University of Saint Mary offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- MSN
- Post-Master’s Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $41.1K | 2 years (6 semesters) | 50 |
| Certificate | $19.2K-$27.9K | 1-1.3 years (3-4 semesters) | 24-35 |
Tuition estimates use Saint Mary’s 2026-27 rate of $785 per credit plus the per-semester Student Success and program fees and the one-time graduation fee.
University of Saint Mary helps every FNP student secure practicum placements, a task many online programs leave to the student. Both tracks run the same three-course clinical sequence totaling 780 hours, and the only campus requirement is one three-day intensive.
That support comes inside a rigid structure. Courses run in a fixed cohort order with no published part-time option, a C in any FNP course ends enrollment, and residents of Arizona, Louisiana, Tennessee, and New York may not be accepted.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN; post-master’s certificate (24-credit route for certified NPs, 35-credit full route) |
| Format | Mostly Online: online coursework plus one required three-day campus intensive |
| Clinical Hours | 780 (60 assessment + 3 × 240 primary care) |
| Clinical Placement | School-assisted; a clinical coordinator helps secure sites. Not described as guaranteed. |
| Population | Family/individual across the lifespan |
| RN License Requirements | Unrestricted RN license in each practicum state; certificate also requires a Kansas license |
| Start Terms | January and August; cohort lockstep |
| Enrollment Restrictions | May not accept residents of Arizona, Louisiana, Tennessee, or New York |
| Tuition | $785/credit for all residency, plus $280 per semester in MSN fees |
| Accreditation | CCNE (master’s program); Higher Learning Commission (institution) |
Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Online MSN-FNP at University of Saint Mary is approximately $41,130 (50 credits at $785/credit, plus mandatory fees). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (6 semesters), with courses running year-round.
MSN Curriculum
The 50 credits split into a 15-credit MSN core shared with Saint Mary’s educator and administrator tracks and a 35-credit FNP concentration. Courses must be taken in order, so the program moves as a cohort and a missed term delays the whole sequence.
Practicum structure. Each primary care block pairs a 4-credit didactic course with a 4-credit clinical course. Adult and geriatric care comes first, then pediatrics and childbearing families, then a capstone practicum. The three-credit Evidence Based Project runs as three 1-credit courses alongside, rather than as a single thesis term.
- NU 701 Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
- NU 714 Quality, Safety and Informatics (3)
- NU 760-762 Evidence Based Project I-III (1 each)
- NU 774/775 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning, plus Clinical and Lab (3 + 2)
- NU 781/783 Primary Care I: Adult and Geriatric Populations, plus Clinical (4 + 4)
- NU 785/787 Primary Care II: Pediatric and Childbearing Families, plus Clinical (4 + 4)
- NU 788/789 Primary Care III: Clinical Practicum and Capstone, plus Clinical (4 + 4)
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 780 clinical hours: 60 in health assessment, then 240 in each of Primary Care I, II, and III
- Placement: Saint Mary states it provides “extensive assistance” securing practicum sites
- One required three-day on-campus intensive in the first summer term: skills check-off, standardized patients, board-style oral exams, and poster presentations
- Practicum sites may require background checks, immunizations, and health insurance; students must meet these before starting
At 780 hours, the MSN sits above the 600-700 range common among FNP programs and well past the 500-hour certification floor. Each 240-hour block works out to roughly 15 hours a week over a 16-week term, or 20 over a 12-week summer term. Placement help is the practical draw for working nurses, but the wording is assistance, not a guarantee, so students should still expect to help identify local preceptors.
You Should Know
- The MSN marketing page says “more than 700” clinical hours. The certificate page’s per-course figures total 780, and the two tracks share the same clinical courses.
- Per-course hours are published only on the certificate page, where health assessment appears as one 5-credit NU 773. The MSN catalog lists it as NU 774 and NU 775 (3 + 2). Credits and hours match either way.
- Saint Mary’s pages describe the intensive’s exam as both “oral boards” and “virtual boards.”
MSN Admissions
Admission includes a required remote information session with program leadership, and the one-year RN experience rule applies at practicum, not at application.
- BSN from a CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA accredited program
- Current unrestricted RN license in each state of intended practicum
- GPA of 3.0 cumulative or in the last two years of nursing study
- Two professional evaluations, CV, and three written responses (300 words max each)
- One year of RN clinical experience before starting FNP practicum courses
- Apply through NursingCAS; January and August starts
- Up to 9 equivalent graduate credits may transfer
You Should Know
- Saint Mary’s MSN and NP programs may not accept residents of Arizona, Louisiana, Tennessee, or New York. One FAQ answer omits Arizona; the program snapshot and admissions sections include it.
- The marketing page requires one year of RN experience before practicum. The catalog calls it “highly recommended.”
- The catalog allows probationary admission with a GPA from 2.75 to 2.99. The marketing page lists only the 3.0 minimum.
- One C is allowed in core courses. A C in any FNP concentration course results in dismissal, and readmission is allowed once.
- The university discloses that licensure programs are designed around Kansas requirements. Distance students from states where the program does not meet requirements must sign an attestation to enroll.
Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate
The estimated tuition for the Post-Master’s FNP Certificate at University of Saint Mary is approximately $19,190 to $27,875 (24 to 35 credits at $785/credit, plus mandatory fees). The program can generally be completed in about 1 to 1.3 years (3 to 4 semesters), depending on prior NP certification.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate uses the MSN’s 35-credit FNP concentration without the MSN core. Nurse practitioners already certified in pediatrics, psychiatric mental health, acute care, or adult-gerontology can skip pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment and finish in three semesters.
- NU 770 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NU 772 Pharmacotherapeutics for the APRN Prescriber (3)
- NU 773 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning (5, includes intensive)
- NU 781/783 Primary Care I and Clinical (4 + 4)
- NU 785/787 Primary Care II and Clinical (4 + 4)
- NU 788/789 Primary Care III and Clinical (4 + 4)
More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 780 clinical hours on the full route (60 + 3 × 240), matching the MSN
- Clinical coordinator support for securing practicum placements
- Three-day mandatory on-campus intensive, tied to NU 773
The certificate carries the same clinical load as the MSN, which is unusual for a post-master’s option. For an NP adding a family focus, it means a full year of practicum rather than a gap-fill rotation.
You Should Know
- The certificate page calls the program “fully online,” but its own course table lists a mandatory three-day campus intensive in NU 773.
- The 24-credit route is said to include 780 hours, but it skips NU 773 and its 60 hours. The remaining clinical courses total 720. Confirm the hour count with the program.
- The catalog lists only the 35-credit version; the 24-credit route appears on the marketing page.
Certificate Admissions
The certificate adds a Kansas RN license requirement that the MSN does not.
- Graduate nursing degree from a CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA accredited program
- Unrestricted RN license in Kansas and in the state of intended practicum
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in undergraduate nursing study
- Letters of recommendation, transcripts, CV, and three written responses
- One year of RN clinical experience
- 24-credit route: national NP certification in pediatrics, psychiatric mental health, acute care, or adult-gerontology
You Should Know
- The same four-state enrollment restriction and Kansas-first licensure design apply to certificate students.
- State boards set their own rules for recognizing a second APRN population focus. Check your board before enrolling.
Tuition
Saint Mary charges $785 per credit for the MSN-FNP and the FNP certificate in 2026-27, regardless of residency. That rate excludes fees, which add about $38 per credit to the MSN.
| Item | MSN (50 cr, 6 sem) | Certificate (24-35 cr, 3-4 sem) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition at $785/credit | $39,250 | $18,840-$27,475 |
| Student Success Fee ($30/sem) | $180 | $90-$120 |
| Program fee | $1,500 ($250/sem) | $60-$80 ($20/sem) |
| Graduation fee (one time) | $200 | $200 |
| Estimated total (derived) | $41,130 | $19,190-$27,875 |
Confirmed costs:
- $785 per credit for the MSN-FNP and FNP certificate
- $30 Student Success Fee per semester
- $250 MSN-FNP program fee per semester
- $200 graduation fee
- $35 nonrefundable application fee
- $100 advance tuition deposit for full-time admits, credited to the first semester
Be aware that:
- Individual course fees range from $5 to $600 and are not included above. Check the Course Fee List for the FNP courses.
- The $20 “MSN certificate program fee” appears under the MSN-FNP fee heading. If certificate students pay the $250 fee instead, the full certificate rises to about $28,795.
- NP students must carry health insurance. University coverage is estimated at $3,430 a year if purchased through Saint Mary.
- Travel for the three-day campus intensive is not priced.
- Rates change annually, so a two-year MSN will likely cross at least one increase.
- The $490/credit rate on Saint Mary’s MSN pages applies to the educator and administrator tracks, not the FNP.
Expect the MSN to land near $41,000 before course fees, insurance, and travel. Because the rate is the same for every state, out-of-state applicants pay what Kansans pay. The full certificate costs about two-thirds of the MSN for the same 780 clinical hours, and certified NPs on the 24-credit route pay under half.
View Saint Mary’s 2026-27 tuition and fees.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
A strong fit for working RNs who want school help with preceptors, more clinical time than most programs require, and only one trip to campus.
Placement help at a residency-blind price. Saint Mary’s assistance with practicum sites addresses the biggest risk in online FNP study. Paired with one flat $785 rate for every state, it makes the MSN a predictable option for nurses outside Kansas, provided they don’t live in one of the four restricted states.
A lockstep schedule with little slack. Courses run in a fixed order year-round, so the program suits nurses who can commit to two straight years. A family emergency or a C in a concentration course costs more here than in a self-paced program, since dismissal is automatic and readmission is one-time only.
A certificate route for certified NPs. Pediatric, psych, acute care, and adult-gero NPs can add family certification in three semesters. The trade-offs are a Kansas RN license, conflicting published hour counts on the short route, and the likelihood of a campus visit despite the “fully online” label.
Accreditation
The master’s degree program in nursing at University of Saint Mary is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The MSN-FNP falls within that scope. Saint Mary’s accreditation statement does not separately name the post-graduate certificate.
The Kansas State Board of Nursing approves the MSN-FNP program.
The university is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and the transfer of graduate credit.
Graduates of the MSN-FNP are prepared to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).
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