Rockhurst University FNP Programs

Saint Luke's College of Nursing and Health Sciences • Kansas City, MO • Mostly Online • $795/credit

Rockhurst University offers 4 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • MSN
  • Dual FNP/AGACNP MSN
  • Dual FNP/PMHNP MSN
  • Postgraduate Certificate

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
MSN$39.0K2–2.7 years (6–8 semesters)49
Dual FNP/AGACNP$49.3K2.7–3.3 years (8–10 semesters)62
Dual FNP/PMHNP$58.2K2.7–3.7 years (8–11 semesters)66
Certificate$15.9K1.3 years (4 semesters)20

Tuition estimates use Rockhurst’s published 2026–27 rate of $795 per credit, with the FNP/PMHNP total including the school’s published PMHNP practicum charges.

Rockhurst is built for nurses who want a second NP population focus without enrolling in a second program. Two dual MSN tracks pair the FNP with either acute care (AGACNP) or psychiatric mental health (PMHNP), and both run on the same FNP course and practicum spine as the standalone MSN. The FNP/AGACNP dual costs $5,565 less and takes 7 fewer credits than the MSN plus a separate AGACNP certificate.

The trade-off is reach and stated eligibility. Enrollment is limited to 21 states, the catalog adds a two-year RN experience gate the marketing pages leave out, and placement is a school service rather than a written guarantee. Every track also requires one multi-day campus immersion in Kansas City.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN, two dual-certification MSNs, post-master’s certificate
FormatMostly Online: online coursework, one campus immersion, one or two virtual immersions
Clinical Hours750 (MSN, certificate); 1,250 (dual tracks)
Clinical PlacementSchool placement team identifies site and preceptor; included in tuition
PopulationFamily/individual across the lifespan; second focus on dual tracks
Distinctive CourseworkMental Health for FNPs; standalone Women’s and Child Health course
ConcentrationsAGACNP or PMHNP via dual tracks
RN License RequirementsActive, unencumbered RN license
Tuition$795/credit, all residencies; $64/credit MSN program fee extra
AccreditationCCNE (MSN and post-graduate APRN certificate); HLC
Enrollment RestrictionsResidents of 21 authorized states only
RN ExperienceCatalog: two years clinical RN experience; inpatient for FNP/AGACNP
Start TermsFall, spring, summer; next start January 11, 2027

Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the Online MSN-FNP at Rockhurst University is approximately $38,955 (49 credits at $795/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years full-time (6 semesters) or about 2.7 years part-time (8 semesters), with students allowed to switch pace mid-program.

MSN Curriculum

Structure. The MSN runs year-round on 13-week accelerated semesters, three per year. That is why six semesters equal two years. Roughly half the credits (24.5) are graduate core: theory, policy, research, informatics, applied statistics, and the advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and assessment trio.

FNP sequence. The specialty block is built around one heavy 6-credit FNP I course, followed by a 4-credit Women’s and Child Health course and a dedicated 3-credit Mental Health for FNPs course. Each didactic block pairs with a 2-credit practicum, so clinical work tracks the content being taught. A half-credit immersion opens the sequence and a half-credit role transition course closes it.

The standalone mental health course matters. Behavioral health is often folded into general primary care courses. Here it is a full course, and it is the course the FNP/PMHNP dual track removes because psychiatric content replaces it.

  • NUA 5260 Family Nurse Practitioner Immersion I (0.5)
  • NUA 5710 FNP I: Diagnostics and Intervention (6)
  • NUA 5740 FNP I: Diagnostics and Intervention Practicum (2)
  • NUA 7710 Women’s and Child Health for FNP (4)
  • NUA 7740 FNP II: Diagnostic and Intervention Practicum (2)
  • NUA 5600 Mental Health for Family Nurse Practitioners (3)
  • NUA 7840 FNP III: Diagnostics and Intervention Practicum (2)
  • NUA 6250 Advanced FNP Professional Role Transition (0.5)

More curriculum details are available here.

MSN Clinical Requirements

  • 750 clinical hours across three 2-credit practicums (FNP I, II, III)
  • Derived ratio: 125 hours per practicum credit, about 250 hours per practicum
  • Derived load: about 19 hours per week if each practicum fits one 13-week semester
  • Placement: a Rockhurst placement team identifies a site and preceptor near the student, included in tuition
  • Supervision: direct preceptor supervision, indirect supervision by Rockhurst clinical faculty
  • Immersions: one 3-day campus immersion in Kansas City (simulation, skills, OSCE) and one virtual immersion

At 750 hours, the MSN sits above the 500-hour certification floor and above the 600 to 700 range common among FNP programs. The extra volume costs time: about 19 hours a week of clinical work during practicum terms is hard to stack on a full-time RN schedule. The school-run placement model removes the preceptor search, a common cause of delays in online FNP programs.

You Should Know
  • Placement language varies. Program pages say the team “will identify” a site and preceptor; the FAQ says it will “work to help source and secure” sites. No written placement guarantee is published.
  • Clinical placement requires proof of immigration status.
  • The per-practicum hour split is derived from total hours and credits; Rockhurst does not publish hours by course.

MSN Admissions

The catalog adds a two-year RN experience requirement that the program marketing page does not list.

  • BSN from a CHEA-recognized institution with CCNE or ACEN nursing accreditation
  • Active, unencumbered RN license
  • Minimum 3.0 BSN GPA
  • Two letters of recommendation (professional or academic)
  • Personal statement (400 to 800 words)
  • Two years of clinical RN experience (catalog)
  • Residence in an authorized state: Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, or West Virginia
  • No GRE or GMAT
  • Three intakes per year: fall, spring, summer
You Should Know
  • The FAQ lists graduate statistics as an NP admission prerequisite, yet the MSN includes its own 3-credit applied statistics course. Confirm with an adviser whether a prior course is required.
  • A transcript “gap analysis” by the nursing admissions office sets each student’s final requirements.
  • Enrollment does not guarantee licensure in any state. Students who move outside the 21 authorized states should confirm status before relocating.

MSN Dual Track, Family NP and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP

The estimated tuition for the Online MSN Dual Track FNP-AGACNP at Rockhurst University is approximately $49,290 (62 credits at $795/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 2.7 years full-time (8 semesters) or about 3.3 years part-time (10 semesters).

Dual FNP/AGACNP Curriculum

The dual track keeps the full MSN graduate core and FNP I, Women’s and Child Health, and Mental Health for FNPs. It then adds an acute care sequence: Advanced Acute Care Topics, AG Acute Care II, Adult Acute Care III, an acute care immersion, and an acute care role transition course.

To keep the total at 62 credits, the dual drops the FNP III practicum and both FNP half-credit bookends. A single dual-track final practicum replaces the separate capstone clinicals. Compared with earning the MSN-FNP and then the AGACNP certificate (69 credits, $54,855), the dual saves 7 credits and $5,565 in tuition.

  • NUA 5200 Advanced Acute Care Immersion I (1)
  • NUA 5230 Advanced Acute Care Topics (1)
  • NUA 6800 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care II Diagnostics and Intervention (4)
  • NUA 6821 AG Acute Care II Practicum, Dual Track (2)
  • NUA 7810 Adult Acute Care III Diagnostics and Intervention (3)
  • NUA 7821 Adult Acute Care III Practicum, Dual Track (2)
  • NUA 7940 Dual Track FNP/AGACNP Final Practicum (2)
  • NUA 6200 Advanced Acute Care Professional Role Transition (1)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • The program page lists NUA 5800 (AG Acute Care I) as a course. The catalog’s 62-credit list does not include it. The catalog list sums to 62 without it.

Dual FNP/AGACNP Clinical Requirements

  • ⚠️ 1,250 clinical hours (tuition table, FAQ, catalog credit math); the dual program page states 1,500
  • Five 2-credit practicums: two FNP, two acute care, one combined final
  • Derived split: 500 FNP-labeled hours, 500 acute care hours, 250 shared final hours
  • Placement: same school placement team as the MSN
  • Immersions: one 3-day campus immersion and one virtual immersion

The 1,250-hour figure is the one the credit math supports, at the same 125 hours per credit as the MSN. That is 500 fewer hours than two standalone 750-hour programs. Each population still clears the 500-hour floor on the derived split, but acute care hours need inpatient sites, which are harder to secure than primary care clinics in many markets.

You Should Know
  • Rockhurst does not publish how the 250-hour final practicum divides between FNP and AGACNP settings. Ask before enrolling if a state board in your plans counts hours by population.

Dual FNP/AGACNP Admissions

This track carries a stricter experience gate than the FNP MSN: two years of inpatient care as an RN or APRN, per the catalog.

  • BSN from an accredited institution, active RN license, minimum 3.0 GPA
  • Two letters of recommendation (program page) and personal statement
  • Two years of inpatient RN or APRN experience (catalog)
  • Same 21-state residency requirement and three intakes as the MSN
You Should Know
  • The general FAQ asks dual-track applicants for three professional letters; the program page asks for two.
  • The dual page’s own residency list names 20 states and omits Alabama. The state authorization page and the dual page’s eligibility banner include Alabama.

MSN Dual Track, Family NP and Psychiatric Mental Health NP

The estimated tuition for the Online MSN Dual FNP-PMHNP at Rockhurst University is approximately $58,200 (66 credits at $795/credit, plus PMHNP practicum charges). The program can generally be completed in about 2.7 years full-time (8 semesters) or about 3.7 years part-time (11 semesters).

Dual FNP/PMHNP Curriculum

This track keeps the FNP immersion, FNP I, Women’s and Child Health, and the FNP role transition course. It replaces Mental Health for FNPs with a full psychiatric sequence: Foundations of PMHNP Practice, Psychopharmacology, Psychiatric Assessment and Psychopathology, and Advanced Interventions and Psychotherapy. Students complete a separate interviewing-skills immersion and a PMHNP role transition course.

Compared with the MSN-FNP plus the PMHNP certificate ($62,175 combined), the dual saves $3,975 in tuition.

  • NUA 5270 Psychiatric Mental Health and Interviewing Skills Immersion I (1)
  • NUA 5700 Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Nursing Practice (2)
  • NUA 5550 Psychopharmacology for Advanced Practice in Psychiatric Nursing (4)
  • NUA 6220 Psychiatric Assessment and Psychopathology Across Life Span (4)
  • NUA 7220 Advanced Interventions, Psychotherapy, and Management for PMHNP (4)
  • NUA 5921 and NUA 6921 PMHNP Practicum I and II, Dual Track (2 each)
  • NUA 7960 Dual Track FNP/PMHNP Final Practicum (2)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • The program overview and the tuition table say 66 credits; the main FNP and FAQ pages say 63. The catalog course list sums to 66, and only 66 credits reproduce the $58,200 total.

Dual FNP/PMHNP Clinical Requirements

  • 1,250 clinical hours (tuition table, FAQ, catalog credit math); the dual program page states 1,500
  • Five 2-credit practicums: two FNP, two PMHNP, one combined final
  • Derived split: 500 FNP hours, 500 PMHNP hours, 250 shared final hours
  • Immersions: one 3-day campus immersion plus two 2-day virtual immersions (one FNP, one PMHNP)

This is the only Rockhurst FNP route with three immersions, though only one requires travel. Psychiatric preceptors are often harder to find than primary care preceptors, so the included placement service carries more weight here than on the primary care side.

You Should Know
  • The hour conflict (1,250 vs. 1,500) matches the FNP/AGACNP track and appears to come from the same dual-page template.

Dual FNP/PMHNP Admissions

Requirements match the FNP/AGACNP dual, except the experience gate is two years of clinical RN experience rather than inpatient experience.

  • Two years of clinical RN experience (catalog)
  • Same 21-state residency requirement and three intakes

Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate

The estimated tuition for the Online FNP Post-Master’s Certificate at Rockhurst University is approximately $15,900 (20 credits at $795/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1.3 years (4 semesters, derived from three 13-week semesters per year), depending on the gap analysis of prior MSN coursework.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate is the MSN’s FNP block lifted out intact: the same eight courses, the same three practicums, and the same 750 hours. Nothing is compressed. A certificate student does the same FNP clinical work as an MSN student, only without the graduate core.

  • NUA 5260 FNP Immersion I (0.5)
  • NUA 5710 FNP I: Diagnostics and Intervention (6) and NUA 5740 Practicum (2)
  • NUA 7710 Women’s and Child Health for FNP (4) and NUA 7740 Practicum (2)
  • NUA 5600 Mental Health for FNPs (3) and NUA 7840 Practicum (2)
  • NUA 6250 Advanced FNP Professional Role Transition (0.5)

More curriculum details are available here.

Certificate Clinical Requirements

  • 750 clinical hours across three practicums, same as the MSN
  • School placement team, included in tuition
  • One campus immersion and one virtual immersion

Because the hours match the MSN, a certificate student carries roughly 19 clinical hours a week in practicum terms. Plan for that load if you are already working as an APRN.

You Should Know
  • The FNP programs page lists a 3-day campus immersion. The certificate’s own page says two days.

Certificate Admissions

Marketing pages ask for an NP-focused master’s. The catalog goes further and requires current APRN board certification.

  • MSN or DNP with a nurse practitioner focus, from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program
  • Current APRN board certification (catalog)
  • Active RN license, minimum 3.0 GPA
  • Two letters of recommendation and a personal statement
  • Two years of clinical RN experience (catalog)
  • Same 21-state residency requirement and three intakes
You Should Know
  • Applicants who have not practiced as an NP within seven years may need extra courses.
  • Credits vary with the gap analysis. The catalog sets a 20-credit minimum; the FNP programs page lists 22 credits minimum.
  • State boards set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus. Confirm recognition with your board before enrolling.

Tuition

Rockhurst charges $795 per credit for all MSN and certificate students in 2026–27, regardless of state of residence. That rate is tuition only. A $64 per-credit MSN program fee and a technology fee bring the derived all-in rate to about $877 per credit for part-time students.

ComponentAmount
Tuition$795 per credit
MSN program fee$64 per credit
Technology fee$18 per credit (part-time) or $195 per semester (full-time)
Matriculation fee$60 (first year)
Graduation fee$220
BJC/Saint Luke’s employee tuition rate$636 per credit
TrackPublished TuitionDerived All-In
MSN$38,955$43,253–$43,541
Dual FNP/AGACNP$49,290$54,654–$55,098
Dual FNP/PMHNP$58,200$63,892–$64,264
Certificate$15,900$17,820–$18,240

Derived all-in adds the program fee, technology fee (part-time per-credit basis to full-time per-semester basis), matriculation, and graduation fees to published tuition. See the official Saint Luke’s College graduate tuition and fees page.

  • Tuition: $795 per credit, residency-blind
  • MSN program fee: $64 per credit
  • Technology fee: $18 per credit part-time, $195 per semester full-time
  • Matriculation ($60) and graduation ($220) fees
  • Clinical placement services included in tuition

Be aware that:

  • The online FAQ still quotes $765 per credit. The 2026–27 fee schedule, the online tuition table, and every published total use $795.
  • FNP/PMHNP tuition includes a $5,730 PMHNP charge on top of 66 × $795. Rockhurst describes it as $1,750 per PMHNP practicum, but $5,730 is not a multiple of $1,750. The same $5,730 appears in the MSN-PMHNP and PMHNP certificate totals.
  • The $64 program fee is labeled “all MSN students.” Whether it applies to certificate students is not clearly stated.
  • A $50 liability insurance charge appears in the general graduate fee list; its frequency is not clearly stated.
  • BJC/Saint Luke’s Health System employees pay $636 per credit (20% off), or $31,164 for the MSN.
  • Rockhurst and Benedictine BSN alumni receive two free credits toward the MSN informatics course, worth $1,590.
  • Certificate totals vary with the gap analysis.

The real price is about 11% above the advertised totals once fees are added. Because the rate does not change by state, a Kansas or Illinois resident pays the same as a Missourian. For Saint Luke’s and BJC employees, the 20% discount moves the MSN to about $35,500 all-in (derived), which changes the comparison against public options considerably.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for experienced RNs who want two NP certifications from one admission, with placement handled by the school and only one trip to Kansas City.

Dual credentials at a discount. Both dual tracks share the FNP core and practicum spine, so the second specialty costs less than a separate certificate. The FNP/AGACNP route saves $5,565 and 7 credits; the FNP/PMHNP route saves $3,975. Graduates qualify to sit for both board exams. This suits nurses who expect to move between clinic and hospital, or who want to manage psychiatric conditions in primary care rather than refer them out.

Placement and pace. The included placement service, three intakes a year, and the option to switch between full-time and part-time make the MSN workable for nurses who cannot wait for a fall cohort or cold-call preceptors. The 750-hour requirement is the counterweight: practicum terms run near 19 clinical hours a week.

The honest limits. Residents outside the 21 authorized states cannot enroll. New RNs are screened out by the two-year experience gate, and the acute care dual requires that experience to be inpatient. Placement is a service, not a guarantee, and the school’s own pages disagree on dual-track clinical hours and credit counts.

Three questions to settle first. Is your state on the authorized list, and will it stay your home for three years? Do you have two years of the right kind of RN experience? And will your state board accept the derived split of dual-track hours for each population? If all three answers are yes, Rockhurst’s dual tracks are worth a close look.

Accreditation

The master’s degree program in nursing and the post-graduate APRN certificate programs at Rockhurst University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). That scope covers the MSN-FNP, both dual MSN tracks, and the FNP post-master’s certificate.

Rockhurst University and its Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer.

Rockhurst is also launching an online DNP with a first cohort in January 2027. Its CCNE accreditation is listed as pending, and no FNP pathway is published within it.

Graduates of the MSN and certificate are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC). Dual-track graduates qualify to sit for both the FNP exam and the board certification exam for their second population focus.

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