University of Nebraska Medical Center offers 3 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- MSN
- BSN-DNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (In-State / Out-of-State) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $43.2K / $73.3K | 3 years (8 semesters) | 50 |
| BSN-DNP | $58.6K / $99.5K | 4 years (11 semesters) | 68 |
| Certificate | $14.9K-$22.4K / $27.0K-$40.4K | 1-2 years (3-6 semesters) | 20-30 |
Estimates use UNMC’s 2026-27 nursing graduate per-credit rates plus catalog per-credit, per-semester, and lab fees; certificate figures are tuition only.
This is a statewide program built for Nebraska nurses. UNMC runs its FNP through five College of Nursing divisions (Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney, Norfolk, Scottsbluff) plus a distance option, gives admission preference to Nebraska residents, and helps distance students arrange clinical sites and preceptors near home. Certified FNPs can later add UNMC’s 16-credit Emergency NP certificate, which emphasizes rural and underserved care.
The trade-off is price outside Nebraska and a fixed calendar. Non-residents pay $1,348 per credit versus $746 for residents, which adds about $30,100 to the MSN. Every FNP route admits once a year for an August start, and the planned clinical sequence leaves you at 600 hours, the low end of the common range.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | BSN-MSN, BSN-DNP, post-graduate certificate (gap-analysis based) |
| Format | Mostly Online: asynchronous plus live-streamed synchronous classes; campus requirements vary by specialty |
| Clinical Hours | 600 planned (10 credits at 60 hours/credit), plus optional 60-hour summer block |
| Clinical Placement | UNMC guides distance students in arranging local sites, schedules, and preceptors where available |
| Population | Family/individual primary care across the lifespan; not prepared for acute care hospital practice |
| Distinctive Coursework | Shared APRN core with quality, safety, informatics, finance, and health policy courses |
| Add-On Pathway | Emergency NP post-graduate certificate for certified FNPs (16 credits, January start) |
| RN License Requirements | Unencumbered RN license; licensed in each state where clinicals occur |
| Experience Gate | One year of RN experience before clinical courses begin |
| Start Term | Once a year, August; final deadline April 1 |
| Tuition | $746/credit resident, $1,348/credit non-resident (2026-27) |
| Accreditation | CCNE (MSN, DNP, post-graduate certificate); Higher Learning Commission |
MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the MSN at University of Nebraska Medical Center is approximately $37,300 in-state or $67,400 out-of-state (50 credits at $746 or $1,348/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years on the exemplar plan, with a 4-year part-time plan also published.
Program page: MSN Family Nurse Practitioner
MSN Curriculum
Year one is all core. The 3-year plan spends its first three terms on 24 credits of shared APRN coursework: scholarly writing, advanced roles, quality and finance, theory, biostatistics, and the patho, pharm, and assessment sequence. No FNP specialty course starts until fall of year two.
Years two and three pair theory with clinical. Advanced Primary Care of Families I, II, and III each run alongside a clinical term. The last spring is clinical only, so the final 180 hours land with no didactic load beside them.
Ten core credits go to leadership and systems. The plan includes a 4-credit quality, safety, informatics, and finance course, a 3-credit health policy course, and a 3-credit transformational leadership course. That reflects UNMC’s post-2024 curriculum, where MSN and DNP outcomes are identical.
- NRSG 602 Foundations of Quality, Safety, Informatics and Finance (4)
- EPI 808 Biostatistics and Epidemiology in Nursing Practice (4)
- NRSG 605 Advanced Pathophysiology (4)
- NRSG 606 Pharmacotherapeutics for the Advanced-Level Nurse (3)
- NRSG 607 Advanced Assessment and Clinical Reasoning Across the Life Span (3)
- NRSG 604 Foundations of Population-Based Health Policy (3)
- NRSG 608 Transformational Leadership and Complex Systems (3)
- Advanced Primary Care of Families I-III (3, 4, 3)
- Primary Care of Families Clinical I-IV (10 credits)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The catalog prints a 39-40 credit total for the FNP MSN, but its own course list sums to 49-50 credits. The 50-credit plan of study matches the course list, so this profile uses 50.
- Course numbers differ between sources. The plan of study lists the didactic courses as NRSG 651-653 and every clinical term as NRSG 654; the catalog lists didactic courses as NRSG 648, 650, and 652 and clinicals as NRSG 649, 651, 653, and 654.
- Several core courses run on alternating cycles (NRSG 602 and 604 in odd summers, NRSG 603 and 608 in even summers), so the exact sequence depends on your start year.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 600 planned clinical hours: 120 + 120 + 180 + 180 across four terms
- Ratio: 1 credit = 60 direct patient care hours (10 clinical credits)
- Optional 60-hour summer clinical block between years two and three (660 total if taken)
- Weekly load: roughly 8 hours/week in year two and 12 hours/week in year three, assuming 15-week terms (derived)
- Placement: UNMC states it will guide distance students in arranging sites, schedules, and preceptors where available
- RN license required in each state where clinicals take place
Six hundred hours clears the 500-hour certification floor and sits at the low end of the 600-700 range common among FNP programs. The spread across four terms keeps weekly hours manageable for working nurses. UNMC’s placement language is support, not a guarantee, and “if available in your area” signals that students far from a College of Nursing division may do more of the legwork.
You Should Know
- The catalog lists Clinical I at 1-2 credits. At 1 credit, the course total drops to 540 hours, still above the floor but below the plan’s 600.
- The optional summer block carries no credit figure in the plan of study, so its tuition cost is not clearly stated.
- Telehealth hour policy, faculty site-visit method, and any FNP-specific campus skills sessions are not clearly stated.
MSN Admissions
Admission is competitive, rolling, and once a year, with preference given to Nebraska residents.
- BSN from a CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA-accredited program; minimum 3.0 GPA for full admission
- GPA of 2.5-2.9 may be considered for provisional admission
- Unencumbered RN license in any U.S. state
- One year of RN experience, completed before specialty clinical courses begin
- Resume/CV and official transcripts through NursingCAS ($90 application fee)
- Applications open October 1; priority deadline January 15; final deadline April 1; August start
- $400 enrollment deposit at acceptance, credited to first-semester tuition
- You declare a home campus on the application and may apply to only one specialty
You Should Know
- UNMC states that some states’ regulations may prevent it from admitting residents there. Applicants outside Nebraska must contact Graduate Student Services to confirm eligibility before applying.
- The MSN program page says one year of bedside experience is needed at admission unless otherwise specified, while the admissions page places the FNP requirement before clinical courses. Confirm timing with the college.
- Seats are offered first-come, first-qualified, and a waitlist forms once the specialty fills, so applying by the January 15 priority date matters.
BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the BSN-DNP at University of Nebraska Medical Center is approximately $50,728 in-state or $91,664 out-of-state (68 credits at $746 or $1,348/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 4 years on the exemplar plan, with a 3-year plan also offered.
Program page: Doctor of Nursing Practice
BSN-DNP Curriculum
Same FNP spine, 18 more credits. The BSN-DNP uses the same primary care theory and clinical sequence as the MSN. The difference is six 3-credit doctoral courses: implementing evidence-based practice, leading systems change, assessing practice outcomes, and a three-part DNP scholarship sequence.
The doctoral work overlaps the clinical years. On the 4-year plan, NRSG 700 starts in summer of year two, and a DNP course runs beside every FNP clinical term from year three on. The final two terms pair 180-hour clinicals with DNP Scholarship II and III.
- NRSG 700 Implementing Evidence-Based Practice (3)
- NRSG 701 Leading Systems Change to Optimize Organizational Outcomes (3)
- NRSG 702 Methods for Assessing Clinical Practice Outcomes (3)
- NRSG 703-705 DNP Scholarship I-III (9)
- Advanced Primary Care of Families I-III (10)
- Primary Care of Families Clinical I-IV (10 credits)
- Shared APRN core, including EPI 808 and NRSG 602-608
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The catalog lists NRSG 709 Health Care Policy and Global Issues as required for all DNP students, but the FNP 4-year plan of study omits it and lists NRSG 604 instead.
- The catalog lists NRSG 606 at 4 credits for BSN-DNP students; the plan of study lists 3.
- The catalog gives a 66-70 credit range for the BSN-DNP and a 37-44 credit FNP block with variable clinical credits. The plan of study’s 68 credits is used here.
- The catalog calls NRSG 703 and 704 “Scholarship Practicum”; the plan of study calls them “Seminar.” Whether they carry practice hours is not clearly stated.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- 600 planned FNP clinical hours (120 + 120 + 180 + 180), identical to the MSN
- Optional 60-hour summer clinical block in year three
- DNP project completed by all students across NRSG 703-705
- Same placement support and RN-licensure rule as the MSN
The doctorate adds no FNP clinical hours. You get the same 600 hours as the MSN, plus a project. Because the doctoral courses run beside the 180-hour clinical terms, years three and four carry the heaviest combined load.
You Should Know
- Total post-baccalaureate practice hours for the DNP, including any project hours, are not clearly stated.
BSN-DNP Admissions
The BSN-DNP shares the MSN’s August intake, April 1 deadline, GPA thresholds, Nebraska-resident preference, and one-year RN experience rule.
- BSN from a CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA-accredited program at the time of graduation
- Admission policy 2304 (revised March 2026) governs evaluation
- The separate MSN-to-DNP track (35 credits, May start) is for nurses who already hold an APRN or nursing administration master’s; it does not add FNP preparation
Post-Graduate Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the certificate at University of Nebraska Medical Center is approximately $14,920-$22,380 in-state or $26,960-$40,440 out-of-state (20-30 credits at $746 or $1,348/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1-2 years, depending on the gap analysis.
Program page: Post-Graduate Certificate
Certificate Curriculum
There is no fixed certificate curriculum. A faculty advisor in the FNP specialty completes a gap analysis after admission and builds your plan from the MSN FNP course list, crediting prior coursework. UNMC estimates 20-30 credits. Nurses who already hold another NP specialty and have recent patho, pharm, and assessment will land near the low end.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Clinical hours set by the gap analysis; the MSN’s 600-hour sequence is the reference point
- Same placement support language as the degree tracks
You Should Know
- Minimum clinical hours for certificate students are not clearly stated.
- State boards set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus. Confirm your board accepts a gap-analysis certificate before enrolling.
Certificate Admissions
The certificate requires a graduate nursing degree and follows the master’s admission policy.
- MSN or DNP from a CCNE or ACEN-accredited program; minimum 3.0 GPA (2.5-2.9 for provisional)
- RN license in any U.S. state; preference for one year of full-time RN experience
- One annual August start
You Should Know
- Deadlines conflict. The current admissions page and MSN catalog list October 1 to April 1 for the FNP certificate; the certificate catalog page lists September 1 to February 1. Apply by February 1 to be safe.
- The certificate page says completion takes one to three years; the catalog says one to two.
Tuition
UNMC charges $746 per credit for Nebraska residents and $1,348 per credit for non-residents in the College of Nursing graduate program (students admitted fall 2024 and later, 2026-27 rates). Mandatory fees add roughly $115-$117 per credit, bringing the derived all-in cost to about $863 per credit for residents and $1,465 for non-residents.
| Cost Component | Basis | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition, resident | Per credit | $746 |
| Tuition, non-resident | Per credit | $1,348 |
| Distributive learning fee | Per credit | $27 |
| Library fee | Per credit | $8.25 |
| CON technology fee | Per semester | $125 |
| CON graduate course fee | Per semester | $100 |
| Student health program fee | Fall/spring; summer | $105.50; $73 |
| Center for Healthy Living fee | Fall/spring | $77.50 |
| Student access and success fee | Fall/spring | $115.25 |
| Fund A fee | Per semester | $5 |
| Lab fees (NRSG 605, 607, 651, 654) | Per course | $575 combined |
| Graduation fee | One time | $50 |
| Track | Tuition (Res / Non-Res) | Mandatory Fees | All-In (Res / Non-Res) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN (50 cr, 6 fall/spring + 1 summer) | $37,300 / $67,400 | $5,860 | $43,160 / $73,260 |
| BSN-DNP (68 cr, 8 fall/spring + 2 summers) | $50,728 / $91,664 | $7,854 | $58,582 / $99,518 |
| Certificate (20-30 cr) | $14,920-$22,380 / $26,960-$40,440 | Varies by plan | Not clearly stated |
Rates and fees: UNMC tuition and UNMC student fees.
- Per-credit tuition: $746 resident, $1,348 non-resident
- Per-credit fees: $35.25 (distributive learning plus library)
- Per-term fees: $528.25 each fall and spring, $303 each summer (derived from the fee schedule)
- $400 enrollment deposit, credited to first-semester tuition
Be aware that:
- All-in totals are derived. They assume the exemplar plans’ term counts and that semester fees apply to every enrolled term, including summers.
- UNMC publishes a single distance rate for several graduate programs, but not for nursing. Out-of-state distance FNP students appear to pay the $1,348 non-resident rate.
- Lab fees count NRSG 651 and 654 once each. If the $195 lab fee is billed every term you enroll in a clinical section, the total rises.
- Lincoln division students pay University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus fees by credit hour in place of some UNMC fees; amounts are not listed.
- A $35/credit online course fee applies to courses “delivered exclusively at a distance.” Whether it applies to distance FNP students is not clearly stated.
- Student health insurance (about $1,910 fall and $2,647 spring) is billed unless waived.
- The optional 60-hour summer clinical block may add a credit of tuition.
- Rates for students admitted fall 2024 and later rose 4.8% over the prior cohort’s rates. Official rates for each year are set in July.
For Nebraska residents, the MSN’s derived all-in cost of about $43,000 is reasonable for a research university FNP. Residency is the deciding number: an out-of-state student pays about $30,100 more for the same MSN and about $40,900 more for the BSN-DNP. The DNP adds roughly $15,400 over the MSN for residents with no added FNP clinical hours.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for Nebraska nurses who want a public university FNP they can complete from their own region, with live-streamed classes and help lining up local preceptors.
Rural and regional Nebraska nurses. Five divisions from Omaha to Scottsbluff, a distance option, and placement guidance in your own community make this workable well outside the metro areas. The 16-credit Emergency NP certificate gives FNPs headed to rural or critical access hospitals a clear next step without a second degree.
Nurses choosing between MSN and DNP. Both routes share one FNP spine and the same 600 clinical hours. The DNP adds six doctoral courses, about a year on the exemplar plans, and about $15,400 in resident cost. Choose it for leadership or faculty goals, not for more clinical preparation.
Honest drawbacks. Out-of-state applicants face a non-resident rate with no published distance discount and a stated admission preference for Nebraskans. The single August intake, competitive rolling admission, and a 600-hour total at the low end of the common range are worth weighing against programs with more starts or more hours.
Accreditation
The master’s degree, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at the UNMC College of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). That covers all three FNP routes on this page.
UNMC is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and the recognition of credits by other schools and employers.
UNMC’s licensure disclosure lists its APRN programs as meeting educational requirements in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with state-specific conditions such as background checks, collaboration agreements, or verification documents.
Graduates are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).
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