Clemson University offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- MS
- BS-DNP
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS | $43.2K–$47.3K / $76.4K–$83.7K | 2 years (5 semesters) | 46 |
| BS-DNP | $42.3K–$46.7K / $88.5K–$97.4K | 3 years (9 semesters) | 74 |
Tuition estimates use Clemson’s 2026–27 full-time semester rates for fall and spring plus per-credit rates for summer (in-state / out-of-state).
Clemson assigns its NP students’ clinical placements. A graduate clinical coordinator starts matching students to preceptors up to a year ahead, and Clemson Rural Health serves as the backstop when no outside site is found.
That support comes with a firm regional footprint. Both tracks meet in person every Thursday in Greenville, and clinical sites must sit in South Carolina within 150 miles of the Greenville campus or the student’s home.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MS (FNP); BS-DNP (FNP concentration) |
| Format | Hybrid: weekly Thursday class in Greenville, Canvas coursework, clinicals on other days |
| Clinical Hours | 675–765 NP clinical hours (handbook conflict); DNP requires 1,000 total |
| Clinical Placement | School-coordinated; Clemson Rural Health fallback; sites limited to South Carolina |
| Population | Family/individual across the lifespan, primary care |
| Distinctive Coursework | Four clinical management courses with labs; MS final oral examination |
| RN License Requirements | Active, unencumbered South Carolina RN license |
| Tuition | MS $9,257/semester full-time (resident); DNP $5,347/semester (doctoral rate, assumed) |
| Start Term | MS: August only; BS-DNP: single annual cohort |
| Accreditation | CCNE (master’s and DNP); SACSCOC institutional |
Master of Science, Major in Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Master of Science, Major in Nursing (Family Nurse Practitioner) at Clemson University is approximately $43,200–$47,300 for South Carolina residents (46 credits at the full-time semester rate of $9,257, or $1,029/credit in summer). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (5 semesters, derived), starting each August.
MS Curriculum
Clinical management in four blocks. The FNP specialty is built around four 4-credit clinical management courses (acute disease, chronic disease, women’s health, and child and adolescent). Each pairs two hours of weekly lecture with a six-hour precepted lab, so clinical work starts inside the didactic sequence rather than after it. Two 3-credit practicums then consolidate the population blocks.
Policy and research weight. The 22-credit core includes health care policy and economics, research design, and statistical analysis. A 2-credit adult mental health course is didactic only.
A graded exit exam. Every MS candidate passes a one-hour final oral examination before the degree is awarded. Students receive six questions up to 72 hours ahead and answer three. Thesis and non-thesis options are both available.
- NURS 8060/8061 Advanced Assessment for Nursing (3)
- NURS 8090 Pathophysiology for Advanced Nursing (3)
- NURS 8050 Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing (3)
- NURS 8480 Health Care Policy and Economics (3)
- NURS 8210/8211 Acute Disease Management (4)
- NURS 8220/8221 Chronic Disease Management (4)
- NURS 8190/8191 Women’s Health (4)
- NURS 8200/8201 Child and Adolescent (4)
- NURS 8230 and 8240 Nurse Practitioner Clinical Practicum I and II (3 each)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The published course list sums to 46 credits. The handbook says 46–47, and the graduate catalog says 48.
- Full-time status requires 9 credits in fall and spring. Students short of 9 must add up to 3 credits of NURS 8790 (Special Topics).
- Clemson does not publish a semester-by-semester MS plan. The 5-semester duration is derived from the credit total, the 9-credit full-time minimum, and the August start.
- Up to 12 transfer credits may be considered after admission, subject to a syllabus-based gap analysis.
MS Clinical Requirements
- Minimum NP clinical hours: 675–765 (both figures appear in the 2026–27 clinical handbook), with at least 500 in direct patient care
- Per-course structure: four labs at 6 contact hours/week (about 90 hours each) and two practicums at 9 hours/week (about 135 each), derived from catalog notation over a 15-week term
- Placement: the Graduate Clinical Coordinator assigns sites, beginning up to one year in advance and no later than 45 days after required coursework is complete
- Fallback: students without an outside placement complete hours at Clemson Rural Health
- Geography: sites must be in South Carolina and within 150 miles of the Greenville campus or the student’s residence
- Preceptors: NP, MD, DO, or PA with at least one year of relevant experience; 25% of program hours must be with an APRN
- Faculty site visits at least once per clinical course, in person for new sites or preceptors
- Midterm and final OSCEs in each clinical course; the final OSCE must be passed (80% average, one retake)
Clemson’s hour total sits in the common 600–700 range or slightly above it, depending on which handbook figure governs. The bigger difference is who does the searching. Many FNP programs leave preceptor hunting to the student; Clemson builds placements through its affiliates (Prisma Health, AnMed, Bon Secours, Spartanburg Regional) and guarantees a fallback site. At 6–9 clinical hours per week per course, the load is manageable alongside part-time work.
You Should Know
- Placements are assigned on availability. A specific site or preceptor is not guaranteed.
- Students who decline an assigned placement must find their own. Students who bring their own preceptor are not offered additional sites for that course.
- Workplace units cannot be used as clinical sites, and no student may spend more than two semesters with one preceptor.
- Typhon logs lock 72 hours after each clinical day. Late entries do not count and must be repeated. Typhon’s cost is not stated.
- Travel costs to assigned sites are the student’s responsibility.
MS Admissions
Admission is to a single August cohort with one annual deadline, and an active South Carolina RN license is required.
- BSN (or equivalent) from an accredited nursing program
- Cumulative GPA of 3.25 across all college credits
- Three recommendations from master’s- or doctorally prepared professionals (one from undergraduate nursing faculty preferred)
- Resume or CV; official transcripts from all prior programs
- Active, unencumbered South Carolina RN license
- Recommended: 600+ hours of nursing practice in the 12 months before applying (Clinical Practice Form)
- Post-admission: background check and professional liability insurance
- Deadline: April 15 each year for August entry
You Should Know
- Applicants from programs graded mostly pass/fail are not considered competitive.
- Clinical sites are restricted to South Carolina, so out-of-state residents should plan on regular travel to both Greenville and South Carolina clinical sites.
- The handbook references compact licensure requirements but does not state whether a multistate license issued by another compact state satisfies the South Carolina license rule.
BSN to DNP: Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Post-Baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice (Family Nurse Practitioner) at Clemson University is approximately $42,300–$46,700 for South Carolina residents (74 credits at the doctoral semester rate of $5,347, or $733/credit in summer). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years (9 semesters), full-time.
BS-DNP Curriculum
Same clinical block, doctoral core. The DNP uses the MS clinical sequence: the same four clinical management courses with labs and the same two NP practicums. It drops three MS core courses (statistics, knowledge development, and health care policy) and replaces them with nine 9000-level doctoral courses in biostatistics, evidence integration, informatics, outcomes management, health systems leadership, and health economics.
Project in three stages. The DNP project runs across proposal, implementation, and analysis courses, often with an Upstate health system partner such as Prisma Health, AnMed, or Bon Secours. Graduates present a poster at Clemson’s annual Translational Research Day.
- NURS 9020 DNP Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (3)
- NURS 9030 DNP Evidence Integration (3)
- NURS 9040 DNP Leadership in Healthcare Systems (3)
- NURS 9060 DNP Outcomes Management (3)
- NURS 9270 Healthcare Economics, Finance, and Policy (3)
- NURS 8210/8211 and 8220/8221 adult and gerontology clinical management (4 each)
- NURS 8190/8191 and 8200/8201 women’s health and child and adolescent (4 each)
- NURS 9090, 9100, 9110 DNP Project I–III
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Credit totals conflict. The program page and handbook say 74; the graduate catalog says 76 for the FNP concentration. The handbook’s course list sums to 72 unless Project II and III carry 4 credits each, as the handbook’s project-hours section states, which yields 74.
- The DNP course list labels NURS 8210 and 8220 “Adult Nursing” and “Gerontology Nursing,” while the MS list calls the same course numbers “Acute” and “Chronic Disease Management.”
BS-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total required: 1,000 clinical hours (published)
- NP clinical hours: same 675–765-hour sequence as the MS
- Project hours: credited at 50 clock hours per credit (about 100 for Project I and 200 each for Projects II and III, per the handbook)
- Placement, geography, preceptor rules, site visits, and OSCEs: same as the MS
- On-campus immersions: up to 2 days per year (maximum of three), in addition to weekly Thursday classes
The DNP’s 1,000-hour total meets the doctoral benchmark without adding NP clinical time. The extra hours come from project work. A nurse choosing the DNP for more clinical training will not get it here; the difference is the doctoral core and the project.
You Should Know
- NP hours plus the handbook’s project-hour estimates (about 500) total 1,175–1,265, above the published 1,000. Clemson does not explain how the two figures reconcile.
BS-DNP Admissions
The DNP adds a faculty interview and a personal statement, and its application cycle runs months earlier than the MS.
- BSN from a nationally accredited program; cumulative GPA of 3.25
- Active, unencumbered South Carolina RN license
- Recommended: 600 clinical hours in the 12 months before applying
- Three recommendations, resume or CV, and a personal statement on career goals
- Interview with graduate nursing faculty
- Priority deadline November 15; final deadline February 15 (annual cycle); orientation in late March or early April
You Should Know
- Clemson does not state the BS-DNP start term. The spring orientation suggests a summer or fall entry.
- A limited number of graduate teaching assistantships include tuition remission and a stipend; clinical teaching roles require two years of RN experience.
Tuition
The MS costs $1,029 per credit for South Carolina residents and $1,820 for non-residents (published “premier program” rate). Full-time students pay a flat $9,257 (resident) or $16,372 (non-resident) per fall or spring semester. The DNP is assumed to bill at Clemson’s doctoral rate: $5,347 or $11,274 per full-time semester, and $733 or $1,488 per credit in summer. At 9 credits, that works out to about $594 per credit for residents.
| Item (2026–27) | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| MS full-time, per fall/spring semester | $9,257 | $16,372 |
| MS per credit (part-time and summer) | $1,029 | $1,820 |
| Doctoral full-time, per fall/spring semester | $5,347 | $11,274 |
| Doctoral per credit (part-time and summer) | $733 | $1,488 |
| Full-time graduate fees, per fall/spring semester | $723 | $723 |
| Summer fees: $475 per semester + $20 per credit | $475+ | $475+ |
MS (derived): 4 full-time semesters plus 6–10 summer credits = $43,202–$47,318 resident; $76,408–$83,688 non-resident. Adding fees brings the resident total to about $46,700–$50,900.
BS-DNP (derived): 6 full-time semesters plus 14–20 summer credits across three summers = $42,344–$46,742 resident; $88,476–$97,404 non-resident. Adding fees brings the resident total to about $48,400–$52,900.
- MS premier rate published on Clemson’s 2026–27 tuition and fee tables
- Doctoral rate and full-time graduate fees ($723/semester) published on the same page
- Summer graduate rates and fees published in the Summer 2026 fee schedule
- The $1,000/semester nursing academic program fee applies to undergraduate tracks only
Be aware that:
- Clemson’s tables list a premier rate for the MS but no DNP-specific line. The doctoral rate is assumed for the BS-DNP. If the DNP bills at the MS premier rate instead, its cost rises sharply.
- Summer credit loads are not published for either track, which is why totals are ranges.
- A $150 athletics fee appears on every semester’s schedule outside the fee total, and a $70 transit fee applies to students not in university housing. Neither is included above.
- Students must document health insurance. Clemson’s student plan costs $1,689 (fall) and $2,311 (spring/summer) if no waiver is filed.
- Students cover Typhon, background checks, drug screens, liability insurance, travel, and site-specific clearance costs.
- The full-time flat rate rewards staying on plan. A part-time semester at 6 credits costs $6,174 in MS tuition, two-thirds of the flat rate for two-thirds of the credits, but stretches the program and adds fee semesters.
For South Carolina residents, the two credentials land in nearly the same price range because the DNP’s doctoral rate is far lower per semester than the MS premier rate. With fees, a resident pays roughly $2,000 more for the doctorate, plus one more year in school. Non-residents face the opposite math: both tracks roughly double, and the DNP’s longer timeline pushes it past $88,000 before fees.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for South Carolina nurses within reach of Greenville who want the school, not themselves, to find their preceptors.
Placement support that most programs skip. Clemson’s coordinator assigns sites through Upstate health system affiliations, starts as early as a year ahead, and falls back on Clemson Rural Health. Faculty visit every clinical course in person when the site is new. For a nurse without a large professional network, this removes a common cause of delayed NP graduation.
A resident DNP priced like a master’s. Because the doctoral semester rate runs about $3,900 below the MS premier rate, the BS-DNP’s estimated resident tuition overlaps the MS range despite four extra semesters. Residents who want the doctorate eventually should price both before choosing.
The geographic verdict. This is a Greenville program in practice. The weekly Thursday class, the South Carolina license requirement, and the in-state, 150-mile clinical radius make it a poor fit for anyone outside commuting range of the Upstate. Non-residents pay far more for the same in-person schedule.
Accreditation
The master’s degree program in nursing and the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Clemson University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Both FNP tracks fall under that accreditation.
Clemson University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Institutional accreditation governs federal financial aid eligibility and how other schools and employers treat the degree.
Clemson is an approved SARA institution, which governs any program activity that crosses state lines.
Graduates of both the MS and BS-DNP FNP tracks are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).
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