Georgia Southwestern State University offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- MSN
- Post-Master’s Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $17.9K | 22 mos (FT) | 44 |
| Certificate | $13K | ~21 mos | 32 |
GSW charges a single online rate of $407/credit; the published online tuition schedule lists no in-state/out-of-state distinction (verify with the bursar if you live outside Georgia).
GSW’s defining advantage is price paired with format: at roughly $17,900 for the full MSN with zero campus visits, it is the cheapest fully online FNP option we’ve profiled in Georgia. Students also complete 780 clinical hours — well above the 500-hour certification minimum — and the program reports a 100% FNP certification exam pass rate.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN-FNP; Post-Master’s FNP Certificate |
| Format | 100% online coursework (Georgia On My Line platform); clinicals in person, locally |
| Clinical Hours | 780 (both tracks) |
| Clinical Placement | Sites and preceptors approved by FNP Program Coordinators; arranged near the student’s community when feasible |
| Population | Family/individual across the lifespan |
| Distinctive Coursework | 7-credit combined OB & Pediatric primary care course; 300-hour capstone practicum |
| Concentrations | None |
| RN License Requirements | Active, unencumbered RN license; licensed in the state where clinicals occur |
| RN Experience Gate | Minimum 1 year full-time RN experience (both tracks) |
| Certification Pass Rate | 100% (current, school-reported) |
| Tuition | $407/credit online + $303/semester online learning fee |
| Accreditation | CCNE (MSN and post-graduate APRN certificate); SACSCOC (institutional) |
MSN — Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner at Georgia Southwestern is approximately $17,908 (44 credits at $407/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 22 months of full-time study.
MSN Curriculum
The 44-credit curriculum is unusually concentrated: just ten courses total, with the clinical training loaded into four large courses rather than spread across many small ones. The two adult primary care courses carry 6 credits each, the combined OB & pediatric course carries 7, and the final practicum carries 6 — a design that means each clinical semester is a substantial commitment rather than a light add-on.
There are no concentrations or electives; every student follows the same sequence.
Foundation Courses (15 credits)
- NURS 6105 Research for Evidence-Based Practice (3)
- NURS 6127 Scientific Underpinnings of the APRN Role (3)
- NURS 6106 Advanced Pharmacology (3)
- NURS 6107 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NURS 6421 Advanced Health Assessment (3)
FNP Specialty Sequence (23 credits) and Practicum (6 credits)
- NURS 6129 Health Care Delivery Models, Economics & Policy (2)
- NURS 6226 Diagnostic & Clinical Reasoning for APNs (2)
- NURS 6422 Primary Care of Adults Across the Lifespan I (6; 150 clinical hours)
- NURS 6423 Primary Care of Adults Across the Lifespan II (6; 150 clinical hours)
- NURS 6424 Primary Care of OB & Pediatric Populations (7; 180 clinical hours)
- NURS 6425 Nurse Practitioner Practicum (6; 300 clinical hours)
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 780 total clinical hours: 150 (Adults I) + 150 (Adults II) + 180 (OB & Pediatrics) + 300 (final practicum)
- Clinical sites and preceptors must be approved by the FNP Program Coordinators
- Sites are arranged as close to the student’s residence or local community as feasible
- Both student and preceptor must hold RN licensure in the state where the clinical takes place, and placements must comply with that state’s Board of Nursing regulations
- All clinical components are in person; only didactic coursework is online
At 780 hours, GSW requires 56% more clinical time than the 500-hour certification floor and sits above the 600–700 hours most FNP programs assign — among Georgia programs we’ve profiled, only Kennesaw State’s 840 runs higher. The coordinator-approval model means the school vets your sites rather than leaving you fully on your own, but students in states far from Georgia should confirm GSW is authorized to place clinicals in their state before applying.
MSN Admissions
GSW runs two admission cycles per year — a flexibility many competing FNP programs with single fall intakes don’t offer — and requires at least one year of full-time RN experience.
- BSN held at time of application (official transcript required)
- Minimum 1 year of full-time RN experience
- Active, unencumbered RN license
- Three recommendation forms from professional or clinical associates
- Current professional resume, immunization form, and legal name verification
- $25 application fee
- Deadlines: Summer/Fall admission — February 1 (preferred), March 1 (final); Spring admission — October 15
Post-Master’s FNP Certificate
The estimated tuition for the Post-Master’s FNP Certificate at Georgia Southwestern is approximately $13,024 (32 credits at $407/credit).
The program can generally be completed in about 21 months following the published five-semester plan of study.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is the MSN’s specialty sequence, not a slimmed-down version of it: MSN-prepared nurses complete the same four clinical courses and the same 300-hour practicum as degree students.
The three advanced practice core courses — pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment — must already appear on your graduate transcript; an admissions gap analysis determines whether any additional coursework is required, and prior equivalent courses can be waived.
- NURS 6127 Scientific Underpinnings of the APRN Role (3)
- NURS 6129 Health Care Delivery Models, Economics & Policy (2)
- NURS 6226 Diagnostic & Clinical Reasoning for APNs (2)
- NURS 6422 Primary Care of Adults Across the Lifespan I (6; 150 clinical hours)
- NURS 6423 Primary Care of Adults Across the Lifespan II (6; 150 clinical hours)
- NURS 6424 Primary Care of OB & Pediatric Populations (7; 180 clinical hours)
- NURS 6425 Nurse Practitioner Practicum (6; 300 clinical hours)
More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 780 total clinical hours — identical to the MSN (150 + 150 + 180 + 300)
- Sites and preceptors approved by the FNP Program Coordinators, arranged near the student’s community when feasible
- Student and preceptor must hold RN licensure in the clinical state and comply with that Board of Nursing’s placement regulations
This is worth pausing on: many post-master’s certificates reduce clinical hours through gap analysis, but GSW’s certificate requires the full 780 regardless of prior APRN experience. That makes it one of the most clinically thorough certificate routes available — strong preparation, but not a shortcut. If you’re an experienced APRN hoping to test out of clinical time, this isn’t the program structured for that.
Certificate Admissions
The certificate has a single annual application deadline — June 30 — and a GPA gate the MSN doesn’t list.
- MSN from an accredited program (transcript required)
- Graduate GPA of 3.0; applicants at 2.75–2.99 in graduate nursing courses may be conditionally accepted
- Transcript must show completed Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Health Assessment
- Minimum 1 year of full-time RN experience
- Active, unencumbered RN license (plus APRN license for applicants holding an APRN degree)
- Three recommendation forms, current resume, legal name verification, $25 application fee
- Application and all documents due by June 30 for fall start
Tuition
GSW’s online MSN rate is $407 per credit hour (Fall 2026 schedule), which applies to both FNP tracks.
That works out to an estimated $17,908 for the 44-credit MSN and $13,024 for the 32-credit certificate — tuition only, before fees.
- Online-only students pay a $303 online learning fee per semester when enrolled in 3+ credits (about $1,500–$1,800 over a full program); semesters of 1–2 credits carry a $73 technology fee instead
- One-time charges: $25 application, $85 orientation, $50 graduation application
- A $160 nursing testing fee (ELSEVIER/HESI) appears on the course fee schedule and may apply to some nursing courses
- The published online rate lists no residency tiers; out-of-state applicants should confirm the $407 rate applies to them
- Rates are effective Fall 2026 and subject to annual revision
All-in, expect roughly $19,500–$20,000 for the MSN and about $14,500–$15,000 for the certificate — totals that undercut most private online FNP programs by half or more.
Official rates are on GSW’s tuition and fees page.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
This program fits nurses whose top two priorities are keeping cost down and never setting foot on campus — and who want more clinical preparation than the typical online program provides, not less.
The value case is straightforward. At $407/credit with no residency surcharge listed, GSW’s MSN lands under $18,000 in tuition while delivering 780 supervised clinical hours and a current 100% FNP certification exam pass rate. Cheap programs sometimes signal thin clinical training; GSW’s numbers point the other way. Two admission cycles per year (spring and summer/fall) also mean you’re not stuck waiting twelve months if you miss a deadline, which single-intake competitors can’t match.
The trade-offs are academic rigor and institutional scale. GSW enforces a strict A/B grading standard — a C means repeating the course, a second C or an F means dismissal — and all requirements must finish within five years. There are no concentrations, no DNP pathway at GSW to continue into, and this is a small regional state school in Americus rather than a name-brand research university.
Against Kennesaw State, the closest in-state rival on price, the choice comes down to format: KSU’s in-state all-in cost runs about $3,000 lower and its 840 clinical hours edge out GSW’s 780, but KSU is a hybrid program with monthly weekend campus attendance in metro Atlanta and a fall-only start. GSW asks for slightly more money and slightly fewer hours in exchange for zero campus travel and two intakes a year. For nurses in south Georgia — or anywhere outside Atlanta’s orbit — GSW is the stronger practical fit.
Accreditation
The master’s degree program in nursing and the post-graduate APRN certificate program at Georgia Southwestern State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The university itself is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which reaffirmed GSW’s accreditation for ten years in December 2024. GSW reports a 100% current pass rate on the FNP certification exam; the school does not specify AANP (FNP-C) versus ANCC (FNP-BC), though graduates of CCNE-accredited FNP programs can generally sit for either exam.
Compare More Family Nurse Practitioner Programs in Georgia
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- Kennesaw State University - Kennesaw
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