Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- MSN
- Post-Master’s Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $35.9K | 3 years (8 semesters) | 44 |
| Certificate | $19.8K | 1.5 years (5 semesters) | 24 |
Tuition estimates use Saint Mary-of-the-Woods’ published $775/credit graduate nursing rate plus the $200 per-term general fee and $150 graduation fee.
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods built this FNP for working nurses who want to take one course at a time. Students can attend most classes in person, join live online, or watch the recording later, and most 8-week sessions carry a single course. The MSN and certificate share the same 750-hour clinical sequence.
The flexibility stops at the state line. The college lists only Indiana and Illinois as states where these programs meet licensure requirements, and the MSN takes three years with one August start.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN with FNP concentration; Post-Master’s FNP Certificate |
| Format | Mostly Online: attend most classes in person, live online, or by recording |
| Clinical Hours | 750 across five clinical courses, both tracks |
| Clinical Placement | Not clearly stated |
| Population | Family/individual across the lifespan, outpatient primary care |
| Distinctive Coursework | Mental health in outpatient primary care; social justice focus; built-in NP review course |
| Concentrations | None |
| RN License Requirements | Current unencumbered RN license |
| Tuition | $775/credit plus $200 general fee per term |
| Accreditation | CCNE (master’s and post-graduate APRN certificate), through June 30, 2035 |
| Licensure States | Indiana and Illinois only, per the college’s licensure disclosure |
| Start Term | MSN: August only. Certificate: January only |
Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Master of Science in Nursing with Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is approximately $35,850 (44 credits at $775/credit, plus fees). The program can generally be completed in about three years on the published part-time plan (six fall and spring semesters plus two summer terms).
MSN Curriculum
One course at a time. Fall and spring semesters are split into two 8-week sessions. Most sessions hold one 3-credit course, so a typical load is 6 credits per semester. That meets the college’s 6-credit graduate full-time threshold while keeping weekly coursework light.
Core first, clinicals last. Year one covers theory, policy, statistics, and research. Year two adds pathophysiology and pharmacology, physical assessment with a skills lab, and the first 50-hour clinical. Year three holds 700 of the 750 clinical hours, plus a 2-credit evidence-based project.
Unusual coursework. A dedicated 2-credit course on mental health in outpatient primary care is uncommon in FNP curricula. A 1-credit Nurse Practitioner Review course in the final summer builds board preparation into the degree.
- NU 513 Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice Nursing (3)
- NU 519 Pharmacology for Advanced Practice Nursing (3)
- NU 525 Advanced Physical Assessment, with skills lab (3)
- NU 528 Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostics (2)
- NU 535 Mental Health Considerations for Outpatient Primary Care (2)
- NU 540 and NU 550 Clinical Management I and II (4 each)
- NU 560 Culminating Clinical Experience (4)
- NU 546 Transition to Advanced Practice (2)
- NU 566 Evidence-Based Best Practice Project (2)
- NU 544 Nurse Practitioner Review (1)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- An accelerated MSN plan of study is linked from the program page, but its length and sequence are not published in the source material.
- The modality choice applies to “most classes.” Which classes require campus attendance is not clearly stated; the NU 525 skills lab is the likely exception.
- Students follow the plan assigned at admission. Changes need Nursing Department approval.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total: 750 clinical hours (50 + 150 + 150 + 300 + 100), matching the published figure
- NU 530 FNP Assessment Clinical: 50 hours (year two, spring)
- NU 540 and NU 550 Clinical Management I and II: 150 hours each (year three, fall)
- NU 560 Culminating Clinical Experience: 300 hours (year three, spring)
- NU 546 Transition to Advanced Practice: 100 hours (year three, summer)
- Setting: outpatient primary care, all ages
- Passing standard: 83% (B) in clinical courses; failing the clinical component fails the course
At 750 hours, the program sits above the 600 to 700 hours common among FNP programs and 250 hours over the 500-hour certification floor. The load is concentrated: year three runs about 19 clinical hours a week from late August through spring, then about 12 hours a week in summer. Nurses working full-time should plan schedule changes for that final year.
You Should Know
- Who finds preceptors and clinical sites is not clearly stated.
- Out-of-state clinical placement rules are not published. The licensure disclosure covers Indiana and Illinois only.
MSN Admissions
The MSN admits once a year, in August, with a 3.0 GPA floor applied to both undergraduate and graduate work.
- BSN from an accredited college or university
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on undergraduate work, and on any graduate work
- Current unencumbered RN license
- Official transcripts, two recommendation letters, résumé, and a personal career statement (500 words max)
- Background check
- Priority deadline: April 1 each year; applications accepted through July as space permits
- Transfer: up to 12 credits with a B or better
You Should Know
- The college lists Indiana and Illinois as the only states where the MSN meets licensure requirements. Nurses planning to practice elsewhere should confirm with their state board before applying.
- Pharmacology credit cannot be older than five years at graduation and at the time of the certification exam.
- A grade of C- or below must be retaken at full tuition, and a course can be repeated only once.
Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate
The estimated tuition for the Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is approximately $19,750 (24 credits at $775/credit, plus fees). The program can generally be completed in about 1.5 years, from a January start through the following year’s summer term (derived from the published plan).
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is the MSN with the 20-credit core removed. Students take the same 10 FNP courses and the same 750 clinical hours, and they join the MSN sequence at its second-year spring semester. Nothing in the FNP specialty training is shortened for certificate students.
- NU 525 Advanced Physical Assessment (3)
- NU 528 Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostics (2)
- NU 535 Mental Health Considerations for Outpatient Primary Care (2)
- NU 547 Healthcare Informatics (1)
- NU 540 and NU 550 Clinical Management I and II (4 each)
- NU 560 Culminating Clinical Experience (4)
- NU 546 Transition to Advanced Practice (2)
- NU 544 Nurse Practitioner Review (1)
More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Total: 750 clinical hours, the same five clinical courses as the MSN
- Year one spring: NU 530, 50 hours
- Year two: NU 540 and NU 550 (300 hours, fall), NU 560 (300 hours, spring), NU 546 (100 hours, summer)
Certificate students complete the full MSN clinical volume in a shorter program. The second year carries the same 19-hours-a-week clinical load as the MSN’s final year.
You Should Know
- One line on the certificate page lists 500 clinical hours. Every other statement and the course-level hours total 750, so 750 is used here.
- The certificate page repeats MSN wording about summer classes in years two and three. The certificate plan runs two years at most.
Certificate Admissions
The certificate starts in January only and requires recent graduate pathophysiology and pharmacology before the first course.
- Master’s degree with a nursing major from a nationally accredited program
- 3-credit graduate pathophysiology and pharmacology, each within five years with a B or better
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on undergraduate and graduate work
- Current unencumbered RN license
- Transcripts, two recommendation letters, résumé, career statement, and background check
- Priority deadline: April 1 each year, with decisions by May 1
- Transfer: up to 6 credits with a B or better
You Should Know
- Applicants missing either prerequisite can take NU 513 and NU 519 at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in the fall before starting. That adds a semester and about $4,850 (derived).
- The certificate shares the MSN’s Indiana and Illinois licensure limit. Boards in other states set their own rules for adding an APRN population focus.
- The application page lists a BSN as an eligibility requirement; the catalog lists any accredited baccalaureate degree.
Tuition
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods charges $775 per credit for both the MSN and the certificate in 2026-27. The rate has been unchanged since 2022-23. Two mandatory fees apply on top of tuition.
| Cost Item | MSN | Certificate |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition ($775/credit) | $34,100 | $18,600 |
| General fee ($200/term) | $1,600 (8 terms) | $1,000 (5 terms) |
| Graduation fee | $150 | $150 |
| Estimated total (derived) | $35,850 | $19,750 |
- Tuition: $775 per credit hour
- General fee: $200 per semester
- Graduation fee: $150, final semester
- Full-time graduate status: 6 credits per semester
Be aware that:
- Totals count the general fee in every enrolled term, including summers. If summer terms are exempt, totals drop to $35,450 (MSN) and $19,350 (certificate).
- The $40-per-credit extension fee listed for both programs is charged only when a course is extended, not to every student.
- Earlier tuition tables said MSN and certificate rates included books. The 2026-27 table drops that note and estimates books and supplies at $1,500 a year.
- Certificate applicants who need the pathophysiology and pharmacology prerequisites pay about $4,850 more (derived).
- Courses graded C- or below are retaken at full tuition.
The all-in MSN cost is close to the tuition figure because Saint Mary-of-the-Woods charges no per-credit program or clinical fee. The certificate costs about $16,100 less than the MSN for the same FNP training, so master’s-prepared nurses get the full clinical sequence at roughly 55% of the degree price. Full fee detail is on the college’s tuition and fees page.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for Indiana and Illinois nurses who want to keep working while they train, and who value choosing how they attend class over finishing quickly.
Flexibility in how, not how fast. Each student decides, class by class, between the classroom, a live online session, and a recording. Paired with mostly one course per 8-week session, that suits nurses with rotating shifts. The cost is time: the MSN takes three years, and the published plan gives no faster route than the unpublished accelerated option.
A heavier clinical finish. The 750 hours exceed the common FNP range, and both credentials require all of them. The trade-off is a demanding final year of about 19 clinical hours a week, with no published placement support.
The verdict. For a nurse who plans to stay in Indiana or Illinois, this is a modestly priced, low-pressure route with strong clinical volume. For anyone who may move, the two-state licensure limit outweighs the flexibility, and a program authorized in more states is the safer choice.
Accreditation
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits Saint Mary-of-the-Woods’ master’s program and post-graduate APRN certificate program. Both were first accredited in September 2019 and reaccredited in September 2024, with the current term running through June 30, 2035. CCNE accreditation covers both FNP tracks on this page.
The college is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Regional accreditation matters for transferring credits, for federal financial aid, and for later admission to DNP programs.
The Indiana State Board of Nursing also approves the college’s nursing programs.
Graduates of either track are eligible for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).
More FNP Programs in Indiana
- Ball State University - Muncie
- Goshen College - Goshen
- Indiana State University - Terre Haute
- Indiana University - Indianapolis
- Indiana Wesleyan University - Marion
- Marian University - Indianapolis
- Purdue Global - West Lafayette
- Purdue University - West Lafayette
- Saint Mary's College - Notre Dame
- Trine University - Angola
- University of Indianapolis - Indianapolis
- University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne
- University of Southern Indiana - Evansville
- Valparaiso University - Valparaiso