Pittsburg State University offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- BSN-DNP
- MSN-DNP (Post-Certification)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP | $43.0K-$45.3K | 4 years (12 semesters) | 74-78 |
| MSN-DNP | $18.6K-$22.7K | Not clearly stated | 32-39 |
Tuition estimates use Pitt State’s published 2026-2027 Doctor of Nursing Practice rate of $581 per credit.
Pittsburg State starts its FNP doctorate with research and the DNP project, not patient care. The first FNP practicum does not arrive until the second spring, and the 74-credit plan builds in an optional Nursing Education emphasis that turns the required electives into teaching coursework for 4 extra credits. Graduates can leave with FNP preparation and formal educator training in one degree.
The trade-off is pace and logistics. The full-time plan runs 12 consecutive terms with one summer start per year, and students find their own preceptors. The school also advises against full-time employment once admitted.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | BSN-DNP (FNP); MSN-DNP for certified APRNs |
| Format | Mostly Online; one DNP Intensive Seminar in the first summer |
| Clinical Hours | 1,056 practice hours (BSN-DNP); 624 in preceptored primary care practica |
| Clinical Placement | Student-secured preceptors; faculty approve sites and handle contracts |
| Population | Family/individual across the lifespan |
| Concentrations | Optional Nursing Education emphasis (10 credits) |
| RN License Requirements | Kansas RN or multistate RN valid where clinicals occur |
| Start Term | BSN-DNP: summer only; one application window per year |
| Tuition | $581 per credit (published DNP rate, 2026-2027) |
| Accreditation | CCNE (BSN, MSN, DNP) |
BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the BSN to DNP in Advanced Practice Nursing at Pittsburg State University is approximately $42,994 (74 credits at $581/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 4 years (12 consecutive terms, summers included), following the school’s full-time plan of study.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
Doctoral work comes first. Year 1 covers professional identity, theory, health promotion, and research. The DNP Scholarly Project (NURS 920) starts in the first spring and runs in pieces across four terms. Students choose and develop their project before they see their first FNP patient.
The FNP spine is compressed into the middle. Advanced health assessment and its practicum arrive in Year 2 spring. Primary Care I and II, each with a paired practicum, fill Year 3. Primary Care III spans the third spring and fourth summer. The DNP residency and final electives close out Year 4.
The education emphasis costs little extra. The BSN-DNP requires 6 elective credits. Students who take the 10-credit Nursing Education emphasis apply 6 of those credits to the elective requirement, so the degree grows from 74 to 78 credits. That adds about $2,324 at the current rate.
- NURS 712 Professional Identity in Advanced Level Nursing (2)
- NURS 892 Health Care Research (4)
- NURS 809 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NURS 817 Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics (1) and NURS 818 Applied Drug Therapy (3)
- NURS 806 / 812 Primary Care I and II: Family Health (3 each)
- NURS 828 Primary Care III Practicum (5, split spring and summer)
- NURS 889 Impact of Health Determinants (3)
- NURS 850 Curriculum Development (3, education emphasis)
- NURS 920 DNP Scholarly Project (6 total)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The online program page says the education emphasis adds “three additional credit hours.” The catalog’s 74 and 78 credit totals imply 4. The catalog math is used here.
- Graduate-level statistics (3 credits) is a prerequisite and is not counted in the 74 credits.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total: 1,056 practice hours (published in the DNP handbook)
- NURS 804 Advanced Health Assessment Practicum: 96 hours
- NURS 807 Primary Care I Practicum: 144 hours
- NURS 813 Primary Care II Practicum: 144 hours
- NURS 828 Primary Care III Practicum: 240 hours (96 spring, 144 summer)
- NURS 910 DNP Clinical Residency: 144 hours
- NURS 920 DNP Scholarly Project: 288 hours
- Placement: students recruit their own preceptors; course faculty or the graduate coordinator approve each preceptor and site
- Preceptors: APRNs (MSN or DNP, one year of advanced practice, board certified) or board-certified MD/DO, licensed in the clinical state
- Faculty oversight: one in-person site visit per practicum course plus one video (FaceTime) visit per semester
The 624 hours in preceptored primary care practica sit near the 600 to 700 hours common in FNP programs and well above the 500-hour certification floor. The residency brings direct clinical time to 768. The remaining 288 hours belong to the scholarly project. The load is spread thin early (about 6 to 9 hours a week in the fall and spring practica) and heaviest in the fourth summer, when 144 hours fall into a single shorter term. Self-placement means preceptor recruiting begins with the first practicum course in Year 2 and repeats for each course.
You Should Know
- The FNP preceptor handbook says students must complete “1000+ hours in primary care.” The course structure puts 624 to 768 hours in primary care practice. The rest is project time.
- The catalog lists the residency at 144 to 288 hours. The handbook’s 1,056-hour total uses 144.
- Clinical hours cannot start until the preceptor contract is signed and approved. No lead time is published.
- Pitt State confirms licensure eligibility only for Kansas. Students planning to practice elsewhere should check with that state’s board before enrolling.
BSN-DNP Admissions
Admission is competitive, limited, and once a year: applications open August 1 and close October 10 for a summer start.
- BSN from a nationally accredited nursing program
- Undergraduate GPA of 3.00; 2.70 to 2.999 considered on a space-available basis
- Prerequisites: undergraduate research, physical health assessment content, and graduate statistics
- Current Kansas RN license or multistate RN license valid in the clinical state
- Documentation of current nursing practice (employer letter on letterhead)
- Three references and a resume
- Critical thinking test and proctored writing sample; personal interview may be required
- $140 nonrefundable application fee (covers standardized testing)
- CastleBranch national background check; non-Kansas residents also submit a $30 Kansas Bureau of Investigation check
- TOEFL iBT (79) or IELTS for applicants born outside the U.S.
You Should Know
- The application window for a summer 2027 start closed October 10, 2026. The next window opens August 1, 2027.
- All criminal history, including diversions and pending arrests, is reviewed case by case. Students must also disclose disciplinary action on any license, including a driver’s license.
- Courses older than six years at graduation must be repeated or validated by exam.
MSN to DNP, Advanced Practice Nursing
The estimated tuition for the MSN to DNP in Advanced Practice Nursing at Pittsburg State University is approximately $18,592 (32 credits at $581/credit). Completion time is not clearly stated.
This track does not prepare students for FNP certification. It is a doctoral completion route for nurses who already hold APRN licensure and national certification.
MSN-DNP Curriculum
The track is the doctoral layer of the BSN-DNP without the FNP specialty courses. It covers translation to doctoral leadership, informatics, policy, epidemiology, health determinants, and quality outcomes, plus a 3-credit elective. The Nursing Education emphasis is available here too, but it adds 7 credits (32 to 39) because only 3 elective credits can absorb it.
- NURS 801 DNP Intensive Seminar (1)
- NURS 808 Translation to Doctoral Leadership and Theory (3)
- NURS 885 Informatics for Healthcare (2)
- NURS 894 Principles of Epidemiology (2)
- NURS 900 Quality, Safety and Practice Outcomes (3)
- NURS 911 Tools for Practice Scholarship (3)
- NURS 920 DNP Scholarly Project (6)
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total: 384 practice hours
- NURS 910 DNP Clinical Residency: 96 hours (2 credits)
- NURS 920 DNP Scholarly Project: 288 hours (6 credits)
The 384 hours are doctoral practice hours, not new NP training. They count toward the 1,000 post-baccalaureate practice hours AACN expects of a DNP graduate, alongside hours from the student’s master’s program.
You Should Know
- Pitt State does not publish how it verifies prior master’s clinical hours toward the 1,000-hour total, or whether a gap analysis may add hours.
MSN-DNP Admissions
Applicants must already be licensed and nationally certified as APRNs.
- Undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees from NLN- or CCNE-accredited programs
- Preference for a graduate GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Separate graduate courses in physical health assessment, pharmacology, and pathophysiology, plus graduate statistics
- Current APRN licensure and national certification; licensed in the state where clinicals occur
- Spring or summer start
You Should Know
- The catalog says MSN-DNP applications are reviewed twice a year. The program page says applications are accepted year-round. Starts are spring or summer either way.
Tuition
Pitt State charges a published Doctor of Nursing Practice rate of $581 per credit for 2026-2027. All totals below are derived from that rate.
| Track | Credits | Derived Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP | 74 | $42,994 |
| BSN-DNP + Nursing Education | 78 | $45,318 |
| MSN-DNP | 32 | $18,592 |
| MSN-DNP + Nursing Education | 39 | $22,659 |
- DNP tuition: $581 per credit (2026-2027)
- Application fee: $140, nonrefundable, covers program standardized testing
- Kansas Bureau of Investigation check for non-Kansas residents: $30
Be aware that:
- Pitt State’s flat-rate tuition requires at least 9 graduate credits in a fall or spring term. The BSN-DNP plan reaches 9 credits in only one term, so per-credit billing applies.
- The university lists a part-time Campus Privilege Fee of $102 per credit hour. Pitt State does not say whether it applies to DNP students. If it does, it adds about $7,548 to the BSN-DNP.
- The handbook lists Typhon, Shadow Health, semester fees, and standardized testing as student costs. Amounts are not published.
- Graduate statistics, the CastleBranch background check, and travel to clinical sites and the intensive seminar are extra.
- The $581 rate appears under the university’s in-state and Gorilla Advantage heading. A separate out-of-state DNP rate is not published.
- Rates rise over a four-year program. The 2024-2025 MSN-DNP total of $18,208 implies $569 per credit, $12 below today’s rate.
Expect the BSN-DNP to land in the mid-$40,000s once modest fees and annual increases are added, or near $50,000 if the campus fee applies. Confirm the fee question with the bursar before budgeting.
See current rates on the Pitt State tuition page.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for nurses who want FNP preparation and a teaching credential in the same doctorate, and who can commit to four steady years.
Two career tracks for one degree. The Nursing Education emphasis adds curriculum development, testing and evaluation, and a teaching practicum for 4 extra credits. An FNP who wants to precept, teach clinical courses, or move into faculty work later gets formal preparation without a second program.
Project time is built in early. Starting the scholarly project in Year 1 spreads its 288 hours across more than two years. The project credits finish before Primary Care III and the residency, so the final year centers on clinical work.
The honest drawbacks. There is one summer start a year, no part-time plan is published, and the school advises against full-time work. Students secure every preceptor themselves. Licensure is confirmed only for Kansas, so out-of-state applicants carry more of the verification burden.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate, master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at Pittsburg State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). That covers both the BSN-DNP and the MSN-DNP.
Pittsburg State is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Regional institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer.
BSN-DNP graduates are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC) and to apply for APRN licensure.
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