Davenport University FNP Programs

College of Health Professions • Grand Rapids, MI • Mostly Online • $1,148/credit

Davenport University offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • MSN
  • Post-Graduate Certificate

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
MSN$51.7K1.7 years (5 semesters) full-time; 2.7 years (8 semesters) part-time45
Certificate$31.0K–$41.3K1.3–1.7 years (4–5 semesters)27–36

Tuition estimates use Davenport’s published 2026–27 graduate rate of $1,148 per credit.

Davenport’s FNP is priced with Michigan hospital employees in mind. Staff covered by the university’s Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) partnership get 20% off tuition and a waived application fee, which brings the part-time MSN to about $41,300 in tuition.

The trade-off is reach. Davenport has confirmed the program meets APRN licensure requirements in only 10 states, and the “100% online” MSN includes a one-credit onsite campus intensive. Both published sequences also start in fall and run the same term-locked clinical spine, so the certificate saves credits but little time.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN; post-graduate certificate
FormatMostly Online: online coursework plus one onsite campus intensive (NURS 772)
Clinical Hours720 across four clinical courses
Clinical PlacementDedicated clinical staff; 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio; placement model not clearly stated
PopulationFamily/individual across the lifespan
Distinctive CourseworkStand-alone Advanced Gerontology course; FNP capstone
RN License RequirementsUnrestricted RN license (U.S. or Canada); RN license required in any state where clinicals occur
Tuition$1,148/credit for all residencies; 20% discount for eligible MHA employees
AccreditationCCNE (master’s and post-graduate APRN certificate)
Licensure StatesMeets requirements in DE, FL, HI, IN, ME, MD, MA, MI, ND, PA
Start TermPublished sequences begin in fall

Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration

The estimated tuition for the MSN at Davenport University is approximately $51,660 (45 credits at $1,148/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1.7 years full-time (5 semesters) or 2.7 years part-time (8 semesters), matching Davenport’s “less than two years” claim for the full-time plan.

The official program page is the Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner.

MSN Curriculum

Structure. The 45 credits split into an MSN core (theory, leadership and policy, research), the advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment block, and four FNP courses that each pair a 2-credit didactic course with a clinical course.

FNP sequence. The specialty courses are organized by patient population and problem type: health promotion, acute and episodic problems, women, childbearing families and pediatrics, then chronic conditions. The first clinical course carries just 1 credit; the next three carry 5 each, so the clinical load jumps sharply from the second FNP course onward.

Distinctive elements. A separate 1-credit Advanced Gerontology course sits alongside the women’s and pediatrics block rather than being folded into chronic care. The program closes with a 1-credit FNP capstone. The onsite campus intensive (NURS 772) runs in the same semester as the first FNP clinical, which puts hands-on simulation just before patient-care hours ramp up.

  • NURS 735 Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr)
  • NURS 738 Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr)
  • NURS 740/740V Advanced Health Assessment and Lab (3 cr)
  • NURS 768/768C FNP I: Health Promotion (2 cr + 1 cr clinical)
  • NURS 772 FNP Onsite Campus Intensive (1 cr)
  • NURS 776/776C FNP II: Acute and Episodic Problems Across the Lifespan (2 cr + 5 cr clinical)
  • NURS 781/781C FNP III: Women, Childbearing Family, and Pediatrics (2 cr + 5 cr clinical)
  • NURS 786/786C FNP IV: Chronic Conditions (2 cr + 5 cr clinical)
  • NURS 788 Advanced Gerontology (1 cr)
  • NURS 794 Family Nurse Practitioner Capstone (1 cr)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • Both the full-time and part-time sequences begin in fall, and each FNP course is tied to a specific semester. Davenport does not state whether other start terms are available for the FNP concentration.
  • The part-time sequence posted on the program page is the 2023–2025 version and carries a “PMHNP MSN” label in its header, though its content is the FNP plan. Its courses and credits match the 2026–27 full-time catalog sequence.

MSN Clinical Requirements

  • 720 clinical hours across NURS 768C, 776C, 781C, and 786C (16 clinical credits)
  • Implied ratio of 45 hours per clinical credit (derived): 45 hours in 768C, then 225 hours in each of the three 5-credit clinicals
  • Onsite campus intensive with high-fidelity simulation, virtual health assessment tools, and precision simulators, supervised by nurse practitioner preceptors
  • 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio for clinical placements
  • Davenport cites “dedicated clinical care staff” and partnerships with health care networks for placements
  • Clinical sites include primary care settings, community outreach clinics, and private practices

720 hours clears the 500-hour certification floor and sits slightly above the 600 to 700 hour range common among FNP programs. After the light first clinical, each of the last three semesters carries 225 hours, or about 15 hours a week over a 15-week semester. That is roughly two clinic days a week, and it lands in three consecutive semesters including spring/summer, so working nurses on the full-time plan should expect little schedule relief in the program’s second half.

You Should Know
  • The 720-hour total comes from the 2023–2025 part-time sequence. The 2026–27 catalog sequence does not state a total, though its clinical credits are identical.
  • Davenport does not say whether its clinical staff assign preceptors or help students find them, or whether sites outside Michigan are arranged.
  • The length and location of the onsite intensive are not clearly stated. Davenport’s graduate nursing events, such as its White Coat ceremony, are held at the W.A. Lettinga campus in Grand Rapids.
  • The FNP page notes that some programs require part of the degree plan to be completed off-campus under written arrangements with other organizations.

MSN Admissions

Davenport calls MSN admission competitive and asks for only one recommendation.

  • BSN
  • Current, valid, unrestricted RN license in a U.S. jurisdiction or Canadian province
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • One professional recommendation
  • Official transcripts from previous nursing programs
  • Resume or CV
  • Professional essay
You Should Know
  • Davenport has determined the FNP meets licensure requirements only in Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania. Applicants elsewhere are directed to the graduate nursing faculty contact before applying.
  • Admission depends on the program being available in the state where the student lives at the time of admission. A student who moves mid-program may be unable to continue and may lose federal aid eligibility if the new state is not approved.
  • No RN experience minimum, GRE, or interview is listed.

Post-Graduate Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the Post-Graduate Certificate at Davenport University is approximately $30,996 to $41,328 (27–36 credits at $1,148/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1.3 to 1.7 years (4–5 semesters, derived), depending on whether the advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment courses carry over from a prior MSN.

The official program page is the Post-Graduate Certificate Family Nurse Practitioner.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate is the MSN’s FNP sequence with the three MSN core courses (theory, leadership and policy, research) removed. It runs on the same five-semester calendar as the full-time MSN, including the onsite intensive and all four clinical courses.

Advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment (9 credits) must be taken at Davenport if they were not part of the applicant’s prior MSN. Nurses who completed them in an earlier APRN program drop to 27 credits and skip the first semester’s coursework. Nurses whose MSN was in education or leadership without those courses complete all 36.

  • NURS 601 MSN Orientation Seminar (0 cr)
  • NURS 735, 738, 740/740V (9 cr; waivable with prior MSN coursework)
  • NURS 768/768C FNP I and NURS 772 Onsite Campus Intensive (4 cr)
  • NURS 776/776C FNP II (7 cr)
  • NURS 781/781C FNP III and NURS 788 Advanced Gerontology (8 cr)
  • NURS 786/786C FNP IV and NURS 794 Capstone (8 cr)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • Davenport publishes the certificate at 36 credits. The 27-credit figure is derived from the catalog note that the three starred foundation courses are required only when missing from the prior MSN.
  • Because the FNP courses are term-locked, a certificate student who waives the foundation block still finishes in the same semester as a full-time MSN student who starts alongside them. The waiver cuts cost, not the calendar.

Certificate Clinical Requirements

  • Same four clinical courses as the MSN: 720 hours (NURS 768C, 776C, 781C, 786C)
  • Same onsite campus intensive (NURS 772)
  • RN license required in any state where clinical coursework is performed

The certificate carries the full MSN clinical load, so an already-certified APRN adding FNP completes all 720 hours regardless of prior clinical experience. No gap-analysis credit for prior clinical hours is described.

Certificate Admissions

  • MSN from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA or higher
  • Official transcripts showing completion of the master’s degree
  • Current, unrestricted RN license in a U.S. jurisdiction
You Should Know
  • The same 10-state licensure determination and state-availability rules described under MSN Admissions apply. State boards also set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus, so nurses licensed outside Michigan should confirm their board will recognize the certificate.

Tuition

Davenport charges a published $1,148 per credit for graduate courses in 2026–27, whether taken online or in person. Unlike its undergraduate online rate, the graduate rate has no separate non-Michigan price.

TrackCreditsTuition (derived)With MHA Discount (derived)
MSN, part-time45$51,660$41,328
MSN, full-time45$51,660$42,935
Certificate36$41,328$33,062
Certificate (foundation waived)27$30,996$24,797
  • $1,148 per credit, graduate tuition, 2026–27
  • Registration fee: $245 per semester
  • Technology fee: $155 per semester
  • With those two fees, the MSN totals about $53,660 full-time (5 semesters) or $54,860 part-time (8 semesters), derived
  • MHA partnership: 20% tuition discount and no application fee for eligible employees

Official rates are on Davenport’s Tuition & Fees page.

Be aware that:

  • The MHA discount covers up to 22 credits per academic year. The full-time MSN schedules 29 credits in its first year, so about 7 credits are billed at the full rate, costing roughly $1,600 more than the part-time plan (derived, assuming a fall-winter-summer academic year).
  • The discount is limited to new students with no Davenport for-credit courses in the prior 24 months, requires proof of employment, and replaces all other Davenport scholarships and grants.
  • The FNP page says the discount applies to “members” of the MHA, while Davenport’s MHA partner page addresses MHA “employees.” Confirm with admissions that your hospital employer qualifies.
  • A $35 student activity fee and a $40 student accident plan fee are listed per semester for non-Lettinga students. Whether online Global Campus students pay them is not clearly stated; if they apply, add $375 to the full-time MSN.
  • Some courses carry course fees for software or e-books. Davenport’s 2026–27 course-fee list did not render, so nursing course fees are not clearly stated.
  • Card payments carry a 3% convenience fee.
  • Travel for the onsite intensive, clinical compliance items (background checks, immunizations), and certification review materials are student costs not itemized by Davenport.

For a nurse paying full price, the per-semester fees add about 4% to tuition, so $1,148 per credit is close to the real cost. The MHA discount changes the math more than any other factor: a discounted part-time MSN costs the same in tuition as the full-price certificate. Nurses who qualify should run the part-time plan’s numbers before choosing full-time.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for Michigan nurses, especially those employed by MHA-affiliated hospitals, who want a mostly online MSN with one campus visit and a clinical load above the common range.

Employer pricing for hospital nurses. The 20% MHA discount and waived application fee turn a $51,660 MSN into roughly $41,300 on the part-time plan. That is the program’s clearest financial case, and it rewards the slower schedule because of the 22-credit annual cap.

A full clinical load with close faculty ratios. 720 hours, a 6:1 clinical faculty ratio, and a simulation intensive placed right before the first clinical give students more supervised practice than many online FNP programs. The trade-off is three straight semesters at 225 clinical hours each.

Honest drawbacks. Davenport markets the MSN as 100% online, but the onsite intensive is a required course. The certificate saves up to 18 credits but not much time. And the placement model is described only in general terms, so ask in writing who secures preceptors before enrolling.

The geographic verdict. For nurses in Michigan, and in the nine other states Davenport has confirmed, this is a workable online FNP with a real discount path. Nurses anywhere else should get written confirmation of their state’s status first, because Davenport admits students only where the program is available and a mid-program move can end enrollment.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Davenport University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). That scope covers both the FNP MSN and the FNP post-graduate certificate.

The MSN received a 10-year CCNE term following its 2017 evaluation, which Davenport reports runs through 2027. A renewal review is therefore due within the current accreditation cycle.

Davenport is a private, not-for-profit university institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Institutional accreditation governs federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer.

Graduates of both tracks are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).

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