“UAB’s FNP programs are explicitly designed part-time, combining distance-accessible coursework with mandatory on-campus intensives at Alabama’s only Academic Health Science Center.”
The University of Alabama at Birmingham offers 3 Family Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty
- BSN-DNP – Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty
- Post-Graduate APRN Certificate – Family Nurse Practitioner (non-degree)
All three tracks are distance-accessible with a part-time structure built into the curriculum — not as an option, but as the program design. On-campus intensives are required for both the MSN and DNP; the DNP additionally requires annual on-campus attendance each year of enrollment.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program Name | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN FNP | $33,480 | 2–2.5 years |
| BSN-DNP FNP | $58,776 | 3–3.5 years |
| Post-Master’s Certificate FNP | $20,088 | ~18 months |
The post-master’s certificate includes a GAP analysis after admission to assess prior coursework and individualize the plan of study. UAB’s flat $744/credit distance rate applies equally to in-state and out-of-state students across all three tracks.
MSN FNP
The estimated cost for the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner at UAB is approximately $33,480 in tuition (45 credits × $744/credit, distance-accessible rate).
The program takes about 2 to 2.5 years to complete on a part-time basis across six or seven successive semesters depending on the semester of entry.
MSN Curriculum
The MSN FNP totals 45 credit hours: 35 hours of didactic coursework and 10 hours of clinical practica.
- The first year covers interprofessional leadership, advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, evidence-based practice, population health, and advanced health assessment.
- The second year moves into three sequential Advanced Family Nursing courses paired with three practicum rotations.
The program is explicitly structured as part-time, with courses delivered through a distance-accessible format combined with on-campus intensives.
Course Descriptions
NUR 737 – Interprofessional Leadership Roles & Financial Considerations for Professional Practice (3 credits)
Focuses on leadership, collaboration, and financial management in advanced practice. Emphasizes communication, teamwork, and systems-based strategies to deliver safe, patient-centered care.
NUR 612 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 credits)
Builds on foundational physiology to examine disease processes across the lifespan. Students apply critical thinking to understand system adaptations and pathological changes.
NUR 735 – Population Health in Advanced Practice Nursing (3 credits)
Explores population health strategies, including disease prevention and health promotion. Addresses global health issues, disparities, and the impact of lifestyle and environment on outcomes.
NUR 729 – Evidence-Based Practice Design and Translation (3 credits)
Prepares students to evaluate and apply research in clinical settings. Focuses on developing clinical questions, appraising evidence, and translating findings into improved patient care.
NUR 613 – Pharmacology and Therapeutics (3 credits)
Covers pharmacologic principles and therapeutic decision-making. Emphasizes drug actions, patient-specific considerations, and safe medication management across populations.
NUR 614 – Advanced Health Assessment and Introduction to Diagnostic Reasoning (3 credits)
Develops advanced assessment and diagnostic reasoning skills. Focuses on comprehensive evaluation, critical thinking, and culturally responsive care across the lifespan.
NFH 618L – Focus on Advanced Nursing Practice Specialization (3 credits)
Introduces specialty-focused concepts in advanced nursing practice. Emphasizes foundational competencies and role development within a chosen practice area.
NFH 621 – Advanced Family Nursing I (3–5 credits)
Introduces core concepts of advanced practice nursing. Prepares students to deliver safe, effective care to pediatric, adult, and elderly populations.
NFH 622 – Family Nurse Practitioner II (3–4 credits)
Builds diagnostic and management skills for caring for patients across the lifespan. Emphasizes individualized treatment planning and application of care models.
NFH 623 – Family Nurse Practitioner III (5 credits)
Focuses on managing complex and chronic conditions across diverse populations. Includes role development, health promotion, and strategies for professional practice.
NFH 685L – Practicum I: Family Nurse Practitioner (3 credits)
Provides supervised clinical experience in delivering care across the lifespan. Emphasizes skill development and application of evidence-based practice models.
NFH 686L – Practicum II: Family Nurse Practitioner (3 credits)
Advances clinical skills in diagnosis and management. Students develop and implement individualized care plans in supervised practice settings.
NFH 692L – Practicum III: Family Nurse Practitioner (3–6 credits)
Final practicum focused on refining advanced competencies. Emphasizes evidence-based care, performance evaluation, and readiness for independent practice.
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinicals
Clinical practica total 10 credit hours across three sequential practicum courses focused on pediatric, adult, and elderly populations. Students contract directly with a clinical preceptor who must be a certified nurse practitioner or physician.
Total clinical hours are not explicitly stated on the official program page; students should contact the School of Nursing for the specific hour requirement for the FNP specialty.
- Practicum I: Health care delivery to pediatric, adult, and elderly populations
- Practicum II: In-depth diagnostic and management skills across the lifespan
- Practicum III: Evidence-based management of chronic and complex conditions
- Clinical experiences coordinated with faculty
- Preceptor must be a certified APRN or physician
- Active RN license required in the state where practicum is conducted
- On-campus intensives required in addition to online coursework; specific schedule not fully detailed on the program page
MSN Admissions
Admission is competitive; applicants with a 3.2+ GPA may waive the GRE requirement.
- BSN from a regionally accredited institution with CCNE or CNEA nursing accreditation
- Minimum 3.0 GPA cumulative or on last 60 semester hours
- GRE or GMAT required if GPA is below 3.2 (minimum combined 297 GRE verbal + quantitative, or 480 GMAT); test scores must be within the past 5 years
- GRE waiver available for applicants with 3.2+ GPA or prior graduate degree with 3.0+ GPA
- Three letters of professional reference
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
- Active unencumbered RN license in the state where practicum will be conducted
- Proof of completion of a descriptive statistics course required before program start (equivalent to UAB MA-180)
- Out-of-state applicants must verify state authorization prior to applying
Application deadlines: October 8, 2026 (Summer 2027 entry); February 11, 2027 (Fall 2027 entry).
BSN-DNP FNP
The estimated cost for the BSN-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner at UAB is approximately $58,776 in tuition (79 credits × $744/credit, distance-accessible rate).
The program takes about 3 to 3.5 years to complete on a part-time basis across nine or ten successive semesters depending on the semester of entry.
An additional $800/year for travel and lodging to the required annual on-campus DNP intensive should be budgeted separately.
DNP Curriculum
The BSN-DNP FNP totals 79 credit hours: 59 hours of didactic coursework and 20 hours of clinical practica, organized across three years.
- The first year establishes DNP core foundations: leadership, nursing theory and scholarly writing, evidence-based practice, health policy, health information technology, improvement and program evaluation, and population health.
- The second year adds the APRN clinical science core — pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment — alongside data management, project design, and DNP project planning.
- The third year integrates three advanced FNP-specific courses with three practicum rotations, DNP project seminars, and a writing for publication course.
All students must attend an on-campus orientation and annual intensive.
Year 1 Courses:
- NUR 737Q: Interprofessional Leadership Roles and Financial Considerations (3 credits)
- NUR 745Q: Foundations of Nursing Theory and Scholarly Writing (3 credits)
- NUR 729Q: Evidence-Based Practice for Advanced-Level Nursing (3 credits)
- NUR 740Q: Politics and Contemporary Issues in Health Policy (3 credits)
- NUR 733Q: Health Information Technology for Advanced-Level Nursing (3 credits)
- NUR 742Q: Improvement and Program Evaluation Strategies (3 credits)
- NUR 700Q: Clinical Data Management and Analysis (3 credits)
- NUR 735Q: Population Health for Advanced-Level Nursing (3 credits)
Year 2 Courses:
- NUR 612Q: Advanced Pathology (3 credits)
- NQI 702Q: Clinical Data Management and Application for Improvement (3 credits)
- NUR 614Q: Advanced Health Assessment and Introduction to Diagnostic Reasoning (3 credits)
- NUR 743Q: Project Design and Management (3 credits)
- NUR 613Q: Pharmacology and Therapeutics (3 credits)
- NFH 618QL: Focus on Practice Specialization (3 credits)
- NUR 738Q: DNP Project Planning (3 credits)
Year 3 Courses:
- NFH 721Q: Advanced Family Nursing I (4 credits)
- NFH 785QL: Practicum I: Family Nurse Practitioner (4 credits)
- NFH 739Q: DNP Project Seminar (4 credits)
- NFH 722Q: Advanced Family Nursing II (4 credits)
- NFH 786QL: Practicum II: Family Nurse Practitioner (4 credits)
- NUR 739Q: DNP Project Seminar (3 credits)
- NFH 723Q: Advanced Family Nursing III (3 credits)
- NFH 792QL: Practicum III: Family Nurse Practitioner (5 credits)
- NUR 701QL: Writing for Publication (3 credits)
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP Clinicals
Clinical practica total 20 credit hours across three practicum courses in Year 3, all focused on care of pediatric, adult, and elderly populations across the FNP scope.
Clinical experiences progress from foundational competency through diagnostic integration to high-level evidence-based management.
Total practicum hours are not explicitly stated on the official program page; students should contact the School of Nursing for the FNP-specific hour requirement.
In addition to practicum courses, all DNP students are required to attend an on-campus orientation and an annual on-campus DNP intensive.
- Practicum I (4 credits): High-quality primary care delivery across pediatric, adult, and elderly populations
- Practicum II (4 credits): In-depth diagnostic management and individualized treatment planning
- Practicum III (5 credits): Evidence-based management of complex chronic conditions; final competency evaluation
- Annual on-campus DNP intensive required each year of enrollment
- On-campus orientation required at program start
- Active RN license required in the state where coursework and clinicals are completed
DNP Admissions
Admission is competitive with the same GPA and GRE structure as the MSN; a resume or CV is additionally required for the DNP.
- BSN from a regionally accredited institution equivalent to that offered by UAB School of Nursing
- Minimum 3.0 GPA cumulative or on last 60 semester hours
- GRE or GMAT required if GPA is below 3.2 (minimum combined 297 GRE, or 480 GMAT, within past 5 years)
- GRE waiver available for 3.2+ GPA applicants or those with a prior graduate degree with 3.0+ GPA
- Three letters of professional reference
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
- Resume or CV
- Active unencumbered RN license in the state where coursework will be completed
- Proof of descriptive statistics course completion required before program start
- Out-of-state applicants must verify state authorization prior to applying
Application deadlines: October 8, 2026 (Summer 2027 entry); February 11, 2027 (Fall 2027 entry).
Post-Master’s Certificate FNP
The estimated cost for the Post-Graduate APRN Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner at UAB is approximately $20,088 in tuition (27 credits × $744/credit, at minimum), and the program takes about 18 months to complete across four successive semesters.
Credit hours may increase beyond 27 if the post-admission GAP analysis determines that core or support coursework must be completed; final cost and duration depend on the individual assessment.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is a non-degree program totaling a minimum of 27 credit hours of FNP specialty coursework.
After admission, UAB conducts a GAP analysis comparing the student’s prior graduate coursework against six core and support courses; any gaps are added to the plan of study before specialty courses begin. This means actual credit hours and total cost vary by student.
If all core prerequisites are satisfied, students move directly into specialty content: a foundational FNP specialization course followed by three sequential Advanced Family Nursing courses paired with three practicum rotations — the same clinical content sequence used in the MSN and DNP tracks.
Minimum Specialty Coursework (27 credits):
- NFH 618Q: Focus on Advanced Nursing Practice Specialization (3 credits)
- NFH 621Q: Advanced NP Nursing I — specialty-specific (4 credits)
- NFH 685QL: Practicum I — specialty-specific (4 credits)
- NFH 622Q: Advanced NP Nursing II — specialty-specific (4 credits)
- NFH 686QL: Practicum II — specialty-specific (4 credits)
- NFH 623Q: Advanced NP Nursing III — specialty-specific (3 credits)
- NFH 692QL: Practicum III — specialty-specific (5 credits)
GAP Analysis Courses (added only if not previously completed):
- NUR 737Q: Interprofessional Leadership Roles and Financial Considerations (3 credits)
- NUR 735Q: Population Health for Advanced-Level Nursing (3 credits)
- NUR 729Q: Evidence-Based Practice for Advanced-Level Nursing (3 credits)
- NUR 612Q: Advanced Pathophysiology (3 credits)
- NUR 614Q: Advanced Health Assessment and Introduction to Diagnostic Reasoning (3 credits)
- NUR 613Q: Pharmacology and Therapeutics (3 credits — must be completed within 2 years of starting specialty coursework, or student must be actively prescribing)
More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Clinicals
The certificate includes 13 clinical credit hours across three practicum courses, mirroring the MSN FNP practicum sequence. Clinical hours total is not explicitly stated; students should contact UAB for specialty-specific hour requirements. The curriculum is delivered in a distance-accessible format combining asynchronous and synchronous didactic coursework.
- Practicum I (4 credits): Pediatric, adult, and elderly population care delivery
- Practicum II (4 credits): Diagnostic management and individualized treatment planning
- Practicum III (5 credits): Evidence-based care for complex chronic conditions; final competency evaluation
- Active RN license required in the state where practicum will be conducted
- Student must hold current APRN certification and licensure prior to admission
Certificate Admissions
Admission is limited to Summer entry only; applicants must hold an earned MSN and current APRN certification. Most applicants will qualify for the GRE waiver.
- MSN from a regionally accredited institution equivalent to that offered by UAB School of Nursing
- Current APRN certification and licensure
- Minimum 3.0 graduate GPA
- GRE waiver available for applicants with 3.0+ GPA in prior graduate program (most certificate applicants will qualify)
- GRE required if GPA is below 3.0 (minimum combined 297 GRE, or 480 GMAT)
- Three letters of professional reference
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
- Active unencumbered RN license in the state where practicum will be conducted
- GAP analysis completed after admission; additional coursework may be required
- Summer entry only
Application deadline: October 8, 2026 (Summer 2027 entry).
Tuition
UAB charges a flat $744 per credit hour for all distance-accessible nursing graduate coursework — MSN, DNP, and post-graduate certificate — regardless of in-state or out-of-state residency.
Students attending in-classroom DNP sections pay $646 (in-state) or $1,596 (out-of-state) per credit hour; however, the FNP programs are offered in distance-accessible format.
In addition to tuition, a $235 Educational Support and Technology Fee is charged per course. DNP students should also budget approximately $800 per year for travel and lodging to the required annual on-campus intensive.
Other estimated costs include $600/term for books and supplies, $92/year for a background check, and up to $270/month for student hospitalization insurance (waivable with comparable coverage).
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
The MSN and DNP programs at the UAB School of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). UAB is regionally accredited and operates as Alabama’s only Academic Health Science Center. The MSN program is ranked 8th nationally by U.S. News & World Report. Out-of-state students must verify that UAB holds current authorization to operate in their state before applying, as state approval is required for both didactic and clinical components.
Compare UAB to Other Alabama FNP Programs
- Samford University - Birmingham
- University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa
- University of South Alabama - Mobile