Northwestern State University FNP Programs

UPDATE • Natchitoches, LA • Online • $216/credit

Northwestern State University offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner tracks:

  • MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner concentration
  • Post-Master’s Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner

Both run fully online, with Louisiana-based clinicals and a single fall cohort each year. The model fits working nurses who want to keep their jobs while studying and can complete supervised hours in-state.

Program Tracks Overview

Program NameEst. TuitionEst. Duration
MSN FNP~$10K in-state / ~$29K out-of-state~32 months (8 semesters)
Post-Master’s Certificate FNPNot clearly stated (varies by gap analysis)2–5 semesters

Northwestern State delivers a fully online FNP at a base tuition that’s the same whether you live in Louisiana or not, making it a realistic option for working RNs who can place their clinicals in-state.

MSN FNP

The estimated cost for the MSN FNP at Northwestern State University is about $10K for Louisiana residents (roughly $29K for out-of-state students), and the program runs about 32 months across eight consecutive semesters.

MSN Curriculum

The MSN nurse practitioner curriculum totals 43–45 credits over eight semesters.

The first three semesters build the graduate core — theory, research, pharmacotherapeutics, pathophysiology, and social forces — and the final five shift to the FNP clinical sequence, role courses, and a paper in lieu of thesis.

  • NURG 5010 — Research in Nursing
  • NURG 5100 — Social Forces and Nursing Practice
  • NURG 5120 — Theory-Oriented Nursing Practice
  • NURG 5280 — Advanced Human Physiology and Pathology
  • NURG 5700 — Methods of Clinical Nursing Assessment
  • NURG 5710 — Pharmacotherapeutics
  • NURG 5770 — FNP I: Care of Expectant Families, Children, and Adolescents
  • NURG 5780 — FNP II: Care of the Adult Client
  • NURG 5790 — FNP III: Care of the Geriatric Client
  • NURG 5800 — FNP IV: Clinical Preceptorship
  • NURG 5830 — Role of the NP in Clinical Practice
  • NURG 5840 — Role of the NP in Business Practice

The sequence covers core APRN content, lifespan primary care, advanced assessment and diagnostics, and a supervised practicum. More curriculum details are available here.

MSN Clinicals

FNP clinical training centers on the FNP IV preceptorship, with supervised hours completed at Louisiana sites and continuous enrollment required until all hours are approved. Total clinical-hour counts are not fully detailed on the official page.

  • Population focus: families across the lifespan in primary care
  • Placement: Louisiana sites (coordinator approval needed for exceptions)
  • Structure: preceptorship-based, with continuous enrollment to completion
  • Total required hours: not clearly stated

MSN Admissions

Admission runs through both the Graduate School and the MSN program, with a clinical RN background expected.

  • BSN from a nationally accredited program
  • GPA of 2.5 overall, or 2.75 in the last 60 hours; otherwise a GRE score of at least 284
  • At least one year of full-time RN experience
  • Current, unencumbered Louisiana or compact RN license
  • Two letters of recommendation (one former faculty member, one clinical supervisor)
  • Current AHA Basic Life Support certification
  • Attestation to the program’s technical performance standards

Post-Master’s Certificate FNP

The estimated cost for the Post-Master’s Certificate FNP at Northwestern State University is not clearly stated, because the credit load is set individually, and the certificate typically takes two to five semesters depending on prior graduate coursework.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate maps to the MSN curriculum pattern, then trims it through a gap analysis that compares a nurse’s prior graduate coursework and supervised clinical hours against FNP requirements.

Courses already completed are waived, so the exact course list and credit total vary by student. The FNP clinical sequence and role coursework anchor what remains:

  • NURG 5770 — FNP I: Care of Expectant Families, Children, and Adolescents
  • NURG 5780 — FNP II: Care of the Adult Client
  • NURG 5790 — FNP III: Care of the Geriatric Client
  • NURG 5800 — FNP IV: Clinical Preceptorship

More curriculum details are available here.

Certificate Clinicals

Required clinical hours are set by the gap analysis and completed in Louisiana, with the same lifespan primary-care population focus as the MSN. Specific hour totals are not fully detailed on the official page.

  • Population focus: lifespan primary care
  • Placement: Louisiana sites
  • Hours: individualized via gap analysis; totals not clearly stated

Certificate Admissions

The certificate uses the MSN’s base requirements but waives the GRE and expects a graduate nursing background.

  • Master’s in nursing from an accredited college or university
  • Graduate GPA of 3.0
  • No GRE required
  • Current Louisiana RN, compact, or LA APRN license
  • Admission at varying semesters based on prior coursework and clinical hours

Tuition

Graduate tuition at NSU works out to about $216 per credit, drawn from a base of $2,590 per 12-credit semester, and that base rate is identical for residents and out-of-state students.

Out-of-state students add a per-semester surcharge of $5,394 (roughly $450 per credit), and online courses carry a $50-per-course electronic learning fee. Mandatory fees — registration, student association, and health services — add about $2,100 per full-time semester.

Tuition does not vary by program level, so the MSN and certificate draw the same per-credit rate.

See the official tuition page for more details: NSU Tuition & Fees Schedule.

Accreditation

Northwestern State University’s BSN, MSN, post-master’s certificate, and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and all nursing concentrations are approved by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. The university itself is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

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