Clarkson College offers 3 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- MSN
- BSN-DNP
- Postgraduate Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $39.8K–$40.2K | 2.3–3 years (7–9 semesters) | 49 |
| BSN-DNP | $75.9K–$76.2K | 3.3–3.7 years (10–11 semesters) | 71 |
| Certificate | $26.8K–$27.3K | 1.3–2.3 years (4–7 semesters) | 33 |
Tuition estimates use Clarkson’s 2026-27 catalog per-credit rates plus the $150 enrollment fee, the $175 graduate technology fee per semester, and the $100 DNP program fee per semester.
Clarkson College runs all three FNP credentials through the same five clinical courses, taken one at a time, and scales the hours to the credential: 750 for the MSN and 975 for the BSN-DNP. Coursework is online, and the only required travel is one campus weekend in Omaha during Advanced Physical Assessment.
The trade-off is pace and placement. The one-clinical-course rule stretches full-time study to 7–9 semesters for an MSN, and every clinical course needs an approved preceptor and site before you can register. Clarkson does not state that it arranges placements.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN, BSN-DNP, Postgraduate Certificate |
| Format | Mostly Online (one required Omaha campus weekend) |
| Clinical Hours | 750 (MSN); 975 (BSN-DNP); certificate figure not separately published |
| Clinical Placement | Local sites near home; preceptor and site approval required before each clinical course |
| Population | Family/individual primary care across the lifespan |
| Distinctive Coursework | 3-credit Advanced Nutrition; adult-gerontology and psychiatric-mental health foundations courses |
| Clinical Sequencing | One clinical course per term, five in total |
| RN License Requirements | Unencumbered RN license valid where you practice or complete clinicals |
| Tuition | $785/credit (MSN, certificate); $1,028/credit (DNP); 2026-27 catalog |
| Accreditation | ACEN (MSN, certificates, DNP); HLC institutional |
Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Master of Science in Nursing (Family Nurse Practitioner option) at Clarkson College is approximately $38,465 (49 credits at $785/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 2.3 to 3 years full-time (7–9 semesters), or 12–14+ semesters part-time.
MSN Curriculum
Structure. The 49 credits split into a 19-credit MSN core shared with Clarkson’s administration and education options and a 30-credit FNP block. The core is heavier on research and policy than many NP-focused MSNs: two research design courses, applied statistics, nursing law and ethics, and health care delivery systems.
What stands out. The FNP block includes a 3-credit Advanced Nutrition course and two 2-credit foundations courses in adult-gerontology and psychiatric-mental health care. Those seven credits sit outside the usual assessment, pharmacology, and pathophysiology sequence and give the program more population-specific content before clinicals begin. The block ends with a 2-credit Transition to Practice course taken alongside the final clinical.
- NRS 830 Advanced Physical Assessment (3)
- NRS 832 Primary Healthcare I (3)
- NRS 833 Foundations of Adult-Gerontologic Healthcare (2)
- NRS 834 Advanced Nutrition (3)
- NRS 835 Foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health (2)
- NRS 840 Primary Care of Children and Adolescents (3)
- NRS 842 Primary Care of Women (3)
- NRS 844 Primary Healthcare II (3)
- NRS 852 FNP Transition to Practice (2)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The catalog lists NRS 803 and NRS 805 as prerequisites for NRS 830, so part of the MSN core must come before the first clinical course.
- Students must also complete a service experience in one designated course and pass the 0-credit IPE 301 interprofessional course.
- All but 9 credits must be completed at Clarkson.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total: 750 clinical hours (catalog course records).
- Per course: NRS 830 (100) + NRS 832 (150) + NRS 840 (160) + NRS 842 (160) + NRS 844 (180) = 750.
- Sequencing: one clinical course at a time, in a fixed order (830, 832, then 840/842, then 844).
- Placement: clinicals are completed in or near your home community. Each clinical course requires preceptor and site approval before registration.
- Campus: one required on-campus weekend tied to NRS 830.
At 750 hours, the MSN sits above the 600–700 range common among FNP programs and well above the 500-hour certification floor. Because only one clinical course runs per term, the load stays manageable: the heaviest course is 180 hours. The cost is calendar time, since five clinical terms are the minimum. Placement is the larger practical risk. Without a published placement service, plan to line up preceptors yourself before each course opens.
You Should Know
- Clarkson’s 2023 FNP clinical guide states that physician assistants cannot serve as preceptors in Florida, Oklahoma, Arizona, or Maryland. Students in those states need NP or physician preceptors.
- The catalog describes the NRS 830 campus weekend as a “Graduate Weekend” without dates. Plan for one trip to Omaha.
MSN Admissions
Admissions are rolling for all semesters, with no RN experience minimum listed.
- BSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Unencumbered RN license valid in your state of practice or where clinicals will occur
- Two professional recommendations
- Official transcripts and a resume or CV
You Should Know
- Clarkson holds NC-SARA authorization, but NP licensure eligibility varies by state. Check the state-by-state licensure spreadsheet on Clarkson’s State Authorization page before applying.
- Moving to a state where the program is not authorized can end financial aid eligibility or block completion.
BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the BSN to DNP (Family Nurse Practitioner option) at Clarkson College is approximately $72,988 (71 credits at $1,028/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 3.3 to 3.7 years full-time (10–11 semesters), or 18+ semesters part-time.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
Structure. The DNP keeps the full 30-credit FNP block from the MSN and replaces the MSN core with 37 doctoral and graduate credits: informatics, policy and law, leadership, biostatistics and epidemiology, health care economics, evidence-based practice, and a three-course scholarly project sequence. Four elective credits round out the 71.
Electives. Students pick two 2-credit courses from a list that includes Rural Health Care, Population Health, Entrepreneurship, Program Planning and Evaluation, two teaching courses, and a preparatory anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology course. Additional scholarly project credits can also fill this slot.
- DNP 916 Health Care Informatics and Data Analytics (3)
- DNP 919 Health Care Policy and Law (3)
- DNP 945 Health Care Economics and Financial Management (3)
- DNP 948 Evidence-Based Practice (3)
- DNP 960–962 DNP Scholarly Project I–III (6)
- Full FNP block: NRS 830–852 (30)
- Electives (4), such as DNP 927 Rural Health Care
More curriculum details are available here.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total: 975 NP clinical hours (catalog course records, effective Spring 2024).
- Per course: NRS 830 (125) + NRS 832 (200) + NRS 840 (200) + NRS 842 (200) + NRS 844 (250) = 975.
- Same five courses, sequence, and one-at-a-time rule as the MSN.
- Same placement model, preceptor approval rule, and single campus weekend.
- DNP project hours: not clearly stated.
DNP students carry 225 more clinical hours than MSN students in identical courses. That is a meaningful bump in clinical exposure, but it lands inside the same credit load, so each DNP clinical term is heavier. NRS 844 alone runs 250 hours.
You Should Know
- Clarkson does not publish a total practice-hour figure for the DNP (NP clinical hours plus project hours). Ask how project hours are counted.
- The BSN-DNP program page lists FNP courses under its Adult-Gerontology Acute Care heading. The FNP section and the official degree plan agree, so this appears to be a page error.
BSN-DNP Admissions
The DNP adds a scholarly essay to the MSN requirements.
- BSN from an ACEN-, NLN CNEA-, or CCNE-accredited program
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Active RN license
- Scholarly essay
- Two professional recommendations
- Rolling admissions, all semesters
Post-Graduate Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Post-Graduate Certificate (Family Nurse Practitioner track) at Clarkson College is approximately $25,905 (33 credits at $785/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1.3 to 2.3 years full-time (4–7 semesters), or 7–10+ semesters part-time.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is the 30-credit FNP block plus NRS 807 (Theories and Concepts of Advanced Practice Roles). It is the MSN minus 16 credits of core coursework. No gap analysis is described, so expect the full assessment, pharmacology, and pathophysiology sequence even if you completed similar courses in your master’s.
- NRS 807 Theories and Concepts of Advanced Practice Roles (3)
- NRS 830–852 FNP block (30)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Clarkson’s 2024 certificate plan states that Clarkson graduate degree holders may apply up to 9 graduate credits toward the certificate. Outside transfer is not addressed.
- NRS 830 lists MSN core courses NRS 803 and 805 as prerequisites, which certificate students do not take. Confirm how this is waived.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Uses the same five clinical courses as the MSN.
- Catalog records list hours only for MSN and DNP students, so the certificate total is presumed to be the 750-hour MSN figure (derived).
- Same placement model, one-at-a-time rule, and campus weekend.
Certificate Admissions
The certificate is for registered nurses who already hold a graduate degree in nursing.
- Graduate degree in nursing
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Active RN or APRN license
- Two professional recommendations
You Should Know
- Practicing APRNs adding FNP as a second population focus should confirm their state board’s rules for post-graduate certificates.
- Clarkson’s published certificate graduation rates are low on small cohorts: 50% on-time in both 2023-24 (4 of 8) and 2024-25 (1 of 2).
Tuition
Clarkson charges $785 per credit for MSN and certificate courses and $1,028 per credit for DNP courses, per the 2026-27 catalog tuition schedule. The rate is the same for all residencies.
| Item | MSN | BSN-DNP | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | 49 × $785 = $38,465 | 71 × $1,028 = $72,988 | 33 × $785 = $25,905 |
| Enrollment fee (once) | $150 | $150 | $150 |
| Technology fee ($175/semester) | $1,225–$1,575 | $1,750–$1,925 | $700–$1,225 |
| Program fee | $0 | $100/semester: $1,000–$1,100 | $0 |
| Estimated total (derived) | $39,840–$40,190 | $75,888–$76,163 | $26,755–$27,280 |
Fee ranges use Clarkson’s published full-time semester counts. Part-time study adds a technology fee for each extra semester.
Confirmed costs:
- $785/credit for master’s-level courses; $1,028/credit for doctoral courses
- $150 one-time enrollment fee
- $175 graduate technology fee per semester
- $100 DNP program fee per semester; $0 MSN program fee
- Certification exam (paid directly): $315 AANP or $395 ANCC
Be aware that:
- The MSN and certificate program pages list $762/credit for 2026-27, while the catalog schedule lists $785. At $762, MSN tuition drops by $1,127 and certificate tuition by $759. This page uses the catalog figure.
- The MSN program page lists a $350/semester technology fee, which matches the catalog’s undergraduate rate. The catalog’s graduate rate is $175.
- The BSN-DNP program page omits the technology fee. The catalog applies the $175 graduate fee to all graduate students.
- Background checks and drug screens run $9 to $340, depending on location and program.
- Tuition and fees are set annually and can change without notice.
With fees, the MSN works out to about $813–$820 per credit and the DNP to about $1,069–$1,073. The DNP costs nearly twice the MSN for 22 more credits and 225 more clinical hours, so the choice comes down to whether you want the doctorate now. Nurses who plan to stop at practice-ready FNP save about $36,000 with the MSN.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for nurses who want a nationally recognized online FNP with above-average clinical hours, a single campus trip, and a pace that keeps clinical load to one course at a time.
Clinical volume without the crunch. 750 MSN hours exceed the common FNP range, and the one-course rule caps any single term at 180 hours (250 for DNP). Working nurses get more supervised practice without stacking two rotations in one semester.
Strong certification results. FNP graduates passed the AANPCB exam on the first attempt at 87%, 97%, and 90% over the last three reported years, with mean scores of 579–610 against national means of 537–568. The ANCC cohorts were small but passed at 100%.
Honest drawbacks. On-time MSN completion has fallen from 74.75% (2022-23) to 61.4% (2024-25), and Clarkson does not explain the decline. The one-course clinical rule leaves little room to recover from a delayed placement. Clarkson does not describe a placement service, so preceptor searches fall on you each term.
Which credential fits. Choose the MSN if your goal is FNP practice at the lowest total cost. Choose the BSN-DNP if you want the doctorate and the extra 225 clinical hours in one enrollment. Choose the certificate if you already hold a nursing master’s and want the same clinical sequence for about $27,000.
Accreditation
Clarkson’s Master of Science in Nursing, including its Post-Graduate Certificate options, is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The most recent ACEN decision for the MSN and certificates was Continuing Accreditation.
The Clinical Doctorate (DNP) program is separately accredited by ACEN, also with a most recent decision of Continuing Accreditation. All three FNP tracks are covered.
Clarkson College has held institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission since 1984. HLC accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer to other institutions.
Graduates of all three tracks are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC). Clarkson publishes pass rates for both certifying bodies.
More FNP Programs in Nebraska
- Creighton University - Omaha
- Nebraska Methodist College - Omaha
- University of Nebraska Medical Center - Omaha