Northern Michigan University FNP Programs

School of Nursing • Marquette, MI • Mostly Online • $897–$986/credit

Northern Michigan University offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • MSN
  • BSN-DNP

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
MSN$40.4K / $40.4K2.5 years (7 semesters)45
BSN-DNP$71.0K / $71.0K4 years (about 12 semesters)72

Tuition estimates use NMU’s published 2026-27 MSN and DNP per-credit rates, which are the same for Michigan residents and non-residents.

NMU’s part-time pace comes with a catch: students are expected to find their own preceptors, and if NMU has to assign a site, it may be 50 or more miles from home. In return, NMU pays each preceptor $1,000 per clinical semester through a per-credit preceptor fee, and no term in the MSN runs above 7 credits.

Both tracks are low-residency, with two required on-campus events in Marquette. The MSN admits one cohort a year, starting each fall, and the curriculum carries a rural and population health policy course aimed at Upper Peninsula and tribal health settings.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN; BSN-DNP (post-baccalaureate DNP with FNP population focus)
FormatMostly Online: online coursework, two required on-campus events in Marquette
Clinical Hours750 (MSN); 1,000 (BSN-DNP); 250 per practicum course
Clinical PlacementStudent finds sites; NMU assigns one if the student cannot, possibly far from home
PopulationFamilies and individuals across the lifespan
Distinctive CourseworkHealth Policy and Advocacy for Improving Rural and Population Health
ConcentrationsNone
RN License RequirementsCurrent U.S. RN license; unrestricted license before clinicals
Tuition$897/credit (MSN), $986/credit (DNP), same for all residencies, plus preceptor fee
AccreditationCCNE (MSN, DNP); Higher Learning Commission
Start TermOne cohort a year, starting in August (fall)
PacePart-time only

Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the MSN at Northern Michigan University is approximately $40,365 (45 credits at $897/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 2.5 years (7 semesters) of part-time study, including summers.

The official program page is NMU’s Master of Science in Nursing.

MSN Curriculum

Structure. The 45 credits split into a 15-credit graduate core, a 9-credit advanced practice core, and a 21-credit FNP sequence. The first four semesters carry 6 credits each and contain no clinical work. The last three semesters (winter, summer, fall) pair a primary care management course with a 4-credit practicum at 7 credits a term.

Rural focus. NU 520 frames health policy around rural and population health, which matches NMU’s stated practice settings: rural ambulatory clinics, community health centers, and tribal health centers.

Checkpoints. A standardized exam on pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment must be passed before clinicals begin. Students also submit two formal file papers (in NU 510 and NU 547) and take a comprehensive exit exam in the final semester.

  • NU 510 Theoretical and Scientific Foundations for Evidence-Based Practice (4)
  • NU 512 Organizational and Systems Leadership for Quality Improvement and Safety (3)
  • NU 520 Health Policy and Advocacy for Improving Rural and Population Health (3)
  • NU 541 Advanced Health Assessment (3)
  • NU 542/543 Primary Care Management-1 and Clinical Practicum-1 (3 + 4)
  • NU 544/545 Primary Care Management-2 and Clinical Practicum-2 (3 + 4)
  • NU 546/547 Primary Care Management-3 and Clinical Practicum-3 (3 + 4)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • The course sequence is fixed and runs in a single fall-start cohort, so a missed course can delay progression by a year.
  • Every course requires 83% (a B) or better, and all requirements must be finished within seven years.
  • The catalog labels the MSN “Online only through NMU Global Campus,” but the same catalog entry requires two on-campus events.

MSN Clinical Requirements

  • 750 clinical hours: 250 in each of NU 543, NU 545, and NU 547 (12 clinical credits, about 62.5 hours per credit)
  • NU 543 runs about 16 hours a week; the summer practicum, NU 545, runs about 25 hours a week
  • Clinicals may be done in the student’s own community with an approved preceptor
  • Students are expected to pursue their own primary care sites; the Graduate Program Coordinator assigns a site only if a student cannot find one
  • NMU pays each preceptor $1,000 per clinical semester, funded by a student preceptor fee
  • Before clinicals: unrestricted RN license, two-step TB test, MMR, hepatitis B, varicella, Tdap, CPR, NP student malpractice insurance, background check, and drug screen

At 750 hours, the MSN sits above the 500-hour certification floor and slightly above the 600 to 700 hour range common among FNP programs. The load is manageable for most of the year, but the summer practicum packs 250 hours into a shorter term, which is close to three clinic days a week. The paid-preceptor model can make it easier to recruit a local preceptor, but the search itself is still the student’s job.

You Should Know
  • An NMU-assigned site may not be in the student’s area of preference, and the handbook notes that students often drive 50 miles or more each week to clinical sites.
  • No telehealth clinical policy is published.
  • Weekly hours for NU 547 are not clearly stated; 250 hours are required.

MSN Admissions

Admission is rolling for a single fall cohort, and seats can fill before the deadline.

  • BSN from an accredited nursing program with at least a 3.0 GPA (also the Graduate College minimum)
  • Current RN license in the United States
  • Graduate application and fee, and official transcripts from all prior colleges
  • Current resume
  • One-page statement of graduate goals (Times New Roman 12-point, double-spaced)
  • One letter of recommendation from an academic source, clinical colleague, or manager
  • Preferred but not required: a statistics course, and a B or better in health assessment and in anatomy and physiology
  • Application window: mid-April through April 15 of the following year, for an August start (the current cycle closes April 15, 2027)
You Should Know
  • NMU participates in SARA and can enroll online students from any state, but the Graduate Coordinator reviews each applicant’s state board requirements at admission. NMU’s licensure page could not be read during research.
  • Students must contact the Graduate Coordinator before moving to another state, or progression may be affected.
  • Out-of-state students are told to confirm with their own board of nursing that an NMU degree will qualify them for NP practice there.
  • No RN experience minimum is stated.

BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the BSN-DNP at Northern Michigan University is approximately $70,992 (72 credits at $986/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 4 years of part-time study (about 12 semesters, derived from year-round enrollment like the MSN).

The official program page is NMU’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Program.

BSN-DNP Curriculum

The post-baccalaureate DNP uses the same family and lifespan population focus as the MSN and the same low-residency model. It adds 27 credits and one more 250-hour practicum, and it culminates in a DNP project governed by NMU’s DNP Project Handbook. There is no MSN awarded along the way.

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • The current catalog record for this track did not load during research, so a course-level breakdown is not clearly stated here.
  • An archived NMU bulletin listed 78 credits for this track. The current program page states 72, which this profile uses.

BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements

  • 1,000 supervised clinical hours, at 250 hours per semester in each practicum course (four practicum semesters)
  • Same placement model as the MSN: students seek their own preceptors, and the Graduate Program Coordinator assigns a site if needed
  • Two required on-campus meetings, in the fall of the second and third years
  • Same pre-clinical exam and final-semester comprehensive exams as the MSN

1,000 hours is well above both the 500-hour floor and the common 600 to 700 hour range, and 250 more than NMU’s own MSN. For a nurse who wants the doctorate anyway, the extra practicum is spread over a four-year part-time schedule rather than stacked into a shorter program.

You Should Know
  • The DNP handbook places the second campus meeting “just prior to graduation” in the third year, which does not match its own four-year program length. Confirm campus dates with the program.
  • Hours for the DNP project, beyond the 1,000 clinical hours, are not clearly stated.

BSN-DNP Admissions

The BSN-DNP also admits one cohort a year: applications close April 15, 2027, for an August 2027 start.

  • Rolling review, with admission closing early if seats fill
  • Same SARA and state board review as the MSN
You Should Know
  • Full current admission requirements are published only in the catalog record, which did not load. An archived bulletin asked for three recommendations (one academic), compared with one for the MSN. Confirm current requirements with the program director.

Tuition

NMU charges a published $897 per credit for the MSN and $986 per credit for the DNP in 2026-27. Both rates are the same for Michigan residents and non-residents. With the preceptor fee and activity fee included, the all-in cost works out to about $972 per credit for the MSN and $1,050 per credit for the DNP (derived).

ComponentMSNBSN-DNP
Tuition$40,365 (45 x $897)$70,992 (72 x $986)
Preceptor fee (derived)$2,997 (45 x $66.60)$3,996 (72 x $55.50)
Student activity fee (derived)$357 (7 x $51)About $612 (12 x $51)
Estimated all-in (derived)$43,719About $75,600
  • MSN tuition: $897 per credit, residents and non-residents
  • DNP tuition: $986 per credit, residents and non-residents
  • Student activity fee: $51 per semester at 6 or more credits
  • University fee: $466 per semester at 8 or more credits
  • Preceptor fee: about $66.60 per credit each semester (MSN handbook)

Be aware that:

  • The preceptor fee is published only in the program handbooks, not on NMU’s tuition page. The MSN handbook lists about $66.60 per credit and the older DNP handbook lists $55.50, so the DNP figure may be out of date.
  • MSN terms carry 6 or 7 credits, below the 8-credit threshold for the $466 university fee. The fee for lighter loads is not clearly stated, so it is not included above.
  • The laptop included with NMU tuition applies only to full-time graduate students (8 or more credits), which the part-time MSN schedule does not reach.
  • NP student malpractice insurance, background check, drug screen, immunizations, and travel to Marquette are student costs.
  • Estimates assume 2026-27 rates hold for the full program.

The flat rate matters most for non-residents: an out-of-state nurse pays $90 per credit less than NMU’s standard non-resident graduate rate, while a Michigan resident pays $126 more than the standard resident rate. The preceptor fee adds about 7% to MSN tuition, which is worth counting because it is easy to miss. Moving from the MSN to the DNP adds about $30,600 in tuition for 27 more credits.

Rates are published on NMU’s Tuition and Fees page.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for working nurses, especially in rural Michigan, who want a slow and steady part-time schedule, very little campus travel, and are comfortable recruiting their own preceptor.

A schedule built around a full-time job. The MSN never exceeds 7 credits a term, the first four semesters have no clinicals, and there are only two trips to campus. That makes it realistic to keep a full-time RN job through most of the program.

Paid preceptors, student-led search. NMU’s $1,000-per-semester preceptor payment gives students something concrete to offer a local NP or physician. The trade-off is that finding the site is still the student’s responsibility, and a fallback assignment can mean long weekly drives.

Honest drawbacks. There is one start a year, no full-time option to finish faster, and no post-master’s FNP certificate. The Michigan resident rate for the MSN is higher than NMU’s standard resident graduate rate, and the state licensure page was not readable during research.

How it compares with Saginaw Valley State. SVSU’s MSN also charges one rate regardless of residency, and its tuition lands in the same range (about $40,000 to $42,400 against NMU’s $40,365). The difference is format and hours. SVSU runs a hybrid program with in-person evening sessions and 600 clinical hours, while NMU asks for two campus visits and 750 hours. Nurses who live near Saginaw and want regular classroom contact have a reason to look there; nurses elsewhere in Michigan or out of state will find NMU’s low-residency model easier to manage.

Accreditation

The MSN Family Nurse Practitioner program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). CCNE granted a five-year term running through June 30, 2028, effective September 12, 2022, and the next on-site evaluation is scheduled for fall 2027.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program, including the post-baccalaureate FNP track, is accredited by CCNE for ten years through December 31, 2031.

Northern Michigan University is a public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Institutional accreditation governs federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer.

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

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