University of Michigan-Flint offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- BSN-DNP with MSN
- RN-DNP with MSN (ADN Entry)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP | $62.7K / $94.1K | 2.7 to 3.7 years (8 to 11 semesters) | 70 |
| RN-DNP | $69.5K-$75.1K / $101.6K-$107.8K | About 3.3 to 5.7 years (10 to 17 semesters) | 81-90 |
Tuition estimates use UM-Flint’s 2026-27 graduate nursing per-credit rates (in-state / out-of-state), plus the online RN/BSN undergraduate rate for RN-DNP prerequisites.
One application at UM-Flint leads to two degrees: the MSN arrives at 52 credits, when FNP students sit for boards, and the DNP follows in as few as 15 more. Like Detroit Mercy’s BSN-DNP, the MSN is awarded partway through; UM-Flint adds a direct ADN entry route and puts 300 of its 780 MSN clinical hours into pediatric primary care.
The trade-off is travel and scope. Graduate students come to Flint roughly 3 to 5 times a year, and there is no standalone MSN or post-master’s FNP certificate: every FNP student is admitted into the doctoral program.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | BSN-DNP with MSN; RN-DNP with MSN for ADN-prepared nurses |
| Format | Mostly Online: online coursework, mandatory orientation, campus visits about 3 to 5 times a year |
| Clinical Hours | 780 before MSN conferment; 900 through the DNP (derived from course-level hours) |
| Clinical Placement | Clinical coordinator helps find sites within two hours of home; student participates |
| Population | Across the lifespan, with 300 pediatric practicum hours |
| Distinctive Coursework | Two pediatric practicums, pediatric assessment, women’s health, psychiatric-mental health theory |
| Concentrations | Optional Organizational Leadership certificate after MSN; DNP/MBA dual degree available |
| RN License Requirements | Current unencumbered U.S. RN license |
| Tuition | $895.50/credit in-state; $1,344.50/credit out-of-state; $339 per semester fee |
| Accreditation | CCNE (master’s, DNP); Higher Learning Commission |
| Enrollment Restriction | Only applicants in states where UM-Flint meets licensure requirements may enroll |
| Start Terms | Fall (main) and Winter graduate starts; no summer graduate start |
BSN to DNP with MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the BSN-DNP at UM-Flint is approximately $62,685 in-state or $94,115 out-of-state (70 credits at $895.50 or $1,344.50/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years 8 months full-time or 3 years 8 months part-time, with the MSN conferred after roughly 1 year 8 months (full-time) or 2 years 8 months (part-time).
The official program page is the Online BSN to DNP with MSN Program.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
The degree has two phases. The first 52 credits (26 core, 26 FNP) end with MSN conferment, after which students can sit for the national FNP exam and work as NPs. The remaining 18 DNP credits cover policy, quality, organizational theory, a leadership immersion, and the DNP scholarly project.
Pediatric weight. The FNP emphasis includes a dedicated pediatric assessment course, a pediatric theory course, and two pediatric practicums. That pediatric block is 5 practicum credits, more than a third of the MSN’s clinical time.
Shared core with other NP specialties. Every UM-Flint NP student, including FNPs, takes a psychiatric-mental health theory course (NUR 780) and the same research sequence. NUR 700 and NUR 703 are DNP-level research courses taken before the MSN, which is why only 15 to 18 credits remain after conferment.
Sequencing. The course plan is a cohort sequence. Full-time students start the first adult clinical in their first Winter while carrying 14 credits. Part-time students average two courses a term and reach clinicals in Year 2. Taking time off is discouraged because courses are offered only in set terms and a stop-out can cost up to a year.
- NUR 604 Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning (3)
- NUR 524/525 Management of Acute/Chronic Problems, Theory and Practicum (4 + 4)
- NUR 531 Women’s Health (2)
- NUR 740 Advanced Health Assessment of Children (2)
- NUR 745/746/747 Primary Health Care of Children, Theory and Practicums I-II (2 + 2 + 3)
- NUR 780 Psychiatric Mental Health Concerns for Advanced Practice Professionals, Theory I (3)
- NUR 830/831 Advanced Practice Role, Theory and Practicum (2 + 4)
- NUR 905 Advanced Practice Leadership Immersion (2) and NUR 910 DNP Scholarly Project (3 minimum)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- NUR 904 Research and Implementation Science is listed as a DNP course but is scheduled in the MSN’s final term. Taking it there is what makes “as few as 15” post-MSN credits possible; otherwise 18 remain.
- NUR 910 must be taken for at least 3 credits and repeated until the project is finished, so the DNP phase can run longer than planned.
- No page states whether a student may stop after the MSN. The program is admitted and marketed as a single DNP track; confirm exit options with an advisor.
- All requirements must be finished within seven years, and each course requires a B or better.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- MSN clinical hours: 780 (NUR 525: 240, NUR 746: 120, NUR 747: 180, NUR 831: 240), at 60 hours per clinical credit.
- Pediatric share: 300 of 780 hours (38%) in NUR 746 and 747.
- DNP immersion: NUR 905 adds 120 hours, for 900 total (derived).
- Placement: clinicals can be done in the student’s own community. A clinical coordinator helps find a site within two hours of home, and the student must take part in the search.
- Campus: clinical-related campus visits coincide with residencies and simulation activities.
At 780 hours, the MSN sits above the 500-hour certification floor and above the 600 to 700 hour range common in FNP programs. The heaviest terms are NUR 525 and NUR 831, each 240 hours, which works out to about 15 to 16 hours a week over a standard term. The pediatric volume matters for nurses who plan to see children in family practice, since pediatric sites are among the harder placements to secure.
You Should Know
- The placement language is support, not a guarantee. The school says it “helps with finding placement,” which leaves the student responsible for part of the work.
- Hours for the DNP scholarly project (NUR 910) are not clearly stated. The 900-hour figure counts only published practicum hours.
- No telehealth clinical policy is published.
BSN-DNP Admissions
Admission is limited, and applicants choose the full-time or part-time plan when they apply.
- BSN from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.2 GPA in the last 60 hours
- Current unencumbered U.S. RN license; one year of RN experience preferred, not required
- Three recommendations from nursing faculty, an employment supervisor, or an APRN, PA, MD, or DO
- CV or resume and a one- to two-page professional goal statement in APA format
- No GRE; a phone or in-person interview may be required
- $55 application fee (waived by attending a UM-Flint webinar); $100 enrollment deposit credited to first-term tuition
- Deadlines: Fall, February 1 (priority for scholarships and assistantships) and April 1 (final); Winter, August 15
- Required on-campus orientation before the first term (October 16, 2026 for Winter 2027; May 7, 2027 for Fall 2027)
You Should Know
- Since July 1, 2024, only applicants located in states where UM-Flint knows the program meets licensure requirements can enroll. The school’s statement link resolved to an unrelated page during research, so check your state with the Graduate Programs office before applying.
- The August 15 Winter deadline has passed for Winter 2027; treat it as the annual cycle.
- UM-Flint BSN students (traditional, accelerated, or RN to BSN) can apply for Early Assurance, a guaranteed DNP with MSN seat if they keep a 3.5 GPA. Recent UM-Flint BSN graduates can also have the deposit waived.
- International applicants cannot obtain an F-1 visa for this program, and non-U.S. citizens living abroad cannot complete it online.
- Up to 12 transfer credits count toward the DNP, but no more than 9 toward the MSN.
RN to DNP with MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the RN-DNP at UM-Flint is approximately $69,491 to $75,060 in-state or $101,634 to $107,785 out-of-state (11 to 20 prerequisite credits at the undergraduate rate plus 70 graduate credits at $895.50 or $1,344.50/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 3.3 to 5.7 years (derived), since prerequisites take two semesters to two years before the same graduate plan as the BSN-DNP.
The official program page is the Online RN to DNP with MSN.
RN-DNP Curriculum
ADN-prepared nurses complete 11 to 20 online undergraduate prerequisite credits at UM-Flint, then join the same 70-credit graduate curriculum, clinical block, and MSN conferment point described above. Prerequisites are self-paced (one to four courses a term) and can start in Fall, Winter, or Summer. Graduate coursework starts only in Fall or Winter, and a Winter start lightens a few terms without speeding graduation.
- ENG 112 Critical Writing and Reading (3), only for students with no bachelor’s degree
- NSC 180 Legal and Moral Decisions in Health Care (3)
- NUR 300 Theoretical Concepts for Professional Nursing (3)
- NUR 307 Integrated Case Studies in Nursing (3)
- NUR 316 Research in Nursing (3)
- NUR 413/414 Population Health Nursing for RNs, Theory and Synthesis (2 + 3)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- No BSN is awarded along the way. A nurse who leaves before MSN conferment has no new degree; UM-Flint points students who want the BSN to its RN to BSN program with Early Assurance instead.
- Prerequisites must be completed at UM-Flint within two years, and the prerequisite phase includes about 16 community volunteer hours.
- The published 11-credit minimum cannot be rebuilt from the course list (17 credits without ENG 112). Ask which courses can be waived.
RN-DNP Clinical Requirements
Clinical requirements match the BSN-DNP: 780 MSN hours with 300 in pediatrics, plus 120 DNP immersion hours, and the same coordinator-supported placement within two hours of home. Prerequisite courses carry no campus visits; graduate students come to Flint about 3 to 5 times a year.
RN-DNP Admissions
The RN route sets a higher GPA bar than the BSN route.
- Associate degree in nursing from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.5 GPA in the last 60 credits (or the most recent 60 college-level credits)
- Current unencumbered U.S. RN license; one year of experience preferred
- Same letters, CV, goal statement, fee, and deposit rules as the BSN route; the deposit is waived for UM-Flint RN program graduates
- Prerequisite start deadlines (5 p.m. on the first of the month): Fall, August 1; Winter, November 1; Summer, April 1
- Applications submitted September through April are reviewed within about a month; Fall applications filed May through August are reviewed in September
You Should Know
- A Fall prerequisite applicant reviewed in September starts in the second seven-week session, not the first.
- Graduate orientation (usually mid-May or mid-October) is mandatory before graduate coursework begins.
Tuition
UM-Flint charges $895.50 per credit in-state and $1,344.50 per credit out-of-state for graduate nursing in 2026-27 (published). There is no flat-rate plateau: the published 8-credit term figures ($7,164 and $10,756) are the per-credit rate times eight.
| Component | In-State | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|
| MSN phase (52 credits) | $46,566 | $69,914 |
| DNP phase (18 credits) | $16,119 | $24,201 |
| BSN-DNP tuition (70 credits) | $62,685 | $94,115 |
| Registration fee, full-time (8 terms x $339) | $2,712 | $2,712 |
| BSN-DNP all-in, full-time (derived) | $65,397 | $96,827 |
| RN-DNP prerequisites (11-20 credits at $618.75 / $683.50) | $6,806-$12,375 | $7,519-$13,670 |
- Graduate nursing tuition: $895.50 per credit in-state, $1,344.50 out-of-state
- Registration Assessment Fee: $339 per semester, flat, for graduate students
- Online RN/BSN undergraduate rate: $618.75 in-state, $683.50 out-of-state, plus a $389 per-semester fee
- Application fee: $55 (waivable); enrollment deposit: $100, credited to tuition
- Part-time BSN-DNP students enroll in about 10 terms, bringing registration fees to $3,390
Be aware that:
- Rates rose about 4% from 2025-26 ($861.25 in-state, $1,290 out-of-state). Estimates assume 2026-27 rates for the full program.
- No online-specific rate is published for graduate nursing, so non-resident online students appear to pay the full $1,344.50. Confirm with Student Accounts.
- Some nursing undergraduate courses carry an $84 per-credit premium. If it applies to all RN-DNP prerequisites, add up to $1,680.
- Mandatory course-related fees are excluded from UM-Flint’s published rates and are not itemized for nursing.
- Travel for orientation and 3 to 5 campus visits a year is a student cost.
The $339 term fee adds only about $39 per credit over a full-time plan, so the per-credit rate is close to the real cost. The larger decision is residency: out-of-state students pay about $31,400 more for the same 70 credits. For in-state nurses, the DNP phase costs about $16,100 on top of the MSN.
Rates are published on UM-Flint’s Graduate Tuition page.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for Michigan nurses who already plan to earn a DNP, want to start practicing as an FNP partway through, and value substantial pediatric clinical time.
Two degrees, one admission. Students apply once and hold an MSN after 52 credits, then finish the DNP while working as NPs. For in-state students, the doctorate adds about $16,100 and as few as 15 credits, which makes the DNP a modest extension rather than a second program.
A clinical block weighted toward children. 780 MSN hours, 300 of them in pediatric primary care, give graduates more pediatric exposure than a program built around a single across-the-lifespan practicum. The required psychiatric-mental health theory course adds breadth that many FNP curricula leave out.
An entry route for ADN nurses. The RN-DNP lets associate-prepared nurses skip a separate BSN, though at a higher GPA bar (3.5) and with no BSN awarded along the way.
Honest drawbacks. UM-Flint’s pages describe campus travel three ways, from “minimal” to about once a semester to 3 to 5 times a year. There is no standalone MSN or FNP certificate, the placement model is supported rather than guaranteed, and the list of eligible states was not verifiable.
Is the doctorate worth it? If you want the DNP eventually, this is an efficient way to get it: you earn the MSN first, practice while finishing, and pay less than $17,000 in-state for the doctoral credits. If you only want to practice as an FNP, you are still enrolling in a doctoral program and should ask whether stopping at the MSN is allowed before you apply.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at the University of Michigan-Flint are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). That scope covers both the MSN conferred partway through and the DNP, for both the BSN and RN entry routes.
UM-Flint is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the regional accreditor for Michigan universities. Institutional accreditation governs federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer. UM-Flint states that its degree carries the same University of Michigan diploma as the Ann Arbor and Dearborn campuses.
Once the MSN is conferred, FNP graduates are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).
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