Goshen College FNP Programs

Department of Nursing • Goshen, IN • Campus • $765/credit

Goshen College offers an MSN Family Nurse Practitioner track.

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
MSN$39.1K3 years (8 semesters)48

Tuition estimates use Goshen’s 2026-27 published rate of $765 per credit plus three years of the $800 annual MSN program fee.

Goshen College arranges FNP clinical placements with its students instead of leaving the preceptor search to them. Faculty work with each student on sites, drawing on regional partners in northern Indiana and southwest Michigan.

The trade-off is the classroom. This is a face-to-face program with weekly late-afternoon classes on the Goshen campus, so it only works for nurses who can reach Goshen every week for about three years.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN (FNP is the only graduate nursing track)
FormatCampus: in-person classes one late afternoon/evening per week, 3:30-7:30 p.m.
Clinical Hours750 minimum published; course descriptions total 672
Clinical PlacementArranged in collaboration with faculty
PopulationFamily/individual across the lifespan
Distinctive CourseworkMental Healthcare for APRNs; public health for vulnerable populations
RN License RequirementsActive RN license in the state where clinicals occur
Experience GateAt least one year of U.S. clinical RN experience
Cohort ModelStudents move through core courses together
Tuition$765/credit plus $800 annual program fee
AccreditationCCNE (master’s degree); HLC (institution)

Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner Track at Goshen College is approximately $36,720 (48 credits at $765/credit), or about $39,120 with the annual program fee. The program can generally be completed in about three years across eight semesters, taking roughly six credits per term.

MSN Curriculum

The 48 credits split evenly: a 24-credit core of eight 3-credit courses and a 24-credit FNP sequence of four 6-credit primary care courses. Each primary care course carries a 168-hour clinical rotation.

Sequencing. No primary care course opens until leadership, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment are complete. The three population courses (pediatrics, women’s health, adult health) then run before the final transition-to-practice course, which requires all three. Course numbers do not match the order: Primary Care I (Adult Health) is NURS 544, numbered after Primary Care II and III.

What stands out. Mental health gets its own 3-credit course (NURS 600), with no clinical hours attached. Many FNP programs fold this into general primary care courses. A full course on public health for vulnerable populations covers community assessment, epidemiology, and social determinants of health, which supports the program’s emphasis on culturally responsive care. The final course adds certification review shaped by each student’s results on a predictor exit exam.

  • NURS 520 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
  • NURS 522 Pharmacology for Advanced Nursing (3)
  • NURS 524 Advanced Health Assessment (3)
  • NURS 600 Mental Healthcare for APRNs (3)
  • NURS 604 Promote Health/Vulnerable People (3)
  • NURS 544 Primary Care I: Adult Health (6)
  • NURS 540 Primary Care II: Pediatrics (6)
  • NURS 542 Primary Care III: GYN & OB (6)
  • NURS 608 Primary Care IV: Transition to Practice (6)

More curriculum details are available here.

MSN Clinical Requirements

  • Published requirement: minimum of 750 clock hours with an approved preceptor
  • ⚠️ Course-level total: 4 courses × 168 hours = 672 hours (78 below the published 750)
  • Clinical courses: NURS 540, 542, 544, and 608; each lets students see patients across the lifespan while focusing on one population
  • No clinical hours in NURS 600 Mental Healthcare for APRNs
  • Placement model: arranged in collaboration with faculty
  • Settings: nearby hospitals and community practices; an earlier Goshen program page lists partners such as Goshen Physician Group, Beacon Health System, Bronson Health System, Saint Joseph Regional Health System, and South Bend Clinic
  • On-campus training: renovated Center for Nursing and Public Health with a skills lab, simulation lab, and six-room exam suite

At 750 hours, Goshen sits above the 600 to 700 range common among FNP programs and well clear of the 500-hour certification floor. Spread across four clinical courses, the load is about 190 hours per term, or roughly 12 to 13 hours a week in a 15-week semester (derived). That is manageable alongside part-time or flexible work. Faculty involvement in placement matters more than the volume. Finding preceptors is a common source of delay in FNP programs, and Goshen’s model reduces that risk for students in its partner region.

You Should Know
  • The course descriptions add up to 672 hours, not 750. Goshen does not explain the remaining 78 hours. They may come from simulation, assessment labs, or additional precepted time. Ask the program director how the 750 is reached.
  • Goshen’s marketing page also says “700+” clinical hours in one spot. The catalog’s 750 minimum is the controlling figure.
  • “Arranged in collaboration with faculty” is support, not a written guarantee. Ask whether students living outside Goshen’s partner network still get faculty-arranged sites.
  • NURS 522 is built to meet Indiana’s prescriptive authority requirements. Nurses planning to practice in Michigan or another state should confirm their board accepts it.

MSN Admissions

Goshen requires a year of RN experience, a recent statistics course, and an interview with the program director.

  • BSN from a CCNE- or NLN-accredited school
  • GPA of 3.0 or higher for the last degree earned
  • Active, unencumbered RN license in the state where clinical work will be completed
  • At least one year of clinical RN experience in the United States
  • Introductory statistics with a grade of C or higher within the last seven years
  • Curriculum vitae and one professional reference
  • Official transcripts from every college attended
  • Personal interview with the program director
  • Non-native English speakers: TOEFL 100 (internet-based) or 600 (paper), or IELTS 6.5
  • Transfer credit: up to 9 comparable graduate credits at B or higher, with director approval
You Should Know
  • The statistics course has a seven-year recency limit. Nurses who took it earlier will need to retake it before applying.
  • Start terms and application deadlines are not clearly stated in the current materials.
  • The weekly class day conflicts across Goshen’s own pages. The program page says Tuesdays; its FAQ says Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 3:30-7:30 p.m. Confirm which night your cohort meets.
  • Goshen reserves the right to change admission criteria based on program outcome data.

Tuition

Goshen charges $765 per credit for the MSN in 2026-27, the same rate it published for 2025-26. The $800 annual program fee sits on top of that rate. See the Goshen tuition and fees page.

ComponentCalculationAmount
Tuition48 credits × $765$36,720
Annual program fee (derived count)3 years × $800$2,400
Estimated total (derived)$39,120

Effective cost with the program fee: about $815 per credit (derived).

  • Tuition: $765 per credit hour (2026-27, published)
  • Program length: 48 credit hours (published)
  • Annual MSN program fee: $800 (published)
  • Billing: by semester, with an optional payment plan

Be aware that:

  • The $39,120 total is derived. Goshen does not publish a program total. It assumes three annual fee charges over three years; a student billed for only two academic years would pay $38,320.
  • The $765 rate is set for 2026-27 only. Later years could rise.
  • Alumni of Goshen College get 10% off tuition, saving about $3,672 (derived). Employees of participating Affinity Partner organizations get 15% off, saving about $5,508 (derived). Goshen does not say whether the discounts apply to the program fee.
  • Transferring the maximum 9 credits would cut tuition by up to $6,885 (derived).
  • The Nelnet payment plan costs $30 per semester to enroll, about $240 over eight semesters if used every term.
  • Late payments carry a $200 fee per semester, and unpaid balances accrue 1% interest per month.

Goshen’s pricing is simple and published. One rate, one program fee, and no per-credit surcharges or technology fees appear on the graduate schedule. Plan on about $39,000 at full price, or $33,600 to $35,500 for discount-eligible students before scholarships. Because the program is campus-based, commuting cost to Goshen each week belongs in the budget too.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

This program fits experienced RNs in the Goshen, Elkhart, and South Bend area, or across the line in southwest Michigan, who want in-person teaching and help landing clinical sites.

Placement help is the main reason to choose Goshen. Faculty arrange clinical sites with students through regional health systems and practices. For nurses who have watched classmates in online programs spend months chasing preceptors, that support has real value. It works best for students who live and work inside Goshen’s partner network.

It suits nurses who learn better face to face. One weekly class block, a cohort that moves together, and a renovated simulation and exam-room facility give this program a traditional classroom feel. Students who want to know their faculty and classmates will find that here. Students who need to study on their own schedule will not.

The drawbacks are geography and pace. Weekly campus attendance limits the program to commuting distance. Three years is a long commitment, and Goshen publishes no accelerated option. Graduates who want a doctorate later can look at Goshen’s separate online, post-master’s DNP, offered with Eastern Mennonite University; it is not an FNP track.

Accreditation

The master’s degree in nursing at Goshen College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The MSN with its FNP track is the only graduate nursing program at the master’s level, so this accreditation covers the full program.

The division of nursing is approved by the Indiana State Board of Nursing. That approval matters for Indiana licensure and prescriptive authority.

Goshen College is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Regional institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and makes the degree widely recognized by employers and other schools.

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

More FNP Programs in Indiana