UNC Pembroke FNP Programs

McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing • Pembroke, NC • Mostly Online • $386.95/credit

UNC Pembroke offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • MSN
  • Second MSN (for MSN Holders)

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. Tuition (In-State)Est. DurationCredit Hours
MSN$15.1K2.3 years (5 semesters)39
Second MSNNot clearly statedNot clearly statedNot clearly stated

UNC Pembroke’s defining advantage is a built-in head start on its DNP: two doctoral courses can replace the MSN’s research and policy courses and also count toward the DNP in Population Health. Plan on a roughly 3-day campus immersion every semester, and note that the DNP is still pursuing initial CCNE accreditation.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesMSN with an FNP track; second MSN for nurses who already hold an MSN
FormatMostly Online: synchronous online classes plus a roughly 3-day campus immersion each semester
Clinical Hours675 (45 in health assessment, 630 in three FNP practica)
Clinical PlacementNot clearly stated
PopulationLifespan; the final 180-hour practicum is adult-focused
Distinctive CourseworkOptional DNP courses NUR 8020 and NUR 8031 in place of MSN research and policy
ConcentrationsNone
RN License RequirementsNorth Carolina RN license with multistate compact privileges
Tuition$386.95/credit in-state, $1,112.45 out-of-state, campus fees included (derived)
AccreditationCCNE (master’s); SACSCOC (institutional)
Start TermFall only; applications accepted October 1 through June 30
ExperienceOne year of completed nursing practice required

MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner track at UNC Pembroke is approximately $15,100 for North Carolina residents and $43,400 for non-residents (39 credits at a derived $386.95/credit in-state or $1,112.45 out-of-state, campus fees included). The program can generally be completed in about 2.3 years (5 semesters); UNCP publishes the five-semester plan, and the 2.3-year figure is derived from its Fall Year 1 to Fall Year 3 span.

MSN Curriculum

Foundation year. The first fall covers advanced pathophysiology and pharmacology. The first spring adds advanced physical assessment (with 45 clinical hours), a research and evidence-based practice course, and a policy and leadership course. Loads stay at 6 and 9 credits, and there is no summer coursework.

The FNP sequence. Three paired courses follow in fall, spring, and fall. Each pairs a didactic Family Primary Care course with a practicum, carrying 225, 225, and 180 clinical hours. The last practicum is adult-focused. With one published fall start and a fixed fall-spring-fall sequence, there is a single entry point each year.

The DNP option. Students planning a doctorate can take NUR 8020 in place of NUR 5010 and NUR 8031 in place of NUR 5110. Both are courses in UNCP’s DNP in Population Health, and the catalog says they apply to both programs. NUR 8031 is a 4-credit practicum with 45 clinical hours in UNCP’s DNP plan, so this route runs 40 credits instead of 39.

Why the credit count is low. A BSN-entry MSN under 40 credits is uncommon, but both the catalog and the plan of study confirm it. The MSN layer is only two courses (6 credits). The rest is the 9-credit clinical core and the 24-credit FNP sequence, so nearly every credit goes toward clinical preparation. The trade-off is that there are no separate theory, informatics, or role-transition courses.

  • NUR 5020 Advanced Pathophysiology
  • NUR 5030 Advanced Concepts of Pharmacology in Nursing
  • NUR 5040 Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Decision Making
  • NUR 5010 Research Methods for Evidence-Based Practice, or NUR 8020 Evidence-Based Practice, Research Methods, and Clinical Data Management
  • NUR 5110 Policy, Organization, and Financing of Health Care, or NUR 8031 Clinical Practicum I: Organizational and Public Health Systems Leadership
  • NUR 6010 and NUR 6015 Family Primary Care I and Practicum
  • NUR 6020 and NUR 6025 Family Primary Care II and Practicum
  • NUR 6030 and NUR 6035 Family Primary Care III and Practicum

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • Course credits differ by source. The catalog lists NUR 6010 and NUR 6035 at 4 credits each; the plan of study lists 3 and 5. The total is 39 either way, and the derived cost is unchanged. The catalog split matches UNCP’s 45-hours-per-clinical-credit pattern.
  • The DNP option changes the spring load. It adds a credit (40 total) and replaces two 8-week MSN courses with two 16-week doctoral courses, raising the first spring to 10 credits.
  • The DNP head start has limits. The DNP is a post-master’s degree in population health, not a clinical FNP doctorate. It requires a separate application and an epidemiology course the MSN does not include. UNCP does not say whether the two courses shorten the DNP’s 2-year timeline or only its 35-credit load.

MSN Clinical Requirements

  • 675 total clinical hours: 45 (NUR 5040) + 225 (Family Primary Care I) + 225 (Family Primary Care II) + 180 (Family Primary Care III)
  • 630 of those hours fall in the three FNP practica (derived)
  • About 14, 14, and 11 practicum hours per week across 16-week terms (derived)
  • Final practicum: 180 adult clinical hours
  • On-campus immersion of about 3 days each semester, required to demonstrate APRN core competencies
  • DEA prescriber course of 1 to 2 days in Summer of Year 2
  • Placement model: Not clearly stated

At 675 hours, UNCP sits comfortably above the 500-hour certification floor and within the 600 to 700 hours common among FNP programs. The lean credit count does not mean lean clinical training. About 14 practicum hours a week is roughly one 12-hour shift plus a few hours, which many working nurses can schedule. The immersions are the bigger logistics question: across five semesters, that is about 15 days in Pembroke (derived).

You Should Know
  • The “100% Online” label understates travel. The MSN page header says 100% online, but the FNP section describes a hybrid format with synchronous classes and a campus immersion every semester. This profile classifies it as Mostly Online.
  • Placement support is not described. UNCP does not say who finds preceptors, whether sites must be in North Carolina, or whether faculty visit sites. Ask before applying.
  • Population mix is unstated. Beyond the adult-focused final practicum, UNCP does not say how pediatric and women’s health hours are distributed.
  • DEA course details are thin. UNCP’s note ties the course to a window of 3 years from graduation but does not list its format, location, or cost.

MSN Admissions

Admission is fall-only and requires a North Carolina multistate license plus a year of nursing practice.

  • BSN from an NLN- or CCNE-accredited school of nursing
  • Current North Carolina nursing license with multistate privileges under the Nurse Licensure Compact
  • One year of completed nursing practice experience
  • Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher preferred
  • A nursing research course with a grade of C or higher
  • Résumé or CV, application, fee, and transcripts
  • Annual cycle: applications open October 1 and close June 30 for a mid-August start
You Should Know
  • The license wording is ambiguous. UNCP asks for a North Carolina license with multistate privileges. It does not say whether a multistate license from another compact state qualifies. Nurses in non-compact states would need a North Carolina license.
  • Study outside North Carolina is uncertain. UNCP’s licensure disclosure says its programs are designed for North Carolina requirements and that it cannot confirm other states. The FNP does not appear on that disclosure list.
  • No outcomes data yet. The FNP track is newly offered, and UNCP publishes no certification pass rates or graduate outcomes for it.

Second MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner (for MSN Holders)

UNC Pembroke does not publish tuition for the second MSN with an FNP concentration; at the MSN’s derived $386.95/credit in-state ($1,112.45 out-of-state), each 3-credit course costs about $1,161 in-state or $3,337 out-of-state (derived). UNCP says the pathway takes a “shortened time frame” but publishes no length; the FNP sequence alone spans three consecutive semesters in the MSN plan (derived).

Second MSN Curriculum

UNCP describes this route as building on a nurse’s previous graduate coursework to award a second MSN. It publishes no separate plan of study or catalog record. A prior non-FNP MSN would not include UNCP’s 24-credit FNP sequence (NUR 6010 through NUR 6035), which holds the three practica.

Second MSN Clinical Requirements

  • FNP practica: 630 hours across Family Primary Care I, II, and III, based on the MSN plan
  • Advanced health assessment (45 hours): whether it is required or credited from a prior MSN is not stated
  • Campus immersion requirements: not stated for this pathway

Second MSN Admissions

No separate admission criteria are published. Expect the MSN requirements to apply, including the North Carolina compact license and one year of practice.

You Should Know
  • Get the plan in writing. Credits, cost, transfer rules, and length all depend on which prior courses UNCP accepts. Ask for a written plan of study before committing.
  • Prior coursework recency is unaddressed. UNCP does not say how old a prior pathophysiology, pharmacology, or assessment course can be.

Tuition

UNC Pembroke’s FNP costs a derived $386.95 per credit for North Carolina residents and $1,112.45 for non-residents on UNCP’s 2026–27 on-campus graduate schedule. Tuition alone is $237.78 and $963.28 per credit. The other $149.17 per credit is university fees, the same for both residency groups. Tuition and fees are capped at 9 credits per semester.

Per-Credit ComponentIn-StateOut-of-State
Tuition$237.78$963.28
General Fees (health services, athletics, educational technology, campus security)$97.33$97.33
Student Activity Fee$41.00$41.00
Student Capital Fee$10.78$10.78
Association of Student Governments Fee$0.06$0.06
Total per credit$386.95$1,112.45
SemesterCreditsIn-StateOut-of-State
Fall, Year 16$2,321.69$6,674.69
Spring, Year 19$3,482.50$10,012.00
Fall, Year 28$3,095.58$8,899.58
Spring, Year 28$3,095.58$8,899.58
Fall, Year 38$3,095.58$8,899.58
One-time orientation and wellness fees$40.00$40.00
MSN total (derived)39$15,130.93$43,425.43

Derived: published per-semester totals for each term’s credit load in the MSN plan, plus one-time fees. Tuition alone is about $9,273 in-state and $37,568 out-of-state.

  • Tuition: $237.78 per credit in-state, $963.28 out-of-state
  • University fees: $149.17 per credit, capped at 9 credits per semester
  • Orientation fee of $20 and Student Wellness fee of $20, charged once
  • No MSN program fee appears on the on-campus graduate schedule

Be aware that:

  • The billing schedule is not confirmed. UNCP sets fees by a student’s program of record, on-campus or distance education. The MSN is marketed as 100% online, and UNCP’s distance education schedule lists a per-credit Master of Science in Nursing program fee whose amount could not be retrieved. If the FNP is billed there, most campus fees drop off and that program fee applies instead. Confirm with Student Accounts.
  • Health insurance could add $11,832.50. The on-campus schedule assesses a $2,366.50-per-semester plan for students taking 6 or more credits on campus. Every FNP term is 6 to 9 credits. UNCP allows a waiver for students with other coverage.
  • The DNP option costs nothing extra in tuition (derived). Its 10-credit spring term is billed at the 9-credit cap, assuming the doctoral courses are billed at MSN rates.
  • Travel is not included. Five immersion trips (derived), plus the DEA prescriber course, add travel and lodging costs for nurses outside the Pembroke area.
  • These are 2026–27 rates. A fall 2027 cohort will pay rates the UNC System sets each year.

On the campus schedule, fees make up about 38% of the in-state bill, so the tuition-only figure understates real cost. Even with fees, the in-state total is about $15,100 for 675 clinical hours. Out-of-state, cost nearly triples to about $43,400. Combined with the North Carolina license requirement and North Carolina-focused licensure design, the program is effectively priced and built for North Carolina residents.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for North Carolina nurses who want a compact, affordable MSN-FNP at a manageable pace, can travel to Pembroke a few days each semester, and may want a DNP later.

Nurses keeping the DNP door open. Swapping in NUR 8020 and NUR 8031 moves 7 credits of UNCP’s 35-credit DNP into the MSN (derived). On the campus schedule, that adds no tuition (derived). The catch is that the DNP is in population health, not clinical practice, and it is still pursuing initial CCNE accreditation.

Working nurses who need a lighter load. No term exceeds 9 credits in the standard plan, and there are no summer courses. Four of the five terms fall below UNCP’s 9-credit full-time level, which is why the plan runs about 28 months rather than the 24 the MSN page advertises. The 675 clinical hours still meet the common range, at about 14 hours a week in the heaviest terms.

What to weigh first. UNCP does not describe how clinical placements work, and the FNP track is too new to have outcome data. The “100% online” label leaves out a campus immersion every semester. The billing schedule, and whether an MSN program fee applies, still needs confirmation.

How it compares with Winston-Salem State. Both are UNC System MSN-FNPs with nearly identical clinical volume: 675 hours here, 672 at Winston-Salem State University. UNCP gets there in 39 credits versus WSSU’s 51, at about $15,100 in-state versus about $23,100 (both derived). WSSU publishes a placement model and offers a BSN-DNP with the FNP built in. If a clinical doctorate or clear placement rules matter most, WSSU fits better. If total cost and credit load matter most, UNCP does.

Accreditation

UNC Pembroke’s baccalaureate and master’s nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The FNP is a track within the accredited MSN, and both national certifying bodies require graduation from an accredited graduate program. That makes CCNE’s master’s accreditation the credential that matters for FNP eligibility.

UNCP’s DNP in Population Health, where the optional doctoral courses count, is pursuing initial CCNE accreditation. UNCP notes that applying does not guarantee accreditation will be granted, which matters most to nurses planning to use the DNP option.

UNCP is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Institutional accreditation affects federal financial aid eligibility and how employers and other schools treat your degree and credits.

The catalog states that FNP graduates are eligible for national certification and for APRN licensure. That means eligibility to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC), the credential state boards use for FNP licensure.

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