Grand Valley State University FNP Programs

Kirkhof College of Nursing • Grand Rapids, MI • Mostly Online • $1,052/credit

Grand Valley State University offers a BSN-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner track.

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
BSN-DNP$82.1K3 years (8 semesters)78

Tuition estimates use Grand Valley’s 2026-2027 doctoral nursing rate of $1,052 per credit times the catalog’s 78-credit FNP total.

Grand Valley’s DNP-FNP counts 1,000 clinical hours: 750 precepted practicum hours plus 250 hours of procedures and simulation. A dedicated full-time placement coordinator arranges every clinical and DNP immersion site, so students do not hunt for their own preceptors.

The trade-off is a doctorate-only path with a Grand Rapids tie. There is no MSN or post-graduate FNP certificate, cohorts start only in fall, and NP students come to campus 1 to 2 times per semester in years two and three.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesBSN-DNP with FNP emphasis
FormatMostly Online: online coursework, 1-2 campus visits per semester in years 2-3
Clinical Hours1,000 (750 practicum, 250 procedures/simulation) plus 300 DNP immersion hours
Clinical PlacementFull-time placement coordinator manages all clinical and immersion placements
PopulationFamilies across the lifespan, infancy through adulthood
Distinctive CourseworkFour-course procedures and simulation sequence; mental health course for NPs
RN License RequirementsCurrent Michigan RN license, including out-of-state residents
Tuition$1,052/credit (DNP, 2026-2027), no residency differential
AccreditationCCNE (DNP program)
Start TermFall only; May 1 preferred deadline
Enrollment RestrictionsOut-of-state applicants must live in a SARA state

BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner Emphasis

The estimated tuition for the BSN-DNP at Grand Valley State University is approximately $82,056 (78 credits at $1,052/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years (8 semesters, fall of year one through winter of year three), with part-time plans also available.

The official program page is Doctor of Nursing Practice – Family Nurse Practitioner Emphasis.

BSN-DNP Curriculum

Doctoral core first. Year one is almost entirely DNP foundations: statistics, leadership, policy, evidence-based practice, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and vulnerable populations. FNP-specific courses do not begin until year two, so students test their fit for doctoral work before clinical training starts.

Procedures and simulation run alongside every practicum. A four-course sequence (NUR 746 to 749) pairs with each NP practicum term and carries 250 of the program’s 1,000 clinical hours. This is unusual volume for hands-on skills training, and it is why NP students return to the Grand Rapids simulation center each semester.

Scholarly project in parallel. The four-part DNP project (NUR 709 to 712) runs from winter of year two through the final term, overlapping the clinical sequence rather than following it.

  • NUR 610 Advanced Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning
  • NUR 750 Mental Health for Nurse Practitioners
  • NUR 770 Health Promotion and Risk Management
  • NUR 772 Common Health Problems
  • NUR 774 Complex Health Problems
  • NUR 776 Care Transitions and Interprofessional Practice
  • NUR 746-749 Procedures and Simulations for APRNs I-IV
  • NUR 773, 775, 777 NP Practicum I-III
  • NUR 709-712 DNP Scholarly Project I-IV

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • The FNP program page describes a new course plan (NUR 605, 610, 746-749, 770-777) for the fall 2026 cohort. The 2026-2027 catalog still lists the older NP core (NUR 600, 604, 714-720, 782-789). The 78-credit total comes from the catalog; the new plan publishes no credit total.
  • The catalog’s semester 4 NP plan lists NUR 609, the CNS assessment course, where its NP core list requires NUR 604. This appears to be a catalog error.

BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements

  • Total clinical hours: 1,000
  • Procedures and simulation: NUR 746 (100) plus NUR 747-749 (50 each) = 250 hours
  • Precepted practicum: NUR 773 (225) + NUR 775 (225) + NUR 777 (300) = 750 hours at 75 hours per credit
  • DNP immersion: 300 additional hours (NUR 607, 608, 703, 704 at 25 each; NUR 709-712 at 200), for 1,300 total
  • Practicum credits are variable (NUR 773: 1-3, NUR 775: 3-5, NUR 777: 4-6) and must total 10 by winter of the final year
  • Placement: a dedicated full-time placement coordinator manages all clinical and immersion experiences
  • GVSU cites partnerships with over 1,700 healthcare organizations

The 750 precepted hours alone sit above the 600 to 700 hour range common in FNP programs and 250 hours over the 500-hour certification floor. The 250 simulation hours add supervised procedure practice on top of that. In practice, the three practicum terms work out to roughly 15 to 20 hours a week of clinical time across a full-length semester. Coordinator-managed placement is the stronger model: the school arranges sites rather than helping students search.

You Should Know
  • The 1,000-hour figure includes 250 lab and simulation hours. Direct precepted patient care is 750 hours, matching the catalog’s single-track NP minimum.
  • Whether placements are available outside Michigan is not clearly stated.
  • No telehealth clinical policy is published.
  • Choosing practicum credits above the recommended 10 adds hours and tuition; faculty must approve the split.

BSN-DNP Admissions

Grand Valley admits one cohort each fall and requires a faculty interview and a scholarly writing sample.

  • BSN from a CCNE or CNEA accredited program
  • Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA across all undergraduate and graduate coursework
  • Current curriculum vitae or resume
  • Scholarly writing sample
  • Qualifying interview with KCON faculty
  • Current Michigan RN license (required for full admission)
  • Criminal background check, drug screen, and health and immunization compliance
  • Application materials due May 1 each year for fall entry; later applications considered if seats remain
You Should Know
  • The May 1, 2026 deadline for the fall 2026 cohort has passed. The next cycle is fall 2027, with a May 1, 2027 preferred deadline.
  • BSN programs accredited only by ACEN are not on the accepted list.
  • Out-of-state applicants must live in a SARA state and still hold a Michigan RN license. GVSU markets graduate nursing to 10 states (FL, IL, IN, KS, ME, MA, NC, OH, VT, VA), but that list is published for the MSN, not the DNP-FNP.
  • Graduates practicing outside Michigan must meet that state’s NP licensure requirements.
  • No RN experience minimum is stated.

Tuition

Grand Valley charges $1,052 per credit for the Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2026-2027 (published). Graduate rates are set by program, with no separate resident and non-resident rates.

ItemCalculationAmount
DNP-FNP tuition78 credits × $1,052$82,056
  • DNP tuition: $1,052 per credit, same for Michigan and out-of-state students
  • Estimated program tuition: $82,056 (derived)

Be aware that:

  • The total is derived and assumes 2026-2027 rates for all three years. GVSU states rates can change at any time by Board of Trustees action.
  • GVSU assesses per-credit or per-course surcharges on certain classes. Which nursing courses carry them is not clearly stated.
  • Taking practicum credits above the required 10 (up to 14 by course maximums) adds up to $4,208.
  • The DNP rate is $112 per credit higher than GVSU’s MSN rate ($940).
  • Travel to Grand Rapids for 1 to 2 campus sessions per semester is not included.

With no residency differential and no published program fee, the per-credit rate is close to the full cost. The main variables are course surcharges, extra practicum credits, and travel for simulation days. Graduate assistantships, which carry tuition and stipend support, can cut the total materially for students who qualify.

Rates are published on GVSU’s 2026-2027 Tuition and Fees page.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for Michigan-licensed nurses who already want a doctorate, value procedural training, and would rather have the school arrange clinical sites.

Placement handled for you. A full-time coordinator arranges every clinical and immersion placement. For nurses who have watched classmates stall while searching for preceptors, this reduces the risk of a stalled clinical term.

Skills depth. The four-course procedures and simulation sequence adds 250 hours to 750 precepted hours. Graduates enter practice with more supervised procedure time than a practicum-only program provides.

How it compares with Wayne State. Both schools offer the FNP only as a BSN-DNP with a fall start, at 78 and 79 credits. Grand Valley publishes 750 precepted hours plus 250 simulation hours against Wayne State’s 630 FNP clinical hours, and its $82,056 single-rate total compares with about $102,463 for a Wayne State resident. Wayne State keeps its program in Detroit; Grand Valley suits West Michigan nurses and SARA-state residents who hold a Michigan license.

Honest drawbacks. There is no MSN or certificate exit, so nurses who only want FNP certification pay for three years of doctoral work. The fall 2026 curriculum is new and not yet reflected in the catalog, and the Michigan RN license requirement applies even to out-of-state students.

Accreditation

The BSN, MSN, and DNP programs at Grand Valley’s Kirkhof College of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The FNP is an emphasis within the accredited DNP program, and the fall 2026 cohort is its first under the current course plan.

Grand Valley State University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Institutional accreditation governs federal financial aid eligibility and the transfer of graduate credit.

The college is housed in the DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health on GVSU’s Health Campus in downtown Grand Rapids, where NP simulation sessions take place.

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

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