Ramapo College of New Jersey offers an MSN Family Nurse Practitioner Track.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $49.3K | 3 years (about 9 terms, part-time) | 51 |
Tuition estimate uses Ramapo’s published 2026-27 graduate rate of $967.40 per credit, which is the same for New Jersey and out-of-state students.
Ramapo’s MSN is built for experienced acute-care nurses in northern New Jersey who want a school-arranged practicum rather than a preceptor hunt. The Assistant Dean of Nursing and a nursing advisor place each student, with 750 clinical hours that include a published 130-hour pediatric and 50-hour women’s health requirement.
The trade-off is travel. Coursework is about 90 to 95 percent online, but Ramapo requires students to come to the Mahwah campus 3 to 5 times per semester, every semester, for roughly three years.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN (FNP track); no post-master’s FNP certificate |
| Format | Mostly Online; 3 to 5 Mahwah campus meetings per semester |
| Clinical Hours | 750 (630 published across four practica; remainder in Role Practicum) |
| Clinical Placement | School places students; self-identified preceptors also accepted |
| Population | Family/individual across the lifespan, with set pediatric and women’s health hours |
| Distinctive Coursework | Separate geriatrics/end-of-life practicum; 180-hour family practicum (130 peds, 50 WH) |
| Experience Gate | Two years of acute care RN experience before clinical practicum courses |
| Pace | Part-time cohort; self-paced option within a 5-year limit |
| RN License Requirements | Active New Jersey RN license or NJ-recognized compact license |
| Tuition | $967.40/credit, same for all states; about $52.7K with fees |
| Accreditation | ACEN (all nursing programs) |
MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the MSN at Ramapo College of New Jersey is approximately $49,337 (51 credits at $967.40/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years of part-time study, which Ramapo publishes for the Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner track.
MSN Curriculum
Structure. The FNP track is 14 courses and 51 credits. It opens with four 4-credit foundation courses (research, advanced health assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacology), then moves through a four-stage primary care sequence in which each didactic course is paired with its own practicum. A 6-credit Role Practicum with a weekly seminar closes the program.
What stands out. The sequence is organized by population rather than by body system. Stages I and II cover adults with chronic and then complex problems, Stage III is a dedicated geriatrics block with emphasis on palliative and end-of-life care, and Stage IV turns to pediatrics, uncomplicated pregnancy, and routine gynecologic care. Many FNP programs fold geriatrics into general adult courses, so a stand-alone geriatric course and practicum is a genuine emphasis here. Because pediatrics and women’s health come last, students do not manage children in a practicum until the final stage.
Shared architecture. The FNP and Adult-Gerontology NP tracks share the first three stages. The FNP adds the family-centered Stage IV course and practicum, which is why it runs 51 credits against the AGNP’s 48.
- NURS 611: Science and Research (4 credits)
- NURS 620: Advanced Health Assessment (4 credits)
- NURS 635: Advanced Pathophysiology (4 credits)
- NURS 640: Advanced Pharmacology (4 credits)
- NURS 645/646: Primary Care of Adults I and Practicum I (3 + 4 credits)
- NURS 647/648: Primary Care of Adults II and Practicum II (3 + 3 credits)
- NURS 650/651: Primary Care of Adults/Geriatrics III and Practicum III (3 + 3 credits)
- NURS 652/653: Family Centered Primary Care IV and Practicum IV (3 + 4 credits)
- NURS 655: Context of Healthcare for Advanced Practice (3 credits)
- NURS 710: Role Practicum with weekly seminar (6 credits)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The 2024-25 catalog and the current online catalog also list NURS 657 (Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Practicum IV, 4 credits) under the FNP track. That course belongs to the AGNP track. Including it would make the FNP 55 credits, which contradicts the 51 credits Ramapo publishes everywhere else. The 14-course list above sums to exactly 51.
- Ramapo’s majors-directory page for this program still describes an older 47-credit, 720-hour version. The MSN program pages and catalog show the current 51-credit, 750-hour version.
- The program is cohort-based, but students may also take courses at their own pace. All courses must be completed within 5 years.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total: 750 clinical hours, published by Ramapo in its catalog and FAQ.
- Per-course hours: NURS 646 (180), NURS 648 (135), NURS 651 (135), NURS 653 (180) = 630 published hours.
- Role Practicum: hours for NURS 710 are not published. The remaining 120 hours are derived from the 750 total.
- Population carve-outs: NURS 653 requires 130 pediatric hours and 50 women’s health hours.
- Ratio: 45 clinical hours per practicum credit (derived).
- Placement: students work one-on-one with the Assistant Dean of Nursing and a nursing advisor and are placed in a clinical setting. Students may also identify their own preceptor.
- Employer sites: possible, but the workplace must be evaluated by the MSN Program Director.
- Weekly load (derived): about 12 hours per week in a 180-hour practicum and 9 hours per week in a 135-hour practicum, assuming a 15-week semester.
At 750 hours, Ramapo sits 250 hours above the 500-hour certification floor and above the 600 to 700 hours common among FNP programs. The published pediatric and women’s health minimums matter because those are the populations FNP students most often struggle to log. Because the school arranges placements, a working nurse is less likely to lose a term to a missing preceptor. The weekly load is manageable alongside full-time work, but 12 clinical hours a week plus campus meetings still takes careful scheduling.
You Should Know
- The FAQ describes placement “in a hospital setting.” FNP practice is largely outpatient primary care, so ask how Ramapo secures primary care, pediatric, and women’s health sites for FNP students specifically.
- The Role Practicum carries 6 credits but only an implied 120 hours. Confirm the actual NURS 710 hour requirement with the program.
- The weekly seminar in NURS 710 does not state whether it meets online or on campus.
- No telehealth policy for clinical hours is published.
MSN Admissions
Ramapo’s main gate is experience: nurse practitioner applicants need two years of acute care RN work before clinical courses begin.
- BSN with a minimum 3.0 GPA
- Undergraduate statistics course
- Two years of acute care RN experience before starting clinical practicum courses
- Active New Jersey RN license or a compact license recognized by New Jersey
- Two letters of recommendation; for NP applicants, one must come from a clinical setting
- 400-word personal statement and resume
- $65 non-refundable application fee
- Start terms: Fall, Spring, and Summer
You Should Know
- Timing of the experience requirement differs across Ramapo pages. The admissions page says two years before clinical courses begin, while the MSN FAQ lists two or more years of acute care experience as a qualification to apply. Newer BSN graduates should confirm which rule applies.
- The catalog also mentions a Transition Program for RNs whose bachelor’s degree is not in nursing. The current MSN admissions page requires a BSN and does not mention it.
- No state authorization or professional licensure disclosure was found on Ramapo’s pages reviewed. The recurring Mahwah campus meetings make the program practical mainly for nurses within driving distance.
- Three start terms are advertised, but the four-stage practicum sequence may limit when a new cohort enters the clinical courses. Ask which term your cohort would begin clinicals.
Tuition
Ramapo charges $967.40 per credit for the MSN in Fall 2026 and Spring 2027, published on the Office of Student Accounts cost page. The rate is the same for New Jersey residents and out-of-state students. Winter and Summer 2027 graduate courses are billed at a lower $929.40 per credit.
| Cost Item | Basis | Program Total |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | 51 credits × $967.40 | $49,337.40 |
| Renewal & Restoration Fee | $13/credit (part-time) × 51 | $663.00 |
| Course, lab, testing, and background-check fees | 2026-27 course fee schedule, all 14 FNP courses | $2,515.76 |
| Application and graduation fees | $65 + $125, one time | $190.00 |
| Estimated total | Derived | $52,706.16 |
Confirmed costs:
- Tuition: $49,337.40, matching the total Ramapo publishes for the FNP track
- $50 course fee on every FNP course
- Additional lab fees of $75 on NURS 646, 648, 651, and 710
- NURS 620 testing fee: $200
- NURS 646 extras: exam prep $210, exam fee $55, Typhon clinical tracking $100
- NURS 710 exam fee: $450
- Criminal background checks of $166.92 in NURS 646, 653, and 710 ($500.76 total)
Be aware that:
- The MSN FAQ still lists about $895 per credit and a $45,600 FNP total. Those figures are outdated; the current rate is about 8 percent higher.
- Any credits taken in summer are billed at $929.40, which would lower tuition slightly. The published total assumes the full Fall/Spring rate.
- Campus visits likely require a parking permit ($250 per year plus $16.58 tax), which is not included in the estimate above.
- Graduate students registered for 9 or more credits in the fall are billed $3,170 for student health insurance unless they file a waiver. Most part-time FNP loads stay under that threshold.
- Federal Direct loans require at least 6 credits per semester. Lighter self-paced terms may not qualify.
- Course fees are set each year by the Board of Trustees and may rise.
A realistic all-in figure is about $52,700 before parking and books, roughly 7 percent above the tuition-only number. The residency-neutral rate means an out-of-state nurse pays the same as a New Jersey resident, though the campus meeting schedule limits how far away a student can realistically live.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for experienced hospital nurses in Bergen, Passaic, Morris, and Rockland-area communities who want the school to line up their clinical sites and don’t mind a regular drive to Mahwah.
Placement handled for you. Ramapo’s placement language is closer to a guarantee than the “we’ll support your search” wording used by many programs. For a nurse working 12-hour shifts, not having to cold-call practices for preceptors is a real time saving. Students who already have a preceptor can still use their own.
A strong clinical record for the price. The program delivers 750 hours with dedicated geriatric, pediatric, and women’s health practicum time at about $52,700 all-in. For graduates who want to continue, Ramapo’s own post-master’s DNP counts MSN clinical hours toward its 1,000-hour post-baccalaureate residency requirement.
The honest drawbacks. This is not a program you can complete from a distance. Expect roughly 18 to 30 or more campus trips over three years, part-time study only, and a two-year acute care experience requirement that screens out newer nurses. Ramapo’s pages also contradict each other on credits, pricing, and when the experience requirement applies, so confirm details directly before enrolling.
Accreditation
All of Ramapo’s nursing programs, including the MSN and its Family Nurse Practitioner track, are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). ACEN is a national nursing accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and its scope covers master’s programs. Ramapo does not hold CCNE accreditation, which matters only if a future employer or doctoral program specifically requires it.
Ramapo College of New Jersey is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Regional institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and the transfer of graduate credits to other institutions, including doctoral programs.
Graduates of the FNP track are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC). Passing that exam is the step that qualifies graduates to apply for advanced practice licensure.
More FNP Programs in New Jersey
- Monmouth University - West Long Branch
- Rowan University - Glassboro
- Rutgers University - Newark
- Saint Peter's University - Jersey City
- Seton Hall University - Nutley
- The College of New Jersey - Ewing
- Thomas Edison State University - Trenton
- William Paterson University - Wayne