Frostburg State University offers an MSN Family Nurse Practitioner track.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $37.9K–$38.6K | 2 years (6 semesters) full-time; about 3.5 years (10 semesters) part-time | 59 |
Tuition estimates use Frostburg’s 2026–27 online nurse practitioner rate of $580/credit plus its $20/credit technology fee, $150 per-semester MSN program fee, $150 practicum and lab course fees, and $105 summer fee.
Frostburg State’s FNP students complete 765 clinical hours, 265 above the certification floor, mostly in their own communities. The program was built for nurses in rural and medically underserved areas, and for 2026–27 it charges one online rate of $580 per credit to Maryland and out-of-state students alike.
The trade-off is rigidity. There is one fall cohort, every course runs once a year in a fixed order, summers are mandatory, and students help find their own preceptors within an hour of home. Frostburg’s APRN program is approved only by the Maryland Board of Nursing.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN (BSN entry) |
| Format | Mostly Online: 90–95% online, four campus lab visits plus a one-day orientation |
| Clinical Hours | 765 across 17 practicum credits (45 hours per credit) |
| Clinical Placement | Student-identified sites with Clinical Placement Coordinator support; travel up to one hour |
| Population | Family/individual across the lifespan, with rural health integrated throughout |
| Distinctive Coursework | 4-credit Mental Health in Primary Care; separate pediatrics and women’s health practica |
| Concentrations | None |
| RN License Requirements | Unencumbered RN license |
| Start Term | Fall only; lockstep sequence, no summers off |
| Tuition | $580/credit for all residencies (2026–27) |
| Accreditation | CCNE (master’s program); Middle States (institution) |
Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner at Frostburg State University is approximately $37,860 to $38,565 (59 credits at $580/credit, plus fees; derived). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years full-time or about 3.5 years part-time, with no summer breaks on either plan.
MSN Curriculum
A systems-heavy core. The 28-credit core goes beyond the usual advanced practice foundation. Informatics, a 4-credit research course, health systems and populations, and quality improvement add 13 credits of systems content. That is one reason the degree totals 59 credits, more than many BSN-entry FNP MSNs.
A paired specialty sequence. The 31-credit FNP block pairs each major content area with its own practicum. Primary care management runs across four practicum courses, while pediatrics and women’s health each get a separate didactic course and practicum. Mental Health in Primary Care is a 4-credit blended course, a heavier dose of behavioral health than a typical FNP curriculum.
Rural content throughout. Frostburg says special considerations for rural populations are woven into the curriculum rather than offered as a separate course or concentration.
- NURS 504 Nursing Informatics (3 credits)
- NURS 602 Research and Systematic Analysis (4 credits)
- NURS 605 Health Systems and Populations (3 credits)
- NURS 651 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning, with lab (4 credits, blended)
- NURS 660 Primary Care Management and Lab (4 credits, blended)
- NURS 665 Pediatrics in Primary Care (3 credits) with NURS 666 practicum (2 credits)
- NURS 668 Women’s Health in Primary Care (3 credits) with NURS 669 practicum (2 credits)
- NURS 670 Mental Health in Primary Care (4 credits, blended)
- NURS 673 and 674 Advanced Practice Practicum I and II (2 credits each)
- NURS 701 Transitional Role Course for the Nurse Practitioner (1 credit)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Courses must be taken in order, and each is offered once per year. Falling out of sequence can delay graduation by a full year.
- Frostburg’s FAQ says labs are attached to two courses, but the curriculum lists three blended courses (NURS 651, 660, and 670).
- Most coursework is asynchronous, but synchronous sessions for discussions, case presentations, and supervision may be scheduled.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 765 practicum hours across eight practicum courses totaling 17 credits (17 × 45 = 765)
- Derived per-course hours at 45 per credit: NURS 652, 662, 663, 666, 669, 673, and 674 at 90 hours each; NURS 664 at 135 hours
- Preceptored hours in office settings, mostly in the student’s local community
- Students help identify sites and preceptors; the Clinical Placement Coordinator and faculty approve and help secure them
- Affiliation agreements are finalized with faculty and the university legal team before each practicum
- Students must be prepared to travel up to one hour from home
- Full-time students average about 19 hours a week in the final summer; part-time students average about 9 hours a week in their final spring
At 765 hours, Frostburg sits above the 600 to 700 hours common among FNP programs. The practical cost shows up late: a full-time student’s final summer averages about 19 clinical hours a week on top of coursework, which is hard to fit around a full-time job. The placement model is shared work, not a guarantee. Rural applicants should start building preceptor contacts early, since site availability depends on local resources.
You Should Know
- Placement is supported, not guaranteed. Frostburg says student engagement is essential to securing a site.
- Per-course hours are derived from the 45-hours-per-credit ratio. Frostburg publishes only the 765-hour total.
- Sites may add their own health, background check, and education requirements.
- Frostburg does not say how it handles clinical placements outside Maryland for the MSN FNP.
MSN Admissions
Admission is competitive with limited seats, a single fall intake, and a required face-to-face interview.
- BSN from an accredited nursing program
- Unencumbered RN license
- GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 hours of coursework
- 3-credit undergraduate statistics course with a grade of B or higher
- Official transcripts from all prior undergraduate and graduate study
- Current CV and an essay on career goals and the NP role
- Three professional recommendations
- Personal, face-to-face interview
- Criminal background check and child abuse clearance
You Should Know
- Frostburg’s APRN programs are approved only by the Maryland Board of Nursing, and the school has not sought approval in any other state. Graduates elsewhere would rely on that state’s licensure-by-endorsement process.
- Frostburg says its programs are designed to meet Maryland licensure requirements and may not meet other states’ requirements. Check with your own board before applying.
- No minimum years of RN experience is stated, though Frostburg says it welcomes experienced RNs.
- An application deadline is not clearly stated.
- The program is MSN-only. Frostburg says a DNP is in planning under a grant-funded initiative, but none is offered yet.
Tuition
Frostburg charges $580 per credit for FNP coursework in 2026–27. This online nurse practitioner rate is the same for Maryland residents and out-of-state students. Adding the required fees brings the effective cost to about $642 per credit full-time and $654 per credit part-time (derived).
| Cost Item | Full-Time (6 semesters) | Part-Time (10 semesters) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition (59 × $580) | $34,220 | $34,220 |
| Technology fee (59 × $20) | $1,180 | $1,180 |
| Course fees (9 courses × $150) | $1,350 | $1,350 |
| MSN program fee ($150 per semester) | $900 | $1,500 |
| Summer university fee ($105 per summer) | $210 | $315 |
| Estimated total (derived) | $37,860 | $38,565 |
- $580 per credit online nurse practitioner tuition, all residencies
- $20 per credit technology fee
- $150 course fee for NURS 651 and each of the eight practicum courses
- $150 MSN program fee each fall, spring, and summer semester
- $105 summer university fee
- $45 application fee
Be aware that:
- Frostburg’s program page lists an estimated cost of $36,150. That equals tuition plus the technology fee plus $750, so it appears to leave out some course, program, or summer fees.
- Courses that require a campus residency carry university per-credit fees of $108 beyond the technology fee. If all 12 blended credits are billed this way, the total rises by up to $1,296. Summer courses are exempt.
- The curriculum page says blended courses carry a simulation lab fee to be determined, but the fee schedule lists only NURS 651 among them.
- The program page still says tuition is under review, even though 2026–27 rates are now published.
- The flat rate is new. In 2025–26, Frostburg charged $544 in-state, $616 regional, and $750 out-of-state. Out-of-state students now save about $10,030 in tuition, while Maryland residents pay about $2,124 more.
- Rates are set each year, so later semesters may cost more.
Plan on about $38,000 to $40,000 all-in, depending on pace and how blended courses are billed. Part-time study costs roughly $700 more because of extra program and summer fees. The new residency-blind rate makes the program a real option for nurses in nearby Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia, provided their own board will license them.
Official rates are on Frostburg’s MSN Tuition and Fees page.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Frostburg fits nurses in rural or underserved communities who want a heavy clinical load close to home and can commit to a fixed, year-round schedule.
Rural nurses who plan to stay put. The program trains students in their own communities and builds rural content into every course. A nurse in western Maryland or a similar region can finish 765 hours near home, with only about five days on campus over the whole program. A published 97% first-attempt board pass rate supports the model, though it rests on only 38 graduates since 2018.
Out-of-state nurses near the region. At one $580 rate for everyone, the MSN costs out-of-state students far less than it did a year ago. The catch is licensure. Frostburg’s APRN program is approved only in Maryland, so a nurse in Pennsylvania or West Virginia must confirm their board accepts it before enrolling.
The trade-offs. This is not a flexible program. Missing one course can push graduation back a year, summers are required, and the final terms demand 9 to 19 clinical hours a week. Students share responsibility for finding preceptors, which can be harder in thinly staffed rural areas. Nurses who want a DNP will need a second program later, since Frostburg offers only the MSN today.
Accreditation
Frostburg State’s master’s degree program in nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which also accredits its baccalaureate program. The FNP track sits within that accredited MSN. Frostburg states that the program holds a ten-year CCNE accreditation granted in 2019.
The university is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which reaffirmed Frostburg’s accreditation in 2025 through 2032. Institutional accreditation matters for federal financial aid eligibility and for how other schools treat your credits, including any future DNP program.
The Maryland Higher Education Commission approved the nurse practitioner program, which launched in 2018.
Graduates are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).
More FNP Programs in Maryland
- Coppin State University - Baltimore
- Johns Hopkins University - Baltimore
- Notre Dame of Maryland University - Baltimore
- Salisbury University - Salisbury
- University of Maryland - Baltimore