The University of Tennessee Health Science Center offers 3 Family Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- Post-BSN DNP
- Post-MSN DNP
- Post-Graduate APRN (DNP) Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (In-State / Out-of-State) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-BSN DNP | $42,090 | 3 yrs (full-time) | 61 |
| Post-MSN DNP | $22,080 | ~2 yrs (full-time) | 32 |
| Post-DNP Certificate | $15,203 | 1.5 yrs (3 terms) | 23 |
UTHSC’s defining advantage is near-flat pricing for out-of-state nurses: the online DNP charges non-residents only $67 more per credit than Tennessee residents, and the post-DNP certificate charges everyone the same rate regardless of residency. The trade-offs are volume and travel, since the post-BSN DNP requires 1,140 clinical hours, more than double the 500-hour certification floor, plus skills intensives in Memphis three times a year.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | Post-BSN DNP, post-MSN DNP, post-DNP certificate. No MSN-level FNP degree is offered. |
| Format | Mostly Online. Coursework is online; required Memphis intensives in August, December, and May. |
| Campus Visits | Four visits in the first semester for health assessment, then intensives 3x/year, 1-3 days each. |
| Clinical Hours | 1,140 (post-BSN DNP); 600 (certificate); not clearly stated for the post-MSN DNP. |
| Clinical Placement | Faculty make all placements with the DNP Clinical Coordinator; sites arranged near the student’s home when possible. |
| Population | Primary care across the lifespan, with a behavioral health course built into every track. |
| Distinctive Coursework | Integrated Behavioral Health Care; Management of Complex Health Problems; Healthcare Economics. |
| Dual Concentrations | FNP may be paired with PMHNP or AGACNP. Part-time study is unavailable for dual concentrations. |
| RN License Requirements | Unencumbered Tennessee RN license, or multistate privilege to practice in Tennessee, at time of application. |
| Start Term | Fall only. One admission cycle per year for all FNP tracks. |
| Admissions Gates | Interview required. Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA or 3.2 in the most recent degree. |
| Tuition | $690/credit resident, $757/credit non-resident (DNP); $661/credit for the certificate, any residency. |
| Accreditation | CCNE through December 31, 2034; SACSCOC institutional; Tennessee Board of Nursing approved. |
Post-BSN DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration
The estimated tuition for the post-BSN DNP Family Nurse Practitioner concentration at UTHSC is approximately $42,090 for Tennessee residents and $46,177 for non-residents (61 credits at $690 and $757 per credit).
The program can generally be completed in about three years of full-time study across seven terms, including one summer term.
Post-BSN DNP Curriculum
Structure. The 61 credits split into 30 credits of DNP core and 31 credits of FNP concentration coursework. The sequencing is unusually back-loaded: the entire first year is core theory, epidemiology, economics, and the 3 Ps, with no FNP-specific course until the fall of year two. Nurses who want to be seeing patients in their first semester should know that clinical work here starts in term two at the earliest, and specialty clinical work in term three.
What stands out. Two courses do real work that many FNP curricula skip. Integrated Behavioral Health Care (3 credits) is a full course on mental health in primary care rather than a module buried inside a management course, which matters because behavioral health complaints are a large share of what walks into a family practice. Healthcare Economics (3 credits) is a separate required course, not folded into a policy survey, which reflects the doctoral framing of the degree. The DNP project runs as a four-course sequence across the program rather than a single capstone.
Dual concentration option. Applicants can build a plan of study that pairs FNP with either Psychiatric Mental Health NP or Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP. This is rare and worth asking about early, because it changes credit count, length, and part-time eligibility. Part-time study is not available to dual-concentration students.
- NSG 824 — Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnosis (3)
- NSG 830 — Advanced Pharmacology (3)
- NSG 831 — Advanced Clinical Pathophysiology (3)
- NSG 877 — Healthcare Economics (3)
- FNP 800 / FNP 802 — Advanced Family Nursing I and II (3 each)
- FNP 806 — Integrated Behavioral Health Care (3)
- FNP 807 — Management of Complex Health Problems (4)
- FNP 808 — Health Promotion for Family Nurse Practitioners (2)
- NSG 926 — DNP Synthesis Practicum: FNP (6)
NOTE: The program page and the academic catalog list different course codes for the clinical sequence. The program page shows FNP 801, FNP 803, and FNP 804 (10 credits combined); the catalog plan of study shows FNP 812, FNP 815, and FNP 818 (also 10 credits). The totals reconcile, but confirm which numbering your entering cohort follows.
More curriculum details are available here.
Post-BSN DNP Clinical Requirements
- 1,140 total clinical hours. The catalog states 19 clinical credits at UTHSC’s 60-hours-per-credit ratio, which sums exactly to 1,140.
- 500-hour primary care minimum inside that total. The College specifies at least 500 hours in direct, supervised primary care settings; the balance covers additional rotations.
- Faculty-made placements. Faculty select preceptors and make placements with support from the DNP Clinical Coordinator, in collaboration with the student.
- Sites near home where possible. Distant students work with clinical course faculty to identify local sites; the College says distant placements typically require minimal travel from the student’s residence.
- Faculty oversight during rotations. Faculty conduct clinical site visits or videoconference sessions with the student and preceptor.
- Relatives may not serve as preceptors. New clinical contracts can take time, so the College advises starting the process early.
- Hours stated are minimums. The College notes that clinical proficiency is individualized and requirements can exceed the published minimum.
At 1,140 hours, this is one of the heaviest clinical loads you will find in an FNP program. National certification requires 500; most programs land between 600 and 700. UTHSC is asking for roughly twice the floor, and the College is direct about the consequence: it strongly discourages full-time employment during enrollment.
The upside is that graduates enter practice with far more supervised patient contact than the credential requires, and the placement burden sits with faculty rather than the student. The downside is calendar, not money. Nurses who need to keep working full time should treat the hour count as the central planning problem, not a footnote.
Post-BSN DNP Admissions
Admission is once a year for a fall start, and every applicant who clears the academic screen must interview. Applications for fall 2027 opened August 15, 2026, with a December 1, 2026 priority deadline and a March 15, 2027 final deadline. The priority deadline carries money attached: applicants who meet it and confirm their decision by that date qualify for a scholarship.
- BSN or higher from an accredited nursing program
- Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, or at least 3.2 in the most recently completed degree
- Unencumbered Tennessee RN license, or unencumbered multistate privilege to practice in Tennessee, at time of application
- Two recommendation forms from graduate-prepared nurses or faculty
- Essay and interview, typically conducted by video conference
- Application through NursingCAS ($70 fee); $75 application processing fee and $200 enrollment deposit after acceptance
- Immunizations, criminal background check, drug screen, and medical clearance before matriculation
- Current CPR certification, plus health and professional liability insurance maintained throughout enrollment
- TOEFL required if English is not the applicant’s native language
NOTE: No RN work experience requirement is stated for the FNP concentration. Applicants relying on that should confirm it in writing, since the College uses holistic review and competitive admission does not guarantee a seat.
Post-MSN DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration
The estimated tuition for the post-MSN DNP Family Nurse Practitioner concentration at UTHSC is approximately $22,080 for Tennessee residents and $24,224 for non-residents (32 credits at $690 and $757 per credit).
The program can generally be completed in about two years of full-time study, the shorter end of the two-to-three-year range the catalog gives for DNP students.
Post-MSN DNP Curriculum
This is a doctoral completion route, not a first path to FNP certification. The 32 credits break into 19 credits of DNP core and only 13 credits of FNP concentration coursework, which is far too little to prepare a nurse who has never done FNP clinical training. The plan assumes the applicant already holds FNP preparation and is adding the doctorate.
The core is where most of the work sits: philosophy of science, epidemiology, healthcare economics, leadership and health policy, and the four-course DNP project sequence. On the clinical side you get one behavioral health course, one complex-management course, and the synthesis practicum. Nurses coming in with a non-FNP APRN background should expect a longer, customized plan rather than this 32-credit schema.
- NSG 910 — Philosophy of Science and Theory in Nursing (4)
- NSG 827 — Epidemiology for Clinical Practice (3)
- NSG 876 — Leadership and Health Policy (3)
- NSG 877 — Healthcare Economics (3)
- NSG 947-950 — DNP Project sequence, four courses (6 combined)
- FNP 806 — Integrated Behavioral Health Care (3)
- FNP 807 — Management of Complex Health Problems (4)
- NSG 926 — DNP Synthesis Practicum: FNP (6)
The College states that DNP pathways exist both for nurses seeking initial FNP certification and for APRNs with or without current FNP certification, but the published 32-credit plan only fits the already-FNP-prepared. Applicants entering with an MSN in a different specialty, or with an MSN-CNL, should confirm their actual credit count before comparing prices. The catalog’s own sample schema labels the 61-credit plan “Post BSN or MSN-CNL to DNP,” which suggests some MSN holders complete the long route.
Post-MSN DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total clinical hours: not clearly stated. UTHSC publishes 1,140 for the post-BSN route and 600 for the certificate, but no figure for this track.
- Derivable floor of 360 hours. NSG 926 carries 6 credits at the 60-hours-per-credit ratio; FNP 807 carries clinical credit in the post-BSN schema, which would add more.
- Same placement model. Faculty make placements, verify sites with preceptors, and conduct site visits or videoconference check-ins.
- Prior hours may count. The College evaluates transcripts and previously completed clinical hours when setting requirements for post-graduate students.
The missing number is the problem here. A nurse comparing doctoral completion programs needs to know whether this route adds 360 hours or 480, and UTHSC does not publish it. If you already hold FNP certification, the practical answer usually comes from an advising session where prior hours are credited against the requirement, so ask for your individualized total in writing before you commit. That said, the 60-hours-per-credit conversion is published and consistent, which makes any figure the College quotes easy to check against your plan of study.
Post-MSN DNP Admissions
Requirements track the post-BSN route, with the same single fall intake, the same interview, and the same Tennessee licensure condition. The distinguishing factor is what you bring in.
- MSN or higher from an accredited nursing program
- Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, or at least 3.2 in the most recently completed degree
- Unencumbered Tennessee RN license or multistate privilege at time of application
- Two recommendation forms, essay, and interview
- Applications open each August through NursingCAS; December priority deadline, March final deadline
Post-Graduate APRN (DNP) Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate
The estimated tuition for the Post-Graduate APRN (DNP) Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate at UTHSC is approximately $15,203 regardless of residency (23 credits at $661 per credit).
The program can generally be completed in about a year and a half across three terms, running fall, spring, and fall.
Certificate Curriculum
The gate on this certificate is unusual and easy to miss: applicants must already hold an earned DNP, not merely an MSN, plus national certification as an NP or CNS in another specialty. Most post-graduate FNP certificates in the country accept master’s-prepared APRNs. This one does not, which narrows the applicant pool sharply and explains why the program can skip all core doctoral coursework.
What remains is pure FNP content: the two-course advanced family nursing sequence, two clinical courses, health promotion, behavioral health, and complex problem management. There is no DNP project, no theory course, and no epidemiology, because the applicant already completed those in a doctoral program.
- FNP 800 — Advanced Family Nursing I (3)
- FNP 802 — Advanced Family Nursing II (3)
- FNP 812 — Advanced Practice Nursing Clinical I (4)
- FNP 815 — Advanced Practice Nursing Clinical II (4)
- FNP 806 — Integrated Behavioral Health Care (3)
- FNP 807 — Management of Complex Health Problems (4)
- FNP 808 — Health Promotion for Family Nurse Practitioners (2)
More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 600 total clinical hours. The plan of study shows 10 clinical credits, which converts exactly to 600 hours at the published ratio.
- Individualized adjustment. Review of transcripts and previously completed clinical hours determines the number actually required.
- Faculty-arranged placements. Same model as the DNP tracks: faculty select preceptors, preceptors verify placement, faculty conduct site visits or videoconferences.
- Campus intensives. Certificate coursework runs primarily online with on-campus intensive sessions twice per year for competency training, testing, and advisement.
600 hours sits comfortably above the 500-hour certification floor and is a normal load for a post-graduate certificate. The clause worth noticing is the individualized adjustment: because every applicant already holds a doctorate and another NP or CNS certification, UTHSC evaluates prior clinical work against the requirement. That can shorten the load, but it can also mean the 600-hour figure is a starting point rather than a ceiling, so get your personal number confirmed during advising.
Certificate Admissions
This is the most heavily gated of the three tracks, and the recommendation requirement is stricter than the DNP’s.
- Earned DNP from an institution accredited by a recognized regional accreditor (SACSCOC, HLC, MSCHE, NECHE, NWCCU, or WASC)
- Current national certification as an NP or CNS, plus APRN approval in the state of practice
- Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in the DNP, or 3.2 in the most recently completed degree
- Three recommendation letters from doctorally prepared nurses
- Essay and interview
- Unencumbered Tennessee RN license or multistate privilege at time of application
- Background check and drug screen within 30 days of acceptance
- Applicants with a family practice clinical background may receive preference
Applicants dismissed from another nursing program are ineligible to apply. Applicants who left a program without completing it must submit a letter of good standing from that program’s director.
Tuition
Tuition for the online DNP tracks is $690 per credit hour for Tennessee residents and $757 per credit hour for non-residents, per the College of Nursing’s Fall 2026 rate schedule. The resident figure is a $640 maintenance fee plus a $50 online program fee; the non-resident figure adds a $67 out-of-state tuition differential.
Certificate students pay $661 per credit hour ($611 maintenance plus the $50 online fee), and the certificate schedule carries no out-of-state differential at all, so residency does not change the price.
Applying those rates to the published credit counts gives estimated tuition of about $42,090 (resident) or $46,177 (non-resident) for the 61-credit post-BSN DNP, about $22,080 or $24,224 for the 32-credit post-MSN DNP, and about $15,203 for the 23-credit certificate at either residency. These are derived estimates based on current published rates.
- Online program fees are charged per credit hour with no maximum credit hour cap
- Maintenance fees are charged at the semester hour rate up to a published semester maximum; FNP course loads of 9 to 11 credits fall below that ceiling, so the per-credit rate applies
- FNP-specific fees on the current schedule: a $150 digital materials fee in the second year and a $300 FNP review course fee in the second year
- NursingCAS application fee of $70, a $75 application processing fee, and a $200 non-refundable enrollment deposit applied to the first term
- Students must carry health and professional liability insurance throughout enrollment
- Basic assessment equipment (otoscope, ophthalmoscope, quality stethoscope) and a lab coat are required for clinicals
- The Academic Common Market may be available to some out-of-state students; UT employees may receive a tuition waiver of up to 9 semester hours
Be aware that:
- The certificate rate sheet lists a separate set of charges, including a $315 DNP digital course material fee, a $365 nursing kit, and a $315 board review fee, applied to “all applicable students.” These do not match the $150 and $300 FNP figures listed on the same document, so confirm which schedule applies to you
- The university’s cost-of-attendance worksheet implies about $691.67 per credit, a small variance from the published $690; the rate sheet is the more authoritative figure
- Cost-of-attendance tables also bundle roughly $4,200 in annual health insurance into the fee column. That charge is typically waivable with proof of other coverage and is not included in the estimates above
- Tuition and fees are set by the Board of Trustees each July and are subject to change without notice, so a three-year DNP will almost certainly see increases
- Travel and lodging for Memphis intensives are a real out-of-pocket cost the university explicitly flags for distant students, and they are not part of any tuition figure
- International students face a far larger differential: the nursing graduate online schedule lists $24,900 against $12,450 in-state on an annual basis
The honest all-in picture for an out-of-state nurse is roughly $46,000 in tuition plus program fees, application costs, equipment, and three years of periodic flights or drives to Memphis. Current tuition and fee schedules are published on the UTHSC Bursar’s fee information page.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
This program fits nurses who want public-university pricing without a residency penalty, who value having the school arrange their clinical placements, and who can restructure their working life around a heavy clinical schedule for three years.
The pricing structure is the standout, and it is easy to miss because UTHSC does not market it. Most public universities charge out-of-state graduate nursing students a substantial premium. Here the differential is $67 per credit on the DNP, which works out to about $4,100 across a 61-credit program, and the post-DNP certificate carries no differential whatsoever. For a nurse in a compact state who can practice on a Tennessee multistate privilege, that turns a state flagship health science center into a nationally competitive price. The catch is the licensure condition itself: you need an unencumbered Tennessee RN license or multistate privilege at the time of application, which excludes nurses licensed only in non-compact states unless they obtain Tennessee licensure.
The clinical model is the second reason to look here, and it cuts both ways. Faculty make all placements, select the preceptors, and conduct site visits or videoconference sessions during rotations. That removes the single most common failure point in online FNP education, where students are left to cold-call clinics. But UTHSC pairs that support with 1,140 required hours in the post-BSN track, more than double the certification floor, and the College states plainly that it strongly discourages full-time employment during the program. You are trading income for supervision.
Two smaller points deserve weight. The dual-concentration option, pairing FNP with PMHNP or AGACNP, is genuinely uncommon and worth exploring if you want a second population focus; note that it closes off part-time study. And the certificate’s requirement of an earned DNP rather than an MSN makes it the narrowest of the three doors, useful to a small group of doctorally prepared APRNs and unavailable to everyone else.
The deciding question is not price and not placement support. It is your calendar. Three years, seven terms, 1,140 clinical hours, four campus visits in the first semester alone, and skills intensives every August, December, and May that run one to three days each. If you can build a work schedule around that, the economics here are hard to argue with, particularly from out of state. If you cannot, no amount of tuition savings will fix the fit, and you should be looking at programs with lighter clinical loads and no campus requirement instead.
Accreditation
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The Doctor of Nursing Practice program and the post-graduate certificate programs, including the Post-Graduate Family Nurse Practitioner certificate, are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) through December 31, 2034, and are approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
One catalog page for the certificate carries a stale line stating CCNE accreditation “through 2024,” which is contradicted by the College’s own accreditation page and by the DNP program page; treat the 2034 date as current and ask for written confirmation if it matters to your employer or licensing board. UTHSC states that graduates are eligible to sit for national certification examinations as Family Nurse Practitioners, and reports a 100% first-time pass rate on the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board exam for 2023, 2024, and 2025. The university does not specify whether graduates are also eligible for the ANCC exam, though CCNE-accredited FNP programs generally qualify graduates for either.
Compare More Family NP Programs
- Austin Peay State University - Clarksville
- Carson-Newman University - Jefferson City
- East Tennessee State University - Johnson City
- Lincoln Memorial University - Harrogate
- Middle Tennessee State University - Murfreesboro
- Tennessee State University - Nashville
- Tennessee Tech University - Cookeville
- Union University - Jackson
- University of Memphis - Memphis
- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - Chattanooga
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville - Knoxville
- Vanderbilt University - Nashville