Stony Brook University FNP Programs

School of Nursing • Stony Brook, NY • Mostly Online • $471/credit

Stony Brook University offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • MSN
  • Advanced Certificate

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
MSN$30.1K3 years (9 semesters)45
Certificate$15.3K–$26.4K2 to 3 years (6 to 9 semesters)22–39

Tuition estimates use Stony Brook’s Fall 2026 New York resident graduate per-credit rate plus broad-based fees, the School of Nursing distance learning fee, and clinical course fees.

Stony Brook backs up the student-led preceptor search. Students look for their own preceptors first, but the School of Nursing can secure one for students who cannot, drawing on more than 700 affiliated clinical sites across New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey.

That support comes with a hard geographic limit. Applicants need a New York RN license, the school confirms licensure eligibility only for New York, and there is one start per year, in summer.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN; post-master’s Advanced Certificate
FormatMostly Online: distance education with on-site orientations, immersions, or exams
Clinical HoursNot clearly stated
Clinical PlacementStudent finds preceptor; school can secure one if needed
PopulationFamily, with a full clinical course on pediatric primary care
Distinctive CourseworkFamily theory and interventions course (HNG 577)
ConcentrationsNone stated
RN License RequirementsCurrent, unencumbered New York RN license
Start TermSummer only; applications due in early October
Licensure ScopeSchool confirms it meets requirements for New York only
Tuition$471/credit resident; $1,158/credit non-resident, plus fees
AccreditationCCNE (MSN and certificate); Middle States institutional

Master of Science, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the MSN at Stony Brook University is approximately $30,085 for New York residents (45 credits at $609.80/credit all-in, plus per-semester and course fees) and $61,000 for non-residents. The program can generally be completed in about 3 years, a derived figure based on clinical courses starting one year after entry.

Program details are on the official Master of Science, Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) page.

MSN Curriculum

A year of foundation before any clinical work. Stony Brook front-loads the program. Students complete the core, research, and advanced science courses first, and APRN students are expected to start clinical rotations one year after entry. That gives working nurses a full year to line up preceptors before hours begin.

Four sequential clinical courses carry 19 of the 45 credits. Each combines theory and practice, and each must be taken in order. The second course is devoted entirely to pediatric primary care, which is unusual. Many FNP programs fold children into a general lifespan course rather than giving them a dedicated 5-credit block.

Family systems coursework is required. HNG 577 covers family theory and interventions for advanced practice. It is part of the MSN core and also part of the certificate’s minimum core, so every Stony Brook FNP graduate takes it.

  • HNG 515 Advanced Health Assessment (3)
  • HNG 540 Clinical Pharmacology (3)
  • HNG 588 Clinical Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (3)
  • HNG 577 Family: Theory and Interventions for Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
  • HNG 541 and HNG 543 Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice I and II (3 each)
  • HNH 503, 504, and 505: leadership, quality and safety, and health policy (8 total)
  • HNG 572 Family Health Nursing I (4)
  • HNG 573 Family Health Nursing II, pediatric primary care (5)
  • HNG 574 and HNG 575 Family Health Nursing III and IV (5 each)
You Should Know
  • Stony Brook does not publish a semester count for the MSN. The 3-year, 9-semester estimate assumes a summer start, a first year of foundation courses, and the four clinical courses running fall and spring, as the bursar’s fall and spring course-fee lists show. Summer sessions are counted as semesters.
  • Course schedules note that all School of Nursing online courses may require on-site presence for orientations, clinical immersions, exams, and student support services. The number and length of these visits is not stated.

MSN Clinical Requirements

  • Total clinical hours: Not clearly stated. Hours are embedded in four clinical courses totaling 19 credits.
  • Clinical rotations begin about one year after program entry.
  • Students must identify and secure their own preceptor for each clinical semester, using the school’s approved clinical site list first.
  • The School of Nursing can secure a preceptor for students who are unable to find one.
  • The school holds more than 500 clinical contracts with over 700 sites in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, including Stony Brook University Hospital, Northwell Health, NYU Langone, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian.
  • Students may request a new affiliation agreement for a site not on the list.
  • Faculty hold academic responsibility for supervising and evaluating students; preceptors guide daily clinical work.

The placement model sits between self-placement and guaranteed placement. You do the searching, but you are not left without a fallback, and the site network is large enough that most Long Island and New York City area nurses should find an existing affiliated site nearby. Because the hour total is unpublished, you cannot compare clinical volume against the 500-hour certification floor or the 600 to 700 hours common in FNP programs without asking the school directly.

You Should Know
  • Stony Brook Medicine policy bars the School of Nursing from approving or participating in any placement that requires payment by the school, the student, or a third party. Paid preceptor-matching services are not an option here.
  • New affiliation agreements can take a long time and are not guaranteed to be ready for the intended term. Missing placement or documentation deadlines can delay clinical enrollment and progression.
  • The program page says the Office of Clinical Placements works with faculty to secure sites, while the clinical resources page puts the search on the student. Treat the student-led search as the default.

MSN Admissions

Admission requires a New York RN license, and there is a single summer intake with an early October deadline.

  • Bachelor’s degree with an upper-division nursing major from an accredited program
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
  • Current, unencumbered New York State RN license
  • Three-credit undergraduate courses in health assessment and statistics
  • Three letters of recommendation, a resume or CV, and a written statement
  • One year of recent relevant experience (preferred, not required)
  • Application deadline: October 9, 2026, for the Summer 2027 start
  • After admission: BLS certification, health and malpractice insurance, university health requirements, and a CastleBranch account (one-time fee)
You Should Know
  • Stony Brook states that its nursing programs meet licensure education requirements for New York only. If you plan to practice elsewhere, confirm with that state’s board before enrolling.
  • Stony Brook is an NC-SARA member, but SARA does not cover professional licensure requirements.
  • Missing the October deadline means waiting a full year for the next summer cohort.

Family Nurse Practitioner Advanced Certificate

The estimated tuition for the Advanced Certificate at Stony Brook University is approximately $15,327 to $26,426 for New York residents (22 to 39 credits at $609.80/credit all-in, plus per-semester and course fees) and $30,441 to $53,219 for non-residents. The program can generally be completed in about 2 to 3 years, a derived range that depends on how many foundation courses the gap analysis adds.

Program details are on the official Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Advanced Certificate page.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate uses the same four-course clinical sequence as the MSN, plus the family theory course. That 22-credit core is the minimum. A gap analysis at admission decides whether you also need the leadership, policy, health assessment, pharmacology, and pathophysiology courses, which can add up to 17 credits. Stony Brook MSN graduates do not repeat School of Nursing courses they already took.

  • HNG 572 Family Health Nursing I (4)
  • HNG 573 Family Health Nursing II, pediatric primary care (5)
  • HNG 574 and HNG 575 Family Health Nursing III and IV (5 each)
  • HNG 577 Families: Theories and Interventions for Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
  • By gap analysis: HNG 515, HNG 540, HNG 588 (3 each)
  • By gap analysis: HNH 503, 504, and 505 (8 total)
You Should Know
  • Faculty can require additional credits beyond the 22-credit minimum by advisement.
  • The 2-year minimum is derived from a summer start with the clinical sequence running fall and spring. HNG 572 requires HNG 515, 540, and 588, so a gap analysis that adds those courses likely pushes the timeline toward 3 years.

Certificate Clinical Requirements

  • Total clinical hours: Not clearly stated. Stony Brook says certificate credits reflect the precepted hours required for state and national certification.
  • Clinical rotations generally begin within the first year of study.
  • Same student-led preceptor search, school fallback, and site network as the MSN.

Certificate students reach clinicals faster than MSN students, which compresses the time available to secure a preceptor. Start the search at admission.

Certificate Admissions

This track requires a completed advanced-level nursing master’s or doctorate, in addition to the MSN requirements.

  • Advanced-level master’s or doctoral degree in nursing from an accredited program
  • Same GPA, New York RN license, prerequisite, document, and deadline requirements as the MSN
You Should Know
  • State boards set their own rules for recognizing a second APRN population focus. Confirm that a post-master’s certificate meets your board’s requirements before enrolling.
  • The same New York-only licensure determination applies.

Tuition

Stony Brook charges $471 per credit for New York residents and $1,158 per credit for non-residents, per the Fall 2026 graduate tuition and fee chart. Broad-based fees add $138.80 per credit, bringing the derived all-in rate to $609.80 (resident) and $1,296.80 (non-resident).

Per-Credit ComponentAmount
Resident tuition$471.00
Non-resident tuition$1,158.00
Technology fee$47.74
Academic excellence and success fee$31.25
Transportation fee$23.15
Counseling and health fee$22.45
College fee$11.45
Lifetime career development fee$2.76
Per-credit fee subtotal$138.80
TrackResident TotalNon-Resident Total
MSN (45 credits, 9 semesters)$30,085$61,000
Certificate, minimum (22 credits, 6 semesters)$15,327$30,441
Certificate, maximum (39 credits, 9 semesters)$26,426$53,219

All totals are derived. They combine per-credit tuition and fees with the per-semester and one-time charges below.

  • Activity fee: $45 per semester
  • School of Nursing distance learning fee: $141 per semester
  • School of Nursing distance learning orientation fee: $95
  • Course fee of $175 each on HNG 515, 572, 573, 574, and 575 ($875 for the MSN; $700 for the certificate minimum)
  • CastleBranch compliance account: one-time fee, amount not stated

Be aware that:

  • SUNY sets tuition annually, usually in June. These are Fall 2026 rates, and later semesters will likely cost more.
  • Totals assume part-time loads below the 9-credit full-time threshold, which the 45-credit, 9-semester structure implies. A full-time semester triggers capped fees and an automatic student health insurance charge of $2,162.12 for Fall 2026, waivable with proof of coverage.
  • The estimate assumes distance students pay the full broad-based fee stack, including transportation. Stony Brook does not publish a distance-student exemption.
  • The orientation fee is treated as one-time and the distance learning fee as charged every semester, including summer. The catalog says “each semester” without defining summer.
  • Travel costs for on-site orientations, immersions, or exams are not included.
  • Stony Brook’s undergraduate cost-of-attendance table does not apply to graduate nursing students and was not used.

For New York residents, fees add about 30 percent on top of the $471 headline rate, so the real resident cost is closer to $610 per credit. Non-residents pay more than twice the resident total, and the New York-only licensure scope gives out-of-state nurses little reason to take on that premium.

Fee details are on the bursar’s course fees page.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for New York RNs who want SUNY resident pricing, mostly distance coursework, and a school that will step in if their own preceptor search fails.

Downstate nurses get the most from the network. The 700-plus affiliated sites cluster around Long Island, New York City, and neighboring Connecticut and New Jersey, with major systems such as Northwell, NYU Langone, and Mount Sinai on the list. A nurse working in that region can likely stay inside an existing affiliation, which avoids the slow new-contract process.

The pediatric block matters for family practice. A dedicated 5-credit pediatric primary care course gives more structured exposure to children than many FNP curricula, which helps graduates planning to see patients of all ages in community or retail settings.

The honest drawbacks are timing and geography. One summer intake, an October deadline, about three years to finish the MSN, and an unpublished clinical hour total all require planning. Nurses outside New York, or those planning to relocate after graduation, face both a steep non-resident rate and a licensure determination that covers New York alone.

Accreditation

The master’s degree program and the post-graduate APRN certificate program at the Stony Brook University School of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Both FNP tracks fall under that accreditation.

Stony Brook University is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit recognition by other schools and employers.

The programs are also registered with the New York State Education Department, which qualifies graduates for New York nurse practitioner certification.

Graduates of both tracks are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).

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