University of Louisville FNP Programs

School of Nursing • Louisville, KY • Mostly Online • $761–$1,004/credit

The University of Louisville offers 3 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • MSN
  • BSN-DNP
  • Post-Graduate Certificate

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
MSN$44.4K / $56.8K2 years (6 semesters)51
BSN-DNP$68.3K / $87.2K3 years (9 semesters)78
Certificate$27.4K–$36.3K / $34.9K–$46.2KNot clearly stated31–41

Tuition estimates use UofL’s 2026–27 graduate nursing per-credit rates (in-state / out-of-state) plus the School of Nursing’s $50 per-credit instructional fee and $250 per-credit clinical fee.

UofL provides a clinical preceptor to every APRN student, so FNP students do not cold-call clinics for sites. All three tracks share one 17-credit FNP specialty block and a practicum model that counts 84 clinical hours per credit, with an optional extra credit for nurses headed to states that require 750 direct-care hours.

That placement support is tied to Louisville. Students attend campus about 4 to 6 times a semester, and an RN license in Kentucky or a compact state is required before clinicals, so this works best for nurses who live within driving distance of the Health Sciences Campus.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN, BSN-DNP, Post-Graduate Certificate
FormatMostly Online: blended courses with campus sessions about 4–6 times per semester
Clinical Hours756 (MSN, certificate); 1,086 (BSN-DNP); 504 for APRNs adding FNP
Clinical PlacementPreceptor provided by UofL for all APRN students
PopulationIndividuals and families across the lifespan
Distinctive CourseworkBusiness of Healthcare; Mental Health in Primary Care; Procedures and Diagnostics
RN License RequirementsUnencumbered U.S. RN license; Kentucky or compact license required before clinicals
Tuition$761/credit in-state, $1,004/credit out-of-state, plus $50–$300/credit fees
AccreditationCCNE (MSN, DNP, post-graduate certificate)
Start TermsMSN: summer or fall. BSN-DNP: fall only

Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner at the University of Louisville is approximately $44,361 in-state or $56,754 out-of-state (51 credits at $761 or $1,004/credit, plus required fees). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years of full-time study.

MSN Curriculum

The 51-credit MSN combines a 34-credit APRN core shared with UofL’s other NP specialties and a 17-credit FNP block. Two pieces stand out.

Practice-management content. NURS 749 The Business of Healthcare and NURS 643 Quality and Safety are required, not elective. Many FNP programs leave billing, coding, and practice economics to the first job.

Dedicated behavioral health and procedures courses. The FNP block gives mental health in primary care its own 2-credit course and adds a 1-credit procedures and diagnostics course, rather than folding both into a general adult management course.

  • NURS 755 Diagnosis and Management of Adult Health in Primary Care (4)
  • NURS 759 Diagnosis and Management of the Older Adult in Primary Care (3)
  • NURS 757 Diagnosis and Management of Women’s Health in Primary Care (2)
  • NURS 758 Diagnosis and Management of Mental Health in Primary Care (2)
  • NURS 761 Pediatric and Adolescent Well Child Theory (2)
  • NURS 762 Diagnosis and Management of Pediatrics in Primary Care (2)
  • NURS 756 Procedures and Diagnostics for Adult Health (1)
  • NURS 749 The Business of Healthcare (2)
  • NURS 726–729 Clinical Practicum for the MSN NP I–IV (2 credits each)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • Graduates of UofL’s Accelerated BSN complete 8 graduate credits during that program and may apply them to the MSN core.
  • The semester count in the overview table is derived from the catalog’s “minimum of two years of full-time study” and UofL’s fall, spring, and summer terms. UofL does not publish a semester-by-semester plan.

MSN Clinical Requirements

  • 672 direct patient care hours: four 2-credit practica (NURS 726–729) at 168 hours each
  • 84 professional role hours in NURS 842
  • Total: 756 clinical hours, at 84 clock hours per clinical credit
  • Direct patient care hours include in-person and simulation hours
  • UofL provides a clinical preceptor for every student
  • Optional NURS 730/731 (1 credit, 84 hours each) for students who need more hours

756 total hours sits above the 600 to 700 range common among FNP programs, but the direct-care portion is 672. Each 168-hour practicum works out to roughly 11 hours a week across a 15-week term, a load most working nurses can schedule around one or two clinic days. The provided preceptor removes the biggest source of FNP delays, but placements will be where UofL has relationships, which in practice means the Louisville region.

You Should Know
  • Some state boards require 750 direct patient care hours for initial APRN licensure. UofL’s 672 falls short; students headed to those states must add one clinical credit (84 hours) at standard tuition and fees.
  • UofL says its simulation hours count toward direct patient care. Confirm your target state board accepts simulation toward its minimum.
  • Some states limit how long completed graduate courses remain valid for initial APRN licensure.

MSN Admissions

Admission uses a holistic review with no stated RN experience minimum for the FNP specialty.

  • BSN from a Department of Education-recognized accredited institution and a CCNE-, ACEN-, or NLN-accredited nursing program
  • Recommended 3.0 undergraduate GPA
  • Two recommendations dated within the past year, from a nursing supervisor, preceptor, clinical supervisor, or nursing faculty
  • Resume or CV and responses to NursingCAS questions
  • Unencumbered U.S. RN license; Kentucky or compact-state license before clinicals
  • Criminal background check through Castlebranch before enrollment
  • Deadlines: February 1 (summer start) and April 1 (fall start), verified in NursingCAS
You Should Know
  • UofL states its NP programs meet educational requirements for Kentucky licensure. Out-of-state applicants should check UofL’s professional licensure disclosures for their state before applying.
  • Applications after the deadline may be considered on a space-available basis.

BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the BSN-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner at the University of Louisville is approximately $68,258 in-state or $87,212 out-of-state (78 credits at $761 or $1,004/credit, plus required fees). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years of full-time study.

BSN-DNP Curriculum

The BSN-DNP uses the same 17-credit FNP block as the MSN and adds a 61-credit doctoral core. The doctoral layer covers epidemiology, applied statistics, program development and evaluation, finance management, health policy, and a legal and professional topics course for the APRN role.

A different practicum shape. Instead of four equal 168-hour practica, the DNP front-loads clinical work: a 4-credit, 336-hour practicum, then 252 hours, then a final 84 hours. The total direct-care volume (672) matches the MSN.

Online first year. UofL delivers the first year of the DNP online. Campus sessions begin with the hybrid portion of the program.

  • NURS 743 Epidemiology (3)
  • NURS 791 Applied Statistics for Evidence Based Practice (3)
  • NURS 746 Program Development and Evaluation (3)
  • NURS 747 Finance Management (2)
  • NURS 843 Legal and Professional Topics in the APRN Role (3)
  • NURS 750–752 DNP Project I–III (8 total)
  • NURS 787–789 Clinical Practicum for the DNP NP I–III (8 total)
  • FNP specialty block: NURS 754–762 (17)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • Students who do not finish the DNP project within the planned coursework must enroll in a completion course until it is done, which adds cost.
  • The 9-semester figure is derived from the catalog’s “minimum of three years of full-time study.”

BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements

  • 672 direct patient care hours: NURS 787 (336), NURS 788 (252), NURS 789 (84)
  • 84 professional role hours in NURS 842
  • 330 DNP project hours across NURS 750–752 (110 each)
  • Total: 1,086 hours, against a published 1,000-hour minimum
  • Preceptor provided by UofL

The DNP’s extra hours are project and role hours, not added patient care, so a BSN-DNP graduate has the same direct-care volume as an MSN graduate. The 336-hour practicum is the heaviest stretch: about 22 hours a week over a 15-week term, which usually means cutting back on RN work that semester.

You Should Know
  • The 750-hour state rule applies here too. NURS 789 is already counted in the 672; students headed to a 750-hour state add one more 84-hour credit at standard tuition and fees.

BSN-DNP Admissions

The BSN-DNP admits once a year, for fall only.

  • Same core requirements as the MSN (BSN, 3.0 recommended GPA, two recommendations, resume, RN license)
  • $40 supplemental application fee to UofL Graduate Admissions on top of the NursingCAS fee
  • Deadline: April 1, verified in NursingCAS

Post-Graduate APRN Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the Post-Graduate FNP Certificate at the University of Louisville is approximately $27,391 to $36,251 in-state (31 to 41 credits at $761/credit, plus required fees). The program length is not clearly stated, because each plan is built from a transcript gap analysis.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate is the MSN’s FNP block plus its clinical sequence: the same 17 FNP credits, NURS 807 Professional Role, the four 168-hour practica, two clinical seminars, and the role practicum. Students without graduate pharmacology, pathophysiology, and physical assessment add those 10 credits first.

  • FNP specialty block: NURS 754–762 (17)
  • NURS 807 The Professional Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse (3)
  • NURS 726–729 Clinical Practicum for the MSN NP I–IV (8)
  • NURS 840, 841 Clinical Seminar I and II (2)
  • NURS 842 Clinical Practicum in the Advanced Practice Role (1)
  • Prerequisites if missing: NURS 740, 741, 742 (10)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • Practicing APRNs adding FNP skip NURS 754, 807, and 842, and complete 504 clinical hours instead of 672. UofL does not publish their credit total.

Certificate Clinical Requirements

  • First APRN specialty: 672 direct patient care hours plus 84 professional role hours (756)
  • APRNs adding a second specialty: 504 population-specific hours
  • Campus sessions 4 to 6 times a semester
  • Preceptor provided by UofL

An MSN-prepared nurse with no NP background does the full MSN clinical load, so the certificate saves coursework, not clinical time. For current APRNs, 504 hours is just above the certification floor and reflects credit for prior advanced practice.

Certificate Admissions

Applicants need a graduate nursing degree and a written goal statement, which the MSN does not require.

  • MSN or terminal nursing degree (PhD, EdD, DNP) from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or NLN-accredited program
  • Recommended 3.0 graduate GPA
  • Goal statement on specialty choice and preparation
  • Two recommendations, CV with RN license number, background check
You Should Know
  • Certificate application deadlines are not clearly stated on UofL’s graduate admissions page.
  • State boards set their own rules for APRNs adding a second population focus. Check with your board before enrolling.

Tuition

UofL charges graduate nursing students $761 per credit in-state and $1,004 per credit out-of-state for 2026–27. School of Nursing fees add $50 per credit on every course and $250 per credit on clinical courses, DNP project courses, and health assessment, bringing the derived effective rate to about $870 to $884 per credit in-state. Rates come from the Bursar’s 2026–27 tuition schedule and the School of Nursing fee schedule.

TrackCreditsFee-Bearing Clinical CreditsIn-State TotalOut-of-State Total
MSN5112$44,361$56,754
BSN-DNP7820$68,258$87,212
Certificate (with prerequisites done)319$27,391$34,924
Certificate (with prerequisites)4112$36,251$46,214

Method: credits × tuition rate, plus credits × $50, plus clinical credits × $250. All totals are derived; UofL does not publish program totals for these tracks.

  • Tuition: $761/credit in-state, $1,004/credit out-of-state
  • Full-time cap: $6,847 in-state or $9,032 out-of-state per semester at 9 or more credits
  • Instructional fee: $50 per credit, all courses
  • Clinical fee: $250 per credit in clinical courses, DNP project courses, and health assessment
  • University bundled fee: $276 per semester
  • Mandatory health fee: $52.50 per semester
  • One-time clinical costs: $250 placement fee, $100 Typhon, $350 liability insurance, $59 background check, $37 drug screen

Be aware that:

  • The online program rate of $863/credit on UofL Online’s tuition page does not apply. These are blended programs billed at the graduate nursing rate.
  • The $10 per-credit online course fee may apply to individual online courses. UofL does not say which FNP courses are billed as online.
  • Which courses carry the $250 clinical fee is our reading of the fee description. Clinical Seminars I and II were treated as non-clinical; if billed, add $500.
  • Rates rose about 1.5% from 2025–26 ($750 and $989). Plan for annual increases.
  • Students needing the extra 750-hour clinical credit pay about $1,061 in-state for it.
  • Residents of Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, Perry, Scott, and Washington counties in Indiana may qualify for in-state rates if the program is on UofL’s approved reciprocity list. Confirm with Admissions.
  • Major medical insurance ($1,617 per semester) is required unless waived with proof of coverage.

Fees add roughly $110 to $125 per credit on top of tuition, so budget on the effective rate, not the posted $761. The out-of-state graduate nursing rate is $751 per credit below UofL’s general out-of-state graduate rate, which makes the program more reachable for nurses in southern Indiana and other border areas who do not qualify for reciprocity.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for nurses in the Louisville region who want a school-arranged preceptor and can make a campus day several times a semester.

Placement handled for you: UofL provides a preceptor to every APRN student. For nurses without an employer clinic or a personal network of NPs, this removes the most common reason FNP students stall between didactic and clinical courses.

Choosing a credential: The FNP block and direct-care hours are the same in all three tracks, so the choice is about the degree, not clinical preparation. The MSN reaches the same certification exam for about $23,900 less in-state than the BSN-DNP. Nurses who want the doctorate later can return through UofL’s 30-credit MSN-DNP. The certificate makes sense for MSN-prepared nurses who already hold the 3Ps or are adding FNP to an existing APRN license.

Honest drawbacks: The format assumes regular travel to Louisville, and the provided placements follow from that. Nurses outside Kentucky’s compact network need a Kentucky license before clinicals. Those planning to practice in a 750-hour state should budget for the extra clinical credit from the start.

Accreditation

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits UofL’s bachelor’s, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate certificate nursing programs. All three FNP tracks fall within that scope. UofL reports its next CCNE review in 2031.

The University of Louisville holds institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Regional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and acceptance of credits by other universities.

The School of Nursing’s Clinical Simulation Center is separately accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, relevant because UofL counts simulation toward direct-care hours.

Graduates of all three tracks are eligible for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC). UofL reports APRN board certification pass rates above 90% year after year, across its NP specialties.

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