University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences FNP Programs

School of Nursing • Little Rock, AR • Online • $525/credit

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences offers 3 Family Nurse Practitioner tracks:

  • MNSc-FNP (42 credits) — master’s, for BSN-prepared RNs
  • Post-BSN to DNP, FNP specialty (72–73 credits) — BSN to doctorate
  • Post-Graduate FNP Certificate (20 credits, before gap courses) — for MSN/DNP-prepared nurses

UAMS is Arkansas’s academic health center. Core courses run online with local practicum placements arranged by track coordinators. All three paths prepare graduates for ANCC or AANP FNP certification.

A 2,000-hour RN work-experience requirement applies before clinical courses, and border states (LA, MO, MS, OK, TN, TX) qualify for in-state tuition.

Program Tracks Overview

Program NameEst. TuitionEst. Duration
MNSc FNP~$22K ~2 years
DNP FNP~$38K 3 or 4 years
Post-Graduate Certificate FNP~$11KVaries (gap analysis)

UAMS delivers FNP at an academic health center across three levels — master’s, doctorate, and post-graduate certificate — mostly online, with affordable in-state tuition extended to six border states.

MNSc FNP

The estimated cost for the MNSc FNP at UAMS is about $22,000 in resident tuition (42 credits at $525 each). The program takes about two years full-time.

MNSc Curriculum

The MNSc-FNP is 42 credits: a graduate core (theory, research, the “three Ps,” prevention, evidence-based practice, APRN role) plus an FNP clinical sequence covering child/family, family reproductive health, and adult/family care, capped by an outcomes portfolio and comprehensive exam.

  • NURS 71053 — Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice and Research (3)
  • NURS 51003 — Research Methodology (3)
  • NURS 51033 — Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology (3)
  • NURS 51043 — Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics in APRN (3)
  • NURS 71153 — Clinical Prevention and Health Promotion (3)
  • NURS 72103 — Evidence-Based Practice (3)
  • NURS 71163 — Roles and Professional Practice for APRNs (3)
  • NURS 53053 — Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning (3)
  • NURS 51103 — Clinical Management of Child & Family Theory (3)
  • NURS 72175 — Clinical Management of Child & Family Practicum (3; 210 hours)
  • NURS 51143 — Clinical Management of Family Reproductive Health Theory (3)
  • NURS 72153 — Clinical Management of Family Reproductive Health Practicum (3; 210 hours)
  • NURS 51153 — Clinical Management of Adult and Family Theory (3)
  • NURS 72165 — Clinical Management of Adult and Family Practicum (5; 350 hours)
  • NURS 59951 — Outcomes Portfolio (1)

MNSc Clinicals

The MNSc-FNP requires 770 clinical clock hours across three practicums, placed locally through the specialty coordinator.

  • Total hours: 770 (Child & Family 210, Reproductive Health 210, Adult & Family 350)
  • Placement: negotiated locally; students rotate sites and can’t precept where they work
  • Population focus: family primary care across the lifespan
  • Capstone: outcomes portfolio with a written comprehensive exam at graduation

(Note: one catalog page lists the FNP track at 40 credits / 540 hours; the program-of-study page lists 42 credits / 770 hours. I used the latter, fuller version.)

MNSc Admissions

Admission requires a BSN, an RN license, and (before clinicals) 2,000 RN work hours.

  • BSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program
  • GPA of 2.85+ for regular admission (2.50–2.84 may be conditional)
  • Unencumbered Arkansas or compact-state RN license
  • Health assessment course; interview and essay possible
  • 2,000 verified RN work hours before clinical/assessment courses
  • No GRE/MAT required

NP tracks admit Fall (August) and Spring (January). Deadlines: March 1 for fall, September 1 for spring. Arkansas residents receive preference.

DNP FNP

The estimated cost for the DNP FNP at UAMS is about $38,000 in resident tuition (72–73 credits at $525 each). The post-BSN program runs three or four years full-time. Students do not earn a master’s along the way.

DNP Curriculum

The post-BSN-to-DNP totals 72–73 credits. Four shared semesters of DNP core (research, the three Ps, analytics, epidemiology, informatics, economics, health policy, quality) precede the FNP specialty theory and practicum sequence, an elective, and a DNP project (Integration of DNP Competencies plus Advanced Nursing Clinical Practice).

  • NURS 51003 — Research Methodology (3)
  • NURS 51033 — Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology (3)
  • NURS 71053 — Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice and Research (3)
  • NURS 71143 — Health Care Analytics for Nursing Practice (3)
  • NURS 72103 — Evidence-based Practice (3)
  • NURS 51043 — Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics in APRN (3)
  • NURS 52063 — Quantitative Epidemiology I (3)
  • NURS 71153 — Clinical Prevention and Health Promotion (3)
  • NURS 53053 — Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnostic Reasoning (3)
  • NURS 71103 — Economics for Complex Organizational Systems (3)
  • NURS 71133 — Health Care Informatics (3)
  • NURS 71163 — Roles & Professional Practice for APRNs (3)
  • NURS 72133 — Quality Outcomes Management (3)
  • NURS 71173 — Leadership in Health Policy & Advocacy (3)
  • NURS 72142 — Integration of DNP Competencies (2)
  • NURS 74004 — Advanced Nursing Clinical Practice (5; 350 hours)
  • Elective (3)
  • NURS 51103 — Clinical Management of the Child and Family Theory (3)
  • NURS 72175 — Child and Family Practicum (3; 210 hours)
  • NURS 51143 — Clinical Management of Family Reproductive Health Theory (3)
  • NURS 72153 — Family Reproductive Health Practicum (3; 210 hours)
  • NURS 51153 — Clinical Management of Adult and Family Theory (3)
  • NURS 72165 — Adult and Family Practicum (5; 350 hours)

More curriculum details are available here.

DNP Clinicals

The DNP requires 1,120 total practicum clock hours, including the FNP specialty practicums and a final advanced nursing clinical practice course.

  • Total hours: 1,120 practicum clock hours
  • FNP practicums: Child & Family 210, Reproductive Health 210, Adult & Family 350
  • Final course: Advanced Nursing Clinical Practice (350 hours)
  • Placement: rotate local sites; can’t precept where employed
  • DNP project: completed through Integration of DNP Competencies

DNP Admissions

Admission is post-BSN, Fall-only, and requires 2,000 RN hours before assessment/clinical courses.

  • BSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program; GPA 3.00+
  • Unencumbered Arkansas or compact-state RN license
  • 2,000 verified RN hours before Advanced Health Assessment; two years’ experience recommended
  • Health assessment course; CPR (and ACLS before FNP clinicals)
  • Interview and essay; no GRE/MAT

Already-certified APRNs may apply for a second specialty (up to 18 transfer credits). Application deadline is March 1; classes begin in August. Up to 12 graduate credits transfer for initial certification.

Post-Graduate Certificate FNP

The estimated cost for the Post-Graduate FNP Certificate at UAMS is about $11,000 in resident tuition (20 credits at $525 each, before any gap courses). Duration varies based on a gap analysis of prior coursework.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate is for master’s- or DNP-prepared nurses and covers the FNP specialty theory and practicum sequence only. A gap analysis identifies any missing core/foundational courses, which are added as needed.

  • NURS 51103 — Clinical Management of Child & Family Theory (3)
  • NURS 72175 — Child and Family Practicum (3; 210 hours)
  • NURS 51143 — Clinical Management of Family Reproductive Health Theory (3)
  • NURS 72153 — Family Reproductive Health Practicum (3; 210 hours)
  • NURS 51153 — Clinical Management of Adult & Family Theory (3)
  • NURS 72165 — Adult and Family Practicum (5; 350 hours)

Certificate Clinicals

The certificate carries the same FNP practicum sequence — 770 clinical hours across three practicums.

  • Total hours: 770 (Child & Family 210, Reproductive Health 210, Adult & Family 350)
  • Placement: arranged locally through the specialty coordinator
  • Population focus: family primary care across the lifespan
  • Scope: gap analysis may add core/foundational courses

Certificate Admissions

The certificate is for nurses with a graduate nursing degree.

  • Master’s or DNP in nursing from a CCNE- or NLNAC-accredited institution
  • Current, unencumbered Arkansas RN license
  • 2,000 hours of RN clinical practice
  • Interview and essay possible; gap analysis on prior transcript
  • Admitted on a space-available basis per specialty

Apply via the MNSc application, noting post-graduate certificate status in the supplemental section.

Tuition

UAMS charges graduate nursing tuition by the credit hour: $525 resident, $888 non-resident (2026–27). Six border states (Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas) qualify for the in-state rate.

That puts resident tuition near $22,000 for the 42-credit MNSc, about $38,000 for the 72-credit DNP, and roughly $11,000 for the 20-credit certificate, before fees.

Add a $260 graduate program fee (charged in assessment-course semesters), $20/semester liability insurance, and standard institutional fees.

See the official tuition page for details: College of Nursing Tuition.

Accreditation

The Master of Nursing Science and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at UAMS are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The university is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. FNP graduates are eligible to sit for national FNP certification through the ANCC or the AANP.

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