The Medical University of South Carolina offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- MSN
- BSN-DNP
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (In-State / Out-of-State) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $56.7K–$65.1K / $73.2K–$82.2K | 2 to 3 years (6 to 9 semesters) | 60 |
| BSN-DNP | $75.7K–$93.0K / $97.6K–$120.5K | 2.7 to 3.7 years (8 to 11 semesters) | 76 |
Tuition estimates use MUSC’s 2026-27 College of Nursing full-time semester and part-time per-credit rates plus the program fee, part-time student fee, $70 per-credit online program fee, matriculation fee, and residency course fees.
Part-time costs about $8,400 more than full-time at MUSC. Full-time students pay a flat $8,116 per semester in-state, while part-time students pay $835 per credit plus an $861 part-time fee every term. Stretching the 60-credit MSN from six semesters to nine raises the in-state estimate from about $56,700 to $65,100.
The catch is workload. The cheaper full-time plan carries 10 to 12 credits most terms, including 180-hour clinical courses, and the MSN itself is 60 credits because it shares the DNP’s leadership, finance, informatics, and policy core. The BSN-DNP adds only 16 credits and 400 residency hours on top of that.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN; BSN-DNP (MUSC’s DNP/MSN) |
| Format | Mostly Online: online coursework, summer campus orientation (DNP), occasional immersions |
| Clinical Hours | 765 (MSN); 1,165 (BSN-DNP) |
| Clinical Placement | Not clearly stated; new sites need an MUSC affiliation agreement |
| Population | Primary care; set minimums for geriatric and women’s reproductive health hours |
| Distinctive Coursework | DNP-level core in the MSN: economics, informatics, policy, epidemiology |
| Concentrations | Optional 12-credit nurse educator courses |
| RN License Requirements | Unencumbered RN license in the state where clinicals occur |
| Tuition | $835 / $1,120 per credit part-time; $8,116 / $10,858 per semester full-time |
| Accreditation | CCNE (MSN and DNP) |
| Enrollment Restrictions | No applicants from Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oregon, or Washington |
| Interview | Required for selected applicants |
Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the MSN at the Medical University of South Carolina is approximately $56,741 in-state full-time (60 credits at a derived $811.60/credit plus fees). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (6 semesters) full-time or 3 years (9 semesters) part-time.
Program page: Master of Science in Nursing.
MSN Curriculum
MUSC’s MSN is built from the same course list as its DNP. Every MSN student takes applied health care economics, informatics, leadership, epidemiology and biostatistics, and advanced health policy, which is why the degree runs 60 credits. A two-course capstone replaces the DNP project.
Clinical sequence. Specialty training runs through three 6-credit Advanced Care Management courses and a 7-credit Role Practicum. All five MUSC NP specialties share these course numbers; the population focus comes from clinical placements and course content. Full-time students start clinicals in the first summer.
Part-time plan. The nine-semester plan front-loads the non-clinical core in year one. Advanced pathophysiology, assessment, and pharmacology follow in year two, and clinical courses fill the last four terms.
- Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- Advanced Clinical Assessment & Reasoning A and B (6)
- Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics (4)
- Applied Epidemiology & Biostatistics (4)
- Applied Health Care Economics & Finance (3)
- Advanced Care Management I, II, III (18)
- Capstone I and II (6)
- Role Practicum (7)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- MUSC lists both a Spring 2027 and a Fall 2027 application window for the MSN, but publishes only fall-start plans of study.
- The full-time plan carries 12 credits in two consecutive semesters while clinical courses are running.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total: 765 clinical hours (Advanced Care Management I, II, III at 180 hours each, plus 225 in Role Practicum)
- FNP distribution: about 100 hours of geriatric care (65+) and 50 hours of women’s reproductive health care
- Specialty clinics: up to 100 hours during Role Practicum; the rest in primary care
- Preceptors: APRN, board-certified MD/DO, or PA with at least 1 year in the specialty and 3 months at the site
- New clinical sites require a clinical affiliation agreement, started through the College of Nursing
- Expected pace in Role Practicum: 10 to 12 patients per 8-hour day
At 765 hours, MUSC sits above the 600 to 700 hours common among FNP programs and well past the 500-hour certification floor. Each Advanced Care Management course averages about 12 clinical hours a week over a 15-week term, more when it falls in summer. The patient-volume target in Role Practicum signals that MUSC expects near-independent productivity by the end.
You Should Know
- Hour totals come from MUSC’s clinical guidelines (revised July 2025), not the program page, which does not state clinical hours.
- MUSC does not clearly state whether it finds preceptors or students do. The guidelines’ affiliation-agreement process suggests students identify sites.
- MUSC does not publish a minimum pediatric hour requirement for FNP students in readable form.
- The MSN page mentions “occasional in-person immersions” but does not say how many or when.
MSN Admissions
Admission is holistic and includes an interview for selected applicants. No RN experience minimum is stated.
- BSN from a nationally accredited program
- Unencumbered RN license in the state where practicums will be completed
- Undergraduate statistics
- Preference for 3.0 nursing and cumulative GPAs
- NursingCAS plus the MUSC supplemental application
- Three recommendations (one academic), personal essay, resume
- TOEFL of 80 for non-native English speakers
- Deadlines: Spring 2027 by October 31, 2026; Fall 2027 by May 1, 2027
You Should Know
- MUSC cannot accept applicants from Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oregon, or Washington.
- Out-of-state students must check their own board of nursing’s rules for distance clinical rotations.
- MUSC says passing the certification exam meets South Carolina licensure requirements; other states may add their own.
- The College of Nursing cannot admit international students who need an F-1 visa.
Doctor of Nursing Practice & Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the BSN-DNP at the Medical University of South Carolina is approximately $75,679 in-state for the fall full-time plan (76 credits at a derived $854.32/credit plus fees). The program can generally be completed in about 2.7 years (8 semesters) full-time, or 3.7 years (11 semesters) part-time.
Program page: Doctor of Nursing Practice & Master of Science in Nursing.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
The first 54 credits match the MSN exactly, including the same clinical sequence. The DNP drops the MSN capstone and adds scholarly inquiry, evidence-based practice and quality, practice inquiry and IRB, organizational theory, and two 5-credit residency semesters.
Three plans. Fall full-time takes 8 semesters, spring full-time takes 10, and fall part-time takes 11. Students can add four nurse educator courses (12 credits) on online teaching, instruction, curriculum design, and mentored teaching.
- Advanced Care Management I, II, III (18)
- Role Practicum (7)
- Scholarly Inquiry in Practice Systems (3)
- Evidence-Based Practice, Quality & Safety (3)
- Practice Inquiry & IRB (3)
- Organizational Theory & Healthcare Systems (3)
- Residency, two semesters (10)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- MUSC’s program name lists both degrees, but its pages do not say whether the MSN is conferred along the way.
- The spring-start plan runs two semesters longer than fall start for the same 76 credits.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total: 1,165 clinical hours (765 from the shared MSN sequence plus 400 in Residency, derived from MUSC’s stated totals)
- Up to 150 Residency hours may be in specialty clinics
- Campus visits: summer orientation for all new DNP students
- South Carolina residents present the project proposal and final poster on campus; out-of-state students may present remotely
- Each campus visit runs 2 to 4 days, with at least 90 days’ notice
The extra 400 Residency hours push the DNP past the 1,000-hour doctoral threshold with room to spare. The practical difference from the MSN is two semesters of precepted practice tied to the DNP project, not more FNP coursework.
You Should Know
- MUSC’s page calls this program “hybrid” while its header says “Online.” The campus visits are finite events, so it is classified here as Mostly Online.
- Out-of-state students make fewer campus trips than South Carolina residents.
BSN-DNP Admissions
Requirements match the MSN, including the interview and the five-state exclusion. Applicants choose Flex Fall, Part-time Flex Fall, or Flex Spring on the MUSC application.
Certified APRNs who already hold an MSN can instead apply to MUSC’s 38-credit Post-MSN DNP, which does not lead to FNP certification.
Tuition
MUSC publishes a per-credit rate only for part-time students: $835 in-state and $1,120 out-of-state, plus a $70 per-credit online program fee. Full-time students pay a flat $8,116 (in-state) or $10,858 (out-of-state) per semester, which works out to a derived $811.60 per credit across the full-time MSN. Rates are on MUSC’s College of Nursing Tuition & Aid page.
| Plan | In-State | Out-of-State | Per Credit (In-State, All-In) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN, full-time (6 semesters) | $56,741 | $73,193 | $946 |
| MSN, part-time (9 semesters) | $65,099 | $82,199 | $1,085 |
| BSN-DNP, fall full-time (8) | $75,679 | $97,615 | $996 |
| BSN-DNP, part-time (11) | $82,337 | $103,997 | $1,083 |
| BSN-DNP, spring full-time (10) | $93,031 | $120,451 | $1,224 |
All totals are derived: semester tuition or credits times the per-credit rate, plus the per-semester program fee ($560 full-time, $285 part-time), the $861 part-time student fee, $70 per credit online fee, $485 matriculation fee, and $233 per Residency course.
Confirmed costs:
- Full-time tuition: $8,116 in-state, $10,858 out-of-state per semester
- Part-time tuition: $835 in-state, $1,120 out-of-state per credit
- Program fee: $560 per semester full-time, $285 part-time
- Part-time student fee: $861 per semester
- Online program fee: $70 per credit
- Clinical course fee: $250 per clinical course
- Residency course fee: $233 per course
- Application fee $50; matriculation fee $485
Be aware that:
- Clinical course fees are not in the totals. MUSC does not say which courses carry the $250 fee. Across all four clinical courses it would add $1,000.
- Health insurance is required. Students taking 6 or more credits are enrolled in MUSC’s student plan unless they waive with coverage that pays full benefits in South Carolina. MUSC’s cost estimates budget $4,000 a year.
- Short terms still bill at the full-time rate. MUSC’s own estimates charge the flat semester rate for 5- to 7-credit terms, which is why the spring-start DNP costs about $17,400 more than fall start.
- MUSC’s cost-of-attendance tables contain errors. The part-time MSN table bills 59 credits instead of 60, and the part-time DNP table bills 60 credits instead of 76. Use the rate sheet, not those totals.
- Rates did not change from 2025-26. The tuition page labeled 2025-26 shows the same graduate NP rates as the 2026-27 program pages.
- Campus travel is out of pocket. DNP orientation and on-campus presentations are 2- to 4-day trips to Charleston.
For South Carolina residents, the full-time MSN lands near $57,000 before insurance, about 17% above what the semester rate alone implies. Fees, not tuition, drive the part-time premium. Out-of-state students pay roughly $16,500 more for the full-time MSN, a gap the online format does not reduce.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for nurses who can handle a full-time load alongside work, want a DNP-level core even in a master’s degree, and value training through South Carolina’s academic health sciences center.
Full-time is cheaper if you can carry it. The flat semester rate rewards speed. A nurse who can take 10 to 12 credits a term saves about $8,400 on the MSN and finishes a year sooner. That load includes 180-hour clinical courses, so it works best for nurses who can cut back to part-time hours at work.
Part-time is the safer plan for nurses working full shifts. The nine-semester MSN keeps most terms at 6 to 9 credits and holds clinicals to the final four semesters. The cost is real but predictable: about $1,085 per credit all-in versus $946 full-time.
Honest drawbacks. The 60-credit MSN is long for a master’s, and MUSC does not clearly state who arranges clinical placements. Residents of five states cannot apply. Required student health insurance can add thousands per year for anyone without qualifying coverage.
Accreditation
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits MUSC’s Master of Science in Nursing and its Doctor of Nursing Practice. Both FNP tracks fall under that accreditation.
The Medical University of South Carolina is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Institutional accreditation governs federal financial aid eligibility, credit transfer, and acceptance of the degree for later doctoral study.
MUSC is South Carolina’s only integrated academic health sciences center, and its faculty practice within that system.
Graduates of both tracks are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).
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