Kentucky Christian University FNP Programs

Yancey School of Nursing • Grayson, KY • Online • $525/credit

Kentucky Christian University offers an MSN Family Nurse Practitioner track.

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
MSN$26.6K2.3 years (7 semesters)47

Tuition estimates use KCU’s 2026-27 rate of $525 per credit plus the $250-per-semester MSN Student Fee and the $150 First-Time Online Student Service Fee.

528 clinical hours, 28 above the 500-hour certification minimum. Kentucky Christian University packs all of them into the last two semesters, after 12 online courses taken one at a time, and charges a flat $525 per credit with no campus requirement.

The trade-off is the finish. Students find their own preceptors, then log about 15 to 18 clinical hours a week for two straight semesters. Nurses who want clinical volume well above the minimum, or school-arranged placements, should look elsewhere. KCU’s own disclosure also lists Tennessee and six other states where the program does not meet board requirements.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN (FNP)
FormatOnline; asynchronous courses, one course at a time
Clinical Hours528 (240 summer + 288 fall)
Clinical PlacementStudent-arranged preceptor in home community, school-approved
PopulationFamily/lifespan; stated emphasis on underserved local communities
Distinctive CourseworkGraduate Bioethics (BIO 554) taught from a Christian worldview
RN License RequirementsUnrestricted U.S. RN license; 800 RN practice hours before first practicum
Tuition$525/credit, all residencies; $250/semester MSN fee
AccreditationCCNE (MSN through 2032); SACSCOC
Enrollment RestrictionsDoes not meet board requirements in CA, ID, LA, MD, NY, TN, UT

Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner at Kentucky Christian University is approximately $26,575 (47 credits at $525/credit, plus fees). The program can generally be completed in about 2.3 years (7 semesters, including summers).

MSN Curriculum

The MSN is 14 courses and 47 credits, taken one course at a time with no scheduled login times. Students register and pay course by course.

Didactic sequence. Twelve courses (34 credits) come first: the advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and assessment trio, three specialty management courses (Adults I, Adults II, Women and Children), and six role, research, policy, and technology courses. Faith integration runs through the course descriptions, and a standalone graduate Bioethics course is required.

Practicum block. The final 13 credits are two internships, NUR 617 (6 credits) and NUR 618 (7 credits). Each pairs clinical hours with a capstone research or quality improvement project: a proposal in the first and a finished project in the second.

This structure keeps the first five semesters light for working nurses. It also means students see no supervised patient care until the last two terms, so the program leans on prior RN experience to bridge that gap.

  • NUR 512 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
  • NUR 510 Advanced Pharmacology (4)
  • NUR 509 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning (3)
  • NUR 550 Advanced Nursing Care of Adults I (3)
  • NUR 609 Advanced Nursing Care of Adults II (3)
  • NUR 607 Advanced Nursing Care of Women and Children (3)
  • BIO 554 Bioethics (3)
  • NUR 608 Advanced Nursing Research (3)
  • NUR 617 Advanced Nursing Internship I (6)
  • NUR 618 Advanced Nursing Internship II (7)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • The seven-semester timeline comes from KCU’s own program announcements, not a published plan of study. No full-time or accelerated option is described.
  • The program page lists “Spring and Fall start available,” but only fall deadlines are published. Confirm whether a spring cohort runs.
  • KCU’s 2026-27 rate table lists an online DNP at $585 per credit, and the MSN page promotes DNP progression. No MSN-to-DNP bridge details are published on the MSN page.

MSN Clinical Requirements

  • Total: 528 hours = 240 (NUR 617, summer) + 288 (NUR 618, fall)
  • NUR 617 load: 15 clinical hours plus a 1-hour seminar per week (240 ÷ 15 = 16 weeks)
  • NUR 618 load: not stated; about 18 hours per week over a 16-week fall term (derived)
  • Settings: primary care, women’s health, pediatrics, and specialty care
  • Placement: student completes hours independently under an approved preceptor near home or work
  • Knights at the Round Table: optional two-day campus event on advanced practice skills before clinicals; content offered virtually

At 528 hours, KCU sits just above the 500-hour certification floor and below the 600 to 700 hours common among FNP programs. The volume itself is manageable. The concentration is the challenge: two consecutive semesters at 15 to 18 hours a week, on top of a nursing job, with no school-arranged sites. KCU says as much, warning working nurses to plan their time carefully during the practicum.

You Should Know
  • Some state boards and employers expect more than 500 to 528 hours. Check your target state’s APRN rules before enrolling.
  • The page’s FAQ states the program requires no campus visits, yet Knights at the Round Table is described as an on-campus skills event. KCU says the content is available virtually.
  • The summer-then-fall practicum order implies the clinical block runs on a fixed annual cycle. A delayed preceptor could push completion back a full year.

MSN Admissions

Applicants without RN experience can enroll, but must log 800 RN practice hours before starting the first practicum. An interview may be required.

  • BSN from a nationally accredited program
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA
  • Unrestricted RN license in any U.S. jurisdiction
  • Undergraduate statistics course (3 credits, grade of C or better)
  • Resume or CV and a writing sample on goals and fit
  • Two references: one from an immediate supervisor, one professional or academic
  • Transcripts from all colleges, plus high school transcripts on acceptance
  • GRE optional
  • Fall deadlines: March 1 priority, July 1 final (annual cycle); late files reviewed if seats remain
You Should Know
  • KCU’s licensure disclosure lists the program as not meeting board requirements in California, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, and Utah. Twenty-one states are listed as not yet determined, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Arizona.
  • The disclosure file dates from 2024. Out-of-state applicants should confirm current status with the program coordinator.
  • The TOEFL minimum appears as 84 (with a 26 speaking score) in one list and 85 in another.
  • One section directs transcripts to Nursing CAS while another says to apply through KCU’s own application. Confirm the correct route before submitting.

Tuition

Kentucky Christian University charges $525 per credit for the MSN, the same for every state. Adding the MSN Student Fee and the one-time online student fee brings the derived all-in rate to about $565 per credit.

ItemCalculationAmount
Tuition47 credits × $525$24,675
MSN Student Fee7 semesters × $250$1,750
First-Time Online Student Service FeeOne time$150
Estimated total (derived)$26,575

Rates come from KCU’s 2026-27 Online Graduate Programs Tuition and Fees page.

  • $525 per credit for all residencies (2026-27)
  • MSN Student Fee: $250 per semester
  • First-Time Online Student Service Fee: $150
  • Pay per course: students are billed one course at a time

Be aware that:

  • The $26,575 total is derived. KCU publishes only per-credit and per-semester rates.
  • The fee total assumes seven billed semesters. KCU’s online rate page shows $750 in annual mandatory fees, while its cost-of-attendance PDF shows $500 for a fall-spring year. Both match $250 per semester; the count of billed terms decides the total.
  • Books and materials are estimated at $2,895 a year on KCU’s cost-of-attendance table. An older KCU nursing cost sheet also estimated about $1,100 for a computer and software.
  • Full-time online graduate status is 6 credits per semester. One-course-at-a-time pacing may fall below that in some terms, which can affect federal aid eligibility.
  • The $525 rate held steady from 2022-23 through 2026-27, but future increases are not ruled out.

Under $27,000 all-in for a CCNE-accredited MSN, with the same rate in every state, is a low total for a private university. The pay-per-course model also spreads that cost over more than two years instead of front-loading it.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for experienced RNs who can secure their own preceptor and want a low, predictable price with faith-integrated coursework.

Workload that fits a full-time job, until the end. Five semesters of single, asynchronous courses make the didactic phase realistic for nurses working full time. The final two semesters are a different commitment. Plan on 15 to 18 clinical hours a week from summer through fall, and line up PTO or a reduced schedule before NUR 617 begins.

Cost and travel are low. Students pay $525 per credit regardless of residency, with no required campus trips. Clinicals are completed near home, which suits nurses in rural or underserved communities the program says it aims to serve.

The honest drawbacks. Clinical volume is close to the national minimum, and placement is entirely on the student. Residents of Tennessee, Maryland, and the other excluded states cannot use the degree for licensure there. Nurses who want a secular program, more hours, or school-arranged sites have better fits elsewhere.

Accreditation

The MSN at Kentucky Christian University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). In its most recent review, CCNE reaccredited the MSN for 10 years, through December 31, 2032. The BSN is also CCNE-accredited, and both programs are approved by the Kentucky Board of Nursing.

Kentucky Christian University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), most recently reaffirmed through 2030. Regional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer to other graduate programs.

Graduates are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC). KCU states the program meets ANCC’s educational eligibility requirements for the family population.

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