Shenandoah University offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- MSN
- Post-Graduate Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $55.5K-$57.3K | 2.5 years (7 terms) | 47 |
| Certificate (NP) | $30.9K-$32.1K | 1.5 years (5 terms) | 25 |
| Certificate (non-NP) | $48.2K-$50.0K | 2.5 years (7 terms) | 40 |
Tuition estimates use Shenandoah’s 2026-27 rate of $1,045 per credit plus the per-term nursing, technology, and student services fees and two $385 immersion fees.
Shenandoah’s School of Nursing makes the final clinical site decision for every FNP student. Students suggest preceptors, but the program directors build and assign the placement, and all three pathways carry the same 600 clinical hours. Coursework is live online one day a week, with a fall immersion at the Winchester campus.
That structure comes with rigid scheduling. There is one fall cohort, no part-time option, a fixed weekly class day, and a 2,080-hour direct patient care requirement before specialty courses begin.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN; Post-Graduate Certificate (current NP or non-NP MSN routes) |
| Format | Mostly Online: weekly synchronous class day plus campus immersion in Winchester |
| Clinical Hours | 600 in every pathway (180 + 180 + 240) |
| Clinical Placement | Collaborative; School of Nursing makes final site selection and placement |
| Population | Family/individual across the lifespan; rural and underserved sites included |
| Distinctive Coursework | Mental Health in Primary Care; two FNP immersion courses; Transition to APRN Practice |
| Enrollment | Full-time only; MSN starts fall, NP certificate starts summer |
| Experience Gate | 2,080 direct patient care hours (about one year full-time) |
| RN License Requirements | Virginia or multistate license, plus licensure in each clinical state |
| Tuition | $1,045/credit; SU alumni pay $625/credit |
| Accreditation | CCNE (MSN and post-graduate APRN certificates) |
Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner at Shenandoah University is approximately $55,485 to $57,305 (47 credits at $1,045/credit plus fees). The program can generally be completed in about 2.5 years (seven terms), starting each fall.
MSN Curriculum
Graduate core first. The program opens with the master’s core: graduate writing, informatics, research, role and policy, and the advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and assessment sequence. Graduate writing as a standalone course is uncommon and signals a writing-heavy program.
Family practice split by acuity. Primary care content is divided into separate chronic and acute courses, each paired with a 180-hour practicum. Women’s health and pediatrics are their own courses rather than modules inside a general family course, which gives the special populations dedicated time.
Mental health as a required course. NP 526 Mental Health in Primary Care is part of the specialty sequence. That is useful preparation for the behavioral health caseload most FNPs carry.
Two immersions bracket the clinical year. A foundational immersion opens the specialty sequence and an advanced immersion precedes the final 240-hour practicum.
- N 504 Introduction to Graduate Writing
- N 580 Advanced Health Promotion and Assessment Across the Lifespan
- NP 526 Mental Health in Primary Care
- NP 610 Primary Care of Families: Chronic
- NP 620 Primary Care of Families: Acute
- NP 631 Women’s Health in Primary Care
- NP 632 Primary Care of Pediatrics
- NPLB 530 Family Nurse Practitioner Foundational Immersion
- NPLB 641 Advanced Family Nurse Practitioner Immersion
- NP 690 Transition to APRN Practice
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Per-course credit values are not published on the program page or in the catalog record. Only the 47-credit total is stated.
- Program pages describe “an immersion experience” in the fall, but the curriculum contains two immersion courses, each carrying a $385 fee. Timing of the second immersion is not clearly stated.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 600 clinical hours: NPLB 650 (180) + NPLB 670 (180) + NPLB 680 (240)
- Placement is collaborative: students submit preferred sites and preceptors, and program directors tailor the experience to learning objectives
- The School of Nursing makes the final site selection and placement
- Clinical experiences are scheduled around the host facility’s availability
- Settings include ambulatory, rural, and medically underserved sites
Six hundred hours sits at the low end of the 600 to 700 hour range common among FNP programs and clears the 500-hour certification floor comfortably. Spread across three practicum terms, that averages roughly 13 hours a week in a 15-week term (derived), which is manageable alongside part-time work but harder with full-time shifts. The placement model matters more than the volume. Students who struggle to find preceptors on their own get real help here, but they also give up final say over where they train, and schedules follow the site rather than the student.
You Should Know
- Shenandoah’s language is “collaborative” placement with school control, not a guarantee. No geographic limit on placements is published.
- You must hold an RN license in every state where you complete clinical hours.
MSN Admissions
Admissions run on a rolling basis for a single fall cohort, and applicants must document a full year of direct patient care before specialty courses.
- BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program; 3.0 cumulative GPA recommended
- Undergraduate health assessment, pathophysiology, and pharmacology (B or better recommended)
- Undergraduate chemistry and statistics (C or better)
- 2,080 documented direct patient care hours before specialty courses
- Unencumbered Virginia or multistate RN license
- Three recommendations: one from former nursing faculty if you attended school in the last five years, two from professionals who can speak to clinical work
- Resume and a 250 to 500 word essay on why you want the FNP role (AI-generated essays are not accepted)
- Faculty interview may be required; $30 application fee
- Mandatory orientation: asynchronous modules plus a live online session
You Should Know
- The program is full-time only. Part-time study is not offered.
- F-1 student visas are not issued for this program because of its limited on-campus hours.
- Shenandoah BSN and MSN alumni receive assured admission if they meet minimum requirements. Alumni are urged to apply by February 15 for the following fall cohort.
- A general priority deadline is referenced but not clearly stated for non-alumni.
Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Graduate Certificate
The estimated tuition for the FNP Post-Graduate Certificate at Shenandoah University is approximately $30,895 to $32,055 for current NPs (25 credits at $1,045/credit plus fees) and $48,170 to $49,990 for MSN-prepared nurses without NP certification (40 credits). The program can generally be completed in about 1.5 years for current NPs starting in summer, or about 2.5 years for non-NPs starting in fall (derived from two added prerequisite terms).
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate uses the same specialty sequence, immersions, and practicums as the MSN, so the clinical training is identical across credentials. The two routes differ only in what comes before it.
Current NPs (25 credits). Specialty courses only: chronic and acute family care, women’s health, pediatrics, mental health in primary care, both immersions, and all three practicums.
Non-NP MSN holders (40 credits). Two added terms of advanced pathophysiology (fall only), pharmacology, and health assessment (spring only), then the specialty sequence plus N 532 role and policy and NP 690 Transition to APRN Practice. Transfer credit for up to two courses can be requested.
- NP 526 Mental Health in Primary Care
- NP 610 Primary Care of Families: Chronic
- NP 620 Primary Care of Families: Acute
- NP 631 Women’s Health in Primary Care
- NP 632 Primary Care of Pediatrics
- NPLB 530 and NPLB 641 FNP Immersions
- NPLB 650, 670, and 680 Practicums
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The catalog lists the three advanced core courses as admission prerequisites, while the program page says non-NPs take them at Shenandoah before specialty courses. The 40-credit total only works if they are taken at Shenandoah.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 600 clinical hours for both routes (180 + 180 + 240)
- Same collaborative placement model as the MSN, with final placement made by the School of Nursing
- Same campus immersion requirement in Winchester
Current NPs get no clinical-hour reduction for prior practice. That keeps the credential clean for boards but means a working NP still needs time for 600 hours in about a year and a half.
You Should Know
- State boards set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus. Check your board’s requirements before enrolling.
Certificate Admissions
The certificate requires an MSN with a firm 3.0 GPA, unlike the MSN track’s recommended 3.0.
- MSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program, minimum 3.0 GPA
- Current NPs: advanced health assessment, pathophysiology, and pharmacology with a B or better
- Non-NPs: undergraduate chemistry (C or better)
- Copy of APRN certification if held; applicants without one are evaluated individually
- 2,080 direct patient care hours; two recommendations; resume and essay
- Unencumbered RN license, multistate preferred
You Should Know
- Enrollment is full-time only, and F-1 visas are not issued.
- Start term depends on route: summer for current NPs, fall for non-NPs.
Tuition
Shenandoah charges $1,045 per credit for graduate nursing courses in 2026-27, full-time or part-time. Per-term fees raise the effective rate to about $1,181 to $1,282 per credit depending on track and course load (derived). Rates come from the 2026-2027 graduate tuition rates page.
| Cost Item | MSN (47 cr, 7 terms) | Cert NP (25 cr, 5 terms) | Cert non-NP (40 cr, 7 terms) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition at $1,045/credit | $49,115 | $26,125 | $41,800 |
| Nursing fee ($670/term) | $4,690 | $3,350 | $4,690 |
| Immersion fees (2 x $385) | $770 | $770 | $770 |
| Technology fee ($130-$215/term) | $910-$1,505 | $650-$1,075 | $910-$1,505 |
| Student services fee ($245/full-time fall or spring term) | $0-$1,225 | $0-$735 | $0-$1,225 |
| Estimated total (derived) | $55,485-$57,305 | $30,895-$32,055 | $48,170-$49,990 |
Confirmed costs:
- Tuition: $1,045 per credit at both full-time and part-time loads
- Nursing fee: $670 per term
- Immersion fee: $385 each for NPLB 530 and NPLB 641
- Technology fee: $215 per term full-time, $130 part-time
- Student services fee: $245 per full-time fall or spring term
- Application fee: $30
Be aware that:
- All totals are derived. Shenandoah does not publish program totals.
- Fee ranges depend on whether each term is full-time (9+ credits). Term-by-term loads are not published. The MSN averages under 7 credits per term, so the low end is likely closer.
- The nursing fee is assumed to apply in every term, including summer.
- Shenandoah alumni with a bachelor’s or master’s from SU receive a $420 per credit discount, a $625 rate. That lowers MSN tuition to $29,375 and NP-route certificate tuition to $15,625 before fees.
- Figures reflect 2026-27 rates. Later terms may be billed at higher rates.
For most students, plan on about $56,000 for the MSN. That is a full private-university price. The alumni rate changes the math sharply: an SU graduate pays roughly $36,000 to $38,000 for the same MSN. For MSN-prepared nurses without NP certification, the 40-credit certificate saves only about $7,000 over earning a second MSN, since it adds the same core courses back in.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
This program fits nurses who want the school to handle clinical placement and can commit to a fixed, full-time schedule.
MSN for BSN nurses with a year of bedside experience. The 47-credit MSN is the standard route. It suits nurses who can protect one weekday for live class and are willing to accept a placement chosen by the program. The school-controlled placement removes the preceptor hunt that stalls many online FNP students.
NP certificate for current NPs adding a family focus. At 25 credits and five terms, this route skips the core and goes straight to the full 600-hour specialty sequence. It makes most sense for AGPCNP, PMHNP, or PNP holders who want to broaden their scope without a second degree.
Non-NP certificate for MSN-prepared nurses in education or leadership. The 40-credit route adds two prerequisite terms. It works, but the cost gap with the MSN is small, so compare it against a second MSN before committing.
Honest drawbacks. There is no part-time option, one start per year for the MSN, and at least one required campus trip to Winchester. Shenandoah reported 100% FNP certification pass rates for 2022 through 2024, but non-alumni pay a full private rate for that record.
Accreditation
The MSN and the post-graduate APRN certificates at Shenandoah are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). CCNE accreditation covers both FNP tracks on this page. National certification boards require graduation from an accredited program, so this matters for every applicant.
Shenandoah University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award degrees from the associate through doctoral level. Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer, including into a later DNP.
Graduates of both the MSN and the certificate are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).
More FNP Programs in Virginia
- ECPI University - Virginia Beach
- George Mason University - Fairfax
- George Washington University - Ashburn
- James Madison University - Harrisonburg
- Liberty University - Lynchburg
- Mary Baldwin University - Fishersville
- Marymount University - Arlington
- Old Dominion University - Virginia Beach
- Radford University - Radford
- University of Virginia - Charlottesville
- Virginia Commonwealth University - Richmond