Arkansas State University FNP Programs

School of Nursing • Jonesboro, AR • Online • $380/credit

Arkansas State University offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner tracks:

  • MSN-FNP (41.5 credit hours) — for BSN-prepared RNs
  • Post-Master’s FNP Certificate (21.5 credit hours) — for MSN-prepared nurses

Both are 100% online, built for working nurses with an accelerated, multiple-start-date format and clinicals completed close to home. A-State’s flat-rate online tuition is the same for all U.S. residents, making it one of the most affordable FNP options available.

Note the programs are accredited by ACEN (not CCNE), and clinicals must be completed in a state where A-State holds operating authority.

Program Tracks Overview

Program NameEst. TuitionEst. Duration
MSN FNP$15,770 (41.5 cr × $380)As few as 24 months
Post-Master’s Certificate FNP$8,170 (21.5 cr × $380)As few as 16 months

Arkansas State delivers a fully online, accelerated FNP at flat-rate tuition that’s the same for every U.S. resident — one of the most affordable paths to FNP practice, at both the master’s and post-master’s certificate levels.

MSN FNP

The estimated cost for the MSN FNP at Arkansas State University is $15,770 in total tuition (41.5 credit hours at $380 each, all fees included), and the program can be completed in as few as 24 months.

MSN Curriculum

The MSN-FNP totals 41.5 credit hours — seven core/support courses (20 hours), six FNP advanced-practice courses (9 hours), and six clinical practicums (12.5 hours).

Coursework is fully online in an accelerated, multiple-start format, covering research, theory, policy, the APRN role, the “three Ps,” and an organ-systems FNP sequence (women’s health, pediatrics, and Systems I–III).

Core Courses

NURS 6103 — Research Design and Methodology
Introduces nursing research analysis and critical evaluation, with students developing a research proposal.

NURS 6203 — Theory Development in Nursing
Examines nursing theory development and models, building a conceptual foundation for advanced practice.

NURS 6303 — Health Care Issues and Policy
Critically analyzes healthcare policy and issues shaping advanced nursing practice and the healthcare system.

NURS 6402 — Professional Role Development in Advanced Nursing
Focuses on advanced nursing role development, including role-making, communication, and implementation strategies.

Support Courses

NURS 6003 — Advanced Pathophysiology
Explores disease processes and their effects across the lifespan to support diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

NURS 6013 — Advanced Clinical Pharmacology
Builds pharmacologic decision-making skills for managing common health problems across the lifespan.

NURS 6023 — Advanced Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation
Covers advanced assessment, differential diagnosis, risk screening, and interpretation of diagnostic findings.

Advanced Practice Courses

NURS 6513 — FNP Clinical Management I
Covers clinical management of well patients and those with minor health problems through theory and case-based learning.

NURS 6514 — FNP Clinical Management I Practicum
Applies clinical management theory in supervised care of well patients and those with minor health problems.

NURS 6613 — FNP Clinical Management II
Focuses on managing clients and families with minor or chronic health problems, including protocol development.

NURS 6614 — FNP Clinical Management II Practicum
Provides supervised clinical application for managing clients and families with minor or chronic health problems.

NURS 6753 — FNP Clinical Synthesis Seminar
Capstone seminar examining nursing theory, research, and role implementation as a family nurse practitioner.

NURS 681V — FNP Clinical Synthesis
Final practicum with intensive precepted clinical practice to complete FNP preparation for entry into practice.

More curriculum details are available here.

MSN Clinicals

The program requires 750 clinical hours across six practicums, completed in primary-care sites near the student. A final practicum builds a professional portfolio and research project.

  • Total hours: 750 (five practicums at 120 hours plus a 150-hour culminating practicum)
  • Placement: primary health practice sites, with preceptors
  • State rule: clinicals must be done where A-State holds State Operating Authority
  • Population focus: family primary care across the lifespan
  • Optional: an on-campus Skills Day (suturing, joint injections, etc.)

MSN Admissions

Admission requires a BSN and an active RN license, with a higher GPA bar than the non-NP MSN tracks.

  • BSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program
  • Minimum 3.25 undergraduate cumulative GPA
  • Current, unencumbered RN license (active in the state of clinical practice or a compact state)
  • Documentation of 1,500 RN practice hours prior to admission
  • Official transcripts and a $30 application fee
  • Background check and clinical compliance (CPR, immunizations, liability insurance) before clinicals

Up to 9 graduate hours may transfer in (no course older than six years). Next apply date is July 15, 2026, for an August 19, 2026 start.

Post-Master’s Certificate FNP

The estimated cost for the Post-Master’s FNP Certificate at Arkansas State University is $8,170 in total tuition (21.5 credit hours at $380 each, all fees included).

It can be completed in as few as 16 months. Note that certificate programs are not financial-aid eligible.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate is 21.5 credit hours of FNP advanced-practice and clinical coursework for MSN-prepared nurses. A curriculum “Gap Analysis” determines each student’s plan; those missing the three Ps may need up to 9 additional hours (advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and assessment), bringing the total to as much as 30.5 hours.

  • NURS 611V — FNP Women’s Health (1.5)
  • NURS 612V — FNP Pediatrics (1.5)
  • NURS 613V — FNP Systems I (1.5)
  • NURS 614V — FNP Systems II (1.5)
  • NURS 615V — FNP Systems III (1.5)
  • NURS 616V — FNP Seminar (1.5)
  • NURS 6212–6252 — FNP Clinical Practicums I–V (2 each; 120 hours each)
  • NURS 656V — FNP Clinical Practicum VI (2.5; 150 hours)
  • Possible gap courses: NURS 6003 Pathophysiology, NURS 6013 Pharmacology, NURS 6023 Assessment (3 each)

More curriculum details are available here.

Certificate Clinicals

Clinical requirements mirror the MSN’s practicum sequence (up to 750 hours), with placements near the student and the same state-authority rule.

  • Practicums: the same six FNP Clinical Practicum courses as the MSN
  • Placement: primary health practice sites where A-State holds State Operating Authority
  • Population focus: family primary care across the lifespan
  • Optional: on-campus Skills Day
  • Scope: final hours depend on the Gap Analysis plan of study

Certificate Admissions

The certificate is for MSN-prepared nurses.

  • MSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program
  • Minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA in MSN coursework
  • Current, unencumbered RN license
  • Satisfactory background check
  • A Gap Analysis with the program coordinator to set the plan of study

Nurses whose prior FNP-option MSN lacked certification-eligibility components (the three Ps or a minimum of 500 supervised clinical hours) may also apply. A $30 application fee applies.

Tuition

Arkansas State’s online programs use a flat per-credit-hour rate of $380 — the same for all U.S. residents, with all fees included. That puts the 41.5-hour MSN-FNP at $15,770 total and the 21.5-hour post-master’s certificate at $8,170, among the most affordable FNP options anywhere.

Tuition is pay-by-the-course and may change yearly. Note that the certificate is not financial-aid eligible.

See the official tuition page for more details: MSN-FNP Tuition.

Accreditation

The associate, baccalaureate, master’s/post-master’s certificate, and Doctor of Nursing Practice nursing programs at Arkansas State University (Jonesboro, AR) are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). FNP graduates are eligible to sit for national FNP certification through the ANCC or the AANP. Because this is an online program, applicants should review A-State’s State Authorization & Licensure Disclosures to confirm eligibility in their state.

More FNP Programs in Arkansas