Stephen F. Austin State University FNP Programs

DeWitt School of Nursing • Nacogdoches, TX • Mostly Online • $518/credit

Stephen F. Austin State University offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • MSN
  • Post-Master’s Certificate

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
MSN$24.4K / $30.0K3 years (8 semesters)47
CertificateVariesNot clearly statedIndividualized

Tuition estimates apply SFA’s 2026-27 resident and fully online non-resident graduate fee schedules, including mandatory fees, to the published eight-semester course sequence.

SFA’s FNP MSN is built for Texas RNs who plan to keep working while they study. The program caps enrollment at six credits per semester, runs on a fixed eight-semester sequence, and costs about $24,400 in total for Texas residents, fees included.

The trade-off is a fixed pace and a self-directed clinical search. There is one fall start per year, no full-time option, and students must find every preceptor themselves, including the 300-hour Capstone site.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN; Post-Master’s Certificate
FormatMostly Online: online coursework plus two 2-day campus seminars in Nacogdoches
Clinical Hours840 (760 minimum face-to-face with patients)
Clinical PlacementStudent finds own sites and preceptors; school provides a directory of past sites
PopulationFamily/lifespan, with a stated emphasis on rural and underserved communities
Distinctive CourseworkDiagnostics and Procedures with hands-on skills; The Politics of Health Care
ConcentrationsNone; optional MSN/MBA dual enrollment
RN License RequirementsValid, unencumbered RN license
Course LoadPart-time only: 3 to 6 credits per semester
Start TermFall only; applications due Aug. 1
Licensure StatesMeets requirements in TX, AR, LA, and OK; other states undetermined
TuitionAbout $24,368 resident; about $30,008 out-of-state online (derived, fees included)
AccreditationACEN (master’s and post-master’s certificate)

Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the MSN at SFA is approximately $24,368 for Texas residents (47 credits at about $518/credit, derived with mandatory fees). The program can generally be completed in about three years (eight consecutive semesters, including two summers).

The Nursing, MSN | Family Nurse Practitioner program is ACEN-accredited, requires no GRE, and admits once a year for fall.

MSN Curriculum

Foundation first, specialty second. The first year covers theory, health promotion, pathophysiology, and research, then moves to Advanced Health Assessment in the Year 1 summer. Pharmacology does not start until the Year 2 fall. That ordering keeps every semester at six credits or fewer, but prescribing content arrives in the second year.

A term-locked specialty spine. Each clinical course sits in one fixed term: Diagnostics and Procedures (Year 2 fall), Primary Care I (Year 2 spring), Primary Care II (Year 3 fall), and the Capstone (Year 3 spring). Falling behind in one course can push graduation back a full year.

How the primary care courses split. Primary Care I groups women’s health, pediatrics, and mental health in one course. Primary Care II covers adults across the lifespan. The Capstone opens and closes with a national standardized exam and requires a competency portfolio.

Optional MSN/MBA. Students can enroll in SFA’s online MBA at the same time. MSN coursework substitutes for the MBA’s 12 elective hours, but the MBA requires a separate application.

  • NURS 5331 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
  • NURS 5332 Advanced Health Assessment (3, with 60-hour practicum)
  • NURS 5341 Advanced Pharmacology (3)
  • NURS 5342 Diagnostics and Procedures (3, with 120-hour practicum)
  • NURS 5651 Primary Care I (6, with 180-hour practicum)
  • NURS 5661 Primary Care II (6, with 180-hour practicum)
  • NURS 5670 MSN FNP Capstone (6, with 300-hour practicum)
  • NURS 5302 The Politics of Health Care (3)
  • NURS 5221 Advanced Practice Roles (2)

More curriculum details are available here.

MSN Clinical Requirements

  • Total: 840 hours (60 + 120 + 180 + 180 + 300), at 60 hours per clinical credit.
  • At least 760 of those hours must be face-to-face with patients.
  • Minimums of 100 hours in pediatrics and women’s health and 150 hours in mental health and gerontology.
  • At least half of all hours must be with a nurse practitioner; physicians and PAs may cover up to half.
  • Approved settings: family practice, primary care, pediatrics, and women’s health.
  • Urgent care or ER fast-track hours count only during Diagnostics and Procedures.
  • Specialty clinics may be approved only for the last 50 Capstone hours.
  • Students may train at their employer with coordinator approval, but never under a work supervisor or family member.
  • Clinical faculty make at least one face-to-face visit; a second visit may happen by other means.
  • Preceptors need at least 2,000 hours or one year of full-time experience in role.
  • Hours are logged in Typhon, and front-loading hours early in the semester is discouraged.

840 hours is well above the 500-hour certification floor and above the 600 to 700 hours common among FNP programs. Spread over 15-week terms, that is about 12 clinical hours per week in each Primary Care course and about 20 hours per week in the Capstone. Because students source every site, the population minimums matter: a nurse in a small town may need to find separate pediatric, women’s health, and mental health preceptors, which can mean travel.

You Should Know
  • SFA’s current program page lists a minimum of 720 clinical hours. The August 2026 student and preceptor handbooks and the course plan all total 840. The 720 figure matches an older handbook version with 46 credits, so plan for 840.
  • The catalog labels the program “Hybrid/Blended,” while the program page says courses are taught online. The handbook describes no more than two on-campus seminars, so the program is classified here as Mostly Online.
  • Campus visit counts differ by source. The handbook lists two 2-day seminars (Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostics and Procedures). The MSN FAQ also mentions an on-campus orientation, and an older program page said three visits.
  • The MSN FAQ says students can work full time, but Primary Care II alone expects at least 16 hours per week of online work plus about 12 clinical hours per week.

MSN Admissions

SFA admits FNP students for fall only, with no GRE and a 2.5 GPA floor.

  • BSN from a regionally accredited institution.
  • Undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher overall; Graduate School clear admission also looks for 2.8 on the last 60 hours.
  • Valid, unencumbered nursing license.
  • One year of full-time RN experience is preferred, not required.
  • Application: transcripts, nursing license, personal statement, and three references.
  • $50 non-refundable application fee.
  • Annual cycle: applications open Jan. 1, acceptances begin March 1, and the deadline is Aug. 1 for fall entry.
  • Degree plans are finalized at an on-campus orientation before the program starts.
You Should Know
  • The Aug. 1, 2026 deadline has passed. The next realistic entry point is fall 2027.
  • The Graduate School page advertises summer, fall, and spring starts. Those apply university-wide; the FNP sequence itself is fall-entry.
  • The program page lists students in their final undergraduate year and SFA overlap students as eligible, which does not align with the RN license requirement. Confirm eligibility with the MSN coordinator before applying on that basis.
  • SFA states the FNP MSN meets licensure requirements in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. No determination has been made for other states, and relocating mid-program may affect licensure eligibility and financial aid.

Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate

The estimated tuition for the Post-Master’s FNP Certificate at SFA depends on the credits assigned after transcript review; at the derived resident rate, a 6-credit semester costs $3,210. The program can generally be completed in a timeframe the MSN coordinator sets during that review.

The Post-Master’s Certificate for the Family Nurse Practitioner is for nurses who already hold an MSN.

Certificate Curriculum

  • Coursework is individualized from a gap analysis of the prior MSN transcript.
  • Equivalency credit and validation of previous coursework are available.
  • Courses are drawn from the same MSN FNP sequence and follow the same term schedule.

Certificate Clinical Requirements

  • Total certificate hours: Not clearly stated.
  • Clinical courses follow the same preceptor, setting, and population rules as the MSN.
  • The two 2-day campus seminars attach to Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostics and Procedures, so they apply only if those courses are assigned.

Because the clinical practicums are tied to specific courses, a nurse who needs Diagnostics, both Primary Care courses, and the Capstone would complete 780 of the MSN’s 840 hours. Ask for a written plan showing assigned courses and hours before enrolling.

Certificate Admissions

The certificate uses the MSN application requirements, plus a completed master’s degree in nursing.

  • MSN degree required.
  • Valid, unencumbered nursing license.
  • Transcript evaluation by the MSN program coordinator.
You Should Know
  • The MSN FAQ says certificate applications are always open, while the certificate page says applications are accepted for fall. Confirm the entry term with the coordinator.
  • Certificate credits, duration, and clinical hours are not published. Tuition cannot be estimated until the transcript review is complete.
  • The certificate is not separately listed on SFA’s licensure disclosure; the MSN determination (TX, AR, LA, OK) is the closest guide.

Tuition

SFA does not publish a single per-credit rate for the FNP MSN. Applying the 2026-27 graduate fee schedules to the course plan gives a derived all-in cost of about $518 per credit for Texas residents and about $638 per credit for out-of-state online students.

SFA bills by semester load, not a flat rate per credit. Seven of the eight semesters carry 6 credits, and one summer carries 5. The 6-credit semester breaks down as follows:

Component (6 credits)Texas ResidentOut-of-State Online
Statutory tuition ($50/credit)$300.00$300.00
Out-of-state electronic fee ($120/credit)n/a$720.00
Designated tuition$1,524.00$1,524.00
Graduate tuition ($30/credit)$180.00$180.00
Graduate differential tuition (per semester)$75.00$75.00
University services fee ($75/credit)$450.00$450.00
Athletics fee ($40/credit)$240.00$240.00
Technology fee ($30/credit)$180.00$180.00
Student service fee ($13.50/credit)$81.00$81.00
Student center fee$54.00$54.00
Rec sports, medical services, registration, and international education fees$126.00$126.00
Semester total$3,210.00$3,930.00

Program totals (derived):

  • Texas resident: 7 semesters × $3,210 + 1 summer at 5 credits ($1,897.50) = $24,367.50, or about $518 per credit.
  • Out-of-state online: 7 semesters × $3,930 + 1 summer at 5 credits ($2,497.50) = $30,007.50, or about $638 per credit.
  • Non-resident standard schedule: 7 semesters × $5,778 + 1 summer at 5 credits ($4,037.50) = $44,483.50, or about $946 per credit.

Confirmed costs:

  • Every figure above comes from SFA’s published 2026-27 rate tables.
  • Graduate differential tuition ($75 per semester) replaces most course and lab fees.
  • The application fee is $50.
  • A $25 per-term payment plan fee applies if you pay in installments.

See SFA’s tuition and fee rate tables for current schedules.

Be aware that:

  • Costs do not scale evenly with credits. A 5-credit semester costs $1,897.50 for residents, but a 6-credit semester costs $3,210. A 3-credit semester costs $1,713.50, about $571 per credit.
  • Mandatory fees make up $1,131 of each 6-credit resident bill (about 35 percent), including athletics, recreation, and student center fees that online students still pay.
  • The out-of-state electronic rate applies to non-residents living outside Texas in web-based programs. SFA does not say whether the two campus seminars affect eligibility. Without it, the total rises to about $44,484.
  • Rates cover fall 2026 through summer 2027 only. The Texas tuition freeze covers resident undergraduate costs, not graduate rates, so later years may cost more.
  • Travel and lodging for two 2-day campus seminars are not included.
  • Typhon access, background checks, and Capstone standardized exam charges are not clearly stated.

For a Texas resident, about $24,400 covers tuition and every mandatory fee for the full degree. The real budget question is time and travel: clinical sites outside your home area and the two Nacogdoches trips add costs that no rate table shows.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for Texas RNs who want to keep their current job, can find their own preceptors, and value a predictable, low total cost over speed.

Designed around a working schedule. The six-credit cap is a program rule, not a suggestion. Coursework is online, campus travel is limited to two short seminars, and clinical hours are completed in your own community. For a nurse who cannot cut back hours, that structure is the main reason to choose SFA.

Clinical training with defined breadth. The 840 hours come with required minimums in pediatrics, women’s health, mental health, and gerontology, plus a rule that at least half of all hours are with nurse practitioners. That makes the clinical record easier to defend at certification and hiring.

The drawbacks are real. There is no placement service, only a directory of past sites. The single fall start and term-locked sequence leave little room to recover from a delay. Out-of-state licensure is confirmed only for Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.

What the calendar looks like. A nurse who applies between Jan. 1 and Aug. 1, 2027 would start in fall 2027, attend the Health Assessment seminar in summer 2028, and finish the Capstone in spring 2030 on the standard plan. If that eight-semester timeline fits your life and your area has willing preceptors, SFA is a strong fit.

Accreditation

The master’s and post-master’s certificate nursing programs at Stephen F. Austin State University are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). That scope covers both the FNP MSN and the Post-Master’s FNP Certificate. ACEN’s most recent decision for the master’s and post-master’s program was continuing accreditation.

The DeWitt School of Nursing is also approved by the Texas Board of Nursing, which governs APRN licensure for graduates practicing in Texas.

Stephen F. Austin State University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and is a member of The University of Texas System. Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit recognition by other schools.

Graduates are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC). Passing either exam allows graduates to apply to the Texas Board of Nursing for APRN licensure as a family nurse practitioner.

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