Stanislaus State University FNP Programs

School of Nursing • Turlock, CA • Hybrid • $1090/credit

Stanislaus State University offers 1 Family Nurse Practitioner track: an MSN with an FNP concentration.

Program highlights:

  • Hybrid delivery — online didactic coursework plus regular on-campus days (no fully online option)
  • 56 units across two years (five semesters, including one summer) as a full-time cohort
  • 750 supervised clinical hours placed within California’s Central Valley
  • Forgivable-loan funding for graduates who commit to a designated underserved service area

The program admits a small fall cohort of 16 to 24 students and suits working RNs in the region who can attend in-person rotations. Out-of-region California placements are attempted on request.

Program Tracks Overview

Program NameEst. TuitionEst. Duration
MSN FNP~$22K (tuition + campus fees, 2 yrs)2 years (5 semesters)

Stanislaus State runs a hands-on, cohort-based FNP built around 750 supervised clinical hours in California’s Central Valley, with forgivable-loan funding for graduates who go on to serve the region’s underserved communities.

MSN FNP

The estimated cost for the MSN FNP at Stanislaus State University is about $22K in tuition and campus fees, and the program would take about two years — five semesters including one summer — to complete on a full-time basis.

MSN Curriculum

The MSN requires 56 units: 29 units of graduate nursing core and 27 units in the FNP concentration.

The core covers evidence-based practice theory, informatics, health policy, advanced physiology and pathophysiology, advanced health assessment, and advanced pharmacology.

The concentration centers on diagnostic reasoning, primary care management, and a four-part health-management practicum sequence.

FNP students complete their culminating requirement through a comprehensive examination rather than a thesis or project.

  • NURS 5100 — Health Management Seminar (2 units)
  • NURS 5110 — Health Management Practicum I (4 units)
  • NURS 5305 — Diagnostic Reasoning and the Advanced Practice RN Role (1 unit)
  • NURS 5340 — Diagnosis and Management of Common Health Problems in Primary Care (3 units)
  • NURS 5355 — Health Management Practicum II (3 units)
  • NURS 5360 — Care of Chronic and Critical Conditions (3 units)
  • NURS 5365 — Health Management Practicum III (4 units)
  • NURS 5370 — Health Management Practicum IV (6 units, 270 hours)
  • NURS 5380 — Mental Health and Substance Use for the Primary Care Provider (1 unit)

More curriculum details are available here.

MSN Clinicals

Clinical training totals 750 supervised hours in California outpatient primary care, building from two days per week in the second semester to three days per week in the final semester. The School of Nursing arranges placements within its five-county service region, and on-campus simulation supplements the fieldwork.

  • Total hours: 750 supervised clinical practice hours under preceptors
  • Schedule: 2 days/week from the second semester, rising to 3 days/week in the final semester
  • Placement: arranged within the five-county Central Valley region (Merced, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Calaveras, Tuolumne); out-of-region California sites attempted on request
  • Simulation: 3–4 on-campus simulation meetings per semester
  • Documentation: CastleBranch compliance required before practicum

MSN Admissions

Admission is for the fall cohort only and assumes an experienced, California-licensed RN background.

  • BSN from an accredited institution (ADN holders with a non-nursing bachelor’s may enter via the BRIDGE pathway)
  • At least one year of post-licensure RN experience in direct patient care
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 60 units
  • Active, unrestricted California RN license with no disciplinary action
  • Undergraduate statistics course (with probability and inferential content), grade C or better
  • Two professional references
  • Résumé with a cover letter outlining professional goals
  • International applicants: TOEFL 550 (paper) or 80 (internet)

University applications run October 1 to December 2 ($70 fee); the program application window is October 1 to April 1. Cohorts are limited to 16–24 students.

Tuition

Graduate State University Tuition at Stanislaus State is $8,548 per year, with about $2,308 per year in campus fees, so tuition and fees total roughly $22,000 across the two-year program.

This is the standard graduate rate; non-resident students pay an additional per-unit surcharge the source does not specify, and CSU bills tuition by enrollment level rather than strictly per unit.

A notable option for FNP students is a forgivable loan covering tuition, books, and supplies each semester for those willing to work in a designated 19-zip-code area of the service region after graduation.

See the official tuition page for more details: Cost of Attendance & Net Price.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate and master’s nursing programs at Stanislaus State are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The FNP program is also an approved academic program of the California Board of Registered Nursing. Graduates qualify to sit for national FNP certification through the ANCC and the AANP and to apply for California BRN nurse practitioner certification and a furnishing number.

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