Bradley University FNP Programs

Department of Nursing • Peoria, IL • Mostly Online • $1,158/credit

Bradley University offers four Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • MSN (BSN Entry)
  • MSN (RN/ADN Entry)
  • BSN to DNP
  • Post-Master’s FNP Certificate

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
MSN (BSN)$57.9K8 sem50
MSN (ADN)$67.0K10 sem59-60
BSN-DNP$82.2K10 sem71
Certificate$40.5K5-6 sem35

Bradley’s defining advantage is that it publishes clinical hours course by course rather than as a single program total. The four FNP practicums escalate on a published ladder of 50, 150, 200, and 300 hours, which back-loads most clinical work into the final immersion semester and lets you see exactly when the demand arrives.

That transparency cuts both ways. The published ladder sums to 700 hours, while Bradley’s MSN pages advertise 750, and the source of the extra 50 is not stated anywhere.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN (two entry points), BSN-DNP, post-master’s certificate
FormatMostly Online. Asynchronous coursework plus one mandatory two-day campus event.
Clinical Hours700 published by course; 750 advertised for MSN, 800 for ADN entry, 1,000 for DNP
Clinical PlacementStudent selects preceptors, subject to approval. Clinicals completed locally.
PopulationFamily across the lifespan
Distinctive CourseworkFour-course primary care sequence carrying escalating clinical hours (NUR 676-679)
ConcentrationsNone within FNP. Four other NP specialties offered separately.
RN License RequirementsCurrent unencumbered RN license required at entry
Tuition$1,158 per credit hour, plus a $250 per semester technology fee
AccreditationCCNE for the master’s, APRN certificate, and DNP. HLC institutionally.
Mandatory Campus EventTwo-day FNP Bootcamp in Peoria each October, required before NUR 679
Time LimitMSN must be completed within five years; DNP within seven
Enrollment RestrictionsSARA institution. Out-of-state applicants must confirm authorization first.

MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner (BSN Entry)

The estimated tuition for the BSN-entry MSN at Bradley University is approximately $57,900 (50 credits at $1,158 per credit). The program can generally be completed in about 32 months, or eight semesters of part-time study.

The Online Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner is the shortest route to FNP certification at Bradley. Its published total of $57,900 reconciles exactly against the per-credit rate, which is unusual and worth noting: many schools advertise totals that do not match their own arithmetic.

MSN (BSN Entry) Curriculum

Graduate core. Eight three-credit courses cover pathophysiology, pharmacology, advanced assessment, nursing theory, evidence-based practice, statistics, informatics, and health policy. Informatics as a required standalone course is less common than the rest of that list and reflects Bradley’s stated interest in health care systems rather than bedside skills alone.

Primary care sequence. Four six-credit practicum courses form the specialty spine. They are organized by clinical problem type rather than by patient age: acute conditions first, then chronic conditions, then a women’s and pediatric block, then a general immersion. Each carries a different clinical hour load, which is where the program’s structure becomes visible.

Capstone in place of a thesis. NUR 690 is a two-credit professional practice course, and all students sit a comprehensive assessment before graduation. There is no research thesis.

  • BIO 526 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
  • NUR 600 Advanced Health Assessment (3)
  • NUR 651 Advanced Pharmacology I (3)
  • NUR 615 Health Informatics (3)
  • NUR 676 Primary Care Acute Conditions Across the Lifespan I (6)
  • NUR 677 Primary Care Chronic Conditions Across the Lifespan II (6)
  • NUR 678 Primary Care Across the Lifespan III (6)
  • NUR 679 Primary Care Immersion IV (6)
  • NUR 690 Professional Aspects of Advanced Nursing Practice (2)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • The statistics requirement appears as ENC 510 on the program page and as NUR 511 in the graduate catalog. Both are three credits, but the course codes differ, so confirm which one applies to your plan of study.
  • The graduate catalog record covering this program is titled for BSN/MSN entry but lists the RN bridge courses and totals 59.5 credits, which describes the ADN pathway rather than this one. Bradley has not published a separate 50-credit catalog record.

MSN (BSN Entry) Clinical Requirements

  • NUR 676 Acute Conditions: 50 clinical hours
  • NUR 677 Chronic Conditions: 150 clinical hours
  • NUR 678 Women’s and Pediatric Care: 200 clinical hours
  • NUR 679 Primary Care Immersion: 300 clinical hours
  • Published per-course total: 700 hours. Bradley’s program pages advertise 750 for this track and do not identify the additional 50.
  • Students identify and propose their own preceptors, subject to school approval. Clinical hours are completed locally.
  • Clinical hours are logged in Typhon, a tracking platform carrying a $100 fee.
  • A two-day FNP Bootcamp on the Peoria campus is mandatory and must be completed before NUR 679.

At 700 verified hours, Bradley sits 200 above the 500-hour national certification floor and inside the 600 to 700 band most FNP programs occupy. The distribution matters more than the total. Because NUR 679 alone carries 300 hours, roughly 43 percent of your clinical obligation lands in one semester. Plan on that term being close to full-time clinical work even though the program is otherwise structured for working nurses. The escalating ladder also means the first practicum is genuinely light at 50 hours, which is a reasonable on-ramp if you have not precepted before.

The preceptor model puts the search on you. Bradley frames self-selected preceptors as a benefit, and it is one if you already have relationships in local primary care. If you do not, the burden is real and starts well before your first practicum term.

You Should Know
  • The FNP Bootcamp is described on the MSN program page. It is not repeated on the DNP or certificate pages, so confirm the requirement applies to your track before assuming a travel-free program.
  • The bootcamp runs on a fixed October schedule. Travel, lodging, and meals are not included in published tuition.
  • Program pages describe five preceptor-supervised practicums, but only four practicum courses appear in the BSN-entry course list.

MSN (BSN Entry) Admissions

Bradley admits three times a year and does not require the GRE, an interview, or a minimum years-of-practice threshold, which removes several of the gates common at competing programs. It does require that you name potential clinical mentors in your application.

  • BSN from a regionally accredited institution and an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited nursing program.
  • Current, unencumbered RN license.
  • 3.0 GPA in the last 60 undergraduate semester hours for unconditional admission. Applicants with prior graduate work need a 3.0 across at least 12 graduate credits.
  • Online application and a $40 nonrefundable fee. Bradley does not grant fee waivers.
  • Official transcripts, one admission essay, two letters of recommendation, and a CV or resume.
  • The essay must identify and discuss potential mentors for lifespan clinical experiences.
You Should Know
  • Online graduate deadlines run on an annual cycle: July 15 for fall, November 15 for spring, and April 15 for summer. The fall 2026 deadline has passed, making spring the next actionable intake.
  • Admissions materials still list NLNAC as an acceptable accreditor. NLNAC was renamed ACEN more than a decade ago, so this is stale wording rather than a separate option.
  • Applicants requiring visa sponsorship cannot apply to Bradley’s online programs.
  • Bradley is a SARA institution but notes that state law may limit where it can enroll online students. It publishes specific authorizations for Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington. Confirm your state before applying.
  • A grade of B or better is required in every NUR course, and the MSN must be finished within five years of enrollment.

MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner (RN/ADN Entry)

The estimated tuition for the ADN-entry MSN at Bradley University is approximately $66,965 as published, against a derived $68,322 at the standard graduate rate. The program can generally be completed in about 40 months, or ten semesters, including four bridge courses.

This pathway accepts registered nurses holding an associate degree, a hospital diploma, or a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing. You do not complete a separate BSN first. Four undergraduate bridge courses are folded into the graduate plan of study, and the specialty sequence that follows is identical to the BSN-entry track.

MSN (RN/ADN Entry) Curriculum

Bridge block. Four RN completion courses cover professional nursing concepts, nursing research, community health theory, and a community health practicum. These carry undergraduate numbering and appear to be billed differently from graduate coursework, which is the most likely explanation for why the published total falls below the standard rate multiplied by credits.

Graduate and specialty coursework. After the bridge, the sequence matches the BSN-entry MSN exactly: the same eight core courses, the same four primary care practicums, and the same professional practice capstone.

  • NUR 300 Conceptual Bases for Professional Nursing (3)
  • NUR 303 Research in Nursing (3)
  • NUR 404 Community Health Nursing, Theory (2 or 3)
  • NUR 407 Community Health Practicum RN-MSN (1 or 1.5)
  • Followed by the full 50-credit graduate sequence listed under the BSN-entry track

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • Three different credit totals appear across Bradley’s own materials for this track. The program page headline says 59, its own course list adds to 60, and the graduate catalog states and itemizes 59.5. The spread is worth roughly $1,150 in tuition.
  • NUR 404 is listed as three credits on the program page and two in the catalog. NUR 407 is listed as one credit on the program page and 1.5 in the catalog.
  • The catalog restricts ADN and diploma entry to CNEA- or ACEN-accredited programs. The program page also lists CCNE. Confirm which applies to your prior school.

MSN (RN/ADN Entry) Clinical Requirements

  • Same four-course FNP practicum ladder as the BSN-entry track: 50, 150, 200, and 300 hours.
  • Advertised total for this track: 800 hours.
  • NUR 407 Community Health Practicum adds a fifth precepted experience during the bridge block.
  • Preceptor selection, local placement, Typhon logging, and the October bootcamp requirement match the BSN-entry track.

The 50-hour difference between the 750 advertised for BSN entry and the 800 advertised here lines up with the community health practicum, which is the one clinical experience BSN-entry students do not take. That is a reasonable reading, though Bradley does not state it. Note that community health hours are not equivalent to primary care hours for certification purposes, so the headline 800 overstates how much additional FNP-specific experience this pathway delivers.

You Should Know
  • As with the BSN track, the published per-course hours sum to 700 for the FNP practicums. The advertised 800 is not itemized.
  • The community health practicum’s own hour count is not published in either the catalog or the program page.

MSN (RN/ADN Entry) Admissions

Requirements match the BSN-entry track with one substitution: an associate degree, diploma, or non-nursing baccalaureate replaces the BSN, and the four bridge courses become mandatory.

  • RN credential from an accredited diploma or associate degree program, or an RN license plus a bachelor’s degree in another field.
  • Nursing GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
  • Current unencumbered nursing license.
  • Completion of NUR 300, 303, 404, and 407 as part of the plan of study.
You Should Know
  • The catalog notes that applicants with deficiencies are evaluated individually, so a below-threshold GPA is not automatically disqualifying.
  • The five-year completion limit runs from enrollment, and this pathway is a ten-semester plan. That leaves less schedule slack than the BSN-entry track if you need to pause.

BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the BSN-to-DNP FNP track at Bradley University is approximately $82,218, a derived figure calculated as 71 credits at $1,158 per credit. The program can generally be completed in about 3.3 years, or ten semesters.

The Online DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner wraps the same FNP specialty core inside a doctoral shell of theory, research methods, leadership, policy, and a four-course DNP project. It is the only Bradley FNP pathway that adds clinical hours beyond the practicum ladder.

DNP Curriculum

Shared FNP core. Pathophysiology, advanced assessment, pharmacology, the four primary care practicums, and the professional practice course are the same courses the MSN and certificate students take, at the same credit values.

Doctoral additions. Seven courses cover nursing science theory, population health promotion, research design and statistics, evidence-based practice methods, advanced practice leadership, policy and ethics, and advanced informatics. Health care economics and finance is a separate three-credit requirement, which is less common than the rest and signals a systems and cost orientation.

DNP project. Four sequential three-credit project courses carry their own practicum hours and culminate in an oral presentation and dissemination.

  • ECO 605 Health Care Economics and Finance (3)
  • NUR 700 Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Science (3)
  • NUR 703 Health Promotion in Populations (3)
  • NUR 705 Research Design and Statistical Methods (3)
  • NUR 720 Methods in Evidence Based Practice (3)
  • NUR 735 Leadership in Advanced Practice Nursing (3)
  • NUR 740 Healthcare Policy and Ethics in Advanced Practice Nursing (3)
  • NUR 752 Advanced Health Informatics (3)
  • NUR 841-844 DNP Project I through IV (3 each)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • The graduate catalog states 71 credits and its itemized course list adds to exactly 71. A Bradley blog article describes the same track as 83 credits across 12 semesters. The gap is about $13,900 and roughly two additional semesters.
  • The course description published for NUR 752 Advanced Health Informatics is a duplicate of the NUR 841 DNP Project I description, including its 50 practicum hours. The informatics course content itself is not described.

DNP Clinical Requirements

  • FNP practicum ladder: 50, 150, 200, and 300 hours across NUR 676 through 679, totaling 700.
  • DNP project practicum: 50, 50, 125, and 75 hours across NUR 841 through 844, totaling 300.
  • Published program total: 1,000 hours, which reconciles exactly against the itemized courses.
  • Students select their own preceptors for clinical practicums and work with a mentor for the DNP project.
  • The DNP must be completed within seven years of enrollment.

This is the only Bradley FNP track where the advertised clinical total is fully verifiable against the course list, and it is the clearest illustration of what a DNP adds. Of the 1,000 hours, 700 are direct patient care in primary care settings and 300 are project work. If you are comparing against an MSN, understand that you are buying 300 hours of quality improvement and project implementation rather than 300 additional hours in the exam room. That distinction matters if your goal is clinical volume before certification.

You Should Know
  • A Bradley blog article states 750 clinical hours for this track, contradicting both the catalog and the itemized course descriptions.
  • The mandatory October FNP Bootcamp is documented on the MSN pages only. Because this track includes NUR 679, the stated prerequisite condition appears to apply here as well, but the DNP page does not say so.

DNP Admissions

This track requires a BSN and adds a portfolio to the standard application file, which no other Bradley FNP pathway asks for.

  • BSN from a regionally accredited institution and an ACEN-, CNEA-, or CCNE-accredited nursing program.
  • Current, unencumbered RN license and a nursing GPA of 3.0.
  • Admission essay and portfolio, two letters of recommendation, official transcripts, and a CV or resume.
  • Identification of potential mentors for lifespan clinical experiences.
  • Online application and $40 nonrefundable fee.
You Should Know
  • Bradley does not describe what the portfolio should contain. Request the specification from an advisor before you begin assembling one.
  • There is no MSN-to-DNP FNP bridge. Bradley’s MSN-to-DNP option is the Leadership track, which does not confer FNP eligibility.

Post-Master’s FNP Certificate

The estimated tuition for the post-master’s FNP certificate at Bradley University is approximately $40,530 (35 credits at $1,158 per credit). The program can generally be completed in about two years, though Bradley publishes durations ranging from 16 to 24 months.

The Online Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate is built for master’s-prepared nurses adding FNP to an existing specialty. Like the MSN total, its published price reconciles exactly against the per-credit rate.

Certificate Curriculum

No general core. The certificate strips out theory, research, statistics, informatics, and policy on the assumption you completed them in your MSN. What remains is the clinical spine: the three Ps and the four primary care practicums, plus the professional practice course.

Every practicum credit is retained. All 24 credits of NUR 676 through 679 carry over unchanged. The certificate is 15 credits shorter than the MSN, and every one of those 15 comes from non-clinical coursework. That is the right place to cut, and it means certificate holders complete the same clinical ladder as degree students.

  • BIO 526 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
  • NUR 600 Advanced Health Assessment (3)
  • NUR 651 Advanced Pharmacology I (3)
  • NUR 676 Primary Care Acute Conditions Across the Lifespan I (6)
  • NUR 677 Primary Care Chronic Conditions Across the Lifespan II (6)
  • NUR 678 Primary Care Across the Lifespan III (6)
  • NUR 679 Primary Care Immersion IV (6)
  • NUR 690 Professional Aspects of Advanced Nursing Practice (2)
You Should Know
  • Bradley publishes three different lengths for this program: 16 to 24 months in the header, six semesters and two years in the fast facts block, and five semesters in the curriculum narrative.
  • Bradley does not publish a certificate-level catalog record with an itemized course list, so the 35 credits rest on the program page alone.

Certificate Clinical Requirements

  • Contains all four FNP practicum courses at full credit value.
  • Derived total: 700 clinical hours, calculated by summing the per-course allocations Bradley publishes for NUR 676 through 679.
  • Bradley does not publish a program-level clinical hour figure for the certificate.
  • Preceptor selection is student-initiated, matching the degree tracks.

A derived 700 hours puts the certificate 200 above the certification floor and level with the degree pathways on direct patient care. That is a meaningful finding, because certificates at other schools are sometimes trimmed below the degree program’s clinical volume. Here they are not. You should still get the total confirmed in writing, since a derived figure is not a commitment and certifying bodies audit hours against the transcript.

You Should Know
  • The certificate fast facts block answers yes to campus residency while the same page describes coursework as fully online and asynchronous. The October bootcamp is the most likely reconciliation, but Bradley does not connect the two statements.
  • The curriculum narrative describes five supervised clinical practicums while listing four practicum courses.

Certificate Admissions

Entry requires a completed MSN, and this is the one Bradley FNP pathway with three intakes and no undergraduate coursework attached.

  • MSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited nursing program.
  • Current, unencumbered RN license.
  • 3.0 GPA in the last 60 undergraduate hours, or a 3.0 across at least 12 graduate credits.
  • Official transcripts, one admission essay, two letters of recommendation, and a CV or resume.
  • Discussion of potential mentors for clinical experiences.
  • Fall, spring, and summer admission cycles.
You Should Know
  • Bradley does not publish a gap analysis or transcript review policy for certificate applicants. Whether prior graduate pathophysiology, pharmacology, or assessment coursework can substitute for BIO 526, NUR 651, or NUR 600 is not stated, and the answer affects both cost and duration.
  • Washington State’s nursing commission approval covers Bradley’s post-MSN FNP certificate specifically, alongside the MSN and DNP pathways.

Tuition

Bradley University charges $1,158 per credit hour for all online graduate programs, including every FNP pathway. This is a published rate, not a derived one, and it applies regardless of your state of residence because Bradley is a private institution with no in-state or out-of-state distinction.

TrackCreditsDerived TuitionPublished Total
MSN (BSN entry)50$57,900$57,900
MSN (ADN entry)59$68,322$66,965
BSN-DNP71$82,218Not published
Certificate35$40,530$40,530

Confirmed costs beyond tuition:

  • Technology fee: $250 per semester for graduate students enrolled in four or more credits. Over eight semesters that adds $2,000; over ten, $2,500.
  • Typhon clinical tracking software: $100.
  • Malpractice insurance: $66 per year.
  • Background check: up to $118.
  • Nursing badge: $5 plus $10 shipping.
  • Application fee: $40, nonrefundable, with no waivers available.

Be aware that:

  • The advertised total of $57,900 for the BSN-entry MSN covers tuition only. Adding the technology fee and the confirmed nursing fees brings the realistic figure to about $60,400 before books, proctoring, or bootcamp travel.
  • The certificate’s realistic all-in figure is roughly $42,400 at six semesters, or about $42,200 at five.
  • The ADN-entry published total of $66,965 does not reconcile against the graduate rate. Fifty graduate credits account for $57,900, leaving $9,065 for the bridge courses, which works out to a per-credit figure Bradley does not publish. Ask for the undergraduate rate in writing.
  • No total is published for the DNP. The $82,218 figure here is derived from the catalog’s 71 credits. If the blog’s 83-credit description is current instead, the figure rises to about $96,100.
  • Bradley states that rates are subject to change each academic year. None of these totals is locked at enrollment.
  • Credit card payments carry a 2.95 percent processing fee. On the MSN that is roughly $1,700 if you pay by card throughout. ACH payments are free.
  • Bootcamp travel, lodging, and meals are not itemized anywhere in Bradley’s published nursing fees.
  • Books, supplies, and proctoring for select courses are noted as additional but not priced.

The practical takeaway is that Bradley’s advertised totals are honest arithmetic on tuition and quietly incomplete on everything else. Two of the three published totals match the per-credit rate exactly, which is more than most schools manage. But the technology fee alone adds four percent to the MSN, and the payment method you choose can add another three. Budget the tuition figure plus roughly $2,500 to $3,000, and add travel for one October trip to Peoria.

Bradley’s published tuition and fees page carries the current rate.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for nurses who want to know exactly when the clinical workload arrives, and who can hold one October trip to Peoria on the calendar.

The clinical ladder is visible before you enroll. Most FNP programs publish a single hour total and leave the distribution unstated until you are already registered. Bradley publishes the split course by course, which lets you see that your first practicum is a 50-hour introduction and your last is a 300-hour immersion. If you are trying to keep a full-time job through most of the program and can arrange reduced hours for one semester, that shape works in your favor. If your employer cannot flex at all, the final term is where the plan breaks.

Four doors into one clinical core. An associate degree, a hospital diploma, a bachelor’s in another field, a BSN, or a completed MSN each open a Bradley FNP pathway, and all of them run through the same four practicum courses at the same credit values. Nurses without a BSN can move to FNP preparation without completing a separate degree first, which is a real saving in both time and money. The trade-off is that the ADN pathway is a ten-semester commitment against the five-year completion limit, leaving little room to pause.

You do the preceptor work. Bradley frames self-selected preceptors as flexibility, and for nurses embedded in a local primary care network it genuinely is. There is no residency restriction on where you practice, no faculty-assigned site, and no requirement to relocate. But the school does not guarantee placement, and the search is yours to run. Weigh that honestly against programs that place students directly, especially if you are new to your area or working outside outpatient primary care.

Accreditation

Bradley’s nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. CCNE’s scope at Bradley covers the master’s degree program in nursing, the post-graduate APRN certificate program, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice program. All four FNP pathways on this page fall inside that scope, including the post-master’s certificate, which is not always separately accredited at other schools.

Institutionally, Bradley University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and has held that accreditation since 1913. The most recent reaffirmation action set the next comprehensive review for 2030 to 2031, with Bradley remaining on the Open Pathway. Institutional accreditation is what governs federal financial aid eligibility and whether other universities will accept your credits, so it matters separately from the nursing accreditor.

Graduates of all four FNP pathways are eligible to sit the national FNP certification exam through either the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners or the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Dual eligibility is standard for CCNE-accredited FNP programs but worth confirming, since some specialty tracks qualify for only one body.

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