University of Kentucky FNP Programs

College of Nursing • Lexington, KY • Mostly Online • $841.50–$1,103/credit

The University of Kentucky offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • BSN-DNP
  • Postgraduate Certificate

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
BSN-DNP$73.5K in-state / $192.9K out-of-state3 years (8 semesters) full-time; 4- and 5-year part-time plans77
Certificate$21.9K–$29.5K in-state / $54.6K–$73.5K out-of-stateAbout 2.5 years (7–8 semesters, including summers)26–35

Tuition estimates use UK’s 2026–2027 fee-inclusive campus rates: the Professional Practice Doctoral rate for the BSN-DNP and the standard graduate rate for the certificate.

UK’s FNP certificate takes about as long on the calendar as the BSN-DNP’s clinical phase. Its specialty sequence is term-locked: 1 credit in the first fall, clinicals from Year 2, and two closing practicums, so an already-certified NP needs about two and a half years. In exchange, certificate students get the same 780 direct-care hours as doctoral students for roughly 30 to 40 percent of the doctoral tuition.

The trade-off is travel and an unresolved price. Both tracks bring students to Lexington for up to six immersion days each semester, and UK’s own pages disagree on whether those hybrid courses bill at the campus rate or the residency-blind distance rate.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesBSN-DNP; Postgraduate APRN Certificate
FormatMostly Online: online courses plus up to 6 Lexington immersion days per semester
Clinical Hours780 direct-care (both tracks); BSN-DNP adds 240 project hours (1,020 total)
Clinical PlacementNot clearly stated
PopulationFamily/across the lifespan, with a dedicated children and childbearing families course
Distinctive CourseworkThree-part APRN Seminar series; Primary Care of Children and Childbearing Families
ConcentrationsNone
RN License RequirementsActive, unrestricted RN license in each state of practice or clinical experience
Start TermsFall; spring entry for part-time students only
Admissions GateFaculty interview required for both tracks; not all states admitted
Tuition$1,103 (BSN-DNP) and $841.50 (certificate) per credit, Kentucky residents
AccreditationCCNE (DNP and post-graduate APRN certificate); SACSCOC (institution)

BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the BSN-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner option at the University of Kentucky is approximately $73,521 for Kentucky residents (77 credits at $1,103/credit, with the flat full-time semester rate applied in six of eight terms). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years of full-time study, with 4- and 5-year part-time plans available.

BSN-DNP Curriculum

Year 1: foundations and doctoral core. Students take advanced physiology, a family-specific 4-credit pharmacology course, and health assessment alongside research methods, leadership, quality and safety, and an educational data course. The first APRN Seminar and the children and childbearing families course arrive in the first summer.

Years 2 and 3: clinical sequence with the DNP project. APRN Seminars II and III each pair with a 180-hour clinical course. Biostatistics, informatics, health economics, and policy run alongside, and the DNP project proposal starts in Year 2 spring. Year 3 combines two Problems in Advanced Practice Nursing practicums with two DNP Project courses.

The curriculum is doctoral-heavy. Roughly half of the 77 credits sit outside the FNP specialty, including two biostatistics courses and an epidemiology course. Nurses who want only clinical practice preparation will carry a substantial research and systems load.

  • NUR 922 Advanced Pharmacology for Advanced Practice Nurses: Family (4 cr)
  • NUR 960, 961, 962 APRN Seminar I–III (3 cr each)
  • NUR 963 Primary Care of Children and Childbearing Families (3 cr)
  • NUR 950 Clinical, taken twice (3 cr each)
  • NUR 930 Problems in Advanced Practice Nursing (4 cr, then 3 cr)
  • NUR 903 and 906 Biostatistics and Epidemiology sequence (6 cr)
  • NUR 914 Economic and Financial Aspects of Health Care Delivery (3 cr)
  • NUR 910 DNP Project, taken twice (2 cr each)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • The published full-time plan is dated 2024. A newer version may change course placement.
  • Year 1 includes EPE 557, an educational data course from outside the College of Nursing.

BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements

  • Total: 1,020 clinical hours, of which 780 are direct patient care.
  • Direct care: NUR 950 (180) + NUR 950 (180) + NUR 930 (240) + NUR 930 (180).
  • DNP project: NUR 910 twice at 120 hours each (240).
  • Hours are figured at 60 clock hours per clinical credit.
  • Specialty courses require 1 to 6 days on the Lexington campus per semester (up to 3 at the start and 3 at the end of term).
  • DNP core courses require one hour on campus each semester, on the Thursday of immersion week.

At 780 direct-care hours, UK sits above the 500-hour certification floor and above the 600 to 700 hours common among FNP programs. The load is concentrated: all clinical work falls in the last two years, and Year 3 fall carries 360 hours (about 22 to 24 hours a week over a standard semester) alongside two didactic courses.

You Should Know
  • UK does not publish who arranges clinical sites or preceptors. Ask before applying, especially if you live outside Kentucky.
  • The plan’s 1,020 total includes 240 project hours. Board-reported direct-care hours are 780.

BSN-DNP Admissions

Admission is competitive, every qualified applicant interviews with graduate faculty, and UK does not admit students from all states.

  • BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program.
  • Undergraduate GPA of 3.0; provisional admission possible below 3.0 for exemplary practice.
  • Active, unencumbered, unrestricted RN license.
  • Clinical nursing experience before the first DNP clinical course (no minimum stated).
  • Three references, a personal statement, a scholarly writing sample, and a CV.
  • Apply through NursingCAS ($80 fee). Applicants choose one specialty at application.
  • Annual cycle: opens October 15 for fall entry, preferred deadline January 15, rolling until May 15 if space remains.
You Should Know
  • UK’s own pages give conflicting deadlines: the BSN-DNP page lists September 15 to January 15 and September 15 to April 30, while the admissions page lists October 15 with rolling review to May 15 and a February 15 close.
  • The BSN-DNP page says the program does not admit a spring class. The admissions page lists a part-time-only spring intake.
  • Provisionally admitted students must earn a B or better in each of their first 9 DNP credits.
  • Relocating to another state mid-program can end eligibility. Check UK’s state authorization map before applying.

Postgraduate APRN Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the Postgraduate APRN Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner at the University of Kentucky is approximately $21,879 for Kentucky residents (26 credits at $841.50/credit), rising to about $29,453 if all three prerequisites are required (35 credits). The program can generally be completed in about 2.5 years (7 to 8 semesters including summers); this duration is derived from the sample plan of study.

Certificate Curriculum

The 26-credit specialty block is the same FNP sequence BSN-DNP students take, minus the doctoral core. A gap analysis of prior transcripts decides whether advanced physiology, pharmacology, and health assessment (9 to 10 credits) are added.

The pacing is light early and heavy late. Year 1 carries 1 credit in fall and 3 credits each in spring and summer. Clinicals begin in Year 2 fall, and the two NUR 930 practicums finish in a summer-fall or fall-spring pair. No term exceeds 6 credits, which suits a practicing NP but means the calendar length is fixed by the sequence, not by effort.

  • NUR 927 Special Topics in Pharmacology (1 cr)
  • NUR 960 APRN Seminar I (3 cr)
  • NUR 963 Children and Childbearing Families (3 cr)
  • NUR 961 APRN Seminar II with NUR 950 Specialty Clinical I (3 cr each)
  • NUR 962 APRN Seminar III with NUR 950 Specialty Clinical II (3 cr each)
  • NUR 930 Problems in Advanced Practice Nursing (4 cr, then 3 cr)
  • Possible prerequisites: NUR 921, 922, 923 (9–10 cr)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • The plan states a 26 to 35 credit range, but the specialty block plus all three prerequisites totals 35 to 36 credits, depending on whether NUR 922 is taken at 3 or 4 credits.
  • The sample plan is labeled 2024.

Certificate Clinical Requirements

  • Total: 780 clinical hours.
  • Breakdown: NUR 950 (180) + NUR 950 (180) + NUR 930 (240) + NUR 930 (180).
  • 13 of the 26 specialty credits are clinical, at 60 hours per credit.
  • Specialty courses use a hybrid immersion format with up to 6 Lexington campus days per semester.
  • The first NUR 930 practicum is flagged as a required immersive experience.

Certificate students complete the same 780 direct-care hours as the doctoral track, well above the 500-hour floor. Because a new population focus is the goal, that volume gives experienced APRNs real exposure across age groups rather than a minimum-hours retraining.

You Should Know
  • The plan’s “NTF” label on the immersive NUR 930 practicum is not explained. Ask what the immersion involves and where it takes place.
  • Placement responsibility is not stated.
  • State boards set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus. Confirm your board accepts a post-graduate certificate before enrolling.

Certificate Admissions

Certificate applicants also interview with graduate faculty, and spring entry is part-time only.

  • Graduate degree in nursing (MSN, DNP, or PhD).
  • Current, unrestricted RN license, plus APRN license if applicable, in each state of practice or clinical work.
  • Two references: current supervisor and a graduate advisor or nursing faculty member.
  • CV and official transcripts through NursingCAS ($80 fee).
  • Annual cycle: fall applications open October 15, preferred deadline January 15, rolling to May 15; spring (part-time) applications June 15 to September 15.
You Should Know
  • The program page describes the certificate as for nurses who already hold an advanced practice graduate degree. The admissions page says a master’s or doctorate in nursing is only “preferred.”
  • No GPA minimum or experience minimum is published for certificate applicants.

Tuition

UK charges $1,103 per credit for the BSN-DNP and $841.50 per credit for the certificate for Kentucky residents in 2026–2027. Non-residents pay $2,912.50 and $2,100.50. All published rates include mandatory fees.

TrackRate BasisResidentNon-ResidentDistance Rate (all residencies)
BSN-DNPProfessional Practice Doctoral$73,521$192,867$70,401
Certificate (26 cr)Standard graduate, per credit$21,879$54,613$20,956
Certificate (35 cr)Standard graduate, per credit$29,453$73,518$28,210

All totals are derived. BSN-DNP figures apply the full-time semester rate ($10,047.50 resident, $26,319.50 non-resident, $9,598.50 distance) to the six terms of 9+ credits and per-credit rates to the 7- and 5-credit terms. Certificate terms never reach the 9-credit full-time threshold, so per-credit rates apply throughout.

Confirmed costs:

  • BSN-DNP: $1,103 per credit resident; $2,912.50 non-resident; $1,067.50 UK Online.
  • Certificate: $841.50 per credit resident; $2,100.50 non-resident; $806 distance education.
  • NursingCAS application fee: $80.

Be aware that:

  • UK’s graduate rate page classifies hybrid courses as distance learning, which would put both tracks on the residency-blind distance rate. UK Online says that rate applies only when no credit is taken in person. Ask Student Account Services which rate your immersion courses carry; for non-residents the difference exceeds $120,000 on the BSN-DNP.
  • The certificate is not listed on UK’s program-specific rate page, so the standard graduate rate is assumed.
  • Summer terms are assumed to bill at the same semester and per-credit rates.
  • Travel and lodging for up to six campus days per semester are not included.
  • Background check, drug screen, and document-tracking costs are not published.

For Kentucky residents the BSN-DNP is a doctoral price, about $51,600 more than the 26-credit certificate for the same 780 direct-care hours. Out-of-state applicants should settle the distance-rate question before anything else, because it decides whether UK is a mid-priced option or one of the costlier paths to FNP certification.

Official figures: UK graduate tuition and fees and program-specific rates.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for nurses within reach of Lexington who want to weigh exactly what a doctorate adds to FNP training.

What the doctorate adds: UK launched the first DNP program in the U.S. in 2001. The BSN-DNP layers biostatistics, epidemiology, health economics, policy, and 240 DNP project hours onto the FNP sequence, at about $51,600 more for Kentucky residents than the 26-credit certificate. Direct-care hours are identical at 780, so the premium buys preparation for leadership, faculty, and systems roles, not more clinical training.

What the certificate offers: Already-certified APRNs adding family practice get the same clinical sequence at no more than 6 credits per term. The cost is time: plan on about two and a half years.

What neither track offers: UK publishes nothing on placement support, and the immersion days continue through every specialty semester. Nurses who need a guaranteed preceptor, zero campus travel, or a fast certificate should look elsewhere.

Accreditation

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits UK’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program and its post-graduate APRN certificate program, along with the baccalaureate and master’s nursing programs. Both FNP tracks fall within that scope.

The DNP program holds Full Approval status from the Kentucky Board of Nursing, based on its CCNE accreditation.

The University of Kentucky is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Regional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit recognition by other institutions.

Graduates of both tracks are eligible for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).

More FNP Programs in Kentucky