University of Illinois Chicago FNP Programs

College of Nursing • Chicago, IL • Hybrid • $1,129/credit

The University of Illinois Chicago offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • BSN to DNP
  • Post-DNP Certificate

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
BSN-DNP$84.7K4-5 yrs (part-time)75
Certificate$28.2KNot clearly stated25

UIC’s FNP pairs faculty-arranged clinical placements with three campus options, Chicago, Rockford, and Urbana, at one per-credit rate for Illinois and out-of-state students. The trade-off is commitment: the FNP exists only as a doctorate, enrollment is part-time with a single fall intake, and students must live within commuting distance of their campus.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesBSN to DNP (75 credits) and post-DNP certificate (25 credits). No MSN-level FNP.
FormatHybrid. FNP courses meet on campus every 3 to 4 weeks.
CampusesChicago, Rockford, Urbana
Clinical HoursNot published as a total. 17 practicum credits, about 765 hours at UIC’s ratio (derived).
Clinical PlacementFaculty arrange all sites and preceptors near the student’s campus.
PopulationIndividuals and families across the lifespan
EnrollmentPart-time only; fall admission only
Residency RuleMust live within commuting distance of the admitting campus.
RN License RequirementsRN license in at least one jurisdiction; license in the clinical state
Tuition$1,129 per credit (2026-2027), in-state and out-of-state
AccreditationCCNE (DNP and post-graduate APRN certificate). Higher Learning Commission.

BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the BSN to DNP track at UIC is approximately $84,675 (75 credits at $1,129/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 4 to 5 years of part-time study.

The Family Nurse Practitioner DNP is UIC’s only route into the FNP role for nurses without a doctorate. Certified FNPs holding an MS can enter a separate post-master’s DNP.

BSN to DNP Curriculum

The 75 credits divide into four blocks: a 13-credit APRN core, a 27-credit FNP sequence, a 27-credit DNP core, and an 8-credit DNP project. The FNP sequence moves from adult health into primary care adult management and then family health, which adds pediatric content, while three practicum courses run alongside.

  • NURS 521 Advanced Physiological and Pathophysiological Principles Across the Lifespan (4)
  • NURS 531 Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics (3)
  • NURS 532 Comprehensive Health Assessment for Advanced Nursing Practice (4)
  • NUSP 537 Adult Health, Diagnosis and Disease Management (4)
  • NUSP 538 Primary Care Adult Health, Diagnosis, and Disease Management (3)
  • NUSP 545 Family Health, Diagnosis, and Disease Management (3)
  • NUPR 521, 522, 523 Clinical Practice in Primary Care I-III (6, 6, 5)
  • DNP core: nine 3-credit courses in biostatistics, health equity, policy, population health, quality, informatics, business planning, and evidence translation

More curriculum details are available here.

BSN to DNP Clinical Requirements

  • FNP practicum: NUPR 521, 522, and 523, 17 credits
  • Total FNP clinical hours: not published for the DNP; about 765 hours, derived at the 45 clock hours per practicum credit UIC applies in its FNP certificate and other NP tracks
  • DNP project practicum: NUPR 548 and 549, separate from the FNP practicum
  • Placement: program directors select sites and assign preceptors near the student’s campus
  • RN license required in the state where clinicals take place

A derived 765 FNP hours sits above the 500-hour certification floor and above the 600 to 700 hours common among FNP programs. The bigger practical advantage is the placement model: students do not search for preceptors at all. That support is why UIC limits enrollment to nurses who live within commuting distance of Chicago, Rockford, or Urbana.

BSN to DNP Admissions

UIC runs one fall intake, and applicants choose one campus and one focus area per cycle.

  • BSN from a CCNE- or NLN-accredited program, or a bachelor’s in another field plus an RN license
  • 3.00 GPA for all work beyond the baccalaureate
  • Valid RN license in at least one jurisdiction
  • Three letters of recommendation, essays, and a resume or CV
  • Required interview; no GRE
  • Applications through NursingCAS plus a UIC supplemental application, accepted August through March; standard deadline January 15
You Should Know
  • The FNP program page lists part-time enrollment only over 4 to 5 years. The graduate catalog describes the DNP as part-time or full-time over 3 to 5 years. This page uses the FNP program page.
  • The commuting-distance rule effectively limits enrollment to Illinois and the bordering states.
  • The FNP program page publishes no RN experience minimum.

Post-DNP Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the FNP post-DNP certificate at UIC is approximately $28,225 (25 credits at $1,129/credit). UIC does not publish a completion time.

The FNP post-DNP certificate is for DNP-prepared nurses adding the FNP population focus. It is closed to master’s-prepared nurses.

Certificate Curriculum

  • NUSP 515, 516, and 517: Health Management in Primary Care I-III (3 each)
  • NUSP 590 (3)
  • NUPR 521, 522, 523 Clinical Practice in Primary Care I-III (3, 5, 5)
  • Four additional courses may be required of DNP holders without current APRN certification and licensure
You Should Know
  • The certificate page lists NUPR 521-523 at 3, 5, and 5 credits and older NUSP course numbers. The current catalog lists NUPR 521-523 at 6, 6, and 5 credits. If the catalog values apply, the certificate would carry more practicum credits and cost more than this estimate.

Certificate Clinical Requirements

  • Standard total: 585 clinical hours; minimum 500
  • Gap analysis available for certified NPs already practicing in another population
  • Faculty arrange all practicum sites and preceptors

Certificate Admissions

  • DNP degree required
  • DNP graduates in systems-focused areas contact the program director about enrollment
  • Hybrid format; Chicago is the primary campus
  • Fall admission only; applications accepted August through March
  • Not eligible for financial aid

Tuition

UIC charges $1,129 per credit for the DNP and post-DNP certificates in 2026-2027, the same for in-state and out-of-state students. That is a published rate for fall and spring; totals below are estimates built from it.

TrackCreditsRateTuition (derived)
BSN-DNP75$1,129$84,675
Post-DNP Certificate25$1,129$28,225

Confirmed costs:

  • Professional tuition: $1,129 per credit, fall and spring 2026-2027
  • Chicago campus fees and assessments: about $2,197 per fall or spring semester at 6 to 11 credits, including a $753 health insurance fee that can be waived with other coverage

Be aware that:

  • Summer billing: summer terms use a separate rate ($1,075 per credit in Summer 2026), so estimates at $1,129 slightly overstate a plan with summer coursework.
  • Regional campuses: posted rates and fees apply to Chicago; Rockford and Urbana charge a different fee mix.
  • Fees add up: a part-time doctorate spans many semesters, so per-semester fees add several thousand dollars to the tuition estimate.

The residency-neutral rate helps only nurses who live near a UIC campus, including those across the state line, since the commuting rule keeps everyone else out. For students who qualify, waiving the health insurance fee with employer coverage is the main lever on cost.

View UIC’s professional tuition and fees.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for nurses living near Chicago, Rockford, or Urbana who want a doctorate, can study part-time for four to five years, and do not want to search for their own preceptors.

No preceptor search, outside Chicago too. Faculty arrange every FNP site and preceptor near the student’s campus. With Rockford and Urbana as options, that support reaches northern and central Illinois rather than only the Chicago area.

One rate regardless of residency. At $1,129 per credit, a nurse from a bordering state who lives near a UIC campus pays what an Illinois resident pays.

The fit question is time. There is no MSN route, enrollment is part-time, and the program page puts completion at four to five years with one fall intake. FNP courses also bring students to campus every three to four weeks. Nurses who want a faster credential or no campus travel should look elsewhere.

Accreditation

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits UIC’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program and its post-graduate APRN certificate program, which covers both FNP tracks.

The Higher Learning Commission accredits the University of Illinois Chicago. Institutional accreditation governs federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer.

Graduates are eligible for national FNP certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board. UIC reports a 100% certification pass rate for its FNP post-DNP certificate graduates.

Review More FNP Programs in Illinois