CSUCI FNP Programs

School of Nursing • Camarillo, CA • Mostly Online • $725/credit

California State University Channel Islands offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner tracks:

  • MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner emphasis (46 units) — for BSN-prepared nurses
  • Post-Master’s Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner (22–31 units) — for MSN-prepared nurses

Both are delivered in a hybrid format — coursework online with in-person practica, plus two one-week summer on-campus intensives for MSN-FNP students — and both require 540 primary-care practica hours.

The clearest draw is value: a flat $725 per unit that’s identical for California residents and out-of-state students.

Program Tracks Overview

Program NameEst. TuitionEst. Duration
MSN FNP$33K Not clearly stated
Post-Master’s Certificate FNP$16K–$22K 21 months

CSU Channel Islands is one of California’s most affordable routes to FNP practice — a flat $725 per unit, the same for residents and out-of-state students, delivered mostly online with both a full MSN and a post-master’s certificate option.

MSN FNP

The estimated cost for the MSN FNP at California State University Channel Islands is about $33,350 in tuition (46 units at $725 each).

The program’s full-time length is not clearly stated, though the FNP coursework mirrors the school’s 21-month certificate sequence.

MSN Curriculum

The MSN-FNP totals 46 units — a 24-unit nursing core plus a 22-unit FNP emphasis. The core builds advanced assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacology, theoretical frameworks, evidence-based practice and quality improvement, health policy, informatics, and a culminating experience. The FNP emphasis is a lifespan primary-care sequence with paired practica and a clinical procedures lab.

Coursework runs online except practica, with two one-week summer on-campus intensives.

Core Nursing Programs

NRS 500 — Advanced Health Assessment and Promotion
Provides comprehensive primary care health analysis, including risk factors and health promotion strategies for adults and children across the lifespan, with focus on vulnerable and culturally diverse populations. (3 units)

NRS 502 — Advanced Pathophysiology
Builds on baccalaureate nursing to prepare APRN-level clinical decision-making using advanced physiologic and pathophysiological concepts. Uses a systems-based approach to examine homeostasis across the lifespan and common primary care conditions. (3 units)

NRS 504 — Advanced Pharmacology
Focuses on advanced knowledge of pharmacological agents for managing common clinical situations, using a physiological approach to understand drug effects across the lifespan, including ethical/legal issues and standardized procedures. (3 units)

NRS 506 — Theoretical Frameworks and Professional Roles
Examines nursing theories and conceptual frameworks, evaluating relationships between theory, practice, and research in evidence-based care. Covers advanced nursing roles, leadership, interprofessional collaboration, and ethical/legal/economic considerations. (3 units)

NRS 508 — Evidence-based Practice and Quality Improvement
Integrates quality improvement strategies and evidence-based practice principles so advanced practice nurses can develop interventions to improve health outcomes and patient safety. Writing-intensive course fulfilling GWAR. (3 units)

NRS 510 — Healthcare Policy and Nursing Issues
Provides master’s-prepared nurses knowledge to promote health, shape health delivery systems through leadership, and advance social justice via policy and advocacy. Covers healthcare delivery, financing, policy processes, and nursing’s role in health policy. (3 units)

NRS 512 — Informatics in Advanced Nursing Practice
Presents healthcare information technology overview, organizational systems, and informatics impact on quality care. Synthesizes nursing science with computer, information, and cognitive science for competent informatics skills in clinical, administrative, research, and educational areas. (3 units)

NRS 540 — Culminating Experience
Demonstrates synthesis of graduate program learning outcomes using a systemic and scholarly approach, drawing on knowledge from previous coursework to reflect growth required of master’s-prepared nurses. (3 units)

Family Nurse Practitioner Emphasis (22 units)

NRS 520 — Primary Care Across the Lifespan I
First sequential course focusing on health promotion and disease prevention across the lifespan. Analyzes current research and theory-based interventions, incorporating individual, family, and health education for patients and families. (3 units)

NRS 521 — Primary Care Across the Lifespan I Practicum
First of three clinical rotations, providing supervised primary healthcare experience for individuals and families across the lifespan. Focuses on disease prevention and health promotion in primary care settings. (180 hours)

NRS 524 — Primary Care Across the Lifespan II
Second sequential course studying primary care of patients with common acute, self-limiting illnesses across the lifespan. Analyzes current research and theory-based interventions, incorporating health education for patients and families. (3 units)

NRS 523 — Primary Care Across the Lifespan II Practicum
Second of three clinical rotations, focusing on care of individuals with acute health problems under NP/physician preceptor supervision. (180 hours)

NRS 525 — Laboratory and Clinical Procedures for Advanced Practice
Provides foundational knowledge of the APN multifaceted role in primary care, addressing advanced practice procedures, diagnostic competencies, and test analysis. Includes mandatory one-week face-to-face session at CSU Channel Islands campus. (1 unit)

NRS 526 — Primary Care Across the Lifespan III
Third sequential course studying primary care of patients with common chronic health alterations and complex health problems across the lifespan. Analyzes current research and theory-based interventions, incorporating health education. (3 units)

NRS 527 — Primary Care Across the Lifespan III Practicum
Third of three clinical rotations, focusing on care of individuals with chronic and complex health problems. Students implement evidence-based care plans, lead health professional teams, and assume increased responsibility for directing and evaluating care. (180 hours)

More curriculum details are available here.

MSN Clinicals

The FNP emphasis includes 540 supervised practica hours in primary care, completed in person while coursework runs online. FNP students also attend two one-week on-campus intensives in the summer.

  • Total hours: 540 primary-care practica hours
  • Practica: three paired lifespan practicum courses (NRS 521, 523, 527), completed in person
  • On-campus intensives: two one-week summer sessions (FNP students attend both)
  • Population focus: primary care across the lifespan
  • Writing proficiency: demonstrated by completing NRS 508 with a B or higher

MSN Admissions

Admission is for a Summer cohort and assumes a BSN and an active RN license.

  • BSN from a CCNE-, CNEA-, or ACEN-accredited university
  • Minimum overall GPA of 2.5, and 3.0 in the last 60 semester units
  • Valid RN licensure
  • At least one year of relevant full-time clinical experience within the last 3 years
  • Two letters of recommendation (one academic, one professional), dated within a year
  • Professional resume/CV and a 500-word goals statement

Applications run through Cal State Apply from December 1 to March 31 for Summer admission, with a $250 intent-to-enroll deposit that applies to tuition.

Post-Master’s Certificate FNP

The estimated cost for the Post-Master’s Certificate FNP at California State University Channel Islands is about $16K to $22K (22–31 units at $725 each, depending on prerequisites). The program takes about 21 months to complete.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate is 22–31 units across seven courses. Nurses who didn’t complete the three APRN core courses (advanced health assessment, pathophysiology, and pharmacology) in their MSN must take them first as prerequisites (0–9 units).

The required 22 units are the same FNP lifespan sequence as the MSN, delivered online except practica.

  • NRS 500 — Advanced Health Assessment and Promotion (3) — prerequisite, if not already completed
  • NRS 502 — Advanced Pathophysiology (3) — prerequisite, if not already completed
  • NRS 504 — Advanced Pharmacology (3) — prerequisite, if not already completed
  • NRS 520 — Primary Care Across the Lifespan I (3)
  • NRS 521 — Primary Care Across the Lifespan I Practicum (4)
  • NRS 524 — Primary Care Across the Lifespan II (3)
  • NRS 523 — Primary Care Across the Lifespan II Practicum (4)
  • NRS 526 — Primary Care Across the Lifespan III (3)
  • NRS 527 — Primary Care Across the Lifespan III Practicum (4)
  • NRS 525 — Laboratory and Clinical Procedures for Advanced Practice (1)

More curriculum details are available here.

Certificate Clinicals

Clinical requirements match the MSN: 540 primary-care practica hours completed in person, with coursework online.

  • Total hours: 540 primary-care practica hours
  • Practica: three paired lifespan practicum courses, completed in person
  • Population focus: primary care across the lifespan
  • Grading: a 3.0 GPA with no grade below C across the seven courses

Certificate Admissions

The certificate is for master’s-prepared nurses and requires a virtual interview.

  • Completed MSN, with a BSN from a CCNE-, CNEA-, or ACEN-accredited university
  • Minimum overall GPA of 2.5, and 3.0 in the last 60 semester units
  • Valid RN licensure
  • At least one year of relevant full-time clinical experience within the last 3 years
  • Two letters of recommendation (one academic, one professional)
  • Resume/CV and a 500-word goals statement
  • Virtual interview

Applications run through Cal State Apply from December 1 to March 31 for Summer admission. The certificate does not qualify for financial aid, though monthly payment plans are available.

Tuition

CSU Channel Islands charges a flat $725 per unit, and that rate is the same for California residents and non-residents — a major part of the program’s value.

The 46-unit MSN-FNP runs about $33,350 in tuition, while the 22–31-unit post-master’s certificate runs roughly $16,000–$22,500 depending on how many prerequisites are needed.

Additional costs include a $120 lab fee (NRS 525), EXXAT clinical-tracking access (about $210 plus $39 per year), a “three Ps” prep bundle (about $379–$425), a background check (about $92), and a $250 intent-to-enroll deposit that applies to tuition.

The certificate does not qualify for financial aid, though payment plans are available.

See the official tuition page for more details: MS Nursing Fees.

Accreditation

The master’s nursing program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at CSU Channel Islands are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The university is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. FNP graduates are eligible to sit for national certification through the AANP or the ANCC and to apply for California FNP licensure.

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