Saint Louis University offers 3 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- MSN
- BSN-DNP
- Post-Master’s Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $49.3K | 2 to 3.5 years (up to 8 semesters) | 34 |
| BSN-DNP | $92.8K | 4 years (10 semesters) | 64 |
| Certificate | $23.2K-$45.0K | 2.5 years (6 semesters) | 16-31 |
Tuition estimates use SLU’s published 2026-27 graduate nursing rate of $1,450 per credit multiplied by program credits.
Saint Louis University builds each FNP student’s plan by hand. After admission, students sit down with the MSN director or a faculty advisor to set a full- or part-time sequence, with three start terms a year and applications accepted from 39 states. All three credentials run the same 750-hour FNP clinical sequence, and the only required campus trip before graduation is a two-day Residency in St. Louis.
The trade-off is price and paperwork. SLU charges a private-university $1,450 per credit to every student, and students identify their own preceptors under a contract process that can take three months. SLU cannot enroll students living in 11 jurisdictions, including Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN, BSN-DNP, Post-Master’s Certificate |
| Format | Mostly Online: one 2-day campus Residency; DNP adds a final project visit |
| Clinical Hours | 750 (MSN, certificate); 1,000 published, 1,200 by course math (BSN-DNP) |
| Clinical Placement | Student finds preceptor; course coordinator approves; school offers support |
| Population | Family (individuals across the lifespan) |
| Distinctive Coursework | Two-day on-campus Residency assessment before clinicals; Principles of Practice Management |
| Concentrations | Optional Nurse Educator courses (MSN); leads to NLN CNE eligibility |
| RN License Requirements | Unencumbered RN license in the state where clinicals happen |
| Tuition | $1,450/credit fall and spring; $1,400/credit summer; same for all residencies |
| Accreditation | CCNE (MSN, DNP, post-graduate APRN certificate) |
| Enrollment Restrictions | Accepts applicants from 39 states; Kansas residents limited to BSN-DNP and certificate |
| Start Terms | Fall, spring, summer; rolling admission |
Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Nursing, M.S. (Family Nurse Practitioner concentration) at Saint Louis University is approximately $49,300 (34 credits at $1,450/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 2 to 3.5 years, depending on the full- or part-time plan set with the MSN director.
MSN Curriculum
At 34 credits, the MSN is lean. It carries a 15-credit graduate core and a 19-credit FNP concentration, with no DNP-level coursework mixed in. Most BSN-entry FNP programs run 40 credits or more, so the lower count is the main reason the MSN costs roughly half the BSN-DNP.
Sequencing: SLU’s sample plan front-loads the core one or two courses per term, then places Advanced Health Assessment directly before the clinical year. The Residency (NURS 5900, 0 credits) sits in the same term as the first clinical course, so it works as a checkpoint before patient care ramps up.
Clinical progression: Two 5-credit Advanced Clinical Studies courses split the population (adults and older adults, then women and children) before two FNP practicum courses consolidate full-scope family practice.
- NURS 5040 Advanced Practice Nursing: Role Acquisition (1)
- NURS 5170 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NURS 5080 Advanced Pharmacology (3)
- NURS 5110/5111 Advanced Health Assessment I and II: Diagnostic Reasoning (3)
- NURS 5200 Gen Research Methods (3)
- NURS 5280 Advanced Clinical Studies I: Adults and Older Adults (5)
- NURS 5290 Advanced Clinical Studies II: Women and Children (5)
- NURS 5812 and 5813 FNP Practicum (2 and 4)
- NURS 5160 Principles of Practice Management (2)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The marketing page says the MSN can be finished in “as little as two years.” SLU’s own sample plan, labeled full-time, spreads 34 credits over 8 terms ending in the fall of year four (about 3.5 years, derived).
- The page states SLU offers four online NP concentrations but lists three (AGACNP, FNP, PMHNP).
- An optional Nurse Educator sequence (three courses) leads to a post-master’s education certificate and NLN Certified Nurse Educator eligibility. Credits and cost are not included in the estimate above.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total: 750 clinical hours (150 + 150 + 150 + 300)
- NURS 5280: 150 hours; NURS 5290: 150 hours; NURS 5812: 150 hours; NURS 5813: 300 hours
- Placement: student contacts a willing preceptor; course coordinator approves
- Agency contract or letter of agreement required before hours begin; SLU warns approval can take up to three months
- FNP preceptors may be an APRN, PA, or physician; women’s health and pediatric hours can use OB-GYN, CNM, WHNP, PNP, or pediatrician preceptors
- One required campus event: NURS 5900 Residency, a two-day on-site assessment in St. Louis
- Clinical fees may apply depending on the student’s state (amount not stated)
750 hours sits above the 500-hour certification floor and slightly above the 600 to 700 hours common among FNP programs. The heaviest stretch is NURS 5813: 300 hours in one fall term works out to roughly 19 hours a week over 16 weeks. Because students source their own preceptors and contracts can take three months, the search for that final rotation needs to start well before the term.
You Should Know
- Program pages say SLU “partners” with students on placement, and the post-master’s DNP page describes a three-tiered preceptor process. The current-student preceptor instructions put first contact on the student. Ask admissions what support the MSN track receives.
- The MSN page calls the NP concentrations “completely online,” but the certificate page lists the same NURS 5900 Residency as “Onsite in St. Louis, MO.”
MSN Admissions
The MSN has the lightest entry requirements of the three tracks: no GRE, CV, or essay listed.
- BSN from a nationally accredited program
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Unencumbered RN license in the state where clinicals will be done, held at time of application
- Beginning-level health assessment course before Advanced Health Assessment
- AHA CPR certification and negative drug screen after acceptance
- Application through NursingCAS or SLU’s free application portal
- Rolling deadlines: July 15 (fall), December 15 (spring), April 15 (summer)
You Should Know
- SLU accepts MSN-NP applicants from 39 states. Kansas residents are excluded from the MSN; SLU’s Kansas approval covers only the certificate and BSN-DNP.
- SLU’s licensure disclosure (updated December 2025) marks the MSN-NP as “does not meet” for Connecticut, DC, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Federal rules bar SLU from enrolling students located there.
- Wyoming is marked “meets” on the disclosure but is not on SLU’s accepted-states list. Confirm before applying.
- Ohio requires 2 hours of CE on Ohio prescribing law that SLU’s course does not cover.
- F-1 and J-1 visa holders are not eligible because the program is online; H-1B holders may apply.
BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Nursing Practice, D.N.P. (Post-Bachelor of Science in Nursing), Family Nurse Practitioner at Saint Louis University is approximately $92,800 (64 credits at $1,450/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 4 years, with SLU’s sample full-time plan using 10 semesters including summers.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
The BSN-DNP is the full MSN FNP sequence plus 30 credits of doctoral coursework. The FNP clinical courses and Residency are identical to the MSN. What changes is the front half: the sample plan places leadership, policy, informatics, epidemiology, statistics, and two evidence-based practice courses in years one and two, before the clinical year.
Doctoral clinical hours start early. Interprofessional Collaboration, Leadership in Health Care, and Evidence-Based Practice I each carry 75 practice hours, so DNP students log hours in the first spring, well before the FNP rotations begin.
Heavy final term: The last fall stacks the 300-hour FNP practicum with both DNP project courses (10 credits), so it is the term most likely to collide with full-time work.
- NURS 6130 Interprofessional Collaboration (3; 75 hours)
- NURS 6140 Leadership in Health Care (3; 75 hours)
- NURS 6120 Health Care Policy and Delivery Systems (3)
- NURS 6150 Clinical Informatics (3)
- NURS 6160 and 6170 Evidence-Based Practice I and II (3 each)
- NURS 6805 Introduction to Applied Statistics for Healthcare Research (3)
- NURS 5000 Epidemiology (3)
- NURS 6960 and 6961 DNP Project Management and DNP Project (3 each)
- FNP concentration: NURS 5280, 5290, 5812, 5813 (16)
You Should Know
- The overview says 62 to 68 credits; the requirements table says 64 to 68. The FNP plan totals 64, which this profile uses.
- The page says students “may choose from four concentrations” but lists three NP specialties.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- FNP clinical hours: 750 (same four courses as the MSN)
- DNP practice hours: 450 (75 + 75 + 75 + 225 for the DNP Project)
- ⚠️ Total by course: 1,200 hours. SLU’s overview states “1,000 clinical hours.”
- Placement and preceptor approval: same process as the MSN
- Two campus visits: the two-day Residency and a final visit to present the DNP project
Either figure is well above the 500-hour floor and the 1,000-hour post-baccalaureate DNP benchmark. The 450 doctoral hours are tied to leadership and project work rather than additional patient care, so the FNP clinical exposure is the same 750 hours MSN students get. The added value is the doctorate and its project, not more primary care training.
BSN-DNP Admissions
The BSN-DNP sets a higher GPA bar and asks for a goal statement that names a project interest at the point of application.
- BSN from a nationally accredited program
- Cumulative GPA of 3.20
- Unencumbered RN license in the state where clinicals will be done
- Undergraduate descriptive and inferential statistics course
- Beginning-level health assessment course
- AHA CPR certification
- CV or resume; one- to two-page professional goal statement covering doctoral goals and capstone interest
- Same rolling deadlines as the MSN
You Should Know
- Kansas residents are accepted into the BSN-DNP (SLU holds Kansas board approval for this track).
- The DNP licensure disclosure (updated April 2025) marks the program “does not meet” for Connecticut, DC, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
- SLU also offers a 30-credit post-master’s DNP for nurses who are already APRNs. It does not lead to FNP certification and is not profiled here.
Post-Master’s Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate at Saint Louis University is approximately $23,200 to $45,000 (16 to 31 credits at $1,450/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 2.5 years on SLU’s 28-credit sample plan (6 semesters), and faster for students who waive core courses.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate uses the same four FNP clinical courses and Residency as both degrees. Its cost depends almost entirely on how much of the 15-credit core a student can waive or transfer. A practicing NP with current coursework may need only the 16-credit FNP sequence. A master’s-prepared nurse who is not an NP takes the full core.
- Core (0 to 15 credits, waivable or transferable): Role Acquisition, Advanced Pharmacology, Advanced Health Assessment I and II, Health Promotion, Practice Management, Advanced Pathophysiology
- NURS 5900 Residency (onsite in St. Louis)
- NURS 5280 Advanced Clinical Studies I: Adults and Older Adults (5)
- NURS 5290 Advanced Clinical Studies II: Women and Children (5)
- NURS 5812 FNP Practicum (2)
- NURS 5813 FNP Practicum (4)
You Should Know
- Role Acquisition and Practice Management may be waived for current NPs but are required for non-NP students or those whose clinical experience is not current.
- SLU may transfer 3 to 6 credits and allows petitions for advanced standing in Advanced Health Assessment, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology. Files are reviewed individually.
- The sample plan totals 28 credits and omits Health Promotion, which the requirements list includes (31-credit maximum).
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Total: 750 clinical hours, identical to the MSN
- Same preceptor approval and contract process
- One campus visit: the Residency
The certificate delivers the full 750 hours regardless of how many core credits are waived, which matters for state boards that review hours for a second population focus.
Certificate Admissions
The certificate lists experience in an advanced practice role as a requirement, which may rule out master’s-prepared nurses outside APRN roles.
- Master’s degree in a nursing specialty
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Graduate-level physiology or pathophysiology and a beginning health assessment course
- Experience in an advanced practice role in nursing
- Unencumbered RN license in the clinical state
- Rolling deadlines; late applications considered each cycle
You Should Know
- The certificate page states SLU has not determined whether the curriculum meets licensure requirements outside Missouri. SLU’s separate licensure disclosure (April 2025) lists “meets” for most states and “does not meet” for the same 11 jurisdictions as the DNP. Rely on the disclosure, then confirm with your board.
- Boards set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus. Check yours before enrolling.
- The page says the program requires “experience in an advanced practice role” but also describes waivers for students who are “not a nurse practitioner.” How strictly the experience rule applies is not clearly stated.
Tuition
SLU charges $1,450 per credit for graduate nursing courses in fall and spring 2026-27 and $1,400 per credit in summer. The rate is the same for Missouri and out-of-state students. It does not include SLU’s semester and course fees, which bring the derived all-in cost to roughly $1,490 to $1,510 per credit.
| Cost Component | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition (fall/spring) | $1,450/credit | Published program rate |
| Tuition (summer) | $1,400/credit | Summer 2026 School of Nursing graduate rate |
| NURS course fee | $30/credit | Most graduate NURS courses, 2026-27 course fee schedule |
| University fee | $120/semester | Online or distance learning programs (fall/spring) |
| Student government fee | $30/semester | Graduate students (fall/spring) |
| Orientation fee | $200 one time | New students, first semester |
| Track | Tuition Only | Derived All-In (tuition + fees) |
|---|---|---|
| MSN (34 credits) | $49,300 | About $51,300 |
| BSN-DNP (64 credits) | $92,800 | About $95,400 |
| Certificate (16 credits) | $23,200 | About $24,200 |
| Certificate (28-credit sample plan) | $40,600 | About $42,100 |
All-in figures are derived from SLU’s sample plans: summer credits at $1,400, $30 per credit on courses listed in the fee schedule, $150 per fall or spring semester, and the $200 orientation fee.
- One per-credit rate for all three tracks and all residencies
- Summer credits cost $50 less per credit
- NURS course fees: $30 per credit on most courses
- Online University fee and graduate student government fee each fall and spring
- Employer tuition assistance is common; SLU notes most nursing students use it
Be aware that:
- SLU states clinical fees may be required “depending on the state.” No amount is published.
- The FNP practicum courses (NURS 5812, 5813) and NURS 5111 do not appear on the course fee schedule. Whether they carry fees is not clearly stated.
- The $200 orientation fee is charged to “new students”; whether online graduate students pay it is not clearly stated.
- Students who are not enrolled in a fall or spring semester pay a $100 continuous enrollment fee, which can apply to part-time plans with gap terms.
- If the BSN-DNP requires the 1,200 hours its courses describe rather than 1,000, credits do not change, so cost is unaffected.
- Rates are set annually. A 3.5- or 4-year plan will likely see increases.
SLU’s pricing is simple: one rate for every student, wherever they live. That favors out-of-state nurses, who pay the same as Missourians. For Missouri residents, the MSN at about $51,300 all-in is the reasonable comparison point; the BSN-DNP nearly doubles the cost for the same 750 FNP clinical hours. Full fee details are on SLU’s Miscellaneous Fees page.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for working nurses outside Missouri’s public-university footprint who want a flexible, advisor-built schedule, three start options a year, and a choice of MSN or doctorate on one clinical sequence.
Nurses who need to set their own pace. SLU does not run a fixed cohort. Each student’s plan is built at admission, and rolling deadlines in fall, spring, and summer mean a missed cycle costs months, not a year. The sample MSN plan rarely asks for more than two courses at once, which suits nurses working full time.
St. Louis nurses choosing between SLU and UMSL. The University of Missouri-St. Louis has not admitted BSN nurses into an NP master’s since 2015, so BSN-prepared nurses there must commit to a doctorate. SLU still offers a 34-credit MSN, along with a BSN-DNP for those who want the doctorate. UMSL’s resident rate ($1,009 per credit) costs Missourians less; SLU’s single rate tends to favor applicants from other states.
Who should look elsewhere. Nurses in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, or another excluded jurisdiction cannot enroll. Nurses who want the school to find their preceptors should note that SLU’s own instructions put that search on the student. Budget-focused Missouri residents should compare public-university resident rates first.
Accreditation
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits SLU’s master’s degree in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs. All three FNP tracks fall under that accreditation. The Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing is also fully approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing.
Saint Louis University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Regional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and makes credits easier to transfer into other graduate programs.
SLU also holds Washington State Board of Nursing approval to run clinical experiences in Washington for its MSN FNP, DNP FNP, and post-master’s FNP certificate.
Graduates of all three tracks are eligible for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC). SLU’s program pages state graduates can certify through either board.
More FNP Programs in Missouri
- Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing - St. Louis
- Maryville University. - St. Louis
- Missouri Baptist University - St. Louis
- Missouri State University - Springfield
- Missouri Valley University - Marshall
- Rockhurst University - Kansas City
- Southeast Missouri State University - Cape Girardeau
- University of Central Missouri - Lee's Summit
- University of Missouri - Columbia
- University of Missouri-Kansas City - Kansas City
- University of Missouri-St. Louis - St. Louis