University of Virginia FNP Programs

School of Nursing • Charlottesville, VA • Mostly Online • $942/credit

The University of Virginia offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • BSN-DNP
  • Post-Professional Certificate

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
BSN-DNP$69.6K+ / $112.8K+3 years (8 semesters)74–78 (derived)
Certificate$35.0K–$43.0K / $51.9K–$61.2K2 years (6 semesters)About 26 (derived)

Tuition estimates use UVA’s 2026-27 published rates: the full-time DNP flat rate and fees for the BSN-DNP, and per-credit tuition plus the clinical lab, comprehensive, and activity fees for the certificate (in-state / out-of-state).

UVA guarantees practicum placements inside Virginia. That is a firmer commitment than the “placement support” most FNP programs offer, and it comes with 750 direct-care hours, above the 500-hour certification floor.

The trade-off is geography and entry timing. The guarantee stops at the state line, students attend Charlottesville about once a month, and the BSN-DNP now requires a year of full-time RN experience for fall 2027 entrants. The certificate carries a harder limit: UVA bars its certificate students from scholarships and student loans.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesBSN-DNP (FNP specialty); post-professional FNP certificate for current APRNs
FormatMostly Online; in-person sessions in Charlottesville about once a month
Clinical Hours750 direct-care practicum hours (14 credits) in both tracks
Clinical PlacementGuaranteed within Virginia for BSN-DNP; out-of-state sites possible, not guaranteed
PopulationFamily/individual across the lifespan
Distinctive CourseworkSeparate women’s health and child-family courses before the FNP practicum sequence
ConcentrationsNone within FNP; FNP is one of seven BSN-DNP specialties
RN License RequirementsActive Virginia license or a compact license from your home state
Experience GateBSN-DNP: one year full-time RN experience starting with fall 2027 entry
Tuition$942/credit in-state; $1,538/credit out-of-state
AccreditationCCNE (DNP and post-graduate APRN certificates) through June 30, 2034

UVA’s MSN FNP is closed to new students. The last cohort entered in fall 2025. Nurses with a BSN now enter through the BSN-DNP. Generalist MSN holders (CNL, education, informatics) also apply to the BSN-DNP and may petition to transfer up to 12 credits.

BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty

The estimated tuition for the BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner specialty at UVA is approximately $69,563 in-state or $112,781 out-of-state (three years of the full-time flat rate plus summer fees, before summer tuition). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years full-time, or up to 5 years on the part-time plan.

BSN-DNP Curriculum

The degree has three layers. A 29-credit DNP core covers data analysis, quality and safety, informatics, health policy, and a three-course practice-change project sequence. A 9-credit elective block follows, which few BSN-DNP programs leave open. The FNP specialty sits on top, with practicum taken as its own 14-credit block.

The FNP didactic sequence separates women’s health and child and family health into their own courses before the general FNP seminars. That front-loads the two populations nurses from adult inpatient backgrounds usually know least.

  • GNUR 8620: Quality and Safety in Healthcare Systems (4 credits)
  • GNUR 8180: Healthcare Data Analysis (3 credits)
  • GNUR 9026: Health Policy, Economics & Finance (3 credits)
  • GNUR 9710: Implementation of Practice Change (3 credits)
  • GNUR 6070: Child & Family Health and Wellness (3 credits)
  • GNUR 6640: Women’s Health Seminar (2 credits)
  • GNUR 6641 / 6642: FNP Seminar A and B (3 credits each)
  • GNUR 6645: Skills for Family Practitioner Practice (1 credit)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • UVA does not publish a total credit count for the FNP BSN-DNP. The 74–78 figure is derived: 29 core + 9 electives + 22–26 specialty + 14 practicum.
  • The FNP course numbers above come from UVA’s MSN FNP page. The DNP plan of study may renumber or restructure them.
  • The DNP culminates in a scholarly project designed with a project team, on top of clinical hours.
  • UVA’s DNP page lists six in-person class days per semester, while the FNP page says about once a month. UVA labels the format hybrid; with no weekly or biweekly campus cadence, it is classified here as Mostly Online.

BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements

  • 750 direct-care practicum hours across 14 credits (about 54 hours per credit)
  • Placements guaranteed within Virginia, with exceptions for sites limited by capacity, affiliation, or specialty
  • Contracts also exist in Washington, DC, and Maryland; recent placements included North Carolina
  • Placement is collaborative: students may suggest preceptors, but the program approves and finalizes every site
  • Sites span UVA Health, Sentara, Carilion, Inova, Bon Secours, VCU Health, and the Richmond VA

At 750 hours, the program sits above the common 600–700 range. Spread across roughly five clinical terms, that is about 10 hours a week of direct care alongside coursework. The guarantee matters most for Virginia residents outside Charlottesville, since UVA’s site network reaches Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia, and Southwest Virginia. Nurses in non-compact neighboring states should assume they will travel into Virginia for clinicals.

You Should Know
  • The guarantee covers Virginia only. UVA states it cannot guarantee out-of-state placements at any point in the program.
  • UVA’s catalog lists a 1,000-hour post-baccalaureate practicum minimum for DNP students. How the hours beyond 750 direct care are earned is not clearly stated.

BSN-DNP Admissions

Admission runs once a year with a January 5 deadline for fall entry, and a new RN experience gate now applies.

  • BSN or MSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited school
  • Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (3.25+ is competitive)
  • One year of full-time RN experience by matriculation, for fall 2027 entry onward
  • Active Virginia RN license or a compact license from your state of residence
  • Resume, official transcripts, $85 application fee; interview if requested
  • Application opens July 1; decisions in early March
  • UVA nursing alumni with a 3.5+ UVA BSN GPA are guaranteed admission while capacity remains
You Should Know
  • UVA’s DNP info-session listing still says no clinical experience is required. The program pages set the one-year rule for fall 2027 entrants, which is the current application cycle.
  • International nursing licenses are not accepted.

Post-Professional Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the FNP Post-Professional Certificate at UVA is approximately $35,024–$42,956 in-state or $51,884–$61,180 out-of-state (about 26 credits at $942 or $1,538/credit, plus fees). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years of part-time study starting in summer.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate is for nurses who already hold APRN certification in another specialty. It drops the DNP core and keeps the FNP specialty sequence: the women’s health and child and family courses, the FNP seminars, and the full practicum block. A transcript gap analysis on admission confirms what each student needs for national certification eligibility.

You Should Know
  • UVA does not publish the certificate’s credit total. The 26-credit estimate assumes 12 FNP didactic credits plus the 14-credit practicum; gap analysis may add courses.

Certificate Clinical Requirements

  • Over 750 clinical hours to meet national certification requirements
  • In-person learning on Grounds roughly once a month

The certificate requires the same 750 hours as the doctorate, so a second-specialty FNP gets no shortcut on clinical volume. For an APRN already working full-time, that is the main workload to plan around.

You Should Know
  • UVA states the Virginia placement guarantee on its DNP pages only. Whether it extends to certificate students is not clearly stated.

Certificate Admissions

This track admits once a year for summer entry and is closed to nurses without current APRN certification.

  • Graduate nursing degree from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited school
  • Active APRN license and certification at program start
  • Separate graduate courses in advanced pathophysiology, health assessment, and pharmacology
  • Active Virginia RN license or a compact license from your state of residence
  • Application deadline: October 1 each year for the following summer
You Should Know
  • The October 1, 2026 deadline has passed. The next opening is the October 1, 2027 deadline for summer 2028 entry.
  • State boards set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus. Confirm your board’s requirements before applying.

Tuition

UVA charges $942 per credit for Virginia residents and $1,538 per credit for non-residents in 2026-27. Full-time BSN-DNP students pay a flat fall-spring rate instead, which works out to the same per-credit price at 24 credits a year.

2026-27 ChargeVirginia ResidentNon-Resident
BSN-DNP full-time tuition (fall + spring)$22,600$36,906
Special Session Comprehensive Fee$295$355
University + Nursing Activity Fees$96$96
BSN-DNP annual total$22,991$37,357
Certificate tuition$942/credit$1,538/credit
Certificate clinical lab fee$100/credit$100/credit
Certificate comprehensive fee$3,870$4,552

BSN-DNP (derived): $22,991 × 3 years = $68,973 in-state, plus $590 in summer fees, for $69,563. Out-of-state: $37,357 × 3 = $112,071, plus $710, for $112,781. Summer tuition is billed per credit on top.

Certificate (derived): 26 credits × $942 = $24,492, plus $2,600 lab fees, two comprehensive fees ($7,740), and two activity fees ($192), for $35,024. Out-of-state: $39,988 + $2,600 + $9,104 + $192 = $51,884.

Confirmed costs:

  • $942/credit in-state, $1,538/credit out-of-state (2026-27)
  • BSN-DNP full-time flat tuition of $22,600 / $36,906 per academic year
  • BSN-DNP mandatory fees of $391 / $451 per fall-spring year
  • Summer DNP terms: per-credit tuition plus a $295 / $355 comprehensive fee
  • Certificate clinical lab fee of $100 per credit
  • $85 application fee

Be aware that:

  • Certificate students are ineligible for UVA scholarships and student loans. Plan to self-fund or use employer support.
  • The certificate page lists its comprehensive fee without saying whether it is charged per year or per term. If charged each fall and spring term, the totals rise to $42,956 / $61,180.
  • BSN-DNP summer credit loads are not published, so summer tuition is excluded from the BSN-DNP estimate. Per-credit pricing on 74–78 credits gives $69,708–$73,476 in-state as a cross-check.
  • Whether the $100 clinical lab fee applies to every certificate credit or only clinical courses is not clearly stated.
  • Rates are set annually; a three-year doctorate will likely see increases.

For Virginia residents, about $70,000 for a doctorate with guaranteed clinical placement is a strong value. Non-residents pay about $43,000 more for the same degree, and the placement guarantee still covers only Virginia sites. For certificate students, the loan restriction matters more than the sticker price.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for Virginia nurses who want the placement risk handled for them and are willing to commit three years to a doctorate.

Virginia BSN nurses. This is the clearest fit. In-state tuition, a guaranteed in-state placement, and a site network covering most of the Commonwealth remove the two biggest risks in FNP school: cost and finding preceptors. The monthly Charlottesville sessions are manageable from most of the state.

UVA nursing alumni. Graduates with a 3.5+ UVA BSN GPA are guaranteed admission while seats remain. That turns a competitive single-intake application into a near-certainty, though the one-year RN experience rule still applies.

Out-of-state nurses and second-specialty APRNs. Both groups should weigh the limits carefully. Out-of-state students pay nearly double, need a compact or Virginia license, and lose the placement guarantee outside Virginia. APRNs adding FNP get a full 750-hour practicum but no access to UVA loans or scholarships. Nurses who want an MSN-level FNP no longer have that option here.

Accreditation

UVA’s School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). CCNE’s accreditation covers the BSN, MSN, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs, so both FNP tracks fall within scope. Current accreditation runs through June 30, 2034.

The University of Virginia is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility for degree students and the transfer of graduate credit.

Graduates of both tracks are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC). UVA builds guided exam preparation into its practicum courses.

More FNP Programs in Virginia