Florida Atlantic University FNP Programs

School of Nursing • Boca Raton, FL • Hybrid • $371.81/credit

Florida Atlantic University offers 3 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • MSN
  • BSN-to-DNP
  • Post Graduate Certificate

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
MSN$19K in-state / $53K out2.5 yrs (part-time)52
Post-BS DNP$27K+ in-state / $74K+ out~11 semesters (full-time)72–85
CertificateVaries by gap analysisVaries10–13+

FAU’s defining advantage is that the college finds your clinical site and preceptor for you — a rarity among public universities — and backs it with 780 supervised clinical hours at one of Florida’s lowest in-state rates. The trade-off: this is a hybrid, campus-based program (Boca Raton, Davie, and Harbor Branch/Jupiter) with clinicals placed only in South Florida, so it is built for local nurses, not distance learners.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN, BSN-to-DNP, Post Graduate Certificate
FormatHybrid (online + in-person on 3 campuses); DNP mixes online, live weekly, weekend intensives
Clinical Hours780 (MSN); 1,000 minimum (DNP)
Clinical PlacementSchool arranges site and preceptor; sites in South Florida counties only
PopulationFamily/individual across the lifespan, primary care
Distinctive CourseworkTwo-course pharmacotherapeutics sequence; caring-science core
ConcentrationsFNP is one of several MSN concentrations; no sub-tracks
RN License RequirementsFlorida or Compact RN to apply; Florida RN license required for all NP practicum work
Single Start TermFall only (MSN); once-yearly DNP admission — miss it and you wait a year
Tuition$371.81/credit in-state; $1,026.81/credit out-of-state; plus lab/practicum fees
AccreditationCCNE (MSN, DNP, post-grad APRN certificate); FAU accredited by SACSCOC

MSN — Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration

The estimated tuition for the MSN FNP concentration at Florida Atlantic University is approximately $19,334 in-state (52 credits at $371.81/credit) or $53,394 out-of-state (52 credits at $1,026.81/credit), plus about $2,100 in lab/practicum fees. The program can generally be completed in about 2.5 years across 8 semesters — part-time is the only option, which many working nurses will see as a feature, not a limitation.

MSN Curriculum

The first four semesters are entirely didactic — core theory, the 3 Ps, and an unusual two-course pharmacotherapeutics sequence that gives prescribing more depth than the single pharm course most FNP programs use. Clinical work doesn’t begin until semester 5, which is why FAU tells students they can typically work full-time through the first half and may need to cut hours only once practicums start.

The back half is organized as three escalating primary care practicums (300, 240, and 240 hours) bookended by dedicated pediatrics and women’s health courses, ending in a family-practice synthesis course.

  • NGR 6141 Advanced Pathophysiology
  • NGR 6172 / NGR 6176 Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics 1 & 2
  • NGR 6002/6002L Advanced Health Assessment + Lab
  • NGR 6200/6200L Primary Care 1 + Practicum (300 hours across two semesters)
  • NGR 6301 Care of Children
  • NGR 6342 Women’s Health
  • NGR 6605/6605L Primary Care 2 + Practicum (240 hours)
  • NGR 6619/6619L Primary Care of Families + Practicum (240 hours)

More curriculum details are available here.

MSN Clinical Requirements

  • 780 total clinical hours: 180 (spring) + 120 (summer) in Primary Care 1, then 240 in Primary Care 2 and 240 in the family practicum — per-course hours sum to the stated total.
  • The college secures your clinical site and preceptor; students do not self-place.
  • Placement geography conflicts across FAU’s own pages: the program FAQ lists Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties; the Harbor Branch campus page lists Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Brevard, and Orange; the university catalog still says students may arrange sites in their own community. Treat the program FAQ (school-arranged, South Florida) as current and confirm your county before enrolling.
  • Practicum settings: health departments, private practices, community health centers, urgent care.
  • Harbor Branch (Fort Pierce) admits should expect in-person coursework to move to the Jupiter campus.

780 hours is high — the certification floor is 500 and most FNP programs land at 600–700. Combined with school-arranged placement, that removes the two biggest failure points in NP education (finding preceptors and thin clinical exposure), but it locks you into South Florida for every clinical hour.

MSN Admissions

This is a limited-access, competitive cohort with one intake per year (Fall) and a firm rule set: you apply to the FNP concentration specifically, and students in non-NP concentrations cannot transfer in later.

  • BSN from a regionally accredited university with CCNE/ACEN program accreditation.
  • 3.0 GPA on the final 60 baccalaureate credits; GRE/MAT not accepted as a substitute since 2023.
  • Prerequisites: statistics and a baccalaureate nursing research course.
  • Florida or Compact RN license; no RN experience requirement.
  • CV, one signed letter of recommendation, philosophy of nursing essay — all via GradCAS.
  • Annual cycle: GradCAS opens September 15, closes February 15 for the following Fall.
  • Second-MSN option available for nurses with a non-NP master’s (30-credit minimum, gap analysis).

BSN-to-DNP — Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration

The estimated tuition for the BSN-to-DNP FNP at Florida Atlantic University is approximately $26,770 in-state at the 72-credit minimum (72 credits at $371.81/credit), or $73,930 out-of-state — though the published FNP plan of study (49–52 core credits + 31 concentration credits) totals roughly 80–83 credits, putting a realistic in-state estimate near $29,700–$30,900.

The program is designed for full-time study and runs about 11 semesters based on the published curriculum sequence.

BSN-to-DNP Curriculum

The FNP concentration coursework is identical to the MSN’s clinical core (same Primary Care 1–2 and family practicum sequence), layered with doctoral courses in epidemiology, health equity, practice management, informatics, quality improvement, and a three-part DNP project sequence. The most practical feature is the Master’s Along the Way option: after semester IX, students can be awarded the MSN, sit for national FNP certification, and begin practicing as an APRN while finishing the final two doctoral semesters — meaningfully reducing the income cost of the doctoral route.

  • NGR 6673 Epidemiology for Advanced Nursing Practice
  • NGR 7662C Population-Based Healthcare and Health Equity
  • NGR 7767 Introduction to Practice Management
  • NGR 7855 Translation of Evidence for Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NGR 7876 Caring, Informatics and Technology
  • NGR 7895 Healthcare System Analysis and Quality Improvement
  • NGR 6200L / 6605L / 6619L FNP practicum sequence (same as MSN)
  • NGR 7974 / 7975C DNP Proposal Development and Project Implementation

BSN-to-DNP Clinical Requirements

  • Minimum 1,000 clinical hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, per AACN’s DNP recommendation.
  • Includes the full 780-hour FNP practicum sequence; second-year hours focus on developing and testing new models of care.
  • Classes delivered in mixed formats: online, live weekly sessions, and intensive weekends. Whether the weekly sessions are in-person or virtual is not clearly stated — verify before assuming distance access.

1,000 hours is the standard doctoral benchmark, not an FAU add-on. The real distinction is that FNP clinical training is embedded in the doctorate rather than bolted on, and the mid-program MSN exit means you are never forced to choose between the doctorate and earning APRN income.

BSN-to-DNP Admissions

Admission is once per year, limited-access, and includes a required oral interview — a screening step the MSN doesn’t have.

  • BSN with 3.0 cumulative GPA from an approved program.
  • Two letters of recommendation, one from a doctorally prepared reference.
  • Statement of goals (max 500 words), CV, oral interview, Level 2 background check.
  • Current or eligible Florida RN license; statistics and research prerequisites.
  • Deadline conflict in FAU’s materials: the graduate program page lists Summer entry with a February 1 deadline; the university catalog lists January 15. Confirm the current deadline with the college before planning an application.

Post Graduate Certificate — FNP

The estimated tuition for the Post Graduate Certificate in FNP depends on a gap analysis, with the catalog citing a 10–13 credit minimum (roughly $3,718–$4,834 in-state at $371.81/credit at the minimum — a derived estimate; most students will need more credits). Duration is not clearly stated and varies with the individualized plan of study.

Certificate Admissions

FAU’s certificate has an unusual gate: applicants must already be board-certified APRNs. Most schools accept any MSN-prepared nurse into a post-master’s FNP certificate; FAU’s is strictly a specialty-addition credential for practicing NPs and other certified APRNs, not a pathway for nurse educators or administrators to become NPs.

  • MSN from an ACEN-, CNEA-, or CCNE-accredited program with 3.0 cumulative GPA.
  • Current APRN board certification from an appropriate certifying body — required, not optional.
  • Florida RN/APRN license; completed lifespan Advanced Health Assessment, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology.
  • Required interview; background check and drug screen for admitted students.
  • All certificate students complete NGR 6110 (Advanced Nursing Practice Grounded in Caring); remaining courses set by gap analysis.
  • Credit minimum is inconsistent in FAU’s catalog: the certificate page says “minimum of 10 or 13 credits,” while university policy states college credit certificates require at least 12. Expect your actual load to be determined individually.

Tuition

FAU charges $371.81 per credit for Florida residents and $1,026.81 per credit for non-residents (rates include associated fees per the university’s tuition page). At those rates, the 52-credit MSN totals approximately $19,334 in-state and $53,394 out-of-state; the BSN-to-DNP runs about $26,770 in-state at the 72-credit minimum and roughly $29,700–$30,900 at the 80–83 credits the published FNP plan actually requires.

  • Lab and NP practicum courses carry a $150-per-credit fee: $2,100 total across the MSN FNP sequence (NGR 6002L, 6200L spring and summer, 6605L, 6619L).
  • Per-credit figures exclude books, course materials, and course-specific expenses.
  • FAU’s tuition page states “49 credits needed to graduate,” but the FNP concentration requires 52 — the 49-credit figure does not apply to this track.
  • Certificate cost varies entirely with the gap analysis; no fixed total is published.
  • Official rates: FAU cost of attendance.

The practical read: even with the practicum fees, an in-state MSN under $22,000 all-in is among the cheapest routes to FNP certification anywhere in Florida — but the out-of-state rate nearly triples the cost, and since clinicals require South Florida placement anyway, this program only makes financial sense for Florida residents.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for South Florida nurses who want the clinical placement problem solved for them, above-average clinical training, and a public-university price.

The combination FAU offers is genuinely uncommon: 780 clinical hours (most programs stop at 600–700), a school that secures your site and preceptor rather than sending you hunting, and in-state tuition under $400 per credit. Programs that arrange placement usually charge private-school prices for it; programs this cheap usually make you find your own preceptors. FAU does both at once. The part-time-only pacing, with no clinical work until semester 5, is also honestly designed around nurses who keep working full-time.

The trade-offs are geographic and structural. This is a hybrid program requiring in-person attendance at Boca Raton, Davie, or Harbor Branch (moving to Jupiter), with clinicals placed exclusively in South Florida counties — nurses elsewhere in Florida, let alone out of state, should look at fully online options instead. There is one intake per year with a February 15 deadline, no full-time acceleration, and no way to transfer into the NP concentration from another track if you’re not admitted directly. If you miss the cohort, you wait a year. And the post-master’s certificate is unusually restrictive: it serves already-certified APRNs adding a specialty, not MSN-prepared nurses seeking their first NP credential.

Accreditation

The master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the university is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — verified from FAU’s own accreditation page, as the program materials do not name the accreditor directly. FAU states that MSN FNP graduates are eligible to sit for the FNP certification examination offered by either the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), giving graduates the choice of the FNP-BC or FNP-C credential.

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