Gardner-Webb University FNP Programs

Hunt School of Nursing • Boiling Springs, NC • Mostly Online • $870/credit

Gardner-Webb University offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • BSN-DNP
  • Post-Doctoral Certificate

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
BSN-DNP$68.7K3 to 4 years (8 to 11 semesters)79
Certificate$34.8K2 years (6 semesters)40

Gardner-Webb’s defining feature is a clinical placement rule tied to where you live. Students outside North Carolina must secure their own practicum sites, and if they cannot, they must return to North Carolina to complete their hours.

Coursework is fully online, with one on-campus intensive per semester in Boiling Springs.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesBSN-DNP (FNP) and Post-Doctoral FNP Certificate
FormatMostly Online. Online coursework plus one on-campus intensive per semester
Clinical Hours560 direct patient care hours per the DNP handbook; current catalog credits imply 525
Clinical PlacementShared search with the school. Out-of-state students self-source, with possible return to NC
PopulationIndividuals and families across the lifespan
Distinctive CourseworkFinancial Management for APRNs; Primary Care Diagnostics and Procedures
ConcentrationsNone
RN License RequirementsCurrent, unrestricted U.S. RN license
RN ExperienceTwo years of practice, at least 1,100 hours per year, within the past three years
Start TermBSN-DNP: fall only, cohort model. Certificate: summer
Enrollment RestrictionsDoes not meet requirements or cannot place students in 10 states, including CA, NY, TX
Tuition$870 per credit (2026–27), same for all students
AccreditationACEN (Clinical Doctorate program); SACSCOC institutional

BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the BSN-DNP at Gardner-Webb is approximately $68,730 (79 credits at $870/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years (8 semesters) on the 3-year plan or 4 years on the 4-year plan.

The official program name is the Doctor of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner. It is a post-baccalaureate entry doctorate. Gardner-Webb does not offer an MSN-level FNP.

BSN-DNP Curriculum

Foundation first. The first three semesters carry no patient care. You complete the advanced practice core (pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment), professional roles, and most of the DNP core (health promotion, policy and ethics, informatics, evidence-based care, population health). NURS 758 Financial Management for APRNs also sits here. A dedicated practice-finance course is uncommon in FNP curricula and useful if you plan to run or join a small practice.

Fixed specialty sequence. Clinical training starts in semester four as four paired management and practicum courses in a set order: common and acute adult care, reproductive health, chronic and complex adult care, then pediatrics. Pediatrics comes last, immediately before a 4-credit clinical immersion that closes the sequence.

DNP project in parallel. The four-part DNP project runs alongside the last four clinical semesters. There is no separate project-only year, which is how the program fits 79 credits into eight semesters.

  • NURS 758 Financial Management for APRNs (3 credits)
  • NURS 760/761 Primary Care Management I (Common and Acute) and Practicum I (3 + 3)
  • NURS 762/763 Primary Care Management II (Reproductive) and Practicum II (3 + 3)
  • NURS 764 Primary Care Diagnostics and Procedures (1)
  • NURS 765/766 Primary Care Management III (Chronic and Complex) and Practicum III (3 + 2)
  • NURS 767/768 Primary Care Management IV (Pediatrics) and Practicum IV (3 + 3)
  • NURS 769 Primary Care Management Clinical Immersion (4)
  • NURS 850 to 856 DNP Project I to IV (12)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • The only published semester-by-semester plan is the 3-year plan in the DNP handbook. It predates the 2025–26 catalog, which moved Practicum III from 3 credits to 2 and Transition into Practice from 1 credit to 2. The 79-credit total is unchanged.
  • The 4-year plan is not published. The 11-semester figure is derived: it assumes the same fall start and spring finish as the 3-year plan.
  • The catalog offers Practicum I in fall only and Practicum III in summer only. That locks the sequence to a single annual cohort.
  • DNP project enrollment must be continuous. Unfinished projects roll into NURS 858 DNP Project Continuation (3 credits per semester). Only one break of up to two semesters is allowed, and the seven-year completion limit still applies.

BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements

  • Direct patient care: 560 hours. Four 105-hour practicums (NURS 761, 763, 766, 768) plus a 140-hour immersion (NURS 769), a ratio of 35 hours per credit.
  • Total DNP practice hours: at least 1,000, with at least 500 completed in the DNP project courses. Supervised post-baccalaureate academic hours count.
  • Placement model: a joint responsibility of the student and the school. The school identifies interested local practitioners and holds contracts with more than 450 facilities. A Clinical Site Specialist approves every site and preceptor, and an affiliation agreement must be in place before hours begin.
  • Out-of-state residents: responsible for securing their own sites, in collaboration with the school. State rules may require a practicum in another state. If no home-state site is found, the student must return to North Carolina to complete practicum hours.
  • Preceptor deadline: students without a confirmed preceptor and start date by the add/drop date are dropped from the course and cannot progress as planned.
  • Faculty oversight: at least one faculty site visit per semester within a 75-mile radius, plus phone and email contact.
  • Preceptors: NP, PA, MD, DO, or CNM, licensed in the practicum state, with at least one year of practice. At least one preceptor during the program must be an NP.
  • Before clinicals: BLS, full immunization record (including COVID and annual influenza), background check, and a 12-panel drug screen conducted on campus in summer. Typhon clinical tracking costs $90 once.

At 560 hours, the program clears the 500-hour certification floor by 60 hours but sits below the 600 to 700 hours common among FNP programs. The rest of the DNP’s 1,000 hours goes to project work, not patient care, so your direct clinical time resembles a lean MSN. The weekly load is manageable for a working nurse: about 7 hours a week in a 16-week term, 10.5 in the 10-week summer term, and about 9 during the immersion. Placement is supported, not guaranteed. Students in North Carolina, and especially near Boiling Springs, get the most from the contract network and in-person faculty visits.

You Should Know
  • The 560-hour figure comes from the DNP handbook, which still lists Practicum III at 3 credits. The 2025–26 catalog lists it at 2 credits. At the handbook’s 35 hours per credit, the current total would be 525. Confirm the figure with the school.
  • The handbook appears dated. It still references the first cohort’s 2022 graduation and the older “Leadership” name for the post-master’s DNP.
  • The out-of-state rule is based on primary residence, not distance. A nurse in upstate South Carolina, closer to campus than much of North Carolina, falls under it.
  • Travel and lodging for a return to North Carolina are not included in any cost estimate on this page.

BSN-DNP Admissions

Admission requires two years of recent RN practice and an interview, and the cohort starts once a year in the fall.

  • Current, unrestricted U.S. RN license
  • BSN from a regionally accredited institution with a nationally accredited nursing program
  • RNs with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree may qualify after completing statistics, BSN-level nursing research, and BSN-level nursing communication courses (grade C or better)
  • GPA of 3.0 on all undergraduate work or the last 60 hours
  • Two years of active RN practice, at least 1,100 hours per year, within the past three years (school verification form)
  • Statistics course covering probability theory, inferential statistics, and descriptive statistics
  • Three professional references (one from a supervisor) and a current CV or resume
  • Interview using prompts provided by the school
  • Criminal background check covering every state lived in during the past 10 years
  • Gardner-Webb ABSN, traditional BSN, and Davis RN-BSN graduates within two years of graduating: seamless admission with reduced criteria and no application fee
You Should Know
  • Gardner-Webb’s licensure disclosure lists 10 states where the program does not meet educational requirements or cannot secure clinical placement: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Louisiana, New York, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
  • Applicants with a GPA of 2.6 to 2.99 may receive provisional admission. They must earn a B or better in the first 12 graduate hours or be dismissed.
  • The most recent published start date was August 19, 2026. Expect the next cohort to enter the following fall.

Post-Doctoral Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate

The estimated tuition for the Post-Doctoral FNP Certificate at Gardner-Webb is approximately $34,800 (40 credits at $870/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (6 semesters), starting in summer.

The Post-Doctoral Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate is for nurses who already hold a doctorate in nursing but lack NP preparation. It is not a post-master’s certificate.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate is the BSN-DNP’s full 28-credit FNP specialty sequence, from Primary Care Management I through the clinical immersion, plus five supporting courses. The DNP research and project courses are dropped because students already hold a doctorate. Advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment are prerequisites, not part of the 40 credits.

  • NURS 750 Advanced Practice Roles (3 credits)
  • NURS 758 Financial Management for APRNs (3)
  • NURS 760 to 769 Primary Care Management I to IV, practicums, diagnostics, and clinical immersion (28)
  • NURS 770 Transition into Practice (2)
  • NURS 800 Interprofessional Collaboration Practicum, APRN (1)
  • NURS 802 Human Flourishing and Health Promotion (3)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • Applicants missing advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, or health assessment (grade B or better) take them during the first year. That adds 9 credits, about $7,830 at the current rate, and one extra semester.
  • The certificate pages do not state a delivery format. The Mostly Online label assumes the per-semester intensives attached to the shared FNP courses also apply here. Confirm with the school.

Certificate Clinical Requirements

  • Same 560 direct patient care hours as the BSN-DNP: four 105-hour practicums and a 140-hour immersion
  • Same placement model, preceptor rules, add/drop preceptor deadline, and out-of-state provision
  • No DNP project hours

For a doctorally prepared nurse, these 560 hours are the entire NP clinical experience. The total is the same as the BSN-DNP’s direct-care hours, so certificate graduates do not train on a reduced clinical load. It still sits below the 600 to 700 hour range common among FNP programs.

Certificate Admissions

This certificate is open only to nurses with a doctorate in nursing, and it carries the same RN-experience gate as the DNP.

  • Current, unrestricted U.S. RN license
  • Doctoral degree in nursing from a regionally accredited institution with a nationally accredited nursing program
  • Two years of active RN practice, at least 1,100 hours per year, within the past three years
  • Graduate-level advanced pharmacology, health assessment, and pathophysiology (or completion during the first year)
  • Three professional references, a current CV or resume, and an interview (the most highly qualified applicants are invited)
  • Criminal background check covering every state lived in during the past 10 years
  • Gardner-Webb DNP graduates within two years of graduating: seamless admission with reduced criteria
You Should Know
  • A post-doctoral NP certificate is an uncommon credential. Gardner-Webb’s ACEN disclosure names its Clinical Doctorate and Master’s/Post-Master’s Certificate programs but does not list the post-doctoral certificate separately. State boards set their own APRN education rules, so confirm acceptance with your board before enrolling.
  • The same 10-state licensure restriction applies.
  • Completers must apply for graduation and pay a Graduate Certificate Fee. The amount is not published, and a late fee applies after the deadline.

Tuition

Gardner-Webb charges $870 per credit for its Doctor of Nursing Practice programs in 2026–27. The rate is the same for every student regardless of state of residence. The certificate is not listed separately on the tuition schedule, so its estimate assumes the same $870 rate.

TrackCreditsTuitionBulldog BundleTyphonEst. Total
BSN-DNP79$68,730$2,133$90$70,953
Certificate40$34,800$1,080$90$35,970
Certificate + prerequisites49$42,630$1,323$90$44,043

Totals are derived: credits × $870, plus the Bulldog Bundle at $27 per credit, plus the one-time Typhon fee. Official rates are on Gardner-Webb’s graduate tuition and fees page.

  • Tuition: $870 per credit (2026–27)
  • Bulldog Bundle course materials: $27 per credit, billed by default to graduate students
  • Typhon clinical documentation: $90, one time

Be aware that:

  • The schedule also lists a $90-per-semester Digital Learning Fee without saying which programs pay it. If it applies, it adds $720 on the 3-year plan and $990 on the 4-year plan.
  • Tuition increases usually take effect each summer, and no rate lock is published. A 3- to 4-year program will likely pay more than $870 per credit in later years.
  • The Bulldog Bundle can be declined through an opt-out window, but you then buy course materials yourself.
  • Each extra semester of DNP Project Continuation (NURS 858) costs about $2,610 at the current rate.
  • Travel to Boiling Springs for each semester’s intensive, and any required return to North Carolina for practicum hours, are not included.
  • The deferred payment plan carries a $15 fee plus 2% on deferred amounts. Card payments carry a 2.75% service charge.

Plan on about $71,000 for the BSN-DNP before travel, and about $36,000 for the certificate. Because the rate does not change with residency, out-of-state students pay no tuition premium. Their real added cost is travel: up to eight campus intensives on the 3-year plan, plus the chance of completing practicum hours in North Carolina. The 3-year plan peaks at about $10,440 in tuition in a 12-credit semester. The DNP also qualifies for North Carolina’s Forgivable Education Loans for Service, which can offset cost for eligible nurses who commit to work in the state.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for North Carolina nurses with steady RN work history who want a doctoral FNP route, online classes, and a campus visit each term.

For nurses based in North Carolina: the placement model works in your favor. The school’s 450-plus facility contracts, its outreach to interested local practitioners, and in-person faculty site visits within a 75-mile radius all benefit students near Boiling Springs. The 3-year plan’s weekly clinical load of about 7 to 10 hours fits around full-time RN work, and the flat tuition keeps the math simple.

For nurses outside North Carolina: there is no tuition penalty, but the clinical risk shifts to you. You source your own sites, and if that fails, you finish hours in North Carolina. In 10 states, including California, New York, and Texas, the school says the program does not meet licensure requirements or cannot secure placements. Everywhere else, line up a preceptor before you apply.

For nurses who already hold a doctorate: the post-doctoral certificate adds FNP preparation in 40 credits without a second degree. This route is rare. The trade-off runs the other way for MSN-prepared nurses: Gardner-Webb offers no MSN-FNP and no post-master’s FNP certificate, so the full 79-credit BSN-DNP is the only option.

The trade-offs: clinical hours sit below the common FNP range, the single fall intake and RN-experience gate limit when and whether you can start, and every semester includes a trip to campus. The DNP program reported an 80% on-time completion rate for 2024–25.

Accreditation

The Hunt School of Nursing is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The Clinical Doctorate program, which covers the BSN-DNP, holds Continuing Accreditation, the most recent decision by the ACEN Board of Commissioners. ACEN also accredits the school’s Master’s/Post-Master’s Certificate program. The disclosure does not list the post-doctoral certificate as a separate program.

Gardner-Webb University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate through doctoral degrees. SACSCOC found the university in full compliance in its 2024 Fifth-Year Interim review. Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and the recognition of your degree by employers and other schools.

Graduates of the BSN-DNP and the Post-Doctoral FNP Certificate are eligible for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC). Gardner-Webb reports a 100% certification pass rate for its DNP programs in 2024, with first-time and repeat test takers counted together.

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