UC Davis Family Nurse Practitioner Programs

School of Nursing • Sacramento, CA • Mostly Online • $973/credit

UC Davis’s DNP-FNP delivers public UC system pricing, school-coordinated clinical placements near your own community, and a built-in Family Caregiving Graduate Certificate earned through required elective coursework — a dual credential unavailable at any comparable FNP program.

The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis offers 1 Family Nurse Practitioner track:

  • BSN-to-DNP FNP (12 quarters / 3 years, hybrid, full-time)
  • School-coordinated clinical placements in California, prioritized near the student’s community
  • Four in-person immersions at the UC Davis Sacramento campus (3–5 days each)
  • Built-in Family Caregiving Graduate Academic Unit Certificate earned through required elective coursework — no separate application required for DNP-FNP students

The program suits BSN-prepared nurses who are California-based or able to complete California-based clinical rotations, committed to full-time study for three years, and aligned with UC Davis’s focus on health equity, community-based care, and bold system leadership.

Working while enrolled is possible but demanding — the program recommends planning accordingly. The program starts each summer and progresses as a cohort over 12 consecutive quarters.

Program Track Overview

ProgramEst. Tuition + FeesEst. Duration
BSN-to-DNP FNP~$129K (3 years, 2026–27 rates)3 years (12 quarters)

BSN-to-DNP FNP

The estimated cost for the Doctor of Nursing Practice — Family Nurse Practitioner at UC Davis is approximately $129,000 in tuition and fees over three years.

Estimate based on $44,828 Year 1 + $43,104 Year 2 + $41,446 Year 3, per 2026–27 published rates.

The program takes exactly 3 years (12 quarters) to complete on a full-time basis with a summer start.

DNP Curriculum

The DNP-FNP totals 133 quarter units across 12 quarters: 83 theory units and 50 clinical units.

Year 1 (45 units) builds the DNP core — leadership and innovation, research and evidence-based practice, health informatics, clinical ethics, quality and safety, patient and population health, behavioral health concepts, organizational and systems leadership, business essentials, health policy, biostatistics, and an introduction to the scholarly project.

Students also complete 12 units of required electives in Year 1, which serve as the vehicle for the Family Caregiving Graduate Academic Unit Certificate series (NRS 306, 307, 308) and other elective content.

Year 2 (38 units) transitions into the APRN science foundation and the beginning of clinical training — advanced pharmacology I and II, advanced health assessment, advanced pathophysiology, health promotion and disease prevention, and the first four clinical-immersion courses (Clinical A–D with paired APRN Family Practice and Diagnostic Reasoning courses).

Year 3 (50 units) is the most intensive — five additional clinical rotations (Clinical C–F, with Applied Project Practicums A and B totaling 14 clinical units in the final two quarters), two DNP immersion experiences, and the three-part scholarly project sequence.

The program concludes with a comprehensive FNP exam and completion of the DNP Scholarly Project.

Year 1 — DNP Core (45 units, including 12 elective units):

  • NRS 233V – Leadership and Innovation in Health Care (3 units)
  • NRS 234V – Research and Evidence-Based Practice for Health Care (3 units)
  • NRS 240V – Applied Health Informatics (3 units)
  • NRS 305YA – DNP Immersion A (1 theory + 1 clinical unit)
  • NRS 356V – Clinical Ethics (2 units)
  • NRS 354V – Ensuring Quality and Safety in Health Care (4 units)
  • NRS 353V – Improving Patient and Population Health (3 units)
  • NRS 279V – Concepts of Behavioral Health (2 units)
  • NRS 352V – Organizational and System Change through Leadership, Research and Practice (3 units)
  • NRS 357V – Business Essentials for Health Care (3 units)
  • NRS 351V – Health Policy for Health Care Professionals (3 units)
  • NRS 402V – Introduction to the Scholarly Project (1 unit)
  • NRS 358AV – Applied Biostatistics in Health Care Part A (1 unit)
  • Electives: 12 units (required elective series — see Family Caregiving Certificate note below)

Year 2 — APRN Science Foundation + Clinical Entry (38 units):

  • NRS 275V – Advanced Pharmacology I (3 units)
  • NRS 277V – Advanced Assessment Across the Lifespan (3 units)
  • NRS 278V – Advanced Pathophysiology (4 units)
  • NRS 276V – Advanced Pharmacology II (3 units)
  • NRS 355V – Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Across the Lifespan (2 units)
  • NRS 409Y – Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Skills (3 clinical units)
  • NRS 358BV – Applied Biostatistics in Health Care Part B (2 units)
  • NRS 281AV / 282AY / 283AV – APRN Family Practice A / Clinical A / Diagnostic Reasoning A (3T + 5C + 1C)
  • NRS 281BV / 282BY / 283BV – APRN Family Practice B / Clinical B / Diagnostic Reasoning B (3T + 5C + 1C)

Year 3 — Advanced Clinical + Scholarly Project (50 units):

  • NRS 305YB – DNP Immersion B (1T + 1C)
  • NRS 281CV / 282CY / 283CV – APRN Family Practice C / Clinical C / Diagnostic Reasoning C (3T + 5C + 1C)
  • NRS 281DV / 282DY / 283DV – APRN Family Practice D / Clinical D / Diagnostic Reasoning D (3T + 5C + 1C)
  • NRS 411AV – Scholarly Project A (2 units)
  • NRS 280V – Professional Practice in Health Care (2 units)
  • NRS 282E – Clinical E (3 clinical units)
  • NRS 411BV – Scholarly Project B (2 units)
  • NRS 412Y – Applied Project Practicum A (7 clinical units)
  • NRS 305CY – DNP Immersion C (1T + 1C)
  • NRS 282F – Clinical F (3 clinical units)
  • NRS 411CV – Scholarly Project C (2 units)
  • NRS 412BY – Applied Project Practicum B (7 clinical units)

Family Caregiving Graduate Academic Unit Certificate: DNP-FNP students are required to complete an elective course series (NRS 306, 307, 308 — 4 units each = 12 units) that simultaneously fulfills requirements for the Family Caregiving Graduate Academic Unit Certificate. No separate application is required — the school contacts students directly with enrollment instructions. This certificate results in a transcript notation and a certificate from UC Davis upon completion.

DNP Clinicals

The DNP-FNP includes 50 clinical units distributed across Years 2 and 3.

Clinical training begins in Year 2 with advanced health assessment skills and progresses through six paired clinical rotations (Clinical A–F) and two Applied Project Practicum courses in Year 3 totaling 14 clinical units.

All clinical placements are coordinated by the School of Nursing, prioritizing locations near each student’s California community.

  • Total clinical units: 50 (across Years 2–3)
  • Clinical begins: Year 2, Fall quarter (NRS 409Y — Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Skills)
  • Main clinical sequence: NRS 282A–F (Clinical A through F) + NRS 283A–D (Diagnostic Reasoning A–D) in paired quarters
  • Applied Project Practicum: NRS 412Y + 412BY = 14 clinical units in the final two quarters of Year 3
  • All clinical placements coordinated by the school; locations prioritized near student’s California residence
  • Four in-person immersions at UC Davis Sacramento campus (NRS 305YA, 305YB, 305CY + one additional) — typically 3–5 days each, focused on clinical skill-building and professional development
  • Culminating requirements include a comprehensive FNP exam and a DNP Scholarly Project
  • Scholarly Project is often completed at the student’s workplace

DNP Admissions

The DNP-FNP requires a BSN, a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA, and California RN licensure; no GRE required. Applications are reviewed in priority order with a January 5 deadline for guaranteed consideration.

  • BSN from an accredited college or university required
  • Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA: 3.0
  • California RN licensure (clinical rotations are California-based)
  • No GRE required
  • UC Davis Graduate Studies online application: $135 domestic / $155 international (non-refundable)
  • Unofficial transcripts uploaded to application portal (official required only upon admission)
  • Three letters of recommendation: from instructors or supervisors who can speak to academic or clinical performance, within the last two years; peer recommendations not accepted
  • Resume or CV (maximum 4 pages, PDF)
  • Statement of Purpose (4,000 characters): academic preparation, experience, motivation, research interests, career goals, alignment with UC Davis mission and faculty
  • Personal Statement (4,000 characters): background and life experiences, commitment to health equity and underserved communities
  • Research/Professional Interest Essay (4,000 characters): area of practice or system change, proposed solution, personal significance
  • Future Interests and Goals (3,000 characters)
  • Noteworthy Academic Achievements (1,500 characters)
  • Priority application deadline: January 5, 2026 (decisions by early February)
  • Space-available deadline: June 1, 2026 (reviewed only if seats remain after priority applicants)
  • Summer start (program begins each summer quarter)
  • Full-time enrollment required (8–13 units per quarter); cannot be completed part-time
  • International applicants: English language exam required (TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo); scores valid within 2 years

Tuition

UC Davis publishes a full three-year tuition and fees breakdown for the DNP-FNP program (2026–27 rates):

  • Year 1 (12 months, summer start) runs $44,828;
  • Year 2 (12 months) runs $43,104;
  • Year 3 (12 months) runs $41,446 — a three-year total of approximately $129,000 in tuition and fees.

At approximately $973 per quarter unit (derived from total fees divided by 133 program units), UC Davis offers meaningfully lower per-unit costs than UCSF.

All students are required to have health insurance; the UC student health insurance plan runs an additional $8,820–$10,506 per year depending on enrollment period.

Total cost of attendance including living expenses, transportation, and health insurance averages approximately $87,000–$90,000 per year ($261,000 over three years) — the published budget figures are estimates used for financial aid purposes.

A select number of prestigious fellowships are available through the UC Davis Graduate Studies application process; DNP-FNP students are welcome to apply though this section is not required.

Regular-status UC employees in eligible titles may qualify for a tuition reduction benefit.

See the official cost of attendance page for more details.

Accreditation

The Doctor of Nursing Practice — Family Nurse Practitioner degree program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Graduates are eligible to sit for the national FNP board certification examination through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and to apply for California Board of Registered Nursing Nurse Practitioner certification.

All DNP-FNP graduates who complete the required elective course series are also eligible for the Family Caregiving Graduate Academic Unit Certificate from UC Davis.

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