Fort Hays State University offers 2 DNP Tracks:
- BSN-DNP (FNP)
- MSN-DNP (Post-Master, No FNP Specialty)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP | $35.0K | 4 years (11 semesters) | 75 |
| MSN-DNP | $14.6K–$15.7K | 2 years (6 semesters) | 30–33 |
Tuition estimates use Fort Hays State’s 2026–27 FHSU Online graduate rate ($362.73) and DNP rate ($485.98), which apply to residents and non-residents alike for online courses.
A $35,000 FNP doctorate at Fort Hays State comes with a three-state boundary. The BSN-DNP admits only nurses living in Kansas, Nebraska, or Oklahoma, and every preceptored clinical hour must be completed in those states. Inside that boundary, students get 900 clinical hours, a Kansas preceptor network the department maintains, and a final preceptorship centered on rural care.
The trade-off is pace and paperwork. The cohort plan is fixed, starts only in summer, and runs about four years. FHSU’s licensure disclosure also designates only Kansas as meeting APRN educational requirements, so Nebraska and Oklahoma students must sign an attestation and confirm eligibility with their own board.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | BSN-DNP (FNP); MSN-DNP for certified APRNs (no new specialty) |
| Format | Mostly Online: asynchronous coursework, occasional virtual sessions, a few campus days |
| Clinical Hours | 900 preceptored hours (4 × 225) plus 600 DNP project hours |
| Clinical Placement | Department-maintained Kansas sites; students may propose preceptors for faculty approval |
| Population | Family/individual across the lifespan; final preceptorship focuses on rural care |
| Distinctive Coursework | Dedicated pediatric and adult-geriatric community primary care courses |
| RN License Requirements | BSN-DNP: active RN license in Kansas, Nebraska, or Oklahoma |
| Enrollment Restrictions | BSN-DNP: KS, NE, OK residents only; clinicals in those three states |
| Start Term | Summer only, cohort-based; November 1 priority deadline |
| Tuition | About $35.0K (BSN-DNP); $14.6K–$15.7K (MSN-DNP) |
| Accreditation | CCNE (DNP); Higher Learning Commission (institution) |
BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the BSN-DNP at Fort Hays State University is approximately $34,969.50 (12 credits at $362.73 plus 63 credits at $485.98). The program can generally be completed in about 4 years (11 semesters) on the fixed cohort plan, which starts each summer.
Program page: Doctor of Nursing Practice (BSN to DNP)
BSN-DNP Curriculum
Sequencing. The first three semesters are doctoral foundations only: statistics, theory, research, health policy, and quality improvement. Advanced pathophysiology, assessment, and pharmacology arrive in year two. FNP clinical courses don’t start until year three, so the first 34 credits contain no patient care.
Clinical integration. From year three on, each fall and spring pairs a primary care didactic course with a 225-hour preceptorship. The DNP project runs alongside the last three preceptorships, so the final 18 months carry both clinical and project workloads.
Population coverage. FHSU splits specialty content into standalone courses for pediatrics (summer, year three) and adult-geriatric community care (summer, year four) rather than folding them into general primary care.
- NURS 952: Foundations for the Doctoral Leader
- NURS 914: Healthcare Finance and Health Policy for the DNP APRN
- NURS 903 and 903L: Advanced Health Assessment and Lab
- NURS 935: Primary Care for Pediatric Populations
- NURS 918: Primary Care for the Adult and Geriatric Community Population
- NURS 921 and 932: Primary Care I and II
- NURS 916: Advanced Practice Nursing Roles and Issues
- NURS 957–959: DNP Project I–III (4:1 student-to-faculty ratio)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The plan cannot be modified. The only flexibility is taking up to two courses (six credits) as a non-degree student before admission.
- Semester loads range from 3 to 9 credits. The catalog calls this a full-time plan, but several terms fall below a typical full-time graduate load.
- The marketing page lists NURS 872 as “Informatics in Healthcare Systems.” The catalog lists it as “Quality Improvement and Technology in Healthcare.”
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- 900 preceptored hours: NURS 924, 960, 934, and 961 at 225 hours each (3 credits at a 1:5 ratio, or 75 hours per credit)
- 600 DNP project hours, for 1,500 total practice hours
- All preceptored clinicals must be in Kansas, Nebraska, or Oklahoma
- Sites and preceptors must be approved by the Department of Nursing
- The department maintains site and preceptor agreements throughout Kansas; students may propose others for faculty approval
- NURS 961 focuses on rural healthcare
- Clinical clearance (liability insurance, background check, drug test, immunizations) is required and paid by the student
Nine hundred hours sits well above the 600 to 700 range common in FNP programs and nearly doubles the 500-hour certification floor. Spread over a 16-week term, each preceptorship is about 14 hours a week; in an 8-week format it would be about 28. The Kansas network is support, not a guarantee. Applicants must describe the region where they plan to do clinicals, which signals that students are expected to bring local options, especially outside Kansas.
You Should Know
- The department’s published agreements cover Kansas only. Nebraska and Oklahoma students should expect to propose their own preceptors.
- The catalog lists 225 hours for three preceptorships but no figure for NURS 961. The 900-hour total implies 225 there as well.
- Failure to keep clinical clearance current can delay or stop progression.
BSN-DNP Admissions
Admission is limited to residents of three states, with one summer cohort per year.
- Residency in Kansas, Nebraska, or Oklahoma
- Active RN license in Kansas, Nebraska, or Oklahoma
- BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in the BSN
- Resume
- Personal statement (500 words max) on DNP motivation and the community where you plan to complete clinicals; graded for grammar and spelling
- Signed DNP Clinical Acknowledgement Form
- CGFNS course-by-course evaluation for non-U.S. nursing transcripts
- Priority deadline: November 1 for the following summer cohort
You Should Know
- FHSU’s federal licensure disclosure designates only Kansas as “Meets” for licensure programs. Nebraska and Oklahoma show “Does Not Meet” because no determination has been made, and applicants must sign an attestation acknowledging this.
- The BSN-DNP page says the pathway also suits RNs holding a non-APRN MSN who want to become NPs. FHSU doesn’t publish a separate shortened plan for them; contact the program about credit for prior coursework.
- Completing courses as a non-degree student does not guarantee admission.
MSN to DNP (Post-Master)
The estimated tuition for the MSN-DNP at Fort Hays State University is approximately $14,579.40 (30 credits at $485.98/credit), or about $15,667.59 if graduate statistics is required. The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (6 semesters), starting in summer.
Program page: Doctor of Nursing Practice (MSN to DNP). This track is for nurses who are already certified APRNs (NP, CRNA, or CNM). It does not prepare you for FNP certification. MSN-prepared RNs who want to become FNPs should apply to the BSN-DNP.
MSN-DNP Curriculum
The MSN-DNP reuses the BSN-DNP’s doctoral core without any clinical specialty coursework. Project development starts in the first spring, so the DNP project spans four of the six semesters. The last three semesters carry one or two courses each, which suits working APRNs.
- NURS 872: Quality Improvement and Technology in Healthcare
- NURS 952: Foundations for the Doctoral Leader
- NURS 808: Advanced Statistics (if not completed in the MSN)
- NURS 953: Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing
- NURS 954: Advanced Nursing Leadership
- NURS 914: Healthcare Finance and Health Policy for the DNP APRN
- NURS 945: Population Health and Epidemiology
- NURS 956–959: DNP Project Methodology and Projects I–III
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Minimum 600 DNP project hours
- Additional hours may be added depending on precepted hours completed in the master’s program
- Project courses (NURS 957–959) may require clinical clearance
- No preceptored FNP clinicals
Six hundred project hours is a fixed minimum, not the full doctoral practice total. APRNs with fewer precepted master’s hours should ask early how many hours FHSU will add, since that affects timeline and workload.
MSN-DNP Admissions
Applicants need current APRN licensure and national certification, though uncertified applicants can receive conditional admission.
- MSN in an advanced practice role from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program
- Minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA in the MSN
- Current RN and APRN licenses in an accepted state
- Current APRN national board certification
- Resume
- Personal statement (500 words max) with 2–3 project ideas and possible sites
- Signed DNP Clinical Acknowledgement Form
You Should Know
- FHSU publishes two different exclusion lists. The program description bars Tennessee, Utah, Alabama, and Washington. The admissions section bars Mississippi, Utah, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Confirm your state with the department before applying.
- The catalog calls the MSN-DNP online with one required campus day. The marketing page lists it as online with occasional virtual synchronous sessions.
Tuition
Fort Hays State charges $362.73 per credit for FHSU Online graduate courses and $485.98 per credit for FHSU Online DNP courses (2026–27 published rates). The BSN-DNP’s blended cost works out to about $466.26 per credit (derived).
| Track | Credits at $362.73 | Credits at $485.98 | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP | 12 | 63 | $34,969.50 |
| MSN-DNP | 0 | 30 | $14,579.40 |
| MSN-DNP + statistics | 3 | 30 | $15,667.59 (derived) |
The BSN-DNP split matches the course numbers: the 12 credits of 800-level courses bill at the graduate rate and the 63 credits of 900-level courses at the DNP rate. Rates come from the FHSU Tuition and Fees Schedule.
- FHSU Online graduate rate: $362.73 per credit
- FHSU Online DNP rate: $485.98 per credit
- Published rates are labeled “Tuition and Fees,” with no separate per-credit program fee listed
- Non-residents taking only FHSU Online courses pay the online rate
- BSN-DNP: $34,969.50 (published)
- MSN-DNP: $14,579.40 for 30 credits (published)
Be aware that:
- The schedule charges non-residents the non-resident rate ($778.81 per graduate credit on campus) for all courses in any term where they take both on-campus and online courses. FHSU doesn’t say whether any BSN-DNP course, such as the NURS 903L lab, is coded as on-campus. Nebraska and Oklahoma students should confirm before enrolling.
- Students eligible for the Midwest Student Exchange Program pay $430.54 per credit for on-campus graduate courses.
- FHSU prices NURS 872 at the graduate rate in the BSN-DNP but bills all 30 MSN-DNP credits, including NURS 872, at the DNP rate. At the graduate rate, the MSN-DNP would be $14,209.65 (derived).
- Rates are set annually by the Kansas Board of Regents. A four-year BSN-DNP will cross several rate years.
- Clinical clearance costs, travel for campus days, and special course fees are extra.
For Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma nurses, the all-in BSN-DNP cost is about $35,000 plus clearance and travel, and the online rate removes the usual out-of-state premium. The main cost risk for non-residents is the billing rule for terms that mix campus and online courses, not the advertised rate.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma nurses who want a doctorate-level FNP with heavy clinical volume at a public-university price, and who can commit to a long, fixed cohort plan.
Clinical depth for rural practice. 900 preceptored hours plus 600 project hours gives graduates far more supervised practice than a typical FNP program. The rural-focused final preceptorship suits nurses planning to work in western Kansas or similar settings where NPs often practice with less backup.
Cost and predictability. The published $34,969.50 total covers 75 credits, and the online rate applies regardless of residency. The fixed degree map means no scheduling decisions, but also no way to speed up, slow down, or reorder courses.
The honest drawbacks. The program takes about four years, starts once a year, and puts no patient care in the first 34 credits. Nurses outside Kansas get licensure-disclosure uncertainty and preceptor agreements built around Kansas. Anyone living outside the three eligible states cannot enroll in the FNP track at all.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). CCNE also accredits FHSU’s BSN and MSN programs. Both the BSN-DNP and MSN-DNP fall under the DNP accreditation.
Fort Hays State is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which approved the DNP along with the Kansas State Board of Nursing and the Kansas Board of Regents. Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit recognition.
BSN-DNP graduates are prepared to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC). FHSU reports a 100% pass rate on the AANP exam for 2020 through 2023 and has not posted later years. MSN-DNP graduates earn a doctorate but no new certification eligibility.
More FNP Programs in Kansas
- Pittsburg State University - Pittsburg
- University of Kansas Medical Center - Kansas City
- University of Saint Mary - Leavenworth
- Washburn University - Topeka
- Wichita State University - Wichita