University of the Cumberlands FNP Programs

Forcht School of Nursing • Williamsburg, KY • Online • $539/credit

University of the Cumberlands offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • MSN (Entry-Level Track)
  • MSN (Secondary Track for MSN Holders)

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
MSN$25.9K2 years (6 semesters)48
MSN Secondary$17.8K1.5 years (5 semesters)33

Tuition estimates use Cumberlands’ published $539/credit FNP rate, which its One Price Promise says already includes fees and course materials.

Cumberlands has no FNP certificate. Nurses who already hold an MSN in another specialty enter a 33-credit Secondary Track of the MSN-FNP itself, skipping the 15-credit graduate core but completing the same 750-hour clinical sequence as entry-level students. At about $17.8K, that route costs roughly two-thirds of the full degree.

The trade-off is how little Cumberlands publishes about clinical logistics. The program pages describe no placement support, no preceptor policy, and no state availability list, and nearly half of all clinical hours sit in one 360-hour final internship. Coursework is fully online with no campus visits stated.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN-FNP (Entry-Level Track); MSN-FNP Secondary Track for nurses with an MSN
FormatOnline; 8-week bi-term didactic courses, 16-week clinical courses
Clinical Hours750 per current catalog (3 x 130 + 360-hour internship)
Clinical PlacementNot clearly stated; practicum handbook not public
Distinctive CourseworkHealthcare Technologies and Informatics; Epidemiology; 6-credit concentrated FNP internship
RN License RequirementsCurrent, unencumbered RN license
Tuition$539/credit, all residencies; fees and books included under One Price Promise
AccreditationCCNE (MSN-FNP); SACSCOC institutional
Certification Pass Rates83%, 91%, 83%, 83% for 2019 to 2022 cohorts

MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner (Entry-Level Track)

The estimated tuition for the Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner at University of the Cumberlands is approximately $25,872 (48 credits at $539/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years, which works out to six semesters on Cumberlands’ year-round calendar.

MSN Curriculum

The 48 credits split into three published blocks: 24 credits of online didactic courses, 18 credits of blended didactic-plus-clinical courses, and a 6-credit internship. All eight core courses must be finished before any clinical work begins, so the first half of the program carries no clinical hours at all.

Foundation phase. The core runs on 8-week bi-terms. Beyond the standard advanced practice sciences, it includes a dedicated healthcare technologies and informatics course and a standalone epidemiology course, which reflects the program’s stated emphasis on data and health systems.

Clinical phase. FNP Advanced Practice I, II, and III each run 16 weeks and pair online coursework with precepted hours. Students need an A or B in both the didactic and clinical portions to progress. The program ends with a 16-week concentrated internship that can only be completed after all other coursework.

  • NURS 510 Theoretical Basis for Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
  • NURS 520 Issues in Advanced Practice (3)
  • NURS 530 Epidemiology (3)
  • NURS 532 Healthcare Technologies and Informatics in Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
  • NURS 550 Advanced Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice (3)
  • NURS 590, 592, 594 Advanced Pharmacology, Health Assessment, and Pathophysiology (3 each)
  • NURS 670, 672, 674 FNP Advanced Practice I, II, III (6 each)
  • NURS 690 FNP Advanced Practice Internship (6)

More curriculum details are available here.

MSN Clinical Requirements

  • 750 total clinical hours per the current graduate catalog
  • NURS 670, 672, 674: 130 hours each over 16 weeks (about 8 hours per week)
  • NURS 690 internship: 360 hours over 16 weeks (about 22.5 hours per week)
  • Placement model, preceptor rules, and faculty site visits: not clearly stated
  • Clinical policies are governed by an MSN-FNP Practicum Handbook that is not posted publicly

At 750 hours, Cumberlands sits above the 600 to 700 range common among FNP programs and well above the 500-hour certification floor. The distribution matters more than the total. The three practice courses ask for a manageable 8 hours a week, but the internship nearly triples that load in the final semester, which is the stretch where working nurses most often need to cut shifts.

You Should Know
  • Cumberlands’ own pages disagree on hours. The current catalog states 130 hours per practice course (750 total). The marketing page states 120 hours per course, which sums to 720, while also claiming 750. The intro on the same page says 720. The 2023-24 catalog listed 720, so 750 appears to be the newer requirement.
  • No Cumberlands page says whether the school finds preceptors or expects students to. Ask admissions directly before applying.

MSN Admissions

Applications are reviewed on general graduate standards plus nursing-specific requirements; no RN experience minimum, interview, or entrance exam is stated.

  • BSN from a regionally accredited or state-approved institution
  • Current, unencumbered RN license
  • Minimum 2.5 GPA (university-wide master’s standard; conditional admission possible for some online programs)
  • Official transcripts and $30 application fee
  • English proficiency documentation for non-native speakers (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or PTE)
You Should Know
  • Cumberlands is a SARA member, but FNP availability by state is listed only in a separate NCSARA licensure document. Confirm your state before applying.
  • The program FAQ notes that some state boards regulate post-licensure degrees. Verify your board’s APRN education rules, including clinical-site rules for out-of-state programs.

MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner (Secondary Track)

The estimated tuition for the MSN-FNP Secondary Track at University of the Cumberlands is approximately $17,787 (33 credits at $539/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 18 months, which fits five semesters: one for the three core sciences and four for the clinical sequence.

Secondary Track Curriculum

This track serves nurses who already hold an MSN in another concentration, such as administration or education. Cumberlands waives the 15-credit graduate core (theory, issues, epidemiology, informatics, research) and keeps the 33 credits specific to FNP practice. Because it routes students through the MSN-FNP rather than a certificate, the clinical sequence is identical to the entry-level track.

  • NURS 590 Advanced Pharmacology (3)
  • NURS 592 Advanced Health Assessment (3)
  • NURS 594 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
  • NURS 670, 672, 674 FNP Advanced Practice I, II, III (6 each)
  • NURS 690 FNP Advanced Practice Internship (6)

Secondary Track Clinical Requirements

  • Same 750-hour sequence as the entry-level MSN (3 x 130 + 360)
  • Placement model: not clearly stated

Secondary Track students complete every clinical hour that entry-level students do. Some post-master’s routes elsewhere allow gap-analysis credit toward hours; nothing in Cumberlands’ materials suggests prior hours transfer here.

You Should Know
  • The admissions page describing this track still totals clinical hours at 720 (360 + 360), the older figure. The current catalog sequence produces 750.

Secondary Track Admissions

Entry requires a completed master’s degree in nursing; the track is not open to BSN-prepared nurses.

  • MSN from a regionally accredited or state-approved institution
  • Current, unencumbered RN license
You Should Know
  • Cumberlands labels this track both “18 month” and “1 Year” on the same admissions page. The course sequence supports 18 months.
  • The credential awarded is not spelled out. The catalog says students enter the MSN-FNP to become eligible for board certification, which implies a second MSN. Confirm with admissions, and confirm your state board accepts it for APRN licensure in a new population focus.

Tuition

Cumberlands charges a published $539 per credit for the online FNP program, the same rate for every state of residence. Under the university’s One Price Promise, that rate includes technology fees, library access, and course materials.

TrackCreditsRateEst. Tuition (Derived)
MSN (Entry-Level)48$539$25,872
MSN (Secondary)33$539$17,787
  • $539 per credit, billed per 8-week bi-term
  • Textbooks and course materials included
  • Technology and other university fees included
  • $30 application fee
  • $10 transcript fee when requested

Be aware that:

  • The FNP rate is $184 per credit above Cumberlands’ standard online master’s rate of $355. Over 48 credits, that premium is $8,832.
  • The $315 military and veteran rate is listed for general master’s programs only. No military rate is published for the FNP.
  • Current rates took effect in Summer 2023, and the Board of Trustees can change them.
  • Clinical compliance costs (background checks, drug screens, immunizations, clinical tracking software) are not addressed in the One Price Promise materials.
  • Totals above are derived from the per-credit rate. Cumberlands does not publish a program total.

Because fees and books are bundled, the $539 rate is close to the true cost, which is not the case at many programs that add per-credit fees on top. The real budget risk is the final internship semester, when 22.5 clinical hours a week can reduce work income more than tuition does.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for nurses who want a fully online, fee-inclusive MSN at one flat rate, especially those who already hold a non-NP master’s and want the FNP without repeating graduate core courses.

A real post-master’s discount. The Secondary Track drops 15 credits and about $8,100 from the full MSN while keeping all 750 clinical hours. Nurse educators and administrators get a shorter route without a thinner clinical experience.

Predictable pricing. One published rate covers tuition, fees, and books for residents of every state. Applicants can budget from a single number rather than reconstructing a fee schedule.

The trade-off: unknowns you must resolve yourself. Cumberlands does not publish its placement model, state availability, or clinical policies on public pages, and its hour totals conflict across sources. Its published pass rates (83% in three of four cohorts, latest 2022) are also older than most applicants would want. Strong, self-directed nurses with a preceptor lined up can work around these gaps. Nurses who need placement help should get written answers before enrolling.

Accreditation

The MSN-FNP program at University of the Cumberlands is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The Secondary Track is an entry route into the same MSN-FNP rather than a separately named program.

The university holds institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award degrees through the doctoral level. Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and the transferability of credits.

Cumberlands also participates in SARA through Kentucky, which governs how it offers online programs to students in other member states.

Graduates of the CCNE-accredited MSN-FNP are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).

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