The University of Kansas Medical Center offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- BSN-DNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP | $44.9K / $88.9K | 3 years (9 semesters) | 67 |
| Certificate | $12.3K / $24.1K | 1 year (3 semesters) | 18 |
Tuition estimates use KUMC’s 2026-27 per-credit tuition and course fee plus required campus fees, at the campus in-state / out-of-state rates.
KU has no MSN route to FNP practice. A BSN-prepared nurse earns the FNP through a 67-credit DNP, and the 2026 curriculum rebuild cut that program to three years of full-time study. Every practicum semester includes clinical intensive workshops and standardized patient exams on the Kansas City campus, at an academic medical center partnered with The University of Kansas Health System.
The trade-off is travel and price uncertainty. Students make several campus trips per practicum semester, and the out-of-state campus rate doubles the in-state cost. KU’s bursar also publishes a residency-blind online rate, but it does not say which rate the FNP courses carry.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | BSN-DNP; post-graduate certificate |
| Format | Mostly Online: online courses, several Kansas City campus visits each practicum semester |
| Clinical Hours | DNP: 1,000 total practice hours; certificate: 750 hours |
| Clinical Placement | Mostly Kansas City metro and Kansas; preceptors in 11 other states |
| Population | Family/individual across the lifespan |
| Distinctive Coursework | Clinical Readiness for FNP Students; Diagnostic Reasoning; Complex Management – Family |
| RN License Requirements | DNP: RN license by first fall term; certificate: current U.S. RN license |
| Tuition | $629.60/credit in-state, $1,285.10 out-of-state, including course fee |
| Accreditation | CCNE (DNP and post-graduate APRN certificate); HLC |
| Start Terms | DNP: fall only; certificate: summer only |
BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the BSN-DNP at the University of Kansas Medical Center is approximately $44,934 in-state or $88,852 out-of-state (67 credits at $629.60 or $1,285.10/credit, plus campus fees). The Family Nurse Practitioner DNP can generally be completed in about 3 years of full-time study, with part-time study also available.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
The 67 credits split into a 31-credit DNP core shared by every KU specialty and a 36-credit FNP plan. KU rebuilt all programs for students admitted from fall 2026 onward, cutting credits and moving to a competency-based model in which students demonstrate skills in each course, simulation, and clinical rotation.
FNP specialty sequence. The specialty runs from the 3 Ps into Diagnostic Reasoning, then three Family Health courses. Two courses stand out: a 3-credit Clinical Readiness course and a 1-credit Foundations Practicum, both placed before the main family practicums. That front-loads skills checks before students reach preceptors. Complex Management – Family closes the didactic sequence.
DNP core. The core covers policy, informatics, quality improvement, and systems change, plus at least 8 credits of DNP project work (NURS 980-982). Students can tailor coursework through the Nursing Education Xchange (NEXus) consortium.
- NURS 850 Diagnostic Reasoning (3)
- NURS 851, 852, 950 Family Health I-III (3 each)
- NURS 951 Clinical Readiness for FNP Students (3)
- NURS 952 Complex Management – Family (3)
- NURS 958 Foundations Practicum (1)
- NURS 955-957 Family Health Practicum I-III (2, 3, 3)
- NURS 901 Quality Improvement Methods and Evaluation (3)
- NURS 980-982 DNP Project Development, Implementation, Evaluation (8 total)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The “9 semesters” figure is derived from the published 3-year timeline, assuming year-round enrollment. KU does not publish a semester count.
- KU’s bursar guide still lists the post-baccalaureate DNP at 75-79 credits. That range predates the 2026 rebuild; the 2026-27 catalog confirms 67 credits for FNP.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- 1,000 total practice hours, the DNP minimum stated in the catalog for all graduates
- Four practicum courses: NURS 958 (1 credit), then NURS 955-957 (8 credits)
- Several campus visits per practicum semester for clinical intensive workshops, simulation, and standardized patient exams
- Sites are mostly in the Kansas City metro but can extend across Kansas and to students’ home communities
- KU reported 98 graduate clinical sites and 156 graduate preceptors in 2024-2025, across all specialties
- Clinical partnership with The University of Kansas Health System; preceptors in Kansas and 11 other states
A 1,000-hour total sits well above the 500-hour certification floor and the 600-700 hours common in FNP programs. Part of that total, however, is DNP-level practice rather than direct family patient care. The per-semester campus exams add accountability: students show clinical skills to faculty in person rather than only through preceptor evaluations.
You Should Know
- KU does not split the 1,000 hours into FNP direct-care and DNP project hours. The certificate, which uses the same three family practicums, lists 750 hours, so direct-care hours in the DNP may be similar.
- KU does not state whether it arranges preceptors or whether students must find their own.
- Campus visits are described as “several” per practicum semester; the exact number of trips is not published.
BSN-DNP Admissions
Admission is once a year for fall, and new BSN graduates can apply without RN experience.
- BSN with a minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA
- RN licensure before the first fall semester
- One year of RN clinical experience recommended, not required
- Graduate statistics course (BIOS 704 or equivalent)
- Background check and drug test at the student’s expense
- TOEFL or academic IELTS for non-native English speakers
- Annual deadline: June 1 for fall start
You Should Know
- The program page lists a June 1, 2026 deadline for fall 2026, which has passed. Treat June 1 as the annual cycle and confirm the 2027 date.
- KU lists all states and D.C. as meeting APRN licensure requirements except Louisiana and Maryland, which decide eligibility case by case. Confirm before enrolling from either state.
- Career changers can start in KU’s campus-based MSN direct-entry program (57 credits, starting fall 2027). It is prelicensure, not an FNP track, but its 9 graduate credits (NURS 700, 701, 809) count toward the DNP core, leaving 58 DNP credits.
Post-Graduate Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Post-Graduate Certificate at the University of Kansas Medical Center is approximately $12,296 in-state or $24,095 out-of-state (18 credits at $629.60 or $1,285.10/credit, plus campus fees). The Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate can generally be completed in about 1 year (summer, fall, and spring) at 6 credits per term.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is the DNP’s family specialty with everything else removed. It keeps Family Health I-III and the three family practicums, and drops the 3 Ps, Diagnostic Reasoning, Clinical Readiness, and the DNP core. That design assumes students already hold APRN-level preparation.
- NURS 851 Family Health I (3)
- NURS 852 Family Health II (3)
- NURS 950 Family Health III (3)
- NURS 955 Family Health Practicum I (2-3)
- NURS 956 Family Health Practicum II (2-4)
- NURS 957 Family Health Practicum III (2-4)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Practicum credits vary, so the catalog lists 15-20 total credits. The sample plan and program page both use 18; credits above or below 18 change cost by $629.60 or $1,285.10 each.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 750 practice hours across NURS 955-957
- Roughly 250 hours per term, or about 17 hours a week over a 15-week term (derived)
- Several campus visits each practicum semester for clinical intensives, simulation, and standardized patient exams
- Same site network and preceptor pool as the DNP
Seven hundred fifty hours is above the 600-700 range common in FNP programs, and it lands in one year. With practicum running all three terms, expect clinical days every week alongside online coursework, plus campus trips each term.
You Should Know
- KU does not say whether prior clinical hours can reduce the 750-hour requirement through a gap analysis.
- State boards set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus. Confirm your board accepts a post-graduate certificate before enrolling.
Certificate Admissions
The certificate admits once a year, and KU’s two sources disagree on who qualifies and when to apply.
- Graduate nursing degree from an NLNAC- or CCNE-accredited program
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative graduate GPA
- Prior advanced health assessment, pathophysiology, and pharmacology, plus health promotion and advanced practice role content
- Current U.S. RN license in at least one state
- Three references from APRNs, nursing faculty, or physicians; application vitae
- $75 application fee; decisions within 4-6 weeks
- Background check after admission; drug test before the first clinical course
You Should Know
- The 2026-27 catalog requires completion of an APRN graduate program. KU’s admissions page accepts any nursing master’s or DNP with the 3 Ps. Non-APRN applicants should confirm eligibility before applying.
- The program page sets an April 1 deadline for a summer start (April 1, 2027 for summer 2027). The catalog lists June 1 for fall. The program page is more specific and likely current.
Tuition
KUMC’s 2026-27 cost per credit is $629.60 for Kansas residents and $1,285.10 for non-residents. Each figure is published base tuition plus a mandatory $144.10 per-credit course fee. A separate “online” column lists $729.60 per credit regardless of residency.
| Fee | In-State | Out-of-State | Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (per credit) | $485.50 | $1,141.00 | $485.50 |
| Course fee (per credit) | $144.10 | $144.10 | $144.10 |
| e-Learning fee (per credit) | None | None | $100.00 |
| Total per credit | $629.60 | $1,285.10 | $729.60 |
| Campus fee (fall/spring, per term) | $446.91 | $446.91 | $226.12 |
| Campus fee (first summer only) | $69.33 | $69.33 | None |
| Program | In-State | Out-of-State | Online Column |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP (67 cr) | $44,934 | $88,852 | $50,240 |
| Certificate (18 cr) | $12,296 | $24,095 | $13,585 |
All totals are derived: credits times the per-credit stack, plus campus fees for six fall/spring terms and one summer (DNP) or two fall/spring terms and one summer (certificate). Rates come from KUMC’s School of Nursing Tuition and Fees Guide.
- Base tuition: $485.50/credit in-state, $1,141.00/credit out-of-state
- Course fee: $144.10/credit, charged on every nursing credit
- Required campus fee: $446.91 per fall and spring term; $69.33 for the first summer only
- Application fee: $75 (certificate)
Be aware that:
- The bursar’s online column charges $485.50 tuition to all students plus a $100 e-learning fee. If FNP courses bill under that column, an out-of-state DNP drops from about $88,852 to $50,240. KU does not say which column a hybrid-labeled program uses.
- For Kansas residents, the online column costs about $5,300 more over the DNP because of the e-learning fee.
- The bursar guide describes the post-baccalaureate DNP at 75-79 credits, the pre-2026 curriculum. At 67 credits, the current total is lower.
- Rates are for 2026-27 and can change by Kansas Board of Regents action. A three-year DNP will likely see increases.
- Not priced: background check, drug test, travel to Kansas City each practicum semester, and any clinical tracking or exam software.
- HRSA-funded ANEW Grow and Stay scholarships are open to FNP students. KU awarded over $1.6 million in nursing scholarships in 2024-2025.
For Kansas residents, the DNP lands near $45,000 all in, and the 18-credit certificate near $12,300 before travel. Out-of-state applicants face the bigger question: their cost ranges from about $50,000 to $89,000 depending on billing classification. Get the answer in writing from the KUMC Registrar (kumcregistrar@kumc.edu) before committing.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
A good match for nurses who want a doctoral FNP from an academic medical center, can reach Kansas City several times a term, and value in-person skills testing over a fully remote program.
Choose the DNP if you hold a BSN. It is KU’s only BSN route to FNP practice, and it accepts new graduates who are licensed by fall. Kansas and western Missouri residents get the most from it: in-state pricing near $45,000 and short drives to campus intensives. The Clinical Readiness course and Foundations Practicum add a structured checkpoint before family rotations begin.
Choose the certificate if you are already an APRN. At 18 credits and about $12,300 in-state, it adds a family focus in one year with 750 clinical hours. That pace is demanding: practicum runs every term, and the single summer start leaves no slack if a term slips.
Choose the MSN direct-entry route if you are not yet a nurse. It does not lead to FNP licensure itself, but its 9 graduate credits carry into the DNP. Out-of-state nurses in any track should settle the billing question first, since the published rates leave a gap of nearly $39,000. Applicants who need an MSN-level FNP, zero campus travel, or confirmed preceptor placement will not find those here.
Accreditation
The KU School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). KU’s accreditation page lists the BSN, MSN, DNP, and Advanced Practice (APRN) Clinical Certificates, so both FNP tracks fall within CCNE’s scope.
The University of Kansas is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer. The school is also approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing.
KU’s School of Nursing is a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence, and its simulation center is endorsed by INACSL. That matters here because standardized patient exams and simulation run through every practicum semester.
Graduates of both tracks are eligible for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC). KU reports an 82% certification rate for its 2025 FNP graduates.
More FNP Programs in Kansas
- Fort Hays State University - Hays
- Pittsburg State University - Pittsburg
- University of Saint Mary - Leavenworth
- Washburn University - Topeka
- Wichita State University - Wichita