Track requirements cover several populations - older patients, infants and children, and pregnant women. Three practicums in population-based nursing and two additional advanced practicums for APNs ensure students receive plenty of clinical practice. The doctoral core actually adds a practicum as part of the final DNP project. Students also take three research classes to prepare, not to mention coursework in finances, ethics, economics, information technology, and organizational leadership. The School of Nursing offers some classes online; others are held on DePaul's Lincoln Park campus in Chicago. Applicants can apply with a BSN or MSN.
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois
Accreditation: ACEN
Post Baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Governors State University has a post-baccalaureate to DNP pathway that prepares nurses for the Family Nurse Practitioner certification exam. After completing the 44 credits and clinical hours needed for the FNP, students take 44 to 47 credits in DNP courses. The College of Health & Human Services offers four concentration areas for DNP students, and each requires a role residency. In the practitioner/educator concentration, students take classes in curriculum development and instructional methods. The community behavior concentration has a public health and disaster preparedness focus, and the leadership/administration track focuses on executive skills. The direct practice concentration covers caring for vulnerable populations and includes an elective. Students also take 29 credits in DNP core classes, which cover topics such as research methods, leadership, diversity, and interprofessional collaboration.
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
Accreditation: CCNE
Nurses in the DNP program at Loyola University Chicago can choose a traditional Family Nurse Practitioner concentration or enter the FNP program with a specialization in the emergency room. The specialization prepares nurses to work expanded roles in an emergency department. All students exit the program with the skills to serve as a system-wide leader. Loyola allows students to select a full-time or part-time plan of study, and students generally complete the degree requirements in four to five years. The program makes extensive use of online delivery, but students also attend one or two immersion weekends each year. During immersions in Chicago, students attend integrated learning events and collaborate with classmates and faculty. FNP students complete clinical experiences in the Chicago metro area, where faculty members design clinical rotations with partner sites.
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois
Accreditation: CCNE
Millikin University has full-time and part-time options for its Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program. Different programs are available for nurses with a BSN or MSN. Students enter the program in the spring and move through the program with a cohort. Classes are scheduled year-round and use online, in-person, and hybrid delivery. During the first year, courses are all online, allowing students to continue with a full-time job if they desire. Nurses with a BSN must complete 70 credits and more than 1,200 practice hours. They begin practicum in the fifth semester and work four FNP practicums and a capstone, plus practice hours for the DNP project. Post-master's students complete 50 to 54 credits and may need to complete a post-master's residency, depending upon their previous practice hours.
Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, Illinois
Accreditation: CCNE
The BSN to DNP program at Northern Illinois University allows students to prepare as a Family Nurse Practitioner. To further specialize, students select skills courses - such as diagnostic reason or orthopedic skills - that reflect their career goals. The degree requires 76 credits, including advanced practice nursing classes, the FNP specialty classes, the DNP core, and the DNP scholarly project. FNP students complete three internships in family nursing, including one each in adult care, pediatrics, and women's health or a specialty option. They also complete a scholarly project with a team of fellow students. Most courses use an online format, although students come to campus for health assessment practices and other skills courses. The program is flexible, with full-time and part-time options.
Rush University
Chicago, Illinois
Accreditation: CCNE
Family (DNP)[BSN to DNP option]
Ranked by U.S. News in the top five of FNP programs nationwide, Rush's DNP degree comes in two forms: a 71-credit BSN-DNP and a 62-credit MSN-DNP. Though the starting points are different, both programs are designed to be finished in two and a half years. Almost all classes are online, but there's plenty to bring enrollees to the Chicago campus, including orientations to the program and the DNP project, clinicals, a lab on physical diagnosis, and project presentations. Whether enrolled full-time or part-time, students take over 750 hours of clinical practicums. The College of Nursing wants graduates to be able to find primary care provider roles in a number of settings, so they move around between several different placements during the program.
Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing
Peoria, Illinois
Accreditation: CCNE
Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing spreads the BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner coursework over five and a half years, making it easier for RNs to continue to work while pursuing an advanced degree. The program is online, but students must visit the campus once a semester for hands-on skills training while taking their FNP practicum classes. The schedule is arranged so that students take DNP core courses in the early years of the program. Enrollees also work on the DNP scholarly project in the second and third years. Students move into the advanced nursing and FNP specialty classes at the end of the third year, and they complete their family health practicum experiences in the fifth and sixth years.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Illinois
Accreditation: CCNE
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville uses a blended/hybrid format for the Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program. Students primarily take classes online, but they come to campus for immersion experiences about once a year, which allows them to interact with the faculty. Students are also welcome to schedule on-campus lab time when they need individualized help with skills. Full-time and part-time plans are available, and full-timers can complete the required 66 credits in eight semesters. Candidates must execute a scholarly project, and they take foundational courses in informatics, evaluating evidence for improving practice, and biostatistics before starting the project. They also take five seminar courses to keep them on track in designing and managing the project.
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
Family Nurse Practitioner is one of 12 focus areas in the post-BSN DNP at UIC College of Nursing, a massive teaching institution on Chicago's west side. The Department of Health Systems Science, which runs the 79-credit FNP program, employs over 50 instructors. FNP specialty courses use a hybrid model that brings students to campus at least once a month; foundational courses meet less regularly. Concentration courses include three practicums to go along with a three-course sequence on health management broken down into wellness care, acute and chronic diseases, and chronic diseases and related conditions. The DNP core is varied; students look at social factors of health as well as how to collaborate with colleagues. Students don't graduate without advanced knowledge in pharmacotherapeutics, physiology, financial planning, and health promotion. All of those come in handy when running clinical programs. Students also practice using the concepts during an 11-credit DNP project.
FNP DNP Programs in Indiana
Indiana Wesleyan University
Marion, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
Post-Baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)[online][BSN to DNP option]
Indiana Wesleyan University has a 48-month post-baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice that prepares students for certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner. The program uses an online format with three residencies. Classes are delivered in a block format, and students typically take two courses per block. The program also uses a lock-step cohort design, so if students need to retake a class they must join a new cohort. The first onsite residency includes orientation to the program and the DNP scholarly project. Students present their DNP project proposal at the second residency and present the project at the final residency. The program's goal is to develop nurses who can use innovative approaches to evidence-based practice, influence heath care policy, and collaborate with other medical professionals.
Marian University
Indianapolis, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
Marian University's DNP-Family Nurse Practitioner is a 71-credit program that begins in the summer. Students can follow a part-time or full-time plan of study, and full-time students can finish in eight semesters. When students are ready for clinical practice (that's the fifth semester for full-time students), the school helps locate clinical sites and preceptors. Future FNPs complete three semesters of clinical rounds plus a primary care immersion in the final semester. The immersion is designed to prepare candidates to work as an entry-level FNP. Three courses are dedicated to the DNP project, in which students assess a practice issue, implement a solution, and evaluate the results. The DNP is a fairly new degree at Marian--the first class of DNP FNPs all passed the certification exam.
Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
Purdue University's DNP specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner uses a hybrid format that limits the amount of time students spend on campus. RNs with a bachelor's degree or an MSN without an advanced practice specialty qualify for the FNP certification exam upon graduation. Nurses with a BSN complete 78 credits and more than 1,000 practice hours. Students take primarily foundational and DNP core courses in the first year, move on to advanced nursing classes in the second year, and complete clinical courses in the third year. Students in the DNP program can create a subspecialty such as quality improvement or rural health through cognate classes. Candidates may be able to work practice hours in the school's NP-led clinics and with local HMOs.
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
Graduates of the Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program at Saint Mary's College gain more than advanced nursing skills. They also acquire entrepreneurial skills that prepare them to open their own practice or lead a start-up company to promote an innovation in health care. One of the required courses covers social entrepreneurship and the business of health care. The DNP project is a six-seminar sequence where students create a capstone innovation project. The capstone requires students to apply the principles of social entrepreneurship. Courses in the FNP specialty include population-based mental health, primary care of adults, gerontologic health and wellness, and reproductive health. The program is primarily online, and students take two or three courses per term.
University of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
RNs with at least two years of full-time experience can prepare as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the University of Indianapolis's BSN to DNP program. Students follow a full-time schedule and graduate with the doctorate in three years. FNP students complete 65 credits, including clinical classes. UIndy provides online delivery of courses, but students come to campus each August for intensive sessions that combine education with networking and relationship building. The College of Nursing requires students to find their own preceptors and gain clinical experience in diverse settings to better develop their skills. Recent graduating classes have achieved a 100% pass rate on the national FNP certification exam.
University of Southern Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
At the University of Southern Indiana, BSN to DNP students take the clinical courses in their advanced practice specialty, such as Family Nurse Practitioner, in the final year of their studies. Full-time students earn a degree in four years, and part-timers in five years. In the years leading up to their specialty classes, students spend much of their time focusing on applying evidence from research in innovative ways to improve practice outcomes. For the DNP project, students use the principles of evidence-based practice in a real-world situation. Other classes cover topics such as health care policy, cultural diversity, and health promotion. The program has a hybrid delivery system that requires students to be campus two or three days most semesters.
FNP DNP Programs in Iowa
Allen College
Waterloo, Iowa
Accreditation: CCNE
Allen College and UnityPoint Health have partnered to present a BSN to DNP program for RNs who want to prepare as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Students may attend full-time, which allows them to earn the degree in eight semesters, or part-time, which takes 12 semesters. The curriculum requires 71 credits and covers classes in advanced nursing practice, the FNP specialty, and the DNP core. Specialty classes include primary care of women and children, caring for adults and older adults, and complex care of the family. Each student completes at least 600 hours of clinical practice in family medicine and another 400 hours devoted to the clinical scholarship project. For the project, students must implement an organizational change at the system level.
Clarke University
Dubuque, Iowa
Accreditation: CCNE
Clarke University's Family Nurse Practitioner concentration uses a cohort system. Groups of 20 students enter on either a full-time or part-time basis. After three to five years of study, they can emerge with a DNP. The 81-credit program is for students with bachelor's degree, though the Department of Nursing and Health also runs a DNP bridge program for nurses with an MSN. That program is just 39 to 48 credits. Students likely want to be close to Dubuque, Iowa, as they'll be attending classes on campus twice a month. The rest of the time they'll be completing online coursework or finishing their 1,000 practicum hours in a healthcare setting. The coursework produces caregivers that can not only provide 'womb to tomb care' but can also manage a healthcare business. Thus, enrollees take coursework in economics, policy, and leadership before graduating.
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Accreditation: CCNE
University of Iowa College of Nursing offers pathways for RNs at nearly every level of education and expertise. First, the BSN-DNP is a hybrid program with three-year and four-year schedules. The MSN-DNP is a two- to three-year hybrid program for APRNs seeking FNP certification along with their doctorate. And the APRN-DNP is an online program with two- and three-year course plans for practicing FNPs who want a doctorate. So, students with a BSN take 83 credits, MSN-holders 49, and practicing FNPs just 29. Additionally, the College of Nursing allows post-bachelor's enrollees to seek dual certification as a family nurse practitioner and one of two other APRN specializations: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner. Doing so brings the total credit count to 102 and the clinical practice hours to 1,540 compared to just 1,000 in the standalone FNP.
FNP DNP Programs in Kansas
Fort Hays State University
Hays, Kansas
Accreditation: CCNE
Fort Hays University limits admission to the BSN to DNP program in Family Nurse Practitioner to residents of Kansas. Enrollees also must complete their clinical experiences in Kansas. The degree uses a hybrid format, with visits to the campus kept to a minimum. Many semesters students won't be enrolled in any classes that require travel to FHU. Students can complete the 75-credit program in four years. In the first few semesters, students take doctoral-level courses that provide a broad view of the health care system, including evaluation and management, informatics, and health care policy. Courses in the FNP specialty cover pediatrics, primary care diagnostics and procedures, and adult primary care. Candidates start their preceptorships in the third year and perform two DNP residencies in conjunction with a scholarly project.
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, Kansas
Accreditation: CCNE
Sometimes it's good to have career options, and Pittsburg State University makes it easy for DNP students to increase their opportunities. Students preparing for a future as a Family Nurse Practitioner in the BSN to DNP program can add a nursing education emphasis with another three credits - opening the door for a faculty post as well as a direct practice career. The regular BSN to DNP requires 74 credits, and it takes 77 credits with the education emphasis (which includes using two elective class slots for nursing education courses). The majority of classes are available online, providing students with some flexibility in scheduling. Pittsburg State also has an MSN to DNP option, and the nursing education specialty is open to post-master's students.
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The ideal applicant for the Family Nurse Practitioner track of KU's post-bachelor's DNP is a practicing nurse within commuting distance of Kansas City. That's because, while most of the program's courses are online, students must visit the KU Medical Center for several classes, practicums, and exams. Also, most of the clinical sites are around Kansas City, with some outside sites to accommodate students further afield. The entire program is 75 units long, with courses leisurely divided across five years; the school recommends five to eight units each in the fall and spring semesters and two or three in the summer. However, students can modify the course plan to fit around their work schedules. That may be needed, as KU School of Nursing requests applicants have a year of clinical work experience. The school also prefers candidates who earned a 3.5 GPA in their BSN program.
Washburn University
Topeka, Kansas
Accreditation: CCNE
By incorporating MBA courses in accounting, marketing, and entrepreneurship into its DNP program, Washburn University aims to create APRNs who can direct clinical programs and run healthcare organizations. Its BSN-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner specialty is 75 credits and slated to take nine semesters. But students can reassess their schedule a year in and decide to speed up the program. Students who already have an MSN but no APRN certification shave a few credits off, needing 70 units to get their DNP. Those with FNP certification need 44. Washburn's also gone to the trouble of creating tracks that allow FNPs to get a new specialization. Enrollees take 57 credits to get a DNP via the FNP to Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track. All of the pathways are online and practicums are held in participants' state of residence, so RNs who apply just need a license in their state.
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas
Accreditation: CCNE
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The Family Nurse Practitioner DNP at Wichita State prepares RNs to work in a rural setting or a bigger city like Wichita. Students may have clinicals in both a bustling urgent care and a rural clinic. The 74-credit post-bachelor's program runs for nine semesters. Though a few classes are online, most are held on campus during the week. Also, though the course plan has a prescribed sequence, two spots are slotted in for electives within the first year, opening up the possibility to prepare to become a nurse educator or drill down into gerontological care, for instance. Perhaps they'll choose to incorporate it into their evidence-based nursing project. All students get plenty of coursework in drug therapy and pathophysiology, among other areas. RNs with an MSN and APRN licensure can apply to the DNP - Individual/Family Focus program, which is run online and requires 29 credits of work.
FNP DNP Programs in Kentucky
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Accreditation: CCNE
The University of Kentucky uses a hybrid immersion format for the BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program. In this format, students do most coursework online but come to Lexington for a few days at the start and end of each semester. Full-time students can graduate in three years, and part-timers take four to five years. In addition to specialty classes that focus on primary care across the lifespan, DNP students spend significant time learning about evidence-based practice. They learn research methods, how to evaluate evidence, and how to apply it for quality and safety in health care. At the end of the DNP program, candidates complete an evidence-based project to bring a positive change in practice. Recent grads investigated topics such as asthma education for children and hand hygiene.
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Accreditation: CCNE
The University of Louisville uses a hybrid format for classes in the BSN to DNP concentration in Family Nurse Practitioners. Online classes may be synchronous or asynchronous, and students visit campus several times a semester for a full day of academic activities. Students on a full-time schedule earn a degree in three years, with the first semesters covering foundational classes in evidence-based practice, leadership, and advanced nursing. Courses in the specialty include adult health, women's health, pediatrics, mental health, and gerontology pharmacology. As students explore their career interests, they begin to work on a scholarly practice project, such as quality improvement or evidence-based practice guidelines. UL also has DNP programs for post-MSN nurses seeking a first or second specialty as an FNP.
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Accreditation: CCNE
The 76-credit BSN-DNP at WKU features part-time and full-time course plans so that working nurses can go at their own speed. First-year students in the full-time Family Nurse Practitioner track spend four weekends each term in Bowling Green taking seminars; the rest of the classes are online. In their second year, they add a few on-campus weekday courses to the mix along with clinicals. That pattern holds for their third and final year. Leadership classes pop up throughout the curriculum, creating pathways to administrative work after graduation. Still, practice isn't neglected, as students log over 1,000 hours in the program conducting primary care for infants, children, adolescents, and adults. The School of Nursing looks for RNs who have a BSN and hold licensure from Kentucky or a compact state.
FNP DNP Programs in Louisiana
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Applicants to the BSN-DNP Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner program at LSUHSC need to be eligible for a Louisiana nursing license, hold a BSN, have RN experience in any state, possess transcripts showing a 3.0 from all college work, and net a 300 on the GRE for entry. Once enrolled in the 91-credit program, they'll face a first-year curriculum that is heavy on classroom instruction. Year 1 mixes nursing coursework with some general biostatistics and health science. Year 2 is all nursing, including three separate practicums covering episodic disease management, chronic disease management, and pediatric and reproductive health. In the third and final year, participants propose, implement, and present a scholarly project while they wrap up four separate practicums. The on-campus program is best for nurses who live in the area and have few designs on working full-time while in school; classes meet regularly from Monday to Saturday.
Loyola University-New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
Loyola University New Orleans offers a fully online BSN to DNP with a concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner. The program requires 78 credits, and on average, students complete the degree in three or four years. Students typically take two or three courses per semester, and they can consult their academic advisors about a specific course plan. Nurses usually spend the first few semesters in advanced nursing courses, such as pathophysiology, pharmacotherapeutics, and theoretical foundations and research methods. After completing a course in advanced health assessment, students begin FNP specialty courses covering primary care of adults, gerontology, women's health, and pediatrics. Loyola encourages students to take electives in statistics and scientific writing early in the program so they can use those skills in their coursework.
Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, Louisiana
Accreditation: CCNE
Southeastern Louisiana University's BSN to DNP program prepares nurses for the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty. If they choose, students in this program can exit after they have completed the requirements for an MSN with an FNP concentration. However, students only need to complete three more academic classes and three residencies to finish the DNP, adding another year to their studies. During the master's portion of the program, students complete three clinical courses in family nursing, but they also gain skills in evidence-based practice and clinical scholarship. Another focus of the program in leadership skills. Students take classes in organizational and systems leadership, business leadership, and project planning. This mix of skills prepares nurses to lead change in the delivery of care.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Accreditation: CCNE
The University of Louisiana Lafayette markets its BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program as a fast-track option and, at eight semesters, it has one of the shortest completion times available to advance from bachelor's degree to doctorate. Students attend full-time and should be ready to hit the ground running. In the first semester, they take four courses, including pharmacotherapeutics and applied statistics. After a health assessment and diagnostic reasoning class in the second semester, FNP students begin clinical practice hours in the third semester. They'll continue to rack up clinical hours all the way through the final semester. In total, future FNPs put in 1,020 practice hours and complete 70 credits. Classes include leadership and health policy, ethics, systems leadership, and preventive care for populations.
FNP DNP Programs in Maryland
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
Accreditation: CCNE
Johns Hopkins University uses online classes and onsite immersion events to ensure Family Nurse Practitioner DNP candidates have the advanced clinical skills they need to succeed. Immersions include simulation, work with standardized patients, and possible service on interprofessional teams. Students travel to Baltimore about once a semester for the immersions. Students who relocate to Baltimore still take classes online, but they can complete their clinical learning experiences with a partner site in the Johns Hopkins network. For the DNP scholarly project, the faculty can help students develop a proposal to build upon research taking place at the university or its partner institutions. A recent DNP project by an FNP candidate was a quality improvement project on transitioning adolescents and young adults to adult care.
Salisbury University
Salisbury, Maryland
Post-Bachelor's to DNP (FNP)[BSN to DNP option]
The School of Nursing at Salisbury University in Maryland admits RNs with a BSN or an MSN. The former can go into a Family Nurse Practitioner concentration that requires 80 credits over four years. The course load is heaviest during the fall and spring, with lower-key summers, though students can take fewer credits per term to craft a part-time experience. To graduate, they'll need to finish a DNP project and log 1,000 clinical hours. The post-master's DNP with a Family Nurse Practitioner concentration is 68 credits and designed to take a minimum of three years. Students finish a DNP project and 400 clinical hours. Finally, a post-doctoral FNP certificate of completion prepares current DNP holders to transfer specialties by taking nine courses specific to family nurse practitioners.
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Bethesda, Maryland
Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP)[BSN to DNP option]
USU Graduate School of Nursing welcomes applications from commissioned officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and U.S. Public Health Service who also have a BSN. Unlike other nursing schools, it's preparing APNs for operational readiness. That means the program features elective courses and practicums in Dive Medicine, Military Mountain Medicine, and Cold Weather Medicine. The Family Nurse Practitioner and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner specialty within the DNP degree requires enrollees to take 101 credits. Among those are military-specific courses such as Military Assault, Battlefield Acupuncture and Integrative Concepts, and Primary Care of the Military Member. DNP projects address one of 14 priority areas affecting military communities. Students should expect to spend time implementing projects at a military treatment facility that partners with the school. Except for clinical and project hours, the three-year curriculum is designed for students to attend full-time on campus in Bethesda, Maryland. USU doesn't charge tuition.
University of Maryland-Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland
Physical health or mental health? The Department of Family and Community Health at UM School of Nursing offers chances to specialize in either. Moreover, the DNP Family Nurse Practitioner and DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner - Family specialties both lay out multiple paths to admission. Students can have a BSN or MSN. They can be practicing nurse practitioners in the specialty or nurse practitioners changing specialties. Above the post-bachelor's level, just about everything is personalized around the enrollee's educational history. BSN-DNP students choose between three-, four-, and five-year plans. The two specializations share a DNP core that's online, while classes within the specialty must be taken on campus in Baltimore. All 1,000 practicum hours, meanwhile, occur throughout Maryland and D.C. To apply to the PMHNP program, nurses should have a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing certification and be working in the field. Applicants to the FNP program don't necessarily need work experience.
FNP DNP Programs in Massachusetts
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Accreditation: CCNE
Direct Entry DNP - Family Health[MSN required]
Post-Baccalaureate DNP - Family Health[BSN to DNP option]
Post-Master's DNP - Family Health[MSN required]
RN to DNP - Family Health[BSN to DNP option]
Boston College has four pathways in its Doctor of Nursing Practice FNP program. Students can enter with a BSN, MSN, or as an RN without a bachelor's degree. There's also a program for students without a nursing degree who want to enter the profession. Students can only join the family medicine program in the fall semester. The family health specialty focuses on improving the health of individuals and preventing illness. The doctoral portion of the program prepares students to navigate the complexities of America's health care system and initiate change based on evidence and translational science. When it's time for clinical practice, Boston College nurses may be assigned to a wide range of agencies, clinics, and hospitals in the Greater Boston area.
Regis College
Weston, Massachusetts
Accreditation: ACEN
Post-BSN nurses can earn a Family Nurse Practitioner DNP through online classes or in a traditional on-campus format through Regis College. The completely online DNP program allows students to start in the fall, spring, or summer semester, and enrollees can earn their degree in as few as 40 months. Students in the FNP track take classes in primary care across the lifespan, gerontology, and pharmacology, and complete 600 hours of clinical practice in family nursing. They also select one specialty elective, choosing from classes in care of childbearing women, nursing education, or complementary therapy. Core classes for the DNP emphasize research and evidence-based practice, including courses in informatics and biostatistics. Students also spend four semesters designing, implementing, and evaluating a scholarly project.
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts
Accreditation: CCNE
To apply to the DNP program at UMass Amherst, RNs must have a BSN (or higher). Or they can have an associate-level nursing degree and a bachelor's in a different discipline. They also need a 3.0 GPA, licensure, and the usual assortment of writing samples, recommendation letters, and statements of purpose. They don't, however, need to take the GRE. The College of Nursing's Family Nurse Practitioner concentration allows admitted students to enroll in a four- or five-year plan. Plus, the DNP is 100% online, with students finishing their practicums in their state. That flexibility makes the program worthy of a look from working nurses, who can perhaps reassess work-school balance one to two years into the program - after they complete foundational work. From then on, they'll be tackling clinicals, a capstone, and coursework each semester until graduation. The program ends with a project presentation and a final residency.
University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
There are multiple ways to get into the DNP Family Nurse Practitioner track at UMass Medical School. The standard route into the hybrid program is by having a BSN. That takes students on a 78-credit program that features a standardized DNP core over Year 1, practicums and DNP project work in Year 2, and a smattering of coursework, project work, and practicums in Year 3. The second route is a pre-graduate option for RNs with a baccalaureate but only a diploma- or associate-level nursing degree. It only adds on two extra classes, which can be completed toward the beginning. The last route is the Graduate Entry Pathway for college graduates with zero nursing experience. That's a 128-credit program that takes an extra year, with the front end of the program packed with introductory classes in pharmacology, clinical care, and nursing concepts. Students in this track spend more time in internships.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts
Accreditation: CCNE
BS to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
BS to DNP Fast Track - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
UMass Lowell offers full-time and part-time options for its BSN to DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner. There's even a "fast-track" option for current UML nursing students who have earned a 3.5 GPA. The BSN to DNP uses a hybrid format with online courses that may require students to come to campus once a month on a Saturday. The curriculum includes 75 credits and at least 1,000 practice hours. Students complete three practicum experiences for FNP requirements and devote additional practice hours to a leadership practicum, the DNP project, and an FNP role immersion tied to the DNP project. The curriculum provides advanced practice nursing classes and courses in evidence-based practice, social and cultural policy, information systems, and biostatistics.
FNP DNP Programs in Michigan
Madonna University
Livonia, Michigan
Accreditation: CCNE
Nurses interested in family medicine can earn a DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner at Madonna University or obtain a dual concentration in FNP and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP. The FNP program requires 74 credits, and the dual qualification requires 75. The curriculums are similar, sharing all core courses, a primary care course, and a class in assessing pediatric patients and childbearing women. FNP students take additional primary care classes and practicum, while the dual degree includes courses covering acute care of adults. With either track, students can choose a full-time or part-time plan of study. Classes use a mix of formats, including online, hybrid, and face-to-face. Doctoral-level courses prepare students to serve as health care leaders with skills in using evidence to inform practice, financial management, and interdisciplinary cooperation.
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Michigan State University uses a hybrid format for the BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program. Some courses are entirely online, while others require in-person meetings. Typically students travel to the East Lansing campus four or five times per semester. Future FNPs complete five semesters of practicum with a focus on clinical diagnosis and patient management across the lifespan. Core coursework for the BSN to DNP program provides nurses with a broad foundation of scientific underpinnings, including epidemiology and informatics. They also gain an understanding of the complexities of the health care system, including policy, advocacy, quality management, and leadership. Students synthesize what they have learned while completing a practice inquiry project.
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, Michigan
Accreditation: CCNE
Northern Michigan University uses a part-time, low-residency format for the Doctor of Nursing Practice that prepares students as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Courses are mainly online, and students make occasional visits to campus. Candidates can complete their clinical practicum in their home community. The university has both BSN to DNP and MSN to DNP options. The post-BSN program requires 78 credits, and students can complete it in 12 semesters, with the MSN conferred after eight semesters. The final four semesters are dedicated to the doctoral program, including classes in research, interprofessional leadership, evidence-based practice, and informatics. Students may work on their DNP project any semesters they choose, as long as it's complete before graduation. The 33-credit post-masters DNP is individualized based on a student's prior coursework.
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, Michigan
Accreditation: CCNE
Saginaw State Valley University has a BSN to DNP program that awards an MSN at the end of the third year. At that point, students can take the certification exam as a Family Nurse Practitioner and work while completing the doctoral degree's final requirements. DNP coursework prepares students to serve as leaders in the complex American health care system, with courses in financial data, health care policy, and collaboration. Many of the DNP classes emphasize the need for research and evidence-based practice, including courses in analytic methods of quality improvement and translational scholarship. Students use those skills when completing the DNP project, where they collaborate with an agency to improve patient outcomes at the system level.
University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, Michigan
Accreditation: COA
At the University of Detroit Mercy, the faculty trains nurses as Family Nurse Practitioners who provide primary care to patients of all ages. Students in this BSN to DNP program learn about practice models that focus on the family as a unit, promote health and disease prevention, and collaborate with other professionals. Detroit Mercy allows students to exit the program when they complete the FNP master's requirements. The BSN to DNP program requires 72 credits, with the MSN exit occurring after 47 credits. Students may choose a full-time or part-time plan of study. Along with the emphasis on primary care, the program promotes the use of evidence-based nursing practice. To that end, students take classes in analytic methods and complete an evidence-based research project.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Nurse-midwifery and Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Nurses who want to provide primary care to families have two options for a BSN to DNP program at the University of Michigan. In addition to a Family Nurse Practitioner DNP, UM also offers a dual concentration in nurse-midwifery and FNP for nurses who want to prepare for even more career possibilities. Either track prepares students for the national certification exams in their specialty. The FNP specialty is available in an online format that requires students to visit Ann Arbor three days each semester for skills workshops and assessments, expert seminars, and networking. FNP students, who can select a three- or four-year schedule, can add an occupational health nursing concentration. The nurse-midwifery-FNP concentration is a four-year program with 95 credits.
University of Michigan-Flint
Flint, Michigan
Accreditation: CCNE
RNs don't need a BSN to get into UM-Flint's DNP program, as long as they have a bachelor's in something. Of course, if admitted they'll have to take several prerequisites to wrap up the undergraduate portion. These classes, which include Transcultural Health Care and Community Health Nursing, tend to be online like the rest of the program. For those nurses entering straight into the BSN-DNP, the Family Nurse Practitioner concentration runs 69 to 75 credits. Within the concentration, there are four practicums, with corresponding coursework geared toward treating women, children, and people with mental illnesses. Enrollees complete additional practicums as part of the DNP core. All clinical practicums can be done in the student's region. The university runs a Dual MBA option for those interested in healthcare administration; students can cut down on the time to complete an MBA by applying 15 credits toward both programs.
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)[BSN to DNP option]
The Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program at Wayne State University's College of Nursing prepares nurses to treat patients across the lifespan in a primary care setting. Clinical classes focus on treating all ages, from infants to the elderly. Courses cover skills such as health assessment and diagnostic reasoning, as well as health promotion. Future FNPs also gain experience in managing chronic and acute conditions. Students complete clinical practice hours in settings ranging from federally qualified health centers to primary care centers. The College of Nursing focuses on treating patients in urban communities, including underserved populations. Students also receive a thorough grounding in using scientific evidence to improve practice and learn how to serve as practice leaders and patient educators.
FNP DNP Programs in Minnesota
Augsburg University
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Accreditation: CCNE
The DNP-Family Nurse Practitioner track at Augsburg accepts RNs with a BSN or MSN who are licensed in Minnesota and can procure licenses to do clinical rotations in other states. The program targets nurses with substantial work experience, requiring enrollees to have been RNs for at least three years (and preferring five). Students enroll full-time in the fall. Classes are held in Minneapolis and two hours away in Rochester. However, the program uses immersion formats, with most courses condensed into a few days of intense instruction per term. Not all immersions and practicums have to be in Minnesota. In fact, students can study abroad in England, Guatemala, Mexico, or Namibia. Finally, Augsburg doesn't have a cookie cutter curriculum. Instead, expect classes with titles like 'Through the Lens of Wholeness: A Human Approach to Wellness' and 'Informatics and Health Policy: The Colonization of Knowledge.'
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota
BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
RNs with a BSN or entry-level MSN can prepare for the Family Nurse Practitioner role through Metropolitan State University's DNP program. The program is only offered in a full-time format that takes nine semesters for post-BSN nurses and seven semesters for post-MSN nurses. The BSN to DNP track requires 80 credits, including 34 credits in research and theory, 12 in leadership, 26 in clinical classes, and 11 in the DNP scholarship project. Nurses with an entry-level MSN complete 63 credits. Courses in the FNP specialty include primary care, pediatrics, complex care, and labs and diagnostics. Graduates have the skills to translate knowledge from science into practice, advocate for policies that promote health care, and collaborate with other professionals.
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, Minnesota
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Nurses with a BSN can prepare for a career as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the BSN to DNP program at Minnesota State University-Mankato. The 80-credit program uses a primarily distance-learning format that requires students to travel to the Edina, Minnesota, campus monthly. Courses in the FNP specialty include family mental health nursing, adult and older adult health, diagnostics and procedures, child and adolescent health, and reproductive health. Students complete more than 1,050 clinical hours spread over FNP clinical classes and the DNP project. For the capstone, students must complete an evidence-based clinical project. MSU-Mankato students are eligible for the Becky Taylor Fellowship, which supports research and education to improve family and societal health.
The College of Saint Scholastica
Duluth, Minnesota
The bachelor's-to-DNP program at The College of Saint Scholastica is for nurses who want to work with underserved populations. Those populations don't have to be in Minnesota. In fact, the college encourages working RNs from all states to apply, and it helps arrange clinicals near where students live. Moreover, the four-year program is mostly online, with only a few required trips to campus in Duluth or St. Cloud. The Family Nurse Practitioner specialty features five practicums: pediatrics, reproductive health, adult health, geriatric care, and rural urgent care. The school likes to see a year of RN work experience on applications, especially from areas with few doctors and nurses. It also seeks out leaders and requires applicants to have earned a 3.0 GPA from a bachelor's-level nursing program. Students who live close to St. Cloud or Duluth can apply for one of roughly 25 graduate assistant positions within the School of Nursing.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Accreditation: CCNE
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
In a bid to make a doctorate affordable, the University of Minnesota School of Nursing offers multiple financial wards to incoming DNP students, including the Bentson Scholarship. The $20,000 award goes to 50 enrollees each year. That should make it easier to justify pausing a career to enroll in the three-year BSN-DNP program. (Students can stretch the 80-credit program to four years, if desired.) Enrollees will want to have easy access to Minneapolis, because they'll be on campus for nearly a week each term to take courses and meet with their advisor. That schedule ramps up in the second year, with students coming to campus several days every other week. Students can combine the power of a Family Nurse Practitioner degree with a Master of Public Health by pursuing a dual degree. It adds only two semesters to their program, as the final DNP project counts toward both curriculums.
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota
Accreditation: CCNE
The Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program at Winona State University is available with a three-year or four-year plan of study. Overall, students are required to complete 73 credits beyond the baccalaureate level. They also complete 1,080 clinical hours, with 720 of the clinical hours completed in role/population experiences. The other 360 clinical hours are devoted to clinical scholarship. The early semesters of the program focus on foundational courses such as applied biostatistics, molecular/genetics, and immune mechanisms. Students also learn about information management and decision making, evidence-based practice, and epidemiological approaches to population health. Students complete most of their clinical rounds in the final two semesters. Winona State has a clinical coordinator who works with students to secure clinical placements. The Nursing School has partnerships with health care facilities around Winona and Rochester, Minnesota, as well as in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where students may complete their clinical experiences.
FNP DNP Programs in Mississippi
Delta State University
Cleveland, Mississippi
The post-master's version of Delta State's DNP program has a Family Nurse Practitioner track that takes just 3 semesters and 31 credits to complete for those who choose the full-time option. The program is mostly online but best for RNs in Mississippi or Arkansas - where clinicals take place. Moreover, enrollees head to the town of Cleveland, Mississippi, several times each semester. In their first fall term at Smith School of Nursing, students take courses in evidence-based practice, ethics, and epidemiology. They also use 120 clinical hours to begin a scholarly project. The following spring, it's healthcare policy, statistics, and advanced practice leadership, plus another 120 project hours. Unlike many programs, there's no summer semester. The final fall semester, students wind up their studies with 180 project hours and classes in business and information management.
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Jackson, Mississippi
Accreditation: CCNE
The University of Mississippi Medical Center has added a BSN to DNP option to its doctoral program offerings, and enrollees can choose to prepare as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Students can select a full-time or part-time plan of study, knowing that most classes are delivered online and require students to attend one- or two-day intensives in Jackson a few times each semester. However, the required biostatistics class uses a traditional face-to-face format, so students should be prepared to travel to Jackson once a week the semester they're enrolled in that class. Post-BSN students work 630 clinical hours with the family population and also devote clinical hours to the capstone project, which involves an evidence-based practice inquiry.
University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The University of Southern Mississippi uses a hybrid format for the BSN to DNP program with a track in Family Nurse Practitioner. Courses are online, but students must travel to the campus in Hattiesburg once a semester for intensives. When it's time for clinical rotations, future FNPs complete their practice hours with a preceptor near their home community. Full-time students can complete the 71 credits in three years, but part-time schedules are also available. The program's goal is to help graduates think like nurse-scholars who can serve as leaders at all levels. To support that goal, the coursework provides a foundation in theory and research, and students get hands-on practice in creating evidence-based practice through the DNP project.
FNP DNP Programs in Missouri
Maryville University
Saint Louis, Missouri
Accreditation: CCNE
Maryville University has an online BSN to DNP program that prepares Family Nurses Practitioners with a 74-credit curriculum. Courses specific to the FNP track include adult-gerontology health care, pediatric care, and family care. Students also complete three practicum semesters where they work with adult, pediatric, and family patients. Core courses in the BSN to DNP program cover topics such as theoretical foundations of nursing practice, evidence-based practice, ethics, and synthesizing research. Students also complete three courses that guide them through their clinical inquiry project. In the first class, students design an evidence-based research project that they implement during the second class. In the final course, students analyze the data and present a written and oral report of their findings.
Missouri State University-Springfield
Springfield, Missouri
At Missouri State University-Springfield, future Family Nurse Practitioners can complete a clinical rotation without leaving campus, where the university has partnered with Mercy to host a clinic that provides primary care services for uninsured, low-income patients. The BSN to DNP-FNP program at MSU is a 79-credit program with a hybrid format. Classes are primarily online, but students come to campus at least weekly. Most students attend full time, but the faculty will work with individual students to devise a part-time study plan. In the early semesters, students focus on foundational classes such as clinical epidemiology, research methods, and technology to transform nursing. Clinical courses begin in the sixth semester, and students may be allowed to find preceptors near their home, as long as they complete the rotations in Missouri.
Saint Louis University-Main Campus
Saint Louis, Missouri
Accreditation: CCNE
The Post-baccalaureate DNP program at Saint Louis University is delivered online with students required to visit the campus four times. The program begins with an on-campus orientation, and students later return to be assessed on their skills in diagnostic reasoning and clinical assessment. The final two visits cover doctoral-level work, including presentation of the DNP project. Students can earn a degree in four or five years, depending upon whether they choose full-time or part-time status. During the final semester, students complete a DNP project, and they can emphasize research in the specialty area of their choice. The program's goal is to produce expert clinicians with leadership skills that allow them to drive improvements in health care delivery.
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, Missouri
Accreditation: CCNE
The online DNP at Sinclair School of Nursing keeps visits to the University of Missouri to a minimum, with perhaps one per year. Its focus areas come in full-time (four years) and part-time (five or six years) varieties, though students need to enroll in the former to be eligible for a graduate assistantship or the Sinclair Fellowship, which waive education fees and grant up to $10,000, respectively. Two areas of study prepare aspiring APRNs to work with families in primary care, home care, or rehabilitation centers: Family Nurse Practitioner and Family Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Each requires a minimum of 72 credits. Students can add 11 to 22 units (including at least 510 clinical hours) and pursue a dual emphasis - other areas of study include gerontology, pediatrics, and nursing leadership. The FNP and FPMHNP programs accommodate students with BSNs, MSNs in the specialty, and MSNs without a specialty.
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Accreditation: CCNE
At UMKC School of Nursing & Health Studies, students should be able to manage their schedules so they can continue working while earning their degree. Though some of the online courses in the post-bachelor's program are synchronous, they are all scheduled for Thursday and Friday. And while clinicals correspond with a brief on-campus residency each semester, the rotations themselves can be scheduled for clinical sites near the student's home. The Family Nurse Practitioner track requires enrollees to complete 74 credits, and students who want to work can opt for a part-time load that adds another year to their commitment. Early units cover cultural diversity so students can relate to patients from different backgrounds, as well as introduce healthcare systems and advocacy so students are prepared to be leaders in their organizations. Later semesters are predominantly devoted to clinicals, project work, and a final 330-hour residency.
University of Missouri-St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri
Accreditation: CCNE
Nurses who want to provide primary care to patients across the lifespan can train through the BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Full-time students can complete the degree in three years, while the part-time plan takes four years. Students who follow the full-time plan jump right into the Advanced P classes (first and second semester) and begin clinical courses in the third semester. The College of Nursing helps students find preceptors and clinical sites, or students can locate their own. There's also the option of a mission trip. DNP classes move the focus from direct patient care to a systems view, preparing grads to take an active role in improving outcomes for whole populations.
FNP DNP Programs in Montana
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana
The DNP (Family/Individual) program at Montana State is a three-year degree that incorporates 83 credits and 1,125 clinical hours. Forty-seven of those credits happen in the first four semesters. During the final four semesters, students work on a professional project while completing advanced coursework. Clinicals are scattered throughout, although students don't really get into the field until their first summer in the program. A part-time option adds three semesters to the standard eight. Though students come to Bozeman each fall, the rest of the program is online to meet the needs of the state's rural population. Students from outside Montana are welcome to apply and can complete practicums from their home states, so long as they earned a 3.0 en route to a BSN. Students can try to pay for college through the Nurse Faculty Loan Program or the Advanced Education Nurse Traineeship.
FNP DNP Programs in Nebraska
Clarkson College
Omaha, Nebraska
Accreditation: ACEN
Clarkson College has a BSN to DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner that prepares nurses to provide primary care and serve as an educator, patient advocate, and referral agent. Students learn to use evidence-based care standards to promote health and achieve the best outcomes for individuals. Nurses complete 28 credits in core classes, learning about topics such as health care informatics, leadership, and epidemiology. They also complete 39 credits in the FNP specialty, including courses in primary care of women, care of children and adolescents, foundations of gerontological health care, and advanced nutrition. In addition to the required courses, students take four credits in electives, with options including entrepreneurship, grant writing, learning theories, and program planning.
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska
Creighton's DNP program expects graduates to do four things well: promote good health in patient populations, diagnose illnesses, provide appropriate medication, and treat disease. The Family Nurse Practitioner track mandates 72-75 credits, 30 of which come in the specialty. That's where students take multiple classes on caring for elderly populations and children. They also take 825 hours' worth of practicums and top their degree off with a final 375-hour residency. With fall, spring, and summer starts, the College of Nursing welcomes applications year-round. Moreover, the admissions committee doesn't care about the GRE. Instead, it wants applicants with a BSN and at least 2,000 hours of experience directly caring for patients. RNs can enroll on a part- or full-time basis, and the hybrid nature of the program means students can spend most of their study time away from Omaha.
Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health
Omaha, Nebraska
Accreditation: CCNE
The Family Nurse Practitioner BSN-DNP at Nebraska Methodist College is an online program. Enrollees register for 75 credits, 57 of which come from distance learning. The remaining 18 come from clinical practicums. Not all of the course plan is prescribed - students get to choose two electives. These include courses called Rural Nursing and Civic Health. But there are also classes in curriculum development and instructional development for graduates who want to teach. The school gives an extra nudge in this direction by participating in the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, which can cancel up to 85% of school loans in exchange for a teaching commitment. Full-time students take three years to finish their studies, and three different part-time course plans are available. To get in, RN work experience isn't necessary, but a license and a BSN are. The admissions committee looks for a 3.0 GPA and doesn't ask for GRE scores.
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The DNP core at UNMC College of Nursing is 24 to 35 credits long. The linchpin of that section of the curriculum is the Clinical Inquiry course, a practicum built around students' specific goals and the setting in which they wish to work. There are another eight classes in biostatistics, epidemiology, evidence-based practice, assessment methods, systems change, policy, leadership, and finance. Students in the Family Nurse Practitioner track take a further 24 to 37 credits: pathophysiology, pharmacology, assessment, practice, health promotion, and primary healthcare for children and older adults. Students choose whether they wish to finish all the courses in three years or four. The total is a year shorter for students who come in with an MSN. Graduates should be able to secure certification as an Advanced Nurse Executive or a Certified Nurse Manager and Leader.
FNP DNP Programs in Nevada
University of Nevada-Reno
Reno, Nevada
Accreditation: CCNE
Aspiring Family Nurse Practitioners can complete most of the BSN to DNP coursework online through the University of Nevada, Reno. They'll still visit the campus each semester for immersion sessions, ranging from one day to three days, that allow students to acquire skills and network with faculty and fellow students. Full-time students can complete the degree in eight semesters, while part-timers require 11 semesters. Unlike many schools that put the DNP project at the end of the program, UNR has nurses start working on the project in the first year, allowing them to spread to required steps over a more extended period. FNP specialty classes focus on managing acute, chronic, and complex illnesses in the primary care setting and the FNP role in health promotion.
FNP DNP Programs in New Jersey
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Madison, New Jersey
Accreditation: CCNE
Post-Baccalaureate MSN-DNP: Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Rutgers University
Camden, New Jersey
Accreditation: CCNE
Post Baccalaureate DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The Rutgers School of Nursing is one of the first in the country to offer a Family Nurse Practitioner concentration in emergency care as part of the DNP program at the Newark campus. A traditional FNP track is also available. The emergency care concentration requires 77 credits, including classes and practicum in primary care and emergency care. Students complete 945 practice hours in the specialty and 500 mentored hours. Graduates are skilled in assessing emergency and urgent care situations and are prepared for jobs in hospital emergency departments, prisons, and schools. The traditional FNP program requires 74 credits, including classes in women's health, pediatrics, and geriatric health. Students can complete either track in three or four years. The Camden campus offers an FNP-DNP program that uses a blended format.
Stockton University
Galloway, New Jersey
Accreditation: CCNE
Post-BSN DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)[BSN to DNP option]
To serve the needs of working nurses, Stockton University's DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner uses a hybrid format and accepts part-time students. In addition to advancing their nursing skills in primary care across the lifespan, students gain leadership knowledge and organizational skills. They learn to develop and evaluate new ways to deliver care to improve health outcomes. The FNP-DNP requires 77 credits and four or five years to complete. In the first few semesters, students take a mix of theory, systems thinking, and advanced nursing classes. They complete the FNP specialty courses and accompanying clinical practice experiences in the middle of the program. Candidates finish their doctoral work by completing a research project and practice immersion.
FNP DNP Programs in New Mexico
New Mexico State University-Main Campus
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Accreditation: CCNE
New Mexico State University has moved the classes for the BSN to DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner to a fully online format. However, students must attend a two-day orientation on campus at the start of the three-year program, and return for a week-long clinical boot camp before they start their FNP specialty classes. The program only accepts full-time students. Enrollees must complete more than 1,000 clinical hours and a project that demonstrates their clinical knowledge and skills in translating research to practice. Students begin work on the DNP project in the third semester after taking classes in informatics and evidence-based practice. Clinical courses start in the seventh semester.
FNP DNP Programs in New York
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, New York
Accreditation: AACN
BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)[BSN to DNP option]
Students in the Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program at Columbia University are assigned to a wide variety of clinical practicum settings - everything from the CVS Minute Clinic to major research hospitals in the area. The experiences allow students to use their diagnostic and management skills while treating pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients. Classes in the FNP specialty include complex care across settings, care for the childbearing years, pediatric primary care, and sexual and reproductive health. As a culminating experience, each DNP candidate completes an intensive practicum in which they integrate assessment, differential diagnosis, and therapeutic intervention for patients with various conditions. Students also develop a professional portfolio to document their intensive DNP internship.
CUNY Hunter College
New York, New York
Family Nurse Practitioner DNP[MSN required]
Want to be a big city nurse? There's no bigger city than New York, and Hunter Bellevue School of Nursing is right in the middle of it. Students attend classes within walking distance of three major hospitals, where they will likely complete clinicals. Hunter's DNP with a Family Nurse Practitioner specialization admits certified FNPs in New York state. Applicants need to have earned at least a 3.5 in their MSN program to be considered. Because each enrollee comes in from a different master's program, the program doesn't mandate a specific course plan. Instead, students craft an individualized schedule based on previous coursework and can waive up to 42 credits. They won't be able to waive the capstone, however. That's broken down into four sections of three credits each: internship, proposal, implementation, and evaluation.
D'Youville College
Buffalo, New York
Accreditation: CCNE
MSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[MSN required]
Advanced practice nurses with an MSN can earn a DNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) in six semesters at D'Youville University. The program promises to be flexible for students who have the option of attending on campus or entirely online, following a full-time or part-time plan. Additionally, the study plan is personalized for each student based on an analysis of their previous coursework. Students are also allowed to complete the DNP capstone project through their current employer. Capstone classes involve identifying a project, designing and piloting it, implementing it, and evaluating it. The curriculum includes courses that delve into advanced nursing topics to help students become leaders in the field, such as evidence-based practice, biostatistics, and ethical issues. Students can select two electives that align with their career goals.
Dominican College of Blauvelt
Orangeburg, New York
Accreditation: CCNE
Certified Family Nurse Practitioners can earn a DNP in about two years through Dominican College while continuing to work full time. The program combines weekday evening classes with some online components to create a workable class schedule for most nurses. The courses in this program focus on practice and provide nurses with skills they can use to provide more effective care and serve as leaders in the ever-changing health care system. Those skills include informatics, data management, policy-making, and using technology. In the final two semesters, candidates complete a DNP residency were they synthesize what they have learned in class and demonstrate their clinical strengths in a real-world setting. In conjunction with the residency, students complete an evidence-based capstone project that addresses a practice issue.
Molloy College
Rockville Centre, New York
Accreditation: CCNE
Post-Master's DNP - Family Psychiatry Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (FPMHNP)[online][MSN required]
Molloy College's Doctor of Nursing Practice emphasizes a humanistic approach to nursing and trains nurses to keep respect for patients as central to the nursing profession as they prepare to become health care leaders. The post-master's program includes nine core classes and four residency courses that require a total of 500 clinical hours. Required courses cover health care economics and finance, leadership ethics, biostatistics, and epidemiology. To prepare for their clinical research residencies, students also take courses that focus on clinical research for evidence-based practice and using informatics for EBP. Most of the didactic courses use a hybrid format.
Pace University-New York
New York, New York
Pace University's part-time DNP is best for New Yorkers who want to work while earning a terminal degree. For classes, students can take the train up to the Westchester campus, less than an hour from NYC. Cohorts come together five Fridays for each of the five terms (except for the lone summer term, which requires only three visits), leaving the rest of students' schedules free for work and online studies. The 33-credit FNP track welcomes current nurse practitioners from the state, while a bridge program allows nurse practitioners in other specializations to become FNPs. Students never take more than eight credits in a term, and they begin working on a doctoral project as soon as their second semester. Through this experience, they put evidence into practice in a clinic. A 3.3 GPA from an MSN program is required for entry, as is FNP certification; the GRE isn't required.
Saint John Fisher College
Rochester, New York
Accreditation: CCNE
Post-Baccalaureate to DNP - Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Post-baccalaureate nurses can earn a DNP as a primary care Family Nurse Practitioner in three years at St. John Fisher College. The 68-credit curriculum includes 31 credits in the scholarship core, 9 credits in the DNP clinical core, 9 credits in the direct care core, and 19 credits in the FNP role. Future FNPs complete classes and practicum experiences in the care of children, women, adults, and older adults. They also learn about acute care. The scholarship core takes a system-level approach to health care, including classes in health care policy and law, biostatistics and epidemiology, systems leadership, and research methods to evaluate outcomes. Students put their research skills to work during a clinical scholarship residency.
SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, New York
Accreditation: CCNE
Advanced Standing DNP in Family Nursing[MSN required]
Nurses with an MSN and certification as nurse practitioners are eligible for the Advanced Standing Doctor of Nursing Practice that Binghamton University offers. Students can select a specialization area in family health primary care or family health with a community health emphasis. Full-time and part-time plans are available, and full-time students can earn a degree in four semesters. The curriculum includes courses in theoretical foundations of nursing, evidence-based practice, epidemiology, health policy, information systems and technology, and organizational behavior. Students also complete a DNP practicum experience and a scholarly project that focuses on creating a change that improves health outcomes through direct or indirect care. Candidates are in charge of planning, implementing, and evaluating the project .
SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Brooklyn, New York
Accreditation: CCNE
Advanced Standing DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
BS to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University uses a hybrid format for the DNP with a Family Nurse Practitioner concentration. Students with a BSN attend full time for seven semesters and take most classes online. However, once a month, students travel to campus for seminars that include networking, leadership exercises, and competency assessments. The coursework builds upon what nurses learned as undergraduates and strengthens their skills in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and interprofessional collaboration. They also learn about health care from the systems level - studying health care finance, economics, and patient safety. Students with a BSN start their clinical classes in the third semester. Nurses with an MSN and FNP certification can complete an advanced standing DNP program in six semesters of part-time study.
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Accreditation: CCNE
With a part-time and asynchronous online schedule, the MSN-DNP program at UB School of Nursing is made for certified advanced practice nurses who want to keep their day jobs. In fact, the DNP project is ideally completed at the enrollee's workplace. The Family Nurse Practitioner specialty spans five to seven semesters, distributing 36 credits across a DNP foundational core, an analytical core, and an advanced practice core. Courses in scientific writing, grant writing, and teaching mean graduates can spread their wings beyond clinical practice. The post-BSN Family Nurse Practitioner specialty is, of course, longer at 97 credits. It also has some on-campus components. In other ways it's flexible. For one thing, students can stretch a three-year course of study to seven years. For another, the curriculum incorporates mental health and leadership coursework, so graduates became holistic practitioners. The school looks for applicants with a year of RN experience.
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Accreditation: CCNE
Post-BS to DNP - Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (FPMHNP)[online][BSN to DNP option]
As the largest hospital network in the region, the University of Rochester offers DNP candidates the chance to network and build professional relationships while earning an advanced degree. The BSN to DNP program at the UR School of Nursing provides a practice specialty in Family Nurse Practitioner. The curriculum includes the advanced nursing classes and clinical experiences necessary to qualify nurses for the FNP national certification exam. But the DNP goes further, equipping nurses with the skills to take a leadership role in a practice, hospital, or system and advance health care by advocating for new policies based on scientific evidence. Courses use a hybrid format, and in-person classes meet in the late afternoon. Candidates also complete a clinical scholarship project.
FNP DNP Programs in North Carolina
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
Accreditation: CCNE
The BSN to DNP pathway at Duke University allows RNs to prepare for certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner. After completing the requirements for advanced practice nursing, students take DNP courses focusing on clinical scholarship and translating evidence from research into clinical practice. Students gain relevant skills such as measuring patient outcomes to ensure safety and quality and advocating for policies at the local, state, or national level. DNP-level courses are available online with students coming to the Duke campus for executive sessions two or three days per semester. Candidates may be able to complete the DNP project at their place of employment. Duke nursing faculty have expertise in patient safety, advanced clinical practice, and leadership. The DNP program ranked #4 on the 2021 U.S. News & World Report ranking.
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina
The ECU College of Nursing puts DNP students in the classroom with instructors who also practice. Thus, students from this rural part of North Carolina get an intimate look at working with underserved populations. The 840 clinical hours in the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty reinforce that. Most of the coursework - covering obstetrics, reproductive healthcare, pediatrics, and elder care - is online . However, all clinicals occur in the Tar Heel State. RNs who enter the program with a BSN choose whether to complete the 70 credits on a full- or part-time basis. Those that go all in face three years of advanced coursework. The first practicum doesn't happen until Year 2. By graduation, students will have taken four practicums and completed a final project. Those in the part-time program don't start practicums and project work until their third year.
Gardner-Webb University
Boiling Springs, North Carolina
Accreditation: ACEN
The post-baccalaureate Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program at Gardner-Webb University prepares nurses to provide primary care in community sets such as clinics and health centers. Courses in the specialty focus on advanced practice care of patients across the lifespan. Doctoral-level classes also provide nurses with a variety of skills that help them practice at the highest level by applying scientific research and theory to find the best approaches. They also develop skills to lead teams, support data-driven decisions, and advocate for policies to improve individual patient and population health. The FNP program requires 79 credits and uses a blended format that consists of mainly online classes supplemented with on-campus intensives. The Hunt School of Nursing has a specialist who helps students find clinical placements near their home.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The Family Nurse Practitioner specialty at UNC School of Nursing actually allows for further specialization. While there are required courses in gerontology, adult care, sexual health, and primary care for children, students can tailor other parts of their course plan to focus on specific populations. Thanks to two electives and a DNP project, they can open up their career possibilities, for instance, to work overseas or improve rural healthcare at home. The hybrid BSN-DNP is a full-time program that requires three years; there's no part-time option. To offset missed working costs, the School of Nursing works to support all students financially. It uses seven funds for merit-based awards and has further need-based funds. It hires teaching and research assistants. And those working in chronic illness prevention can apply for a fellowship. Finally, future nurse educators may be able to get their loan partially cancelled through the Nurse Faculty Loan Program.
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The College of Health and Human Services at UNC Wilmington has a 70-credit BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner track that students can complete in as few as eight semesters. The curriculum combines classes in advanced nursing with the DNP core that takes a broader, system-level view of health care. The advanced nursing classes - including pediatrics, adult health, women's health, and genomics - prepare students for the FNP certification exam and a direct care role. The DNP classes - in topics like evidence-based practice and epidemiology - give students knowledge they can apply to improve health care outcomes at the systems and patient population level. Several classes lead students through the DNP project, including developing a proposal, implementing the plan, and evaluating the findings.
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem State University has full-time and part-time plans for post-BSN nurses who want to earn a DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner. Full-time students can complete the 81 credits in as few as eight semesters. While some courses use an online format, most require some on-campus meetings. For the first two years of the DNP program, students come to campus about twice a week. When they advance to the DNP coursework in the third year, the class schedule shifts to an executive model that includes online lessons and in-person meetings four times a semester in a block scheduled for Thursday through Saturday. Students can complete their clinical experiences near their home if they can locate a preceptor and clinical sites.
FNP DNP Programs in North Dakota
North Dakota State University-Main Campus
Fargo, North Dakota
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
North Dakota State University uses a face-to-face instruction model for the Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program. By being on campus, students can develop relationships with the faculty and benefit from their experience in practice and research. (Faculty who teach in the FNP DNP program have a combined 100 years of experience.) Faculty members are also active in finding clinical placement for FNP students. Full-time students can complete the BSN to DNP program in three years. During the first two semesters, students carry a heavy course load of five classes. By the second year, they've started their clinical residencies and turn their attention to the clinical dissertation, which requires them to conduct an evidence-based practice study. Graduates have amassed a 100% first-time pass rate on the national FNP exam.
University of Mary
Bismarck, North Dakota
Accreditation: CCNE
The University of Mary offers an intensive eight-semester pathway from BSN to DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner. The courses are online with occasional week-long intensives scheduled in Bismarck, North Dakota. With the curriculum spread over just eight semesters, students should be prepared for a heavy course load. Many semesters, students are enrolled in multiple didactic classes - ranging from clinical anatomy to strategic health care decision making. Some semesters enrollees have fewer classes but may find themselves in multiple clinical courses, requiring them to work up to 475 practice and leadership hours in a semester. In all, students complete 86 credit and 1,180 practice hours. In the final semester, they also turn in a DNP project and take a competence exam.
FNP DNP Programs in Ohio
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio
Accreditation: CCNE
RNs interested in family medicine can prepare as an FNP in the DNP program at Ashland University. The curriculum has a focus on preventive and primary care, health promotion, and managing chronic conditions. Graduates are ready for an advanced practice role in private practice, clinics, hospitals, managed care organizations, or agencies. The FNP program uses an online format and provides flexibility to allow students to graduates in as few as 12 semesters. Students complete 77 credits, including 21 credits in advanced practice nursing, 22 credits in primary care, and DNP courses that cover interprofessional collaboration, leadership development, evidence-based practice, and informatics. Candidates can complete the required 1,000 clinical hours at local hospitals and health care facilities.
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, Ohio
Accreditation: CCNE
Cleveland State University's post-baccalaureate to DNP: Family Nurse Practitioner prepares nurses to provide primary care in a community-based system, private practice, or group practice. The focus is on developing clinical skills in assessing and diagnosing conditions and creating evidence-based plans of treatment. The program uses a blended delivery format with online and in-person classes. Students attend full-time for 10 semesters and study with full-time doctorally prepared faculty members. Classes begin in the fall semester, and students start clinical practicums in the fifth semester. Separate FNP clinical experiences focus on adults and their families, women's reproductive health, children and adolescents, and aging adults. Clinical hours include 780 in the FNP focus and 240 for the capstone.
Kent State University at Kent
Kent, Ohio
Accreditation: CCNE
The BSN-DNP program at Kent State offers concentrations in seven areas, including Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). Those concentrations pull from the university's MSN programs and plug courses and practicums into the first two years of the four-year program; at the halfway point, students earn their MSN. PMHNP students complete courses and practicums in both individual and family psychotherapy as part of their degree requirements. FNP candidates, meanwhile, take courses and practicums in adult and gerontology care and pediatric care. They also get extensive experience working with chronically ill patients and families. The final two years of both concentrations are structured around a DNP project as well as coursework in organizational leadership. The College of Nursing places some courses online. For those needing more flexibility, it allows students to individualize their plans to speed up graduation or work while studying.
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, Ohio
Accreditation: CCNE
The BSN-DNP at The Ohio State University College of Nursing lets students in the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty track choose between an online and on-campus experience. Distance learning courses are mainly synchronous classes held midweek, and students only come to Columbus once, not including an optional orientation. The online and on-campus curriculums are the same, though the order of courses differs slightly. Both call for 86 to 87 credits and can be completed in four years full-time or five years part-time. The first two and a half years get RNs up to speed to earn an MSN. Work during this phase includes three practicums in advanced nursing practice. After sitting for a comprehensive master's exam, students wrap up the curriculum with FNP practicums and a project.
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
The UC College of Nursing admits nurses to its Family Nurse Practitioner DNP who have a BSN and at least one year of RN experience. They also need a 3.25 GPA and are encouraged to submit GRE scores. Once accepted, they have the option of enrolling full- or part-time and can finish their degree in as few as nine semesters. The course plan consists of online classes bookended by an on-campus orientation and DNP project defense. There's also the 672 clinical hours dedicated to adult, pediatric, and women's health care. Those who are willing to add four courses - and agree to teach after graduation - can apply to the Nurse Faculty Loan Program and get up to 85% of the loan cancelled. Locals can get to the front of the classroom even faster if they can snag a Graduate Assistant Scholarship from the college.
University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
UToledo's BSN-DNP features a Family Nurse Practitioner specialty that takes three years of full-time study to complete. Course loads remain consistent throughout, running between 9 and 12 credits per term. A five-year, part-time plan is available for students who want to continue working. Both course plans mix online and on-campus classes and mandate a specific course order. Students in practicums will likely spend time at one of ProMedica's 13 Ohio and Michigan hospitals, as well as at The University of Toledo Medical Center. Applicants need a 3.0 from their BSN program and an Ohio nursing license. The College of Nursing awards graduate assistantships to select DNP students looking for funding, as well as a handful of scholarships to students who maintain a 3.0 GPA.
Walsh University
North Canton, Ohio
Accreditation: CCNE
Nurses with a BSN can earn a DNP and prepare as a Family Nurse Practitioner - and get an MSN along the way - at Walsh University. The university notes that the doctoral degree requires just two more semesters than it takes to earn an MSN. The program is online with courses that use 8- and 16-week formats for student convenience. The program also offers three start times per year, which is hard to find among DNP programs. The program has a clinical placement coordinator who takes care of finding preceptors and clinical sites for students. The BSN to DNP requires 74 credits, with specialty courses in gerontologic clients, pediatrics, women's health, and care of patients with multiple chronic conditions. Intensive sessions cover essential skills and advanced skills.
FNP DNP Programs in Oklahoma
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Accreditation: ACEN
The Kramer School of Nursing at Oklahoma City University runs a post-BSN Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program. Enrollees attend courses on campus for the first year or so. As they start taking advanced coursework, the program moves to a hybrid model in which students only come to OKC three days per term. Throughout the four-year program, they'll take about two classes each spring, summer, and fall until they've hit 67 credits. A DNP project is required for graduation, as are courses in primary care for women, children, and geriatric patients. Students should expect their practicums to be within the state as all preceptors must hold an Oklahoma license. The school applies partial tuition waivers to all students who maintain GPAs above 3.0. The renewable DNP Scholarship works on a sliding scale, with $3,000 off per term for students with a 3.75.
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Accreditation: CCNE
RNs who want to prepare as a Family Nurse Practitioner at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center enter the BSN to DNP program in the summer. The 72-credit program uses a hybrid format, with in-person sessions requiring travel to Oklahoma City, Tulsa, or Lawton. Full-time students can graduate in three years, while those on a part-time schedule exit in four or five years. Class schedules may vary from semester to semesters, but students should expect to take a mix of advanced nursing and DNP core classes in the same term. For instance, they may take an Advanced P class (or two) while also enrolled in a doctoral-level class on using technology to transform health care. Students also complete more than 1,000 practicum and clinical hours.
University of Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Accreditation: COA
BSN to DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)[BSN to DNP option]
The University of Tulsa delivers its BSN to DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner in a full-time, eight-semester format. Some classes have a significant amount of asynchronous online content, but the program emphasizes hands-on experiences, including sessions in the laboratory and simulation center. The faculty are practicing nurses who can share their experiences and perspectives. When it's time for clinical rotations, which start in the fourth semester, the faculty handles the arrangements, leaving students with more time to focus on skills and knowledge. Clinical sites are in the greater Tulsa area, but students may seek optional enrichment opportunities, which are located around Oklahoma and nearby states. Qualified students may be eligible for DNP scholarships of up to $10,000.
FNP DNP Programs in Oregon
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, Oregon
The DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program at the OHSU School of Nursing is ideal for full-time students who can put off working for three years. That commitment can pay off. Students itching to move away from Portland can apply for the Scholars for a Healthy Oregon program. If successful, they'll get their tuition and fees paid in return for working with a rural population. The school itself distributes the Hearst Endowed Scholarship, which provides up to $15,000 to two DNP students focused on caring for older adults. OHSU students can be based out of the main Portland campus or regional campuses in Ashland or La Grande. The FNP uses a hybrid model, so all enrollees will have to make occasional forays to Stumptown. Finally, OHSU offers an accelerated bachelor's that takes people with a baccalaureate in a non-nursing field and gets them ready to enter the DNP program in 15 months.
FNP DNP Programs in Pennsylvania
Alvernia University
Reading, Pennsylvania
Accreditation: CCNE
The DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program at Alvernia University is designed for working RNs because it offers evening courses in online and blended formats. On-campus intensives meet on weekends. The FNP track includes classes focusing on adult-gerontology nursing, followed by sessions in family primary care. The program requires 79 credits and 1,350 clinical hours. Full-time students can graduate in around four years, while part-time students take four and a half to six years. The program ends with the DNP courses, which focus on clinical leadership. Students acquire skills in analyzing and improving clinical outcomes and use evidence from research to improve practice. Future FNPs perform their clinical practice around Reading, Lancaster, and Berks County, Pennsylvania.
Cedar Crest College
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Accreditation: CCNE
Graduates of the BSN to DNP program at Cedar Crest College earn an MSN and a terminal Doctor of Nursing Practice with a concentration in Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner. Part-time students can complete the requirements in six years. Early in the curriculum, students take foundational classes in advanced practice nursing. By the fifth semester, they begin classes in primary care with a course focusing on women's health and start their clinical practicum. In subsequent semesters, classes cover primary care of infants, children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. DNP classwork begins in the fourth year of the program, as students learn leadership skills to enhance their clinical abilities. Candidates devote the final four semesters to completing a scholarly project.
Holy Family University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)[BSN to DNP option]
MSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)[MSN required]
Holy Family University has Doctor of Nursing Practice programs to prepare nurses with a BSN or MSN as a Family Nurse Practitioner. The MSN-DNP program accepts students in any semester. Students can complete the degree in as little as two and a half years. Holy Family delivers courses in eight-week sessions and uses a blended format with classes meeting in person once a week or less. The BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program admits students in the fall and takes approximately four years. Both pathways require students to complete clinical hours, and the university has a staff member who helps with placements. Candidates also complete a scholarly project in which they synthesize what they have learned by applying evidence to improve patient outcomes or a practice.
Misericordia University
Dallas, Pennsylvania
Accreditation: CCNE
Nurses who graduate from Misericordia University's Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program receive both an MSN and doctoral degree and are eligible for the national FNP certification exam. Courses for the 68-credit program use an online format, and students can graduate in eight or nine semesters. During the first year, students complete the advanced P requirements and learn about health promotion, epidemiology, and biomedical ethics. Students take most of their FNP specialty courses in the second year, including courses in acute and chronic health problems, women's health, and primary care. The curriculum also includes a class in pediatrics. During the final year, candidates focus on DNP classes such as leadership and financial management and complete the capstone.
Robert Morris University
Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Family Nurse Practitioner - BSN to DNP[BSN to DNP option]
Four years of study await enrollees to the DNP: Family Nurse Practitioner track at the RMU School of Nursing, Education and Human Studies. Students, however, can individualize the order of their course plan, so long as it includes all required courses. That includes learning how to diagnose and manage health in the context of women, geriatric, pediatric, and adult patients. Each course on a particular patient population is paired with a clinical practicum, with a possibility for a placement abroad. Other courses, such as Health Policy, Health Economics, and Health Law & Ethics, help produce well-rounded graduates who can potentially lead departments. During their final semester, students complete a DNP project based on clinical evidence. The 86-credit program requires a 3.25 quality point average from a BSN program for entry along with an RN license, letters of recommendation, a goal statement, and a faculty interview.
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Accreditation: CCNE
At Temple University, the Doctor of Nursing Practice is housed in the College of Public Health, which means DNP students learn about nursing in a public health context. In addition to training as a Family Nurse Practitioner, program graduates also earn a Teaching in Higher Education certificate, which prepares them for a teaching job if they choose to enter nursing education. The FNP-DNP program accepts full-time and part-time students. Classes meet on campus and are always scheduled for the same day of the week, Wednesdays, giving students the ability to plan their schedules over the long term. The post-BSN program requires 68 credits. Students begin developing their DNP project early in the program and implement the plan after working several FNP practicum.
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Post-BSN Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Track[online][BSN to DNP option]
The post-BSN Doctor of Nursing program at Jefferson College of Nursing leads first to an MSN. The college accepts applications throughout the year for three start dates: fall, spring, and summer. Applicants must submit transcripts demonstrating proof of a 3.2 GPA and coursework in statistics and nursing research. They'll also submit their RN license, a personal statement, and three letters of recommendation. Once accepted, they can enroll full-time or part-time and have between four and six years to finish the 69-credit program. In that span, they'll complete three clinicals and three practicums related specifically to the Family/Individual Across the Lifespan track. All courses are online, but enrolled students along the Eastern seaboard may choose to take advantage of the Rector Clinical Skills & Simulation Center as well as their proximity to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia for clinicals.
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Accreditation: CCNE
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
RNs interested in family nursing have several options at Pitt School of Nursing. Those with a bachelor's degree can do the onsite BSN-DNP Family (Individual Across the Lifespan) Nurse Practitioner curriculum. The generalist degree is 95 credits, 18 of which come from clinicals. The distance education version features an identical curriculum, and students can do their hands-on training at established clinical sites outside of Pittsburgh. They can even do clinicals in their state of residence. The degree can be completed in three years with full-time study. FNPs who hold an MSN can grab their doctorate in the specialty, either onsite or online, with just 45 credits across two years of full-time study. Like the BSN-DNP, however, students can create individualized part-time plans. All FNP programs at Pitt include coursework designed to assist graduates in running a modern healthcare organization, such as leadership, ethics, public policy, grant writing, and database management.
Widener University
Chester, Pennsylvania
Accreditation: CCNE
Widener University offers RNs plenty of flexibility in the BSN to DNP program by providing three start dates a year and accepting full-time and part-time students in the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty track. Students can also enroll at either the Harrisburg or Chester, Pennsylvania, campus, for added convenience. The post-baccalaureate program requires 74 credits and 1,232 clinical hours. The curriculum includes 10 credits in required classes, 9 creds in the advanced practice core, 18 credits in the FNP specialty, 21 credits in the DNP core, and 16 credits in the DNP clinical practice classes. Widener is affiliated with more than 300 clinical sites so students can find a practice setting that matches their career goals.
FNP DNP Programs in Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, Rhode Island
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The University of Rhode Island College of Nursing divides the requirements for the BSN to DNP program's Family Nurse Practitioner track into several categories. Those are master's nursing core (13 credits), advanced practice core (11 credits), FNP concentration (18 credits), DNP core (28 credits), and electives (2 credits). Students can take the electives any time during the program after meeting with their advisor and assessing their experience and career goals. Advisors also meet with each student to plan individualized clinical practice experiences that match student interests. Rotations may occur at HMOs, community health centers, private practices, and clinics around the state, including in rural areas. Students graduate with skills in evidence-based practice, leadership, and decision making as well as direct care.
FNP DNP Programs in South Carolina
Anderson University
Anderson, South Carolina
Accreditation: CCNE
Francis Marion University
Florence, South Carolina
Accreditation: ACEN
The Family Nurse Practitioner DNP at Francis Marion University uses a hybrid format that combines online classes with face-to-face meetings - which are always held on Wednesdays so that students can consistently plan their work schedules. However, the three "Advanced P" classes (pharmacology, pathophysiology, and physical assessment) meet as in-person courses, and students take one advanced P course in each of the first three semesters. The program lasts for nine semesters. While students complete a small number of clinical hours in the first year, clinicals for the FNP specialty start in the fourth semester. FNP specialty classes include the care of women, geriatric patients, adults, and children. Students devote most of the final year to an APRN internship and the capstone project.
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Accreditation: COA
At the Medical University of South Carolina, the DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner provides nurses with a foundation in wellness and disease prevention. The program emphasizes evidence-based practice as the basis for treating acute and chronic illnesses. Students also learn about behavioral health, substance abuse, palliative care, and telemedicine. Full-time students with a BSN can earn the DNP in three years, and part-timers can graduate in four years. MUSC formats the curriculum so that students quickly get into their clinical experiences - in the third semester for full-time students. In all, students spend six semesters in clinical settings, with three clinical classes, a role practicum, and two residencies. While enrolled in clinical specialty classes, students must travel to Charleston for on-campus intensives once a semester.
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Accreditation: CCNE
The University of South Carolina Columbia offers a BSN to DNP program that combines online classwork with in-person immersions for Family Nurse Practitioner majors. Students complete an online orientation before online classes begin in the summer semester. Three courses each require one or two campus immersions, and students also visit the campus for their project proposal and when they defend the capstone project. FNP students can select a full-time or part-time plan. Full-time students begin clinical courses in the fifth semester and work at least 1,000 practice hours, divided between the FNP specialty and DNP project, before graduation. The College of Nursing assists students in finding clinical placements. Students may be able to work with faculty members on evidence-based projects and develop their own grants.
FNP DNP Programs in South Dakota
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota
The Department of Graduate Nursing at SDSU lays out a four-year curriculum for the Family Nurse Practitioner specialization but allows students to customize their plans to take more or less time. The standard first year is heavy on leadership, management, policy, and other operational concerns. The second year focuses on the science, including pharmacotherapeutics and genetics. Project work and practicums takes up much of the third year and all of the fourth. All told, students complete 78 credits, including 1,200 clinical or lab hours. Coursework is mostly online with some face-to-face classes at satellite campuses on either end of the state: Sioux Falls or Rapid City. Applicants should have earned a 3.0 in a BSN program and be able to show 1,500 hours of experience as an RN. Their license can be from any state. Graduates of the program should be able to pursue ANCC or AANPCP certification.
FNP DNP Programs in Tennessee
Belmont University
Nashville, Tennessee
Accreditation: AACN
BSN to DNP in FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner)[BSN to DNP option]
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)[MSN required]
The BSN-DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner program at Belmont University offers a class schedule that limits the number of trips students must make to the campus in Nashville, Tennessee. The lower level classes meet one day a week each, and available classes are clustered on two or three days a week. Upper-level classes use a hybrid format, with online and face-to-face elements. Classes meet in person four weekends each semester, with meetings scheduled on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings and afternoons. The minimum time to complete the program is 33 months, and some coursework is required during the summer. Overall, nurses with a BSN complete 75 credits to earn the degree. In addition to didactic and clinical experiences in primary care of the family population, nurses also complete a scholarly project. In their final semesters, students complete an intensive practicum in the FNP role and take a comprehensive exam.
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee
Accreditation: CCNE
The College of Nursing at ETSU accepts Tennessean RNs and those within 250 miles of Johnson City. This ensures students to the (mostly) online program can attend intensives once or twice per term and complete their rural clinical practice. The Family Nurse Practitioner concentration makes room for both full-time and part-time students. The college lays out separate plans for those entering with a BSN or MSN. Post-master's students complete 32 credits and 500 clinical hours. Post-bachelor's students take 83 credits and do 1,040 clinical hours. The program is strongly based on improving health among populations with limited access to healthcare. Therefore, both cohorts scope out and complete a DNP project that draws on their analytical skills to intervene in a complex health problem affecting rural populations.
Southern Adventist University
Collegedale, Tennessee
Accreditation: ACEN
BS to Doctor of Nursing Practice - Acute Care & Family Nurse Practitioner[online][BSN to DNP option]
BS to Doctor of Nursing Practice - Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner[online][BSN to DNP option]
Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice - Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner[online][MSN required]
Southern Adventist University has two options for nurses seeking a DNP and the Family Nurse Practitioner credential: primary care FNP or a dual concentration in acute care and FNP. Students who select the primary care FNP have 13 elective credits to create a second emphasis area or take courses that align with their career goals. Both options require students to complete 77 credits, including courses in Christian leadership and Christianity and ethics. All candidates complete a scholarly project involving evidence-based practice. Southern Adventist doesn't award an MSN as part of this program. The program primarily uses face-to-face classes, but there are some online courses. Students are also required to attend a DNP seminar at the Chattanooga campus each fall until they finish their degrees.
Tennessee Technological University
Cookeville, Tennessee
Accreditation: CCNE
Tennessee Tech jointly offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice program with Eastern Tennessee State University, and technically, the Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program is housed at ETSU. Since most of the coursework is delivered online, however, the program's location only comes into play two or three times a year, when students attend on-campus intensives. The FNP program accepts full-time and part-time students, and full-timers can graduate in nine semesters. Full-timers jump right into the program, completing a health assessment practicum in the first semester and beginning the FNP clinical rotations in the third semester. Students must complete their clinical experiences in Tennessee, Virginia, or North Carolina. Both sponsoring schools are in rural Tennessee, and the program focuses on providing care for rural and underserved populations.
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Memphis, Tennessee
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Dual Concentration in Adult-Gerontology and Family Nursing[online][BSN to DNP option]
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Dual Concentration in Psychiatric Mental Health and Family Nursing[online][BSN to DNP option]
UTHSC College of Nursing allows DNP candidates to seek out something of a bespoke experience. There are three concentrations for family nurse practitioners who enter with a BSN: the FNP concentration, a dual concentration in FNP/Adult-Gerontology Acute Care, and a dual concentration in FNP/Psychiatric Mental Health. The dual concentrations are 73 units, while the straight FNP is 61 credits. All concentrations share a 30-credit core DNP curriculum with fully online classes in leadership, policy, diagnosis, pharmacology, and other areas. The dual concentration in FNP/Psychiatric Mental Health trims a few courses from the FNP concentration and adds in multiple courses and practicums in mental disorders, therapy, and children's care. The FNP/Adult-Gerontology Acute Care does the same, replacing select courses with classes in diagnosis, care, assessment, and management. The dual concentrations are designed for BSN-holders, but the FNP concentration has two tracks: post-BSN and post-MSN.
The University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
The BSN-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner concentration at UT College of Nursing is a blended program. The 61- to 72-credit curriculum is structured so that students take standard DNP core coursework their first year before delving into FNP subject matter in Year 2. Although students propose a DNP project and complete an associated practicum fairly early on, the first FNP clinical doesn't come until the fifth semester. As the course plan shifts from general nursing to FNP work, participants increasingly find themselves on campus. They'll have two sessions on campus per term to have their clinical skills assessed and network with classmates. For nonresidents, clinical placements outside Tennessee are possible. Moreover, the university revised fees so that out-of-state students only pay a marginally higher rate than in-state students. Applicants only need a 2.7 to seek admission, but any GPA lower than a 3.3 necessitates taking the GRE.
Union University
Jackson, Tennessee
Accreditation: CCNE
Union University awards a DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner to students who complete one of three tracks: RN to DNP, BSN to DNP, or post-master's DNP. Students do not receive a BSN or MSN through this program. RNs who don't have a bachelor's in nursing must complete prerequisite classes before they begin the BSN-DNP program. RN-DNP and BSN-DNP students enter the program in the fall and attend full time. The program uses a blended format that combines online classes with in-person sessions at the campuses in Jackson, Germantown, or Hendersonville, Tennessee. The BSN to DNP requires 73 credits and 1,220 clinical hours over 36 months. Classes in the FNP specialty cover pediatrics, women's health, health promotion, and management of acute and chronic conditions. The post-master's program is online and offers full-time and part-time options.
FNP DNP Programs in Texas
Baylor University
Waco, Texas
Accreditation: CCNE
The Doctor of Nursing Practice Family Nurse Practitioner track at Baylor presents two possibilities for entry: nurses can apply either with a BSN or MSN. Regardless, they'll need a 3.0 GPA and a year as a professional nurse to get in. Happily, they won't need to submit GRE scores. Though the track is online and the program is designed for working RNs, students still head to Waco for on-campus immersions several times during the 75-credit program. They'll also spend 1,125 hours in practicums. While the FNP program looks at patients of nearly every age, the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner track covers just the first two years of life. It is structured similarly to the DNP-FNP, with the main difference being that applicants must have two years of NICU experience.
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, Texas
Accreditation: CCNE
When it comes to family medicine, nurse practitioners play many roles. The FNP-DNP curriculum at Texas Christian University emphasizes several roles, including health promotion, health education, health counseling, preventive services, and diagnosing and managing acute and chronic illnesses. The curriculum also emphasizes interprofessional collaboration. The BSN to DNP program, which is only open to Texas and New Mexico residents, requires 67 credits and at least 1,000 practice hours, which enrollees work under the supervision of a local preceptor. Students enter the program in the summer and graduate in three or four years. Classes are delivered online, and students must come to campus for two skills-development intensives. Courses in the FNP specialty include adult-gerontology, care of the young family, and diagnostic procedures.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Lubbock, Texas
Accreditation: CCNE
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center has a hybrid BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice with a Family Nurse Practitioner concentration. The program only accepts RNs with at least two years of experience who commit to full-time attendance for nine semesters. While most coursework is online, students come to campus twice a semester for a two-day intensive. They also visit the campus for orientation, project presentations, and other events. Students begin the program with courses in advanced nursing skills and the foundations of evidence-based practice. Courses in the FNP specialty include pediatrics, mental health assessment, diagnostic methods, and primary care. Four courses lead students through a scholarly project, with sessions on identifying, developing, implementing, and evaluating the project.
Texas Wesleyan University
Fort Worth, Texas
Accreditation: CCNE
At Texas Wesleyan University, the Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program focuses on helping nurses provide holistic, relationship-centered care to their patients. The program even includes classes in nurse coaching that prepare students for nurse coach certification. Of course, grads are also ready to take the FNP certification exam. And because some nurses want to start their own practice, the curriculum includes coursework in practice management and finances. Full-time students can complete the 89 credits and 1,035 practice hours in three years. All candidates complete a DNP project, which can take many forms as long as the focus is on a change that improves health care outcomes. For instance, a student can develop a continuing education course, create a clinical protocol, or create a presentation for stakeholders.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Houston, Texas
Accreditation: CCNE
Nurses with a BSN can earn a DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner in nine to 12 semesters at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. A faculty advisor works with each student to create an individualized study plan based on the student's desire to attend full time or part time. The clinical placement staff also works individually with each student to find placements that match career interests. While many classes are web-based, when students are on campus, they're in the world's largest medical center. Many of the DNP core courses focus on the need to use evidence as the basis for health care. Students take classes in translational science, data analysis, and informatics. They also learn about the business of health care and practice management.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)[BSN to DNP option]
The University of Texas Health San Antonio's BSN to DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner requires 76 credits, which takes nine semesters full time or 15 semesters part time. The curriculum combines advanced knowledge in the family nursing specialty with the DNP core. At the doctoral level, students gain leadership skills that help them advocate for public policy and improve the effectiveness of the organizations they work for. Students learn to translate scientific evidence into practice, resulting in better outcomes for patients and populations. At the end of the program, candidates demonstrate their in-depth specialty knowledge by completing a DNP project. For the project, they evaluate evidence to find a solution to a problem or need. UT San Antonio has more than 400 clinical partners and guarantees clinical placements.
University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, Texas
Accreditation: CCNE
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio doesn't run a generic Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Although it might not be apparent from the course plan, the school infuses the curriculum with the university's core values, including faith and innovation. The DNP's Family Nurse Practitioner concentration for post-bachelor's students features a blend of periodic on-campus meetings with synchronous and asynchronous online classes. The 77 units are meant to be completed over three years of full-time study. This includes first-year work covering pathophysiology, policy, statistics, research, and assessment. Second-year students begin taking practicums and working on a final project, which extends into the third year. The Miller School of Nursing and Health Professions considers applicants who hold a BSN, earned a 2.75 overall GPA and 3.0 in nursing subjects, and have an RN license from Texas or a compact state. There's no testing requirement.
FNP DNP Programs in Utah
Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions
Provo, Utah
Post-Baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice (Family Nurse Practitioner)[online][BSN to DNP option]
Students in the Family Nurse Practitioner focus at Rocky Mountain's post-master's DNP take 46 credits over six semesters. The first two terms pack in 12 credits each before the curriculum eases up a bit. Initial courses touch on leadership, teaching, policy, organizational management, statistics, informatics, and practice. In the third term, in addition to coursework in epidemiology and economics, students start working on a final project that aims to transform some aspect of the healthcare system. By semester 5, that's all they're working on. And they take semester 6, and perhaps longer to complete a doctoral residency toward that project. The program is online and mostly asynchronous. Students aren't even asked to come to campus for an orientation. The post-bachelor's track is identical for the first two semesters but features 44 additional credits and 750 internship hours. Additionally, post-bachelor's DNP students come to Colorado for a week each term.
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Accreditation: CCNE
The University of Utah offers an 81-credit post-BSN program leading to a DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner. The full-time program spans eight semesters with the early semesters chock full of foundational coursework. In the first semester alone, students take classes in fundamentals of epidemiology, foundations of health informatics, and foundations of evidence-based practice (plus courses in advanced pathophysiology and health systems). DNP students begin their specialty practicums in the fourth semester. Besides completing hands-on practice experience with FNP patients, students also complete an evidence-based scholarly project that demonstrates they've synthesized course content and can apply research to practices. The process includes developing a concept, reviewing existing literature, developing a plan, implementing it, and analyzing the results. Students share their projects at a poster session.
Weber State University
Ogden, Utah
Accreditation: ACEN
RNs can prepare for the Family Nurse Practitioner role and complete a DNP in as few as seven semesters through Weber State University. Students who need just a little more time to finish all the requirements can take an optional eighth semester to complete the DNP project or clinical hours. The 75-credit program uses a hybrid format, with most DNP leadership courses using all-online delivery. The core and clinical FNP classes use a hybrid format where students attend in-person sessions from five to 10 days per semester. Some in-person meetings involve skills preparation in the lab, where students learn from an interprofessional team. Weber has partnerships with a variety of clinics and practices, so students get hands-on experience in a range of settings.
FNP DNP Programs in Vermont
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences uses a hybrid model to train future Family Nurse Practitioners in its BSN to DNP program. Some courses have online elements, and others meet on campus. The program requires 76 credits and more than 1,050 practice hours, with students typically completing all the requirements in about three and a half years. One unusual aspect of the FNP program at UVM is that candidates may work their practice hours at a primary care clinic led by program instructors who are also NPs. At the clinic, students get hands-on experience managing patients with diabetes, CPOD, hypertension, and behavioral issues. Students also complete a DNP project where they use research to solve a practice issue. For example, one recent DNP project created a protocol for telehealth visits.
FNP DNP Programs in Virginia
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
BSN to DNP - Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The George Mason School of Nursing offers two very different programs for RNs who want to concentrate on families: the DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner and the DNP - Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The school runs BSN-DNP pathways in both and an MSN-DNP pathway in the latter. George Mason courses use different formats depending on the material. Core courses are taken online, while advanced clinical coursework is done at the Prince William or Fairfax, Virginia, campuses. Still other classes meet once each three weeks in an executive format that is primarily online. The programs stress preparedness for clinical work, although leadership coursework is integrated into the curriculums. For the BSN-DNP programs, 36 of the 72 credits come in the core concentration, including multiple practicums. Helpfully, the College of Health and Human Services reserves the CVS Health Foundation Scholarship for grad students in a nurse practitioner track.
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
Accreditation: CCNE
Liberty University offers a DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner that students complete in three years, on average. The 78-credit program combines online learning with required intensives. In the FNP specialty, students take courses addressing primary care across the lifespan, including women's health, infant and children's health, chronic health, and acute health. The curriculum also includes courses in nursing practice, such as evidence-based care, informatics, and clinical prevention and biostatistics. Nurses who would like to add the educator role to their credentials can also enroll in a nurse educator elective series in this program. The nurse educator curriculum meets national NE certification guidelines, and all graduates of the FNP DNP program are eligible for the FNP national certification exam.
Marymount University
Arlington, Virginia
Accreditation: CCNE
Students pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Family Nurse Practitioner through Marymount College can take classes in person or enroll in the online option. Nurses with a BSN complete 75 credits and work 700 practice hours in direct patient care and another 500 hours for the DNP project. Marymount offers clinical placement services for online students. For nurses in the metro Washington, D.C. area, the university has partnerships with various clinical sites in the region where students can perform practicum. The doctoral project must focus on the student's clinical area of interest and be either a manuscript for publication or a presentation for a regional or national conference. At the DNP level, students take courses in leadership, diversity in health and illness, health care advocacy, and multivariate analysis.
Radford University
Radford, Virginia
Accreditation: CCNE
Radford University has an online DNP program that prepares post-BSN nurses for a career as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Post-MSN nurses without an APN specialty can also enter the program, and the requirements will be adjusted based on their master's transcripts. Radford delivers the courses online, which gives enrollees more flexibility. The school accepts full-time and part-time students. Classes in the FNP specialty include women's health, children's health, acute illness, and chronic illness. At the end of the program, FNP candidates work a clinical residency customized to the individual student's career goals. During the residency, candidates take part in interprofessional experiences and implement a clinical research project. Students must complete all the requirements within eight years.
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia
Accreditation: CCNE
Post-Baccalaureate DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Students who enter the Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program at Shenandoah University take their classes one day a week--always the same day of the week--making it easier to schedule their life around their schoolwork. Students enter the program in the fall semester after their cohort is established in August. The college delivers masters-level core courses for the program at the Winchester campus or the Inova Center in Fairfax, Virginia. FNP specialty courses meet in Winchester, and doctoral level DNP courses use online delivery. Faculty members assist students in finding clinical placements. Full-time students can complete the 72-credit degree in nine semesters. Graduates are eligible for the FNP certification exam, and Shenandoah's most recent graduating class had a 100% first-attempt pass rate.
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Accreditation: CCNE
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The UVA School of Nursing looks for RNs with two years of full-time experience to join the Family Nurse Practitioner track of its BSN-DNP program. Once enrolled, students spend two years to get their MSN and another two years to snag the DNP. Alternatively, students can seek approval for an accelerated plan of study that runs through 85 credits, including 1,120 clinical hours, in just three years. Those practicums can come from outside Virginia, if the student arranges them. The nursing school participates in the federal Nursing Faculty Loan Program, which pays off up to 85% of loans in exchange for a teaching commitment. But it also runs its own fund, the UVA Future Virginia Nurse Faculty Loan Assistance Repayment Program, for those who agree to teach in the commonwealth after graduation. Other educator-oriented financial aid includes 30 or so graduate teaching assistant positions filled by the college each year.
FNP DNP Programs in Washington
Gonzaga University
Spokane, Washington
Accreditation: CCNE
The Family Nurse Practitioner focus is one of two post-bachelor's DNP pathways at Gonzaga's School of Nursing & Human Physiology. The DNP in general aims to produce leaders who can steer health policy to where the evidence points. The FNP option in particular is geared toward practice. As a result, students get 1,000 hours' worth of practicums and complete a DNP project. Though courses are online, the program asks enrollees to head to Spokane eight times from the fifth to twelfth semesters to complete structured clinical evaluations. It takes most students five years to complete the 78-credit program, which is limited to RNs from states west of the Rockies (not including Hawaii). It's meant for recent grads, so the school doesn't require work experience for entry. In fact, interested nurses can even apply without a BSN (but with a different baccalaureate), provided they're ready to take four foundational courses.
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, Washington
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
MSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[MSN required]
RNs with a BSN or MSN can prepare for a career as a Family Nurse Practitioner and receive a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Pacific Lutheran University. Full-time students can complete the 80-credit post-BSN program in three years and part-timers in four years (including attending PLU's mini January terms each year). The curriculum begins with foundational classes, and students take their FNP specialty classes while they start work on the DNP project. The post-MSN program allows nurses who aren't APRNs to qualify for FNP certification. The school will conduct a gap analysis to determine which previous courses can apply to the program and then create an individualized study program. Typically nurses with an MSN can complete the doctoral degree in two years of full-time study.
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle, Washington
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Nurses with a BSN can earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Family Nurse Practitioner while taking classes only one day a week at Seattle Pacific University. The program is campus-based, requiring 100 credits and at least 1,000 practice hours, and students can complete the degree in 11 to 15 quarters. The curriculum is divided into four sections, with the graduate core covering nursing theory, a deep dive into how the health care system runs, and courses in evidence-based practice. The advanced nursing core covers clinical reasoning, health assessment, and pharmacology. In the population and role section, future FNPs study pediatrics, gerontology, obstetrics, and behavioral health and practice those skills in the clinic. The synthesis section includes a scholarly projector and an immersion practicum.
Seattle University
Seattle, Washington
Accreditation: CCNE
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Seattle University prepares nurses to serve as leaders in health care through its Doctor of Nursing Practice program, which offers a Family Nurse Practitioner concentration. Full-time students can complete the degree in three full years or 12 quarters. The university believes social justice is the foundation of nursing, and one of the first classes DNP students take covers ethical care for social justice. In the first year, courses focus on advanced nursing skills - like diagnostic reasoning and pathophysiology - and an investigation of the national health care system - with classes in economics, policy, and finance. By the second year, students take population-specific FNP coursework and begin primary care practicum. In the third year, students advance to the DNP internship and project. Seattle U has a 100% placement rate for FNP graduates.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, Washington
Accreditation: CCNE
DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[MSN required]
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Using a broad-based curriculum, the Family Nurse Practitioner track of UW's DNP program produces graduates who work in everything from primary care to HIV care, from dermatology to neurology. The 93-credit DNP, only available on a full-time basis, uses a hybrid format. First-year students are on campus weekly for a slate of courses shared with DNP students in other tracks: policy, health equity, leadership, health economics, and the like. Second-year students also make weekly forays to the School of Nursing's Seattle campus, though at that point they're mostly in courses specific to their track, such as Pediatric Diagnostic Health Assessment and Management of Adults. Even into the third year, students will occasionally be on campus in between clinical immersions, partly to present their doctorate project. Graduates should be able to sit for ANCC or AANPCP certification.
Washington State University - Vancouver
Vancouver, Washington
Accreditation: CCNE
The WSU College of Nursing emphasizes flexibility for students entering the DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner track. For one thing, students can pace themselves. Though the full-time program can be completed in three years, students can do a part-time schedule that spans four or five. Second, it's a hybrid program that mixes online work with digestible on-campus chunks that can be completed in Vancouver, at WSU-Spokane or WSU-Tri-Cities, or even in Yakima or Walla Walla. Finally, northern Oregon residents can complete clinicals in their state - and may even only pay resident tuition. Applicants must have a BSN and a Washington RN license. The post-baccalaureate curriculum includes three courses and associated practicums on primary care. The first is about promoting good health and preventing disease. The second is about acute illnesses. The last is about chronic illnesses. Each covers the entire lifespan, rather than a particular age group or gender.
FNP DNP Programs in West Virginia
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The Family Nurse Practitioner DNP at Shepherd University prepares students to provide primary care to patients of all ages and to serve as leaders in health care delivery. On the primary care side, students take classes in health assessment, diagnostic reasoning, and genetics before starting population-focused courses in women's health, pediatrics, gerontology, and primary care of adults. On the leadership side, students learn about the health care system from all angles - political and economic influences, quality and improvement, resource management, and systems thinking. They also gain skills in translating evidence into practice and using statistics. Finally, to synthesize what they have learned, students complete a scholarly, evidence-based project. Full-time students can complete the FNP-DNP in nine semesters.
FNP DNP Programs in Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Accreditation: CCNE
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
The UWEC Department of Nursing lets DNP enroll in a three-, four-, or five-year course of study so they can balance school and outside commitments. It's conceivable for students to work, even on a full-time plan, given that the curriculum features no more than 11 credits per term and on-campus courses are usually restricted to one day per week: Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Students in the post-bachelor's Family Nurse Practitioner focus take 73 credits. The post-master's DNP allows nurses who already earned an FNP-related MSN to take 31 credits to get their doctorate. They jump right into 800-level courses in epidemiology, advanced practice theory, organizational leadership, and informatics. Nearly half of their credits go toward practicums and project work.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Enrollees in UWM's Doctor of Nursing Program can spread their 65 credits across anywhere from three to four and a half academic years, with both spring and fall starts available. The difference is a program that is 9 to 12 credits per term versus one that is 6 to 8. Students in the Family Nurse Practitioner specialization can compete for the Milton and Joan Morris DNP Fellowship, along with other College of Nursing scholarships and graduate assistantships for doctoral candidates. Though it will take some schedule alterations, the college welcomes students to study global health from abroad. They can help pay for their travel with the Conway Scholarship. Applicants to the DNP need a BSN, a 2.75 undergraduate GPA, recent GRE results if they have below a 3.2, and a nursing license from the U.S.
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
MSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[MSN required]
Aside from spending one day a week in Oshkosh, DNP students in the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty take courses from home and their clinicals from around Wisconsin. The BSN-DNP program is 74 credits and can be completed as part of a three-year or five-year course plan. Full-time enrollees spend their first year taking mostly online classes. In their second year, they partake in supervised clinicals and start preparing a capstone project. Over the course of the final five semesters they spend 672 hours in practicums, 224 hours on a capstone, and 336 hours in a final DNP residency. Post-MSN students who aren't APRNs get a reduced schedule of 65 credits. Enrollees who are APRNs create individualized study plans based on their clinical hours, competencies, and prior coursework in assessment, pathophysiology, and pharmacology. Post-bachelor's students need Wisconsin licensure and a 2.7 GPA to apply. Post-master's students must have a 3.5.
Viterbo University
La Crosse, Wisconsin
Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin, welcomes both nurses with a BSN and nurses with an MSN to its Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program. The post-bachelor's program is designed to take three years, as is the post-master's for students who hold APRN certification. (Post-master's students without APRN certification face an almost identical course load to post-bachelor's students.) Post-BSN students take 64 credits, smoothed out into a manageable six to nine units per term. The didactic coursework is frontloaded, so the final year is all clinical seminars and practicums. The post-MSN program doesn't have a summer semester, and students complete 26 of their 30 credits in the first two years; the final fall and spring terms are spent solely on the DNP project. In both study plans, practicums can be completed outside Wisconsin and several classes are online, but students must still regularly travel to campus.
FNP DNP Programs in Wyoming
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
Accreditation: CCNE
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner[online][BSN to DNP option]
The Whitney School of Nursing at Wyoming calls its DNP degree a 'distance-accessible' program because it accommodates students scattered across the rural state and even in Colorado and Montana, where some clinical practicums may be held. That doesn't mean everything is online. Instead, enrollees should expect to stay in Laramie for multi-day sessions multiple times throughout the three-year, full-time program. The academic calendar, the full-time study plan, and the travel required means students should not work their way through college, with the exception of paid graduate assistantships requiring 18 to 20 hours per week. The Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner concentrations are both 84-credit curriculums that allow students to work with patients across the lifespan. While FNP students are prepared to work in outpatient facilities, PMHNP students also receive training for treating inpatients.