University of Memphis FNP Programs

Loewenberg College of Nursing • Memphis, TN • Mostly Online • $697/credit

The University of Memphis offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • MSN
  • Graduate Certificate

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
MSN$27,88024-28 mos (part-time)40
Certificate$12,546-$19,516Not clearly stated18-28

The University of Memphis’s defining feature is a five-year recency gate on the three APRN core courses. If your advanced pharmacology, pathophysiology, and health assessment coursework is older than five years and you have not practiced as an APRN in that window, the certificate stops being an 18-credit add-on and becomes a 28-credit rebuild. The MSN sequence carries a second, quieter lever: spring entrants finish in six terms while fall entrants need seven.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN concentration; post-graduate certificate. RN-to-MSN entry available for RNs holding a non-nursing bachelor’s degree.
FormatMostly Online. Online coursework plus required on-campus intensives in Memphis, up to three times during the program, 1-3 days each.
Clinical Hours750 minimum for both tracks, delivered as three 250-hour practicum blocks.
Clinical PlacementNot clearly stated. The university does not publish whether it assigns preceptors or requires students to source their own.
PopulationPrimary care across the lifespan, acute and chronic.
Distinctive CourseworkDiagnostic reasoning is split into its own 1-credit course at each of the two clinical levels, separate from management.
RN License RequirementsUnrestricted RN license in Tennessee, or in the approved state where clinicals will occur. Must be held before the program starts.
Enrollment RestrictionsNot authorized to enroll California residents. Relocating to California forces withdrawal or a move.
Start TermsFall and spring. The two entries follow different-length sequences.
Tuition$697 per credit hour for the 2026-2027 year, identical for in-state and out-of-state online students.
AccreditationCCNE, covering the baccalaureate, master’s, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs.

MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration

The estimated tuition for the MSN FNP concentration at the University of Memphis is approximately $27,880 (40 credits at $697/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 24 to 28 months of part-time study, depending on whether you enter in spring or fall.

The Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner is built for nurses who intend to keep working. Loewenberg explicitly steers employed students toward part-time enrollment and publishes only a part-time plan of study for this concentration, which is a meaningful signal: there is no advertised accelerated route to compare against.

MSN Curriculum

Structure. The 40 credits divide into three clean blocks with no electives and no concentration options. Everyone takes the same courses in the same order.

  • Core MSN courses — 12 credits: Scholarly Nursing I and II, Population Health in Our Global Society, Nursing Leadership & Technologies
  • Advanced nursing practice core — 10 credits: Advanced Health Assessment (3) plus its clinical lab (1), Advanced Pathophysiology (3), Advanced Pharmacology (3)
  • FNP concentration — 18 credits: the six-course acute and chronic sequence plus a 4-credit residency

The diagnostic reasoning split. Most FNP programs fold differential diagnosis into the management course. Memphis pulls it out. NURS 7641 (FNP I Acute Manifestations & Differential Diagnosis) and NURS 7644 (FNP II Chronic Manifestations & Differential Diagnosis) are separate 1-credit courses that run alongside the 3-credit management courses and the 3-credit practicums. The practical effect is that you are graded separately on getting to the right diagnosis and on treating it correctly — a structure that tends to surface reasoning gaps that a blended course can hide behind a passing grade.

The acute-before-chronic order. The sequence runs acute problems first, then chronic. That is the reverse of what several FNP programs do, and it front-loads the episodic, undifferentiated presentations that dominate urgent care and walk-in primary care. Nurses coming from an ED or med-surg background will find the first clinical term more familiar than the second.

  • NURS 7641 — FNP I Acute Manifestations & Differential Diagnosis (1)
  • NURS 7642 — FNP I Acute Problems Management (3)
  • NURS 7643 — FNP I Acute Problems Practicum (3)
  • NURS 7644 — FNP II Chronic Manifestations & Differential Diagnosis (1)
  • NURS 7645 — FNP II Chronic Problems Management (3)
  • NURS 7646 — FNP II Chronic Problems Practicum (3)
  • NURS 7649 — FNP Roles & Transition to Practice Residency (4)

Entry term changes the calendar. The published part-time plan runs seven terms for fall entrants and six for spring entrants, because the spring sequence pairs Advanced Pathophysiology with the two opening core courses in a single 9-credit first term instead of holding it for a standalone summer. Same 40 credits, same total cost, roughly four months’ difference in finish date. If you are choosing between application cycles, this is the variable that actually matters.

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • Credit total conflict. The UofM Global marketing page describes the MSN-FNP as a 46-credit program. The graduate catalog, the Loewenberg MSN page, and the official plan of study all state 40, and the itemized course list sums to exactly 40. The PMHNP concentration at the same school is 46 credits, which is the likely source of the error. Treat 40 as correct and confirm in writing before budgeting.
  • Graduate nursing transfer credit is capped at 12 hours per concentration, and only where no degree was earned, the grade was a B or better, and the course description and credit count match.
  • All degree requirements must be finished within five calendar years of your first graduate nursing course.

MSN Clinical Requirements

  • Minimum 750 clock hours, cited to the 2022 National Task Force criteria
  • Three practicum blocks at 250 hours each: NURS 7643 (acute, 3 credits), NURS 7646 (chronic, 3 credits), NURS 7649 (residency, 4 credits)
  • Per-course hours sum to exactly 750, matching the stated minimum with no gap
  • Required on-campus intensives in Memphis, up to three times during the program, 1-3 days each, announced at least six months ahead
  • Students must carry BLS/CPR certification, full immunization documentation, and TB clearance throughout
  • Malpractice coverage at $1,000,000 per occurrence and $6,000,000 aggregate is obtained and maintained by the college, not by the student
  • A cumulative competency evaluation happens inside the final residency course

At 750 hours, this program sits 250 hours above the 500-hour national certification floor and above the 600-to-700-hour range that is most common among FNP programs. That is a real time commitment — roughly six additional 40-hour weeks compared with a 500-hour program — and it is worth weighing against the part-time framing, because those hours land in three consecutive terms, not spread evenly across the degree. The even 250/250/250 split is unusually clean and makes term-by-term planning easier than programs that scatter hours across five or six courses.

The college covering malpractice insurance is a small but genuine cost saving; many programs push that expense onto students.

You Should Know
  • The placement model is not published. Neither the program page nor the catalog states whether Loewenberg assigns preceptors, maintains contracted sites, or expects students to find their own. For an online program admitting students across many states, this is the single most consequential unanswered question. Ask the FNP track coordinator directly before applying.
  • Campus visit count conflicts. The program materials say up to three visits total. The graduate nursing FAQ separately lists orientation, lab, a pre-competency exam, and a competency exam as reasons to come to campus — four distinct events. Get the actual travel obligation in writing.
  • The published intensive schedule for the 2026-2027 year lists one required session for all NP tracks (January 20-22, 2027), with the May and August sessions marked required for AG-ACNP and optional for other tracks. A separate page still shows the FNP intensive as “TBA.” Confirm current dates before booking travel.
  • Clinical practicums must be completed in a state where you hold RN licensure and where Loewenberg is authorized to operate.

MSN Admissions

Two things separate this from a standard application: the GPA threshold has a conditional path built into it, and admission is competitive rather than threshold-based, with interviews explicitly listed among the criteria.

  • BSN from an accredited program, or a non-nursing bachelor’s degree via the RN-to-MSN route
  • Minimum 3.0 undergraduate cumulative GPA, or 3.0 across all undergraduate nursing coursework
  • Applicants with a 2.75-2.99 GPA may be assigned two concurrent graduate nursing courses as a non-degree student; grades of B or better in both can convert to admission
  • Unrestricted RN license in Tennessee or in the approved state where clinicals will occur, held before the program begins
  • Successful completion of the NCLEX-RN serves as the standardized admission test — no GRE
  • 3 semester hours (or 4 quarter hours) of undergraduate statistics
  • Personal statement, capped at 250 words and double-spaced, covering experience, goals, and reasons for graduate study
  • Professional resume or CV showing current or recent clinical practice
  • Three letters of recommendation, with at least one from a former nursing professor recommended
  • Fall applications: September 1 to July 1. Spring applications: May 1 to December 1. Rolling review.
  • RN-to-MSN applicants must also complete three undergraduate bridge courses at Loewenberg (NURS 3007, 4108, 4111) with a C or better; the BSN is not awarded
You Should Know
  • GPA minimum conflicts across sources. The UofM Global page states a 2.8 minimum. The Loewenberg admissions page and the graduate catalog both state 3.0, with 2.75-2.99 routed through the conditional non-degree path. The catalog is the governing document.
  • Application window conflicts. The UofM Global FAQ gives an October 1 opening for fall applications; the catalog and the nursing college both say September 1. The closing date of July 1 is consistent everywhere.
  • Meeting the minimums does not entitle you to a seat. The catalog states admission is competitive selection from the applicant pool, weighing GPA, professional experience, letters, personal statement, and an applicant interview.
  • Every course requires a B or better. A single grade below that in a repeated course triggers academic disqualification, and readmission to the MSN FNP route is barred for three years.

Family Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate

The estimated tuition for the FNP Graduate Certificate at the University of Memphis ranges from approximately $12,546 to $19,516 (18 to 28 credits at $697/credit). The university does not publish a duration for this track, stating only that it can be completed part-time or full-time and that length varies by concentration.

The Family Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate is for nurses who already hold a graduate nursing degree and want FNP certification eligibility without a second master’s. Its cost swings by nearly $7,000 depending on one variable, covered below.

Certificate Curriculum

The core sequence. The 18-credit specialty block is identical to the MSN concentration — same seven courses, same course numbers, same 750 clinical hours. Nothing is trimmed. What you skip relative to the MSN is the 12-credit scholarly and leadership core and, if your prior coursework qualifies, the 10-credit APRN core.

  • NURS 7641 — FNP I Acute Manifestations & Differential Diagnosis (1)
  • NURS 7642 — FNP I Acute Problems Management (3)
  • NURS 7643 — FNP I Acute Problems Practicum (3)
  • NURS 7644 — FNP II Chronic Manifestations & Differential Diagnosis (1)
  • NURS 7645 — FNP II Chronic Problems Management (3)
  • NURS 7646 — FNP II Chronic Problems Practicum (3)
  • NURS 7649 — FNP Roles & Transition to Practice Residency (4)

The five-year recency rule. Advanced pharmacology, advanced pathophysiology, and advanced health assessment with clinical or lab must be complete before you are admitted — and they must be current. Memphis defines current as completed with a B or higher within the last five years, or holding an APRN license with practice inside the last five years. A nurse who finished an MSN in nursing education or leadership eight years ago and has been working as a staff RN since does not meet that test, and moves from the 18-credit route to the 28-credit route.

This is a stricter gate than most post-graduate FNP certificates apply, and it is the right thing to check before anything else. It changes the price by $6,970 and adds a full block of coursework.

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • The two sources describe the APRN core differently. The graduate certificates page lists it as an “IF NEEDED” component inside an 18-to-28-credit certificate, implying you can take those courses as part of the program. The same page and the catalog both state the three APRN core courses must be completed prior to admission. Whether the 10 extra credits are taken inside the certificate or as a prerequisite before you can enroll is not resolved in published materials, and it affects both financial aid eligibility and timeline.
  • A post-graduate gap analysis may add further MSN courses beyond the 28-credit ceiling. No maximum is published.
  • Transfer credit is possible with Academic Dean approval, but no cap is stated for the certificate.
  • All certificate requirements must be finished within five calendar years.

Certificate Clinical Requirements

  • Minimum 750 clock hours — identical to the MSN, citing 2021 National Task Force criteria
  • Same three 250-hour practicum blocks: NURS 7643, NURS 7646, NURS 7649
  • Same on-campus intensive obligation as MSN students, up to three visits of 1-3 days
  • Same immunization, BLS/CPR, TB clearance, and college-provided malpractice coverage
  • A final comprehensive or competency examination is required for graduation

The clinical load does not shrink because the credential is shorter. A certificate student completes exactly the same 750 hours as an MSN student while paying for roughly half the credits, which is the standard economics of post-graduate NP certificates but worth stating plainly: the time commitment is a master’s-level commitment even when the transcript is not.

You Should Know
  • The two Memphis sources cite different National Task Force editions for the same 750-hour requirement — 2022 on the MSN page, 2021 on the certificate page. The hour total is identical, so this is a citation inconsistency rather than a difference in requirement.
  • As with the MSN, the clinical placement model is not published for this track.

Certificate Admissions

The recency rule described above is the screening question. Everything else is conventional, with one exception: the published certificate admissions list on Memphis’s own pages is headed “Additional admissions requirements for the Nursing Education Certificate Program,” which appears to be a copy error, since the catalog’s FNP certificate page carries its own parallel list.

  • Graduate degree in nursing from a CCNE-, CNEA-, or ACEN-accredited program
  • NURS 7101, 7102, 7103, and 7104 — or equivalents — completed at the graduate level with a B or better, and current under the five-year rule
  • Overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • Eligibility to practice as an RN in Tennessee or in the approved state where clinicals occur, with licensure secured before the program starts
  • Personal statement, professional resume or CV, and three letters of recommendation
  • Fall applications: September 1 to July 1. Spring applications: May 1 to December 1. Rolling review.
You Should Know
  • Admission is competitive selection, not threshold-based, and an applicant interview is listed among the criteria.
  • Following academic disqualification, the certificate has a one-year re-entry wait versus three years for the MSN FNP route — a meaningfully softer penalty on the shorter credential.
  • Stand-alone graduate certificates are frequently ineligible for federal financial aid. Memphis does not address this on its FNP certificate pages. Confirm with the financial aid office before enrolling.

Tuition

The University of Memphis charges $697 per credit hour for graduate courses delivered through UofM Global — the online delivery arm that carries the FNP program — for the 2026-2027 academic year. This is a published rate, not a derived one, and the same figure applies to Tennessee residents, out-of-state students, and international students alike. There is no out-of-state differential on this program.

Applied to the published credit totals:

  • MSN FNP concentration: 40 credits × $697 = $27,880 (estimate)
  • FNP Graduate Certificate, APRN core already current: 18 credits × $697 = $12,546 (estimate)
  • FNP Graduate Certificate, APRN core required: 28 credits × $697 = $19,516 (estimate)
  • Malpractice insurance is obtained and maintained by the college rather than billed to students
  • Application fee: $35 domestic, $60 international

Be aware that:

  • UofM Global publishes a per-semester tuition cap of $6,970, which works out to exactly 10 credits at $697. The heaviest term on the published part-time FNP plan is 9 credits, so the cap is never reached on the standard sequence. It only becomes useful if you build a heavier custom schedule.
  • The university’s fee schedule states that on-campus fees apply to all course sections except those beginning with “R.” FNP courses are UofM Global “M” sections, which raises the question of whether a University Service Fee sits on top of the $697 rate or is already folded into it. The Global rate table presents $697 as the full per-hour assessment. Ask the bursar to confirm.
  • The fee schedule separately notes that special course fees and material fees for various academic programs are charged in addition to tuition. No nursing-specific fee schedule is published, so lab, simulation, background check, drug screen, and clinical tracking software costs are unknown.
  • The TN eCampus rate of $816 per credit for in-state graduate students appears on the same fee page. It applies only to “R” section courses and is not the FNP rate. Do not budget from it.
  • Tuition is explicitly subject to change by administrative, federal, state, or Board of Trustees action, effective on the date enacted. A multi-year part-time program will likely cross at least one increase.
  • Travel, lodging, and lost work time for the Memphis intensives are not in any published figure.

Current rates are published on the University & Student Business Services fee page. The realistic all-in number for the MSN is the $27,880 tuition estimate plus unquantified program fees plus two to three round trips to Memphis — not a large addition, but not zero either.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for nurses who live outside Tennessee, want a public-university price without a residency penalty, and can absorb 750 clinical hours on a part-time schedule.

Price is genuinely residency-neutral. Public universities almost always charge non-residents more, and for online nursing programs the differential is frequently substantial. Memphis charges $697 per credit whether you live in Shelby County or another state entirely. For an out-of-state nurse, that is the argument — a public-institution rate with none of the usual geographic surcharge, applied to a 40-credit degree rather than a 60-plus-credit doctorate.

The curriculum is disciplined about diagnosis. Separating differential diagnosis into its own graded course at both the acute and chronic levels is a design choice, not an accident of course numbering. It means you cannot compensate for weak diagnostic reasoning with strong management knowledge, which is uncomfortable during the program and useful afterward. Combined with the even 250/250/250 clinical split, the structure is easier to plan around than programs that distribute hours unevenly across many courses.

The honest trade-offs are placement and disclosure. Memphis does not publish how clinical placements are arranged, which is the question that most often determines whether an online FNP program is workable. Programs that secure placements say so loudly; silence usually means students source their own preceptors, but it is not stated here either way, and you should not assume. The 750-hour requirement is 50 percent above the certification floor, so if placements are self-sourced, that is 750 hours of preceptor commitment you have to arrange while working. Add a 46-versus-40 credit discrepancy on the school’s own marketing page, a GPA minimum that differs between sources, and an unresolved question about whether certificate applicants take the APRN core inside or before the program, and the pattern is a school whose published materials require more verification calls than most.

The cost verdict. At $27,880 for the MSN, the tuition math is straightforward and unusually predictable — a flat rate, no residency tier, no declining-rate table to optimize against. The uncertainty is not in the rate; it is in what sits on top of it. Before you commit, get three numbers in writing: whether any per-credit university service fee applies to UofM Global sections, what nursing-specific course and material fees are assessed, and whether placements are assigned or self-sourced. If those come back clean, this is a well-priced degree. If they do not, the published $27,880 is a floor rather than an estimate.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree, master’s degree, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at the University of Memphis Loewenberg College of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. That scope covers both FNP tracks profiled here.

CCNE accreditation is the standard for graduate nursing programs and is what the national certification boards look for. The plan-of-study document distributed by the college confirms the same scope, stating that the BSN and MSN programs are accredited through CCNE.

The university does not state on its FNP pages which certification examination graduates are eligible to sit for. In practice, graduates of CCNE-accredited FNP programs are generally eligible for both the AANP exam (leading to the FNP-C credential) and the ANCC exam (leading to FNP-BC), but Memphis does not confirm this in writing, so ask the track coordinator if a specific credential matters to your employer.

Institutional accreditation is not named on the nursing pages reviewed for this profile. Confirm it directly with the university if you need it for licensure or employer reimbursement.

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