Alcorn State University offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- MSN
- Post-Master’s Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $25.6K / $28.1K | 2 years (5 semesters) | 49 |
| Certificate | $15.8K–$21.0K / $17.8K–$23.5K | 1.5–2 years (4–5 semesters) | 30–40 |
Tuition estimates use Alcorn State’s 2026-27 graduate rate of $491.14 per credit plus its $20-per-credit technology fee, per-semester fees, and the $500-per-semester out-of-state charge.
Alcorn State builds its FNP clinicals as a population ladder. Students move through adult-gerontology (180 hours), women’s health (120), and pediatrics (120) before a 300-hour lifespan practicum, for 750 direct patient care hours at a resident rate under $500 per credit. The MSN and the certificate share the exact same clinical sequence.
The trade-off is program standing. The MSN’s most recent ACEN decision, as reported in the 2024–2026 catalog, is Continuing Accreditation with Conditions, and NP certification pass rates were 68% (2023) and 77% (2024), below Alcorn’s own 80% benchmark. Alcorn also publishes no placement policy or campus-visit schedule.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN (BSN entry); Post-Master’s Certificate |
| Format | Mostly Online (online and hybrid courses; periodic campus visits possible) |
| Clinical Hours | 750 direct patient care hours (720 practicum + 30 population health) |
| Clinical Placement | Community-based primary care; who arranges sites not clearly stated |
| Population | Diverse and underserved clients; HBCU mission |
| Distinctive Coursework | Population-specific theory/practicum pairs; 1-credit board prep course |
| RN License Requirements | Unencumbered RN license; brochure asks for Mississippi licensure |
| Tuition | $491.14/credit resident; +$500/semester out of state |
| Accreditation | ACEN (MSN: Continuing Accreditation with Conditions); SACSCOC |
| Start Term | MSN: fall only, June 15 deadline |
| Admissions Interview | Required with graduate nursing faculty |
Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Family Nurse Practitioner at Alcorn State University is approximately $24,066 (49 credits at $491.14/credit), or about $25,646 with mandatory fees. The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (5 semesters, including one summer) of full-time continuous study.
MSN Curriculum
Foundation year. The first fall front-loads the core sciences with a 1-credit graduate seminar. Spring adds theory and a 2-credit health policy and ethics course, then opens the clinical sequence with adult-gerontology management. Students reach direct patient care in their second semester.
Population sequence. Each clinical semester pairs a 3-credit theory course for one population with a practicum in that same population: adult-gero in spring, women’s health (including prenatal and postpartum care) in summer, and pediatrics (ages 0 to 21) in the second fall. The final spring combines a lifespan theory course with a 5-credit, 300-hour practicum and a 1-credit board prep course. The degree’s exit requirement is an evidence-based project completed in NU 527, not a thesis.
- NU 523 Advanced Health Assessment with Lab (4 credits)
- NU 525 Health Policy & Ethical Decision-Making (2)
- NU 540/541 Clinical Management Theory I and Practicum I: Adult-Gerontology (3 + 3)
- NU 542/543 Clinical Management Theory II and Practicum II: Women’s Health (3 + 2)
- NU 544 Health Promotion & Population Health (2)
- NU 545/546 Clinical Management Theory III and Practicum III: Pediatrics (3 + 2)
- NU 527 Evidence-Based Practice & Quality Improvement (3)
- NU 548/549 Clinical Management Theory IV and Practicum IV: Across the Lifespan (3 + 5)
- NU 559 Board Prep (1)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Theory and practicum are graded as a pair. A grade below B in either one records a C or lower in both, and students may repeat a theory/practicum pair only once.
- Graduate nursing students dismissed for academic failure may not apply for readmission at any time.
- Alcorn’s MSN web page still shows a retired plan (NU 501–518, 44 credits, 600 hours, thesis or non-thesis project). The 2024–2026 catalog confirms the current 49-credit, 750-hour plan used on this page.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 750 direct patient care hours: 180 (adult-gero) + 120 (women’s health) + 120 (pediatrics) + 300 (lifespan) = 720 practicum hours, plus a 30-hour practicum component in NU 544
- Practicum credits run at 60 clock hours per credit across all four courses
- All practicums are in community-based primary care settings
- Clinical faculty supervise in collaboration with preceptors
- Students must be eligible for licensure in the state where they complete their practicums
- $1M/$3M individual professional liability insurance required before the first practicum
At 750 hours, Alcorn sits above the 500-hour certification floor and slightly above the 600 to 700 hour range common among FNP programs. The load is manageable early, roughly 12 hours a week in the adult-gero and women’s health terms, then climbs to about 20 hours a week in the final spring. Working nurses should plan to cut hours in that last semester. Because each practicum covers one population, students need a separate qualifying site for pediatrics and for women’s health, including prenatal and postpartum visits.
You Should Know
- Alcorn does not say whether it arranges clinical sites or whether students find their own preceptors. Ask before applying.
- The practicum-state licensure rule implies clinicals outside Mississippi are possible, but no list of approved states is published.
MSN Admissions
Alcorn admits FNP students once a year for fall, requires a faculty interview, and ranks applicants with an admission formula.
- Application deadline: June 15 for fall entry (annual cycle)
- Graduate of an accredited nursing program; BSN with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- 3.0 GPA in prerequisites and nursing courses
- Grade of C or better in undergraduate introductory statistics
- Current, unencumbered RN license in a U.S. state or territory
- Three letters of recommendation (professional, academic, personal) on letterhead with original signatures
- Resume and goal statement
- Interview with graduate nursing faculty
- GRE waived
- After admission: health form, immunizations, TB screening, personal health insurance, BLS, and a fingerprint background check
- Up to 6 transfer credits (grade of B or higher), approved by the graduate nursing director
You Should Know
- The program page and catalog accept an RN license from any state or territory, but Alcorn’s 2026 graduate brochure lists “evidence of Mississippi licensure.” Confirm which rule applies if you are licensed elsewhere.
- Alcorn’s state authorization page says SARA approval does not cover programs leading to professional licensure. It makes no state-by-state determination for the FNP, so out-of-state applicants must check with their own nursing board.
Post-Master’s Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Post Master Certificate Option, Family Nurse Practitioner at Alcorn State University is approximately $14,734 to $19,646 (30 to 40 credits at $491.14/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1.5 to 2 years (4 to 5 semesters), depending on whether advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment are already on your transcript.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is the MSN’s clinical sequence with the master’s core removed. Both plans include all four theory/practicum pairs, population health, informatics, role development, and board prep. Nurses who already hold the core sciences follow a 30-credit plan that starts in spring and runs four semesters. Nurses who need them add a 10-credit first fall, for 40 credits over five semesters.
- NU 521, 522, 523 Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, Health Assessment with Lab (10; 40-credit plan only)
- NU 540/541 Adult-Gerontology Theory and Practicum (3 + 3)
- NU 542/543 Women’s Health Theory and Practicum (3 + 2)
- NU 544 Health Promotion & Population Health (2)
- NU 526 Informatics & Health Care Technology (1)
- NU 545/546 Pediatrics Theory and Practicum (3 + 2)
- NU 547 Role Development (2)
- NU 548/549 Lifespan Theory and Practicum (3 + 5)
- NU 559 Board Prep (1)
You Should Know
- ⚠️ Alcorn describes the certificate as a 20-credit, three-semester program (30 to 40 credits without the core sciences), but its own catalog plan of study sums to 30 credits over four semesters, or 40 over five. This page uses the plan totals.
- The certificate web page still shows the retired NU 501–518 sequence with 600 clinical hours.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 750 hours: 180 + 120 + 120 + 300 practicum hours, plus 30 in NU 544
- Same 60-hours-per-credit ratio, population sequence, and community-based settings as the MSN
- Same liability insurance and practicum-state licensure rules as the MSN
Certificate students complete the full MSN clinical load, not a reduced one. That matters for nurses switching specialties, because state boards often expect a new population focus to carry its own complete set of supervised hours.
You Should Know
- State boards set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus. Check yours before enrolling.
Certificate Admissions
Certificate applicants need an MSN, a completed thesis or scholarly project, and the same faculty interview as MSN applicants.
- MSN from a nationally accredited program with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Completed thesis or scholarly project in the prior master’s program
- Advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, physical assessment, and assessment lab with grades of B or better (for the 30-credit plan)
- Same licensure, insurance, letters, interview, and post-admission health requirements as the MSN
- At least 14 credits must be completed in residence at Alcorn
You Should Know
- The catalog’s certificate admission list requires all three core sciences with a B or better, which conflicts with its own 40-credit plan for nurses who lack them. Confirm whether applicants without the core sciences are accepted.
- No certificate application deadline is published. The 30-credit plan begins in spring, so ask the department about the spring cycle.
Tuition
Alcorn State charges a published 2026-27 graduate rate of $491.14 per credit for Mississippi residents. With the $20-per-credit technology fee and per-semester fees, the derived all-in cost for the MSN is about $523 per credit. The 2026-27 schedule adds a flat $500 per semester for out-of-state students.
| Cost Item | MSN (49 cr, 5 sem) | Certificate (30–40 cr, 4–5 sem) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition at $491.14/credit | $24,066 | $14,734–$19,646 |
| Technology fee ($20/credit) | $980 | $600–$800 |
| Capital improvement + student activity ($100/semester) | $500 | $400–$500 |
| Orientation fee (one time) | $100 | $100 |
| Resident total (derived) | $25,646 | $15,834–$21,046 |
| Out-of-state charge ($500/semester) | $2,500 | $2,000–$2,500 |
| Out-of-state total (derived) | $28,146 | $17,834–$23,546 |
Rates come from Alcorn’s 2026-27 tuition and fees schedule.
- Graduate tuition: $491.14 per credit, Mississippi residents, effective fall 2026
- No separate tuition charge for online courses
- Technology fee: $20 per credit
- Capital improvement fee: $50 per semester; student activity fee: $50 per semester
- Orientation fee: $100
- Application fee: $40 (domestic)
Be aware that:
- The 2024–2026 graduate catalog says out-of-state tuition is waived and all students pay the same rate. The 2026-27 schedule lists a $500-per-semester out-of-state charge, and Alcorn’s cost-of-attendance budget shows nonresidents paying $1,000 more a year. These estimates include the charge; confirm with the Business Office.
- The schedule does not state whether the out-of-state charge applies in summer. Totals assume it applies every semester.
- The catalog notes summer graduate credits are billed at a reduced rate but publishes no summer figure. Totals use the full rate, so the summer term may cost less.
- The schedule shows no graduate full-time flat rate, so every credit is billed, including the 10- and 11-credit MSN semesters.
- Alcorn’s cost-of-attendance budget lists $730 a year in graduate fees, more than the itemized fees add up to for a 9-credit load ($560). Some fees may not appear on the schedule.
- Liability insurance, personal health insurance, and the fingerprint background check are out-of-pocket costs.
For a Mississippi resident, the full MSN runs about $25,600 in tuition and itemized fees. Nonresidents add at most about $2,500, and possibly nothing if the catalog’s waiver still applies. The certificate saves the most for nurses who already hold the core sciences; without them, it costs about $4,600 less than the MSN for the same clinical training and no degree.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
This program fits Mississippi nurses who want 750 clinical hours structured population by population at a public, under-$500 credit rate, and who are comfortable verifying details directly with the department.
Structured clinical progression. Each clinical term covers one population with its own theory course and practicum, so students know which site type they need each semester. Clinicals start in the second term and build to a 300-hour lifespan finale, for a total above the 600 to 700 hour range common among FNP programs.
One clinical spine for both credentials. MSN and certificate students take identical practicums, so a master’s-prepared nurse switching specialties gets the full 750 hours. Nurses with the core sciences finish the certificate in four semesters for about $15,800 as residents.
The trade-off: accreditation conditions and outcomes. The MSN carries ACEN Continuing Accreditation with Conditions, and NP pass rates of 68% and 77% in 2023 and 2024 trailed the school’s own 80% target. Strict paired grading and a no-readmission rule after dismissal raise the stakes for every clinical course. Placement and campus-visit policies are also unpublished, so get answers in writing before committing. Graduates who want to continue can move into Alcorn’s 36-credit post-master’s DNP at $505.10 per credit.
Accreditation
Alcorn State’s Master of Science in Nursing program on the Natchez campus is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). According to the 2024–2026 catalog, ACEN’s most recent decision for the MSN is Continuing Accreditation with Conditions, meaning the program remains accredited while it addresses specific standards. The FNP certificate is not named separately. The post-master’s DNP holds ACEN Initial Accreditation.
The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, education specialist, and doctoral degrees. Regional accreditation affects federal financial aid eligibility, credit transfer, and acceptance of the degree by doctoral programs and employers.
MSN and certificate graduates are eligible to sit for a national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).
More FNP Programs in Mississippi
- Delta State University - Cleveland
- Mississippi University for Women - Columbus
- University of Mississippi Medical Center - Jackson
- University of Southern Mississippi - Hattiesburg