Seattle University offers 3 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- APNI-DNP (Direct Entry for Non-Nurses)
- RN-DNP
- Post-Doctoral Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| APNI-DNP | $163.3K–$170.3K | 4 years (about 12 semesters) | 115–117 |
| RN-DNP | $106.2K–$113.2K | 3 years (8 semesters) | 72–74 |
| Certificate | $15.0K–$55.1K | Up to 3 years (individualized) | 15–55 |
Tuition estimates are Seattle University’s published figures at the 2026–27 rate of $1,002 per quarter credit; the certificate range is derived at the same rate from the catalog’s credit range.
Seattle University is built for people who want to become family nurse practitioners without first spending years as a bedside RN. Its APNI-DNP pathway takes a bachelor’s graduate from any field through prelicensure nursing, the NCLEX-RN, and a full FNP doctorate in four years. All DNP students then complete 1,000 supervised clinical hours, with placements assigned by the school’s Clinical Placement Coordinators.
The trade-off is location. Every track is in-person on the First Hill campus in Seattle, and clinical sites can be anywhere in Washington within 150 miles of campus. Nurses who cannot relocate to the Puget Sound region, or who need to keep a full-time job, will find this program hard to fit.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | APNI-DNP, RN-DNP, post-master’s DNP entry, Post-Doctoral Certificate |
| Format | Campus (in-person, First Hill campus, Seattle) |
| Clinical Hours | 1,000 supervised hours required for the DNP |
| Clinical Placement | School-assigned; 1:1 APRN preceptor; anywhere in Washington within 150 miles of campus |
| Population | Family/individual across the lifespan |
| Distinctive Coursework | Mental Health in Primary Care; Diagnostics and Procedures lab; three-part clinical reasoning series |
| Concentrations | None |
| RN License Requirements | Washington RN license before fall start (RN-DNP); not required at entry (APNI-DNP) |
| Single Start Term | APNI-DNP: June only. RN-DNP: August only |
| Tuition | $1,002 per quarter credit (2026–27); no application fee |
| Accreditation | CCNE (DNP and post-graduate APRN certificates) |
Advanced Practice Nursing Immersion (APNI) to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the APNI-DNP at Seattle University is approximately $163,326 to $170,340 (163–170 quarter-credit equivalents at $1,002/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 4 years, or about 12 semesters (derived: 4 prelicensure semesters plus the 8-semester advanced practice sequence).
The Advanced Practice Nursing Immersion to DNP is for career changers with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree.
APNI-DNP Curriculum
Prelicensure phase. The first four semesters cover prelicensure nursing and NCLEX-RN preparation. By subtraction, this phase is about 43 semester credits (115–117 total minus the 72–74 advanced practice credits). Most semesters combine work in the Clinical Performance Lab with clinical rotations in the Seattle metro area.
Advanced practice phase. After prelicensure coursework is complete, APNI students join RN-DNP students in the same three-year FNP sequence. The RN-DNP section below describes that sequence course by course.
Folding prelicensure and doctoral training into one admission is the main point of this track. Students avoid applying twice and keep one cohort, one campus, and one advisor relationship across all four years. The cost is that they reach the NP role with no independent RN work history, which some employers and preceptors weigh.
APNI-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Prelicensure phase: 600 clinical hours.
- Prelicensure rotations happen in groups of 5–12 students at inpatient and outpatient sites in Seattle and up to 30–40 miles away (Renton, Everett, Bremerton, Tacoma).
- After RN licensure: the same 1,000-hour DNP requirement and 1:1 preceptor model as the RN-DNP.
- Students provide their own transportation.
Across four years, an APNI student logs about 1,600 supervised hours in total (600 prelicensure plus 1,000 DNP). Only the 1,000 DNP hours count toward advanced practice preparation. That still sits well above the 500-hour certification floor.
APNI-DNP Admissions
Entry is once a year, in June, and requires a prerequisite plan, an interview for selected applicants, and no RN license.
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, any field.
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 90 quarter / 60 semester credits of the bachelor’s degree.
- Prerequisites (minimum C): Algebra, Introduction to Psychology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab, Microbiology with lab, Psychology Growth and Development, Statistics, and Chemistry.
- At least 5 of the 8 prerequisites, including Anatomy and Physiology I and Microbiology, must be done by December 31. All must be done before classes begin.
- Anatomy and Physiology and Microbiology must be within 5 years. Anatomy and Physiology needs a 2.7 GPA.
- Résumé, two recommendations (one academic), and a 2–3 page letter of intent.
- Priority deadline: December 1. Interviews in February, decisions in March, waitlist March–June.
You Should Know
- The program page and the tuition page use different upper credit bounds. The program page shows 163–170 quarter-credit equivalents; the tuition page shows 163–177.
- Whether students must pass the NCLEX-RN before starting advanced practice coursework is not clearly stated. RN licensure is required for the 1:1 preceptor phase.
- Whether the $538 APNI program fee applies for all four years or only during the prelicensure phase is not clearly stated.
RN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the RN-DNP at Seattle University is approximately $106,212 to $113,226 (106–113 quarter-credit equivalents at $1,002/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years, or 8 semesters (semester count derived from the published plan of study, which runs year-round with no courses in the first summer).
The Family Nurse Practitioner DNP is a full-time, in-person program for BSN-prepared RNs. It also has an entry pathway for master’s-prepared nurses.
RN-DNP Curriculum
Year 1: Foundations. Pharmacology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, health assessment, informatics, and policy. Year 1 carries 19 credits across fall and spring.
Year 2: FNP management. A three-course Primary Care Management sequence runs summer through spring. It is paired with Mental Health in Primary Care, Reproductive Health, and a Diagnostics and Procedures theory and lab course. Fall of Year 2 is the heaviest term at 13 credits.
Year 3: Practicum and DNP project. Three Primary Care Practicum courses run alongside a three-part Applications of Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning series. The DNP project runs from planning in Year 2 through three internship courses ending in spring of Year 3.
Two design choices stand out. Mental health in primary care gets its own course, which matters because FNPs manage a large share of depression and anxiety care. The procedures lab also gives hands-on skills practice that many programs leave to preceptors.
- NURS 6121 Mental Health in Primary Care
- NURS 6450, 6460, 6470 Advanced Practice Nursing and Management in Primary Care I–III
- NURS 6480/6481 Diagnostics and Procedures for the Primary Care Provider (Theory and Lab)
- NURS 6490 Reproductive Health
- NURS 6482–6484 Primary Care: Applications of Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning I–III
- NURS 6487–6489 Primary Care Practicum I–III (III includes Transition to Practice)
- NURS 6901, 6903, 6905 DNP Internship I–III
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The semester program of study has been proposed to the Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON) and is still subject to its review and approval.
- Several new courses still show “course code TBD,” and per-course credits are not yet published. Only term totals are listed.
- The current graduate catalog still shows the older quarter-calendar curriculum. That version has a 37-credit FNP block with four 5-credit practica and a standalone geriatric syndromes course. The new semester plan has no separate geriatrics course.
- In the quarter catalog, the Foundation Courses block is labeled 45 credits, but its listed courses add up to 48–52. The full course list totals 109–113 credits against a stated minimum of 106.
RN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total: 1,000 supervised clinical hours required to graduate from the DNP.
- The program advertises 200+ clinical hours per semester.
- Derived load: about 250 hours per semester over the four practicum-bearing semesters (spring of Year 2 through spring of Year 3), or roughly 15–20 hours a week.
- Placement: assigned by Clinical Placement Coordinators. Students submit a site-preference survey in Year 1.
- Placement area: anywhere in Washington within a 150-mile radius of campus.
- Preceptors: 1:1 with an advanced practice preceptor. Assignments arrive by the start of the term in which the placement happens.
- Faculty oversight: clinical faculty meet students weekly in clinical seminars.
- Students must be available on evenings and weekends if needed and provide their own transportation.
- Simulation: the 20,000-square-foot Clinical Performance Lab at Swedish Cherry Hill Medical Center, a few blocks from campus.
At 1,000 hours, this is double the 500-hour certification floor and well above the 600–700 hours common in FNP programs. School-assigned placement removes the preceptor search that slows many students down. The trade-off is limited control: a site up to 150 miles from Seattle is possible, and assignments may arrive only at the start of the term.
You Should Know
- How the 1,000 hours split between direct-care FNP practicum and DNP project hours is not clearly stated. The direct patient-care share may be lower than 1,000.
- Per-course clinical hours under the semester calendar are not published, so the weekly load above is derived.
- The clinical placements page still refers to quarters, so its timelines may not reflect the semester calendar.
RN-DNP Admissions
Entry is once a year, in August, with a Washington RN license required before the program starts and an interview for selected applicants.
- BSN (or bachelor’s degree) from a regionally accredited institution.
- Current Washington RN license without restrictions, or the ability to get one. Out-of-state RNs may apply but must hold a Washington license before fall start.
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 90 quarter / 60 semester credits. Applicants below 3.0 may be considered with other evidence of ability.
- Undergraduate statistics (3–5 credits) within 10 years, grade C or better.
- Two years of work experience preferred, not required.
- Résumé, two recommendations (one academic), and a 2–3 page letter of intent.
- Priority deadline: December 1. A BSN finished after that date must be documented by December 31. An NCLEX taken after that date must be documented by January 15.
- No application fee.
Post-master’s DNP entry. Master’s-prepared RNs (or NPs with an ARNP license) can enter with a January 15 priority deadline, on a space-available basis. Up to 500 post-baccalaureate supervised clinical hours can count toward the 1,000-hour requirement. Credits and tuition for this entry point are not clearly stated.
You Should Know
- Because a Washington RN license is required and clinicals stay in Washington, this program effectively requires relocating to, or living in, the Seattle area.
- No experience gate applies, so new BSN graduates can enter directly.
Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Doctoral Certificate
The estimated tuition for the Post-Doctoral Certificate at Seattle University is approximately $15,030 to $55,110 (15–55 credits at $1,002/credit, derived). The program can take up to about 3 years, depending on the individual gap analysis.
The Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Doctoral Certificate is for nurses who already hold a doctorate, including current NPs adding the family population focus.
Certificate Curriculum
Each plan of study is built from a gap analysis of prior coursework. A DNP-prepared NP from another population focus may need little beyond the FNP management and practicum sequence. A doctorally prepared nurse with no APRN background needs most of the list below.
- NURS 6022 Advanced Pharmacology
- NURS 6024 Advanced Pathophysiology
- NURS 6001/6101 Advanced Health Assessment (Lab and Theory)
- NURS 6021/6121 Mental Health in Primary Care and Community (Lab and Theory)
- NURS 6104/6204 Management of Gynecologic and Reproductive Health (Lab and Theory)
- NURS 6360 Assessment of Common Geriatric Syndromes
- NURS 6450, 6460, 6470 Primary Care Management I–III
- NURS 6486–6489 Primary Care Practicum I–IV
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Credit figures conflict. The program page lists 52 credits. The catalog states 15–55. The catalog’s own course list adds up to 61.
- Whether the program page’s 52 credits are semester or quarter credits is not clearly stated. If they are semester credits, the cost would be well above the quarter-based estimate.
- The catalog course list reflects the 2026–27 quarter calendar. Students entering in 2027–28 will follow an unpublished semester plan.
- The program page describes the audience as DNP-prepared NPs and doctoral-prepared nurses; the catalog says a doctorate in nursing.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Total clinical hours: not clearly stated.
- The quarter catalog lists four practicum courses at 5 credits each.
- Placement: the graduate clinical placement process (school-assigned, Washington, within 150 miles of campus) presumably applies, but this is not stated for the certificate specifically.
You Should Know
- State boards set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus. NPs who plan to practice outside Washington should confirm their board accepts a post-doctoral certificate for FNP licensure.
Certificate Admissions
Admission is on a space-available basis, with June and August starts.
- Doctoral degree (the catalog specifies a doctorate in nursing).
- Prior coursework reviewed individually to set credit requirements.
- Applicants are directed to contact the college for requirements and instructions.
- No application fee.
You Should Know
- A Washington RN license requirement is not stated for the certificate specifically, but in-state clinical placements make one effectively necessary.
Tuition
Seattle University charges $1,002 per quarter credit (published, 2026–27) for the APNI-DNP, RN-DNP, and post-graduate/post-doctoral nursing certificates. Starting with the 2027–28 semester calendar, the per-semester-credit rate is not yet published. A standard 1.5-to-1 conversion gives a derived equivalent of about $1,503 per semester credit.
The school’s published totals price each track in quarter-credit equivalents at the 2026–27 rate:
| Track | Credits (Semester) | Quarter Equivalent | Est. Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| APNI-DNP | 115–117 | 163–170 | $163,326–$170,340 |
| RN-DNP | 72–74 | 106–113 | $106,212–$113,226 |
| Certificate | Not clearly stated | 15–55 | $15,030–$55,110 (derived) |
Mandatory fees are billed per term on top of tuition. On the 2026–27 quarter schedule:
| Fee | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Wellness Fee | $172 | Per quarter |
| Technology Fee | $214 | Per quarter |
| Graduate Activity Fee | $20 | Per quarter, not charged in summer |
| DNP Program Fee (FNP) | $268 | Per quarter, full-time |
| APNI-DNP Program Fee | $538 | Per quarter |
| Certificate Program Fee | $268 / $142 | Per quarter, full-time / part-time |
| Matriculation Fee | $175 | One time, first term |
| FNP Exam and ARNP License Fee | $525 | One time |
| NCLEX and RN License Fee (APNI only) | $335 | One time |
Derived all-in estimates (tuition plus fees, 2026–27 fee schedule mapped onto the program length):
- RN-DNP: about $114,300 to $121,300 (tuition plus about $7,374 in recurring fees, the $175 matriculation fee, and the $525 exam fee).
- APNI-DNP: about $175,500 to $182,500 (tuition plus about $11,130 in recurring fees and $1,035 in one-time fees).
Confirmed costs:
- $1,002 per quarter credit for all FNP tracks (2026–27).
- Published tuition totals of $106,212–$113,226 (RN-DNP) and $163,326–$170,340 (APNI-DNP).
- Recurring and one-time fees as listed above.
- $500 doctoral enrollment deposit, credited to the first tuition bill.
- No application fee for any track.
Be aware that:
- All published totals use 2026–27 rates. Students starting in 2027–28 will pay a semester rate that has not been published yet, and the school notes rates may rise each year.
- The tuition page lists higher upper bounds than the program page: up to $120,240 for the RN-DNP and $177,354 for the APNI-DNP.
- Pricing 72–74 semester credits at the derived $1,503 rate gives $108,216–$111,222, which falls inside the published RN-DNP range.
- The fee schedule is quarterly. How fees will be billed under semesters is not yet published, so the fee totals above are derived estimates.
- The APNI-DNP fee estimate assumes the $538 APNI fee applies only during the prelicensure year. If it applies for all four years, fees would be higher.
- Certificate cost depends on the individual gap analysis. The 52-credit program page figure would cost $52,104 at the quarter rate, or more if those are semester credits.
- Some courses carry course-specific fees that are listed only in course search on mySeattleU.
The RN-DNP lands at roughly $115,000 to $121,000 before living costs, and the APNI-DNP at roughly $176,000 to $183,000. Both are full-time, in-person programs in Seattle, so most students will also give up much of their income for three or four years. That opportunity cost often matters more than the fee stack. Full rate details are on the Graduate Cost of Attendance page.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for students who can live and train in the Puget Sound region full-time and want a school-managed path to an FNP doctorate, whether they start as non-nurses, new BSN graduates, or doctorally prepared NPs.
For career changers: The APNI-DNP is the main reason to look at Seattle University. A bachelor’s graduate in another field can reach FNP certification eligibility through one admission, one campus, and one four-year plan. Students should be comfortable entering NP practice without independent RN work experience.
For BSN-prepared Washington RNs: The RN-DNP suits nurses who want a structured, cohort-based doctorate with heavy clinical volume and no preceptor search. The 1,000 required hours and the weekly faculty clinical seminars give strong supervision. The cost is a full-time, in-person schedule that makes keeping a full-time nursing job difficult.
For doctorally prepared NPs adding a population: The post-doctoral certificate gives credit for prior coursework through a gap analysis. However, its credit figures conflict across Seattle University’s own pages, and it is also campus-based. Applicants should get a written plan of study and cost estimate before committing.
Accreditation
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits Seattle University’s baccalaureate nursing program, its Doctor of Nursing Practice programs, and its post-graduate APRN certificate programs. That scope covers the APNI-DNP, the RN-DNP, and the FNP post-doctoral certificate.
Seattle University is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Institutional accreditation affects federal financial aid eligibility and how other schools and employers treat the degree.
The semester-calendar program of study is currently under review by the Washington State Board of Nursing. That review concerns the new curriculum, not the program’s CCNE accreditation.
Graduates of the FNP DNP are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC). The school states that the post-doctoral certificate also prepares graduates for both exams.
More FNP Programs in Washington
- University of Washington - Seattle
- Washington State University - Spokane