Hawaii Pacific University offers 3 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- MSN
- BSN-DNP
- Post-Master’s Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $52.0K | 2 years (6 semesters) | 45 |
| BSN-DNP | $83.2K | 2.8-3.7 years (9-11 semesters) | 72 |
| Certificate | $27.7K | 1.3 years (4 semesters) | 24 |
Tuition estimates use HPU’s 2026-27 online graduate nursing rate of $1,156 per credit.
HPU runs all three FNP credentials on the same four-practicum spine: 156 hours each in child, women’s, adult, and geriatric primary care. The catch is licensure reach, since HPU states the FNP does not meet licensure requirements in seven jurisdictions, including New York, Tennessee, and Arizona.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN, BSN-DNP, Post-Master’s Certificate |
| Format | Online (asynchronous coursework, no campus visits; clinicals local) |
| Clinical Hours | 624 FNP practicum hours; BSN-DNP states over 1,000 total |
| Clinical Placement | Support-based; HPU helps students find approved local sites and preceptors |
| Population | Four equal rotations: child, women’s health, adult, geriatric |
| Distinctive Coursework | Separate episodic and chronic conditions courses; MSN ends in a project proposal paper |
| RN License Requirements | Unencumbered U.S. RN license; no minimum experience stated |
| Tuition | $1,156/credit plus per-term and clinical course fees |
| Accreditation | CCNE (all three tracks); WSCUC institutional |
| Licensure Limits | Does not meet requirements in AZ, DC, KS, LA, NY, PR, TN |
| Start Terms | Fall, spring, and summer |
MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Online MSN-FNP at Hawaii Pacific University is approximately $52,020 (45 credits at $1,156/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 24 months, which works out to about six semesters across fall, spring, and summer (semester count derived).
MSN Curriculum
Core (18 credits). Six courses shared by every HPU nurse practitioner specialty, including the advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and assessment sequence plus a health policy course numbered at the doctoral level (NUR 8050). That policy course carries forward if a graduate later enters HPU’s DNP.
FNP specialty (27 credits). Four theory courses each pair with a 3-credit practicum. Two are organized by population (children, women) and two by condition type (episodic, chronic). Splitting episodic and chronic care into separate courses is a useful design choice: acute visit management and long-term disease management get their own assessment rather than sharing one adult-health course.
Capstone. The MSN closes with a 3-credit Project Proposal Paper rather than a thesis or comprehensive exam.
- NUR 6000 Introduction to Advanced Practice Roles (3)
- NUR 6030 Advanced Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning (3)
- NUR 8050 Development and Implementation of Health Care Policy (3)
- NUR 6960 Advanced Theory: Primary Care of Children (3)
- NUR 6962 Advanced Theory: Primary Care of Women (3)
- NUR 6964 Episodic Conditions in Primary Care (3)
- NUR 6966 Chronic Conditions in Primary Care (3)
- NUR 6961, 6963, 6965, 6967 Practicum I-IV (3 each)
- NUR 7000 Project Proposal Paper (3)
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 624 total hours: four practicum courses at 156 hours each (52 hours per credit)
- Practicum I: Child; II: Women’s; III: Adult; IV: Geriatric
- Clinicals completed face-to-face at healthcare facilities near the student
- HPU provides resources to help students identify and secure approved preceptors and sites
At 624 hours, HPU sits inside the 600-700 range common for FNP programs and above the 500-hour certification floor. The bigger point is the distribution. A quarter of all hours is reserved for pediatrics and another quarter for women’s health, so graduates cannot finish with a thin pediatric caseload. The trade-off is sourcing: students must find a pediatric preceptor and a women’s health preceptor, both harder to secure than general family practice sites. Practicum course length per term is not published. At 156 hours, that equals roughly 10 hours a week over 16 weeks, or about 20 hours a week if a practicum runs in an 8-week session.
You Should Know
- Placement language is support, not a guarantee. The MSN page describes “resources,” while the certificate page describes a placement team that arranges sites. Ask which model applies to your track.
- Because each practicum is population-specific, a delay finding one preceptor type can hold up the sequence.
MSN Admissions
HPU’s MSN admission is light: no RN experience minimum, no references or interview listed, and the 3.0 GPA is preferred rather than required.
- BSN from an accredited program
- 3.0 undergraduate GPA preferred
- Unencumbered U.S. RN license
- Completed statistics and research (evidence-based nursing) course
- Application, $45 fee, transcripts, CV or resume, statement of purpose
- $200 deposit on enrollment, credited to the student account
- Up to 12 graduate transfer credits (B or better, completed within five years; final project not transferable)
You Should Know
- HPU’s licensure disclosure states the FNP does not meet APRN licensure requirements in Arizona, the District of Columbia, Kansas, Louisiana, New York, Puerto Rico, or Tennessee. Nurses planning to practice there should not enroll.
- HPU notes approval from the Washington State Board of Nursing for practice experiences, so Washington residents face a state-specific clinical approval step.
- Spring starts in January, with the application deadline in mid-December. HPU also lists fall and summer starts.
BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Online BSN to DNP (FNP) at Hawaii Pacific University is approximately $83,232 (72 credits at $1,156/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 34 months full-time or 44 months part-time (about 9 and 11 semesters, derived).
BSN-DNP Curriculum
The BSN-DNP is the MSN with the project proposal paper removed and ten doctoral courses added. Students take the same 18-credit core and the same eight FNP courses, then 30 credits of DNP work in leadership, informatics, quality, finance, scholarly writing, analytics, and a three-course doctoral project. Graduates receive the DNP only; no MSN is awarded along the way.
- MSN core and FNP courses (42 credits; no project paper)
- NUR 8000 Evidence Based Practice for Advanced Nursing (3)
- NUR 8010 Leadership and Systems Management (3)
- NUR 8020 Informatics and Technology for Advanced Practice (3)
- NUR 8030 Optimizing Quality in Health Care Systems (3)
- NUR 8040 Business and Finance Essentials for the DNP (3)
- NUR 8070 Clinical Scholarship and Scholarly Writing (3)
- NUR 8080 Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice (3)
- NUR 9010, 9020, 9030 Doctoral Project I-III (3 each)
You Should Know
- The BSN-DNP page’s curriculum overview lists Advanced Clinical Decision Making, an acute care (AGACNP) course. It does not appear in the FNP course list and should not count toward the FNP DNP.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- 624 FNP practicum hours, identical to the MSN rotations
- Program page states students complete over 1,000 practicum hours in total
- Dedicated placement coordinators provide one-on-one support; clinical planning begins early
The 1,000-hour total reflects the doctoral standard for post-baccalaureate practice hours. Only the 624 FNP hours are itemized, so the remaining 376 or so presumably sit in the doctoral project courses. The NP clinical load is no heavier than the MSN; the extra time goes to project work.
You Should Know
- HPU does not publish how the 376 non-FNP hours are distributed across the DNP courses.
BSN-DNP Admissions
Admission requirements match the MSN exactly, including the absence of an RN experience minimum. The same seven-jurisdiction licensure limit applies.
Post-Master’s Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Online Post-Master’s Certificate FNP at Hawaii Pacific University is approximately $27,744 (24 credits at $1,156/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 16 months, or about four semesters (derived).
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is the MSN’s eight FNP courses with nothing added: four theory courses and four practicums. No core courses and no project paper are included, which is why it costs less than half the MSN.
- NUR 6960 Advanced Theory: Primary Care of Children (3)
- NUR 6962 Advanced Theory: Primary Care of Women (3)
- NUR 6964 Episodic Conditions in Primary Care (3)
- NUR 6966 Chronic Conditions in Primary Care (3)
- NUR 6961, 6963, 6965, 6967 Practicum I-IV (3 each)
You Should Know
- The FNP certificate page lists 16 months, but the certificate overview FAQ says the FNP can be finished in as few as 12 months. Plan on 16.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
The certificate uses the same four practicums and 624 hours as the MSN. The certificate page itself says only “more than 500 clinical hours.” HPU’s certificate page describes a placement team that arranges approved sites and handles documentation and compliance, a stronger description than the MSN page uses.
Certificate Admissions
Applicants without NP preparation face a recency gate and a gap analysis before clinicals can start.
- MSN from an accredited nursing program
- Unencumbered U.S. RN license
- Completed statistics and research course
- Graduate-level equivalents of HPU’s six MSN core courses, including pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment
- Core courses completed within five years unless currently practicing as an APRN
- Missing roles, research, or policy courses may be taken at HPU as first-semester co-requisites
- Gap analysis of the prior MSN; course syllabi may be requested
You Should Know
- HPU names only the roles, research, and policy courses as fixable through co-requisites. How a missing pathophysiology, pharmacology, or assessment course is handled is not clearly stated. Nurse educators and leaders with a non-NP MSN should confirm this before applying.
- Gap-analysis deficiencies must be cleared before clinical placements begin, which can extend the 16-month timeline.
- State boards set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus. Current NPs should confirm recognition with their board.
- The seven-jurisdiction licensure limit applies to the certificate as well.
Tuition
HPU charges $1,156 per credit for all online graduate nursing programs, per its 2026-27 graduate tuition schedule effective August 31, 2026. The rate is the same for every state of residence. Mandatory fees are billed on top of tuition.
| Track | Credits | Tuition | Est. Fees (derived) | Est. Total (derived) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | 45 | $52,020 | $1,210-$1,300 | $53,230-$53,320 |
| BSN-DNP | 72 | $83,232 | $1,570-$2,110 | $84,802-$85,342 |
| Certificate | 24 | $27,744 | $1,015-$1,060 | $28,759-$28,804 |
Fee estimates apply the 2026-27 fee matrix to each track’s published duration: $165 per fall and spring term, a $30-$75 summer technology fee, a $110 clinical fee on each of the four practicums, and a $50 graduation fee. See HPU’s online tuition page and the Business Office tuition and fee schedules.
- Tuition: $1,156 per credit (2026-27)
- Technology fee: $75 per fall or spring term
- Health services fee: $75 per fall or spring term
- Career preparation fee: $15 per fall or spring term
- Nursing clinical fee: $110 per eligible course
- Graduation fee: $50
- Application fee: $45; enrollment deposit: $200 (credited to the account)
- Online graduate students are exempt from student activity and transportation fees
Be aware that:
- HPU’s rate has moved year to year: $1,156 (2024-25), $1,117 (2025-26), and back to $1,156 (2026-27). Totals on the BSN-DNP page ($80,424 for the FNP) use the old $1,117 rate and understate current tuition by $2,808.
- The online tuition page labels its figures as 2024-25 rates. The numbers match 2026-27, but rates can change again for later years.
- The fee estimate assumes the clinical fee applies to the four practicums only. HPU also lists a $110 nursing lab fee per eligible course without naming the courses.
- The fee matrix does not say whether health services and career preparation fees apply in summer.
- Since July 1, 2026, Grad PLUS loans are unavailable to new borrowers and graduate Direct Loans cap at $20,500 a year ($100,000 lifetime), per HPU’s tuition page. MSN tuition averages about $26,000 a year, so most borrowers will need another source for roughly $5,500 a year.
- Books and other university costs are excluded from HPU’s published totals.
Fees add only 2-3% to tuition, so the per-credit rate is a reliable guide to real cost. The more practical issue is financing. The new federal loan cap no longer covers a full year of HPU tuition, and the BSN-DNP’s $83,000-plus total leaves little room under the $100,000 lifetime limit for anyone with prior graduate loans. Employer tuition assistance and military benefits, both accepted, matter more here than they did a year ago.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for working RNs outside the seven restricted jurisdictions who want a low-barrier online entry and structured exposure to every FNP population.
For nurses who want guaranteed population balance. Each of the four practicums is tied to one population, so pediatric and women’s health hours are built in rather than left to whatever a family practice preceptor sees. That is an advantage for certification readiness and a burden for preceptor sourcing.
For nurses undecided on the DNP. The MSN and BSN-DNP share 42 credits. HPU’s MSN-to-DNP is 30 credits, so finishing the MSN first and adding the DNP later totals 75 credits, only 3 more than the direct BSN-DNP ($3,468 at current rates). That sequential route also produces an MSN, which the BSN-DNP does not award. How HPU counts practice hours for its own MSN graduates entering the DNP is not clearly stated.
For MSN-prepared nurses adding the FNP. The certificate is the MSN’s exact FNP sequence at 24 credits, with three start terms a year. Non-NP MSN holders should confirm their pathophysiology, pharmacology, and assessment courses pass the gap analysis first.
The drawbacks. The licensure exclusions are absolute for anyone headed to New York, Tennessee, Arizona, Louisiana, Kansas, DC, or Puerto Rico. Placement is supported but not guaranteed, and the mandatory pediatric and women’s health rotations raise the stakes of that search.
Accreditation
The master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at Hawaii Pacific University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). All three FNP tracks fall within that scope.
HPU is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and the transfer of HPU credits to other universities.
HPU reports 2024 first-time pass rates of 91% (ANCC) and 80% (AANP) for MSN-FNP graduates, and 100% (ANCC) for certificate graduates. Cohort sizes are not published.
Graduates of all three tracks are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).
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