University of Central Missouri

School of Nursing • Lee's Summit, MO • Hybrid • $450/credit

University of Central Missouri offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • MSN
  • Post-Master’s Certificate

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
MSN$22.2K (MO & KS)1.5-2 years (5-6 semesters)44
Certificate$13.1K (MO & KS)1 year (3 semesters)26

Tuition estimates use UCM’s 2026-2027 online/hybrid graduate rate of $450 per credit plus student general fees, matching UCM’s published $22,180 MSN estimate.

UCM’s FNP track only admits residents of Kansas or Missouri, and practica stay in Missouri or the greater Kansas City area. Seats are competitive: applicants are ranked by undergraduate GPA, and UCM nursing alumni get preference.

The payoff is cost and pacing. The 44-credit MSN runs about $22,180 including general fees, at the same $450 rate for Kansans and Missourians. UCM strongly encourages part-time study, and courses can be taken in any order once prerequisites are met. The trade-off is a hybrid format tied to the Lee’s Summit campus, with no published schedule for how often you must attend.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN (44 credits); Post-Master’s FNP Certificate (26 credits)
FormatHybrid: online coursework plus Lee’s Summit campus classes; attendance cadence not published
Clinical Hours750 hours across four clinical rotations
Clinical PlacementStudent-sourced preceptors with UCM faculty support; Missouri or greater Kansas City only
PopulationFamily/individual across the lifespan, including women’s health and pediatrics practica
Residency RestrictionFNP students must reside in Kansas or Missouri
RN License RequirementsActive, unencumbered RN license; one year of RN experience for MSN
Admission CycleGPA-ranked; deadlines Sept. 15 (spring) and Feb. 15 (summer/fall)
Tuition$450/credit (online/hybrid rate); about $504/credit with general fees
AccreditationCCNE (master’s and post-graduate APRN certificate)

MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the MSN at University of Central Missouri is approximately $22,180 (44 credits at about $504/credit including general fees). The program can generally be completed in about 18 to 24 months, though UCM’s own part-time definition stretches it closer to three years.

Official program: Nursing, MS (MSN), Family Nurse Practitioner Area.

MSN Curriculum

Structure. The MSN pairs an 18-credit core shared with UCM’s Nurse Educator track with a 26-credit FNP area. The core is unusually heavy on systems content: research methods, theory, family/population health, organizational leadership, health policy, and a behavioral-sciences statistics course taught outside nursing (PSY 5050).

Clinical sequence. The FNP area runs three paired didactic and practicum blocks. Primary Care I is followed by a Primary Care II block that splits into separate women’s health and pediatrics courses, each taught by a faculty member certified in that population. Primary Care III closes with the largest practicum (3 credits).

Why it matters. Only 7 of the 44 credits are practicum credits. The remaining FNP credits go to the three Ps, a 4-credit health appraisal course, and the didactic primary care courses. The dedicated women’s health and pediatrics courses are a practical plus for nurses whose RN work is adult-only.

  • NUR 5017: Organizational Leadership in Complex Health Systems (3)
  • NUR 5018: Health Care Policy and Advocacy (3)
  • NUR 5016: Family/Population Health (3)
  • NUR 5410: Advanced Health Appraisal (4)
  • NUR 5420/5421: Primary Care I and Practicum (3 + 2)
  • NUR 5430: Primary Care II, Women’s Health (2)
  • NUR 5440/5441: Primary Care II, Pediatrics and Practicum (2 + 2)
  • NUR 5450/5451: Primary Care III and Practicum (2 + 3)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • FNP applicants cannot take graduate nursing courses before admission. Nurse Educator applicants can, so the “start early as a non-degree student” route does not apply to the FNP.
  • Progression rules conflict. The program page says a GPA under 2.70 after 20 credits triggers withdrawal; the catalog says under 3.00. Plan for the 3.00 standard.
  • Per the catalog, a C in a graduate nursing course must be repeated with an A or B. A second C ends enrollment.

MSN Clinical Requirements

  • Total hours: 750, completed across four clinical rotations (stated on the certificate page)
  • Practicum courses: NUR 5421 (2 credits), NUR 5441 (2 credits), NUR 5451 (3 credits); 7 practicum credits in total
  • Settings: medical clinics, covering primary care, women’s health, and pediatrics
  • Placement: students may use their own provider network; UCM faculty support the preceptor search
  • Geography: practica must be in Missouri or the greater Kansas City area
  • Simulation: standardized-patient exams and simulation labs at the Missouri Innovation Campus in Lee’s Summit
  • CPR: adult and child CPR certification required before any clinical course

At 750 hours, UCM sits above the 500-hour certification floor and above the 600 to 700 hours common among FNP programs. Spread across three practicum terms, that averages about 250 hours per term, or roughly 17 hours a week over a 15-week semester (derived). The placement model is support, not a guarantee. Nurses who already know Kansas City or Missouri clinicians will have the easiest time.

You Should Know
  • Per-course clinical hours are not published. The 750-hour total comes from the certificate page; the MSN page does not state hours. Seven practicum credits carrying 750 hours works out to about 107 hours per credit, which is unusual and unconfirmed.
  • UCM describes four clinical rotations, but the catalog lists three practicum courses. How the hours split is not clearly stated.
  • The geography rule is stated two ways: “Kansas or Missouri” and “Missouri or the greater Kansas City area.” Kansas sites outside the KC metro may not qualify under the stricter wording.

MSN Admissions

Admission is competitive, residency-gated, and runs on two fixed deadlines.

  • BSN with an upper-division nursing major from an NLN- or CCNE-accredited program
  • Minimum 3.00 undergraduate cumulative GPA; applicants are ranked by undergraduate GPA
  • One year of RN experience; an exception lets students meet it while taking core courses
  • Residency in Kansas or Missouri
  • Active, unencumbered RN license, verified through Nursys
  • Deadlines: September 15 for spring entry; February 15 for summer or fall entry
  • Preference for UCM School of Nursing alumni
  • Criminal background check, immunizations, and possible drug screen after provisional acceptance
You Should Know
  • The September 15 deadline for the January 11, 2027 start has passed. The next window is February 15 for summer (May 17, 2027) or fall entry; the cycle repeats annually.
  • The program page ranks applicants on undergraduate GPA alone. The catalog adds years of RN experience as a ranking factor.
  • The program page lists January and May starts; the February deadline also covers fall. Confirm which terms admit FNP students.

Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate

The estimated tuition for the certificate at University of Central Missouri is approximately $13,106 (26 credits at about $504/credit including general fees). The program can generally be completed in about one year at full pace, or longer part-time.

Official program: Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate is the MSN’s 26-credit FNP area without the 18-credit core. Students take the three Ps, Advanced Health Appraisal, and the full Primary Care I to III sequence with all three practica. UCM markets it for dual certification: nurses already certified in acute care, adult-gerontology, psychiatric, women’s health, or pediatric practice can add the family population.

  • NUR 5020: Pharmacology for Advanced Practice Nursing (3)
  • NUR 5300: Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (3)
  • NUR 5410: Advanced Health Appraisal (4)
  • NUR 5420/5421: Primary Care I and Practicum (3 + 2)
  • NUR 5430/5440/5441: Primary Care II, Women’s Health and Pediatrics, Practicum (2 + 2 + 2)
  • NUR 5450/5451: Primary Care III and Practicum (2 + 3)
You Should Know
  • The 26-credit total comes from the 2024-2025 graduate catalog. A current-year certificate catalog record could not be retrieved.
  • No gap analysis or course-waiver policy is published. Certified NPs may still be required to retake the three Ps.
  • The marketing page mentions “foundational courses in research and theory,” which are MSN core courses. They do not appear in the 26-credit certificate.

Certificate Clinical Requirements

  • Total hours: 750 across four clinical rotations
  • Placement: clinicals near home using your own network, with faculty support in the preceptor search
  • Campus: simulation and standardized-patient work at the Missouri Innovation Campus during clinical courses

The certificate carries the full 750 hours, not a reduced load. For an already-certified NP, that is a substantial commitment for a second population focus, and roughly 250 hours per practicum term is likely to compete with a full-time NP job.

You Should Know
  • The certificate page does not repeat the Kansas/Missouri residency rule or the practicum geography rule. Both are stated for “FNP students,” so assume they apply until UCM confirms otherwise.
  • State boards set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus. Confirm your board accepts a certificate route before enrolling.

Certificate Admissions

UCM publishes few certificate-specific admission rules.

  • Master of Science in Nursing required
  • Active, unencumbered RN license
  • Full-time or part-time enrollment
  • GPA minimum, deadlines, and experience requirements: not clearly stated

Tuition

UCM charges $450 per credit for online/hybrid and Lee’s Summit graduate courses in 2026-2027. With student general fees, the effective cost is about $504.09 per credit (derived from UCM’s published $22,180 estimate for the 44-credit MSN).

ComponentMSN (44 credits)Certificate (26 credits)
Tuition at $450/credit$19,800$11,700
General fees at about $54.09/credit (derived)$2,380$1,406
Estimated total$22,180 (published)$13,106 (derived)
  • Online/hybrid and Lee’s Summit graduate rate: $450 per credit (2026-2027)
  • Same rate for Missouri and Kansas residents; the $645 non-resident rate does not apply to online/hybrid courses
  • MSN estimate: $22,180, published by UCM for students taking fewer than 9 credits per semester
  • Student general fees in 2025-2026: $51.55 per credit below 9 credits, or $773.25 flat at 9 or more

Be aware that:

  • UCM does not itemize the $22,180 figure. The $54.09 general-fee component is derived; it is about 4.9% above the 2025-2026 fee rate.
  • UCM’s per-credit rate excludes testing, program, and course fees. No nursing-specific course or practicum fees were found, but UCM says they may apply.
  • The certificate total is derived. UCM publishes no certificate cost estimate.
  • At 9 or more credits, general fees switch to a flat semester charge, which costs more than per-credit fees for a 9-credit load ($773.25 vs. $463.95 in 2025-2026).
  • Rates are set annually by the Board of Governors. A three-year part-time plan will cross at least two rate cycles.

Tuition and general fees put the MSN near $22,200 and the certificate near $13,100. Because UCM encourages part-time loads under 9 credits, the per-credit fee structure is the one most students will pay. See UCM’s tuition and costs page for current rates.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for Kansas City and Missouri nurses who want a low-cost MSN, can take courses part-time over two to three years, and already have local clinic contacts.

A strong fit for local, established RNs. The residency gate and practicum geography mean UCM is built for nurses rooted in the region. A UCM BSN, a strong undergraduate GPA, and existing relationships with Missouri or KC-area clinicians all improve your odds of admission and of finding preceptors.

A strong fit for nurses keeping a full-time job. UCM defines part-time as 6 or fewer credits in fall and spring and 3 or fewer in summer. At that pace, the MSN takes close to three years. The 18-to-24-month timeline requires heavier semesters, especially during practicum terms that average about 17 clinical hours a week.

Who should look elsewhere. Nurses outside Kansas and Missouri cannot enroll. Applicants who need a guaranteed placement, a fully online format, or a published campus schedule will find those details missing. Already-certified NPs should note the certificate keeps the full 750 hours.

Accreditation

The master’s degree program in nursing and the post-graduate APRN certificate program at UCM are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Both FNP tracks fall under that accreditation.

UCM’s nursing program is fully approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing.

The University of Central Missouri is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Institutional accreditation is required for federal financial aid and supports transfer of graduate credit.

Graduates are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC). UCM reports a 100% pass rate on both exams for 2025; cohort size is not published.

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