The University of Southern Maine offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- MSN
- Post-Master’s Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $32.4K–$33.7K in-state / $87.3K–$90.8K out-of-state | 3–4 years (5–8 semesters) | 49–51 |
| Certificate | $10.8K–$24.0K in-state / $28.8K–$64.0K out-of-state | 1+ year (3+ semesters) | 18–40 |
Tuition estimates use USM’s 2026–2027 per-credit rates, including the $107/credit Comprehensive and Technology fees.
This is a regional program built for nurses already living and licensed in southern Maine. The MSN pairs one face-to-face class day per week with a 600-hour practicum spread across USM’s southern Maine clinical network, and both tracks require a Maine RN license.
The weekly campus day is the main trade-off. It rules out distance learners, and the three clinical semesters appear to run full-time, since USM offers part-time study only in the pre-clinical phase.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN; Post-Master’s Certificate of Advanced Study |
| Format | Hybrid: most MSN courses meet face-to-face once a week |
| Clinical Hours | 600 (MSN): 112 + 244 + 244 across three clinical semesters |
| Clinical Placement | Southern Maine network; who arranges preceptors is not clearly stated |
| Population | Separate adolescent, prenatal, women’s health, pediatric, and three adult primary care courses |
| Distinctive Coursework | OSCE standardized-patient training; Behavioral and Psychosocial Health of the Family |
| RN License Requirements | Maine RN license required before starting (both tracks) |
| Tuition | $661/credit MSN, $601/credit certificate (in-state, fees included) |
| Accreditation | CCNE (nursing); NECHE (institutional) |
| Part-Time Limit | Part-time available only before clinicals begin |
Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the MSN at the University of Southern Maine is approximately $33,711 (51 credits at $661/credit, in-state). The Family Nurse Practitioner (MS in Nursing) can generally be completed in about 3 years (5–6 semesters) full-time or 4 years (7–8 semesters) part-time.
MSN Curriculum
Population-split specialty sequence. Many FNP programs fold adolescent, prenatal, and women’s health content into broad lifespan courses. USM teaches each as its own course, alongside pediatric primary care and a three-part adult primary care series. Students get dedicated time on each population before and during practicum.
Gated clinical entry. Advanced pathophysiology, pharmacotherapeutics, and health assessment must be finished before the first clinical semester. A family-focused behavioral and psychosocial health course and a diagnostic measures course round out the specialty content. Quality improvement can be taken through nursing or the MPH program.
- BIO 545 Advanced Pathophysiology
- NUR 602 Advanced Health Assessment
- NUR 608 Behavioral and Psychosocial Health of the Family
- NUR 650 Primary Care of the Adolescent
- NUR 652 Pediatric Primary Care
- NUR 654 Prenatal Care in Primary Care
- NUR 664–666 Primary Health Care of the Adult I–III
- NUR 667–669 Clinical Practicum and Seminar I–III
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The catalog lists 51 required credits; the program page lists 49. The catalog is the more specific source. The 2-credit gap is worth about $1,322 in-state.
- Per-course credit values are not published in the source. Only NUR 609 is stated (2 credits), so the 51-credit total could not be reconciled course by course.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 600 total clinical hours: 112 (clinical semester one) + 244 (semester two) + 244 (semester three)
- Hours are set by national certification requirements, not a credit-to-contact-hour ratio
- Practicum settings: family practice, internal medicine, cardiology, endocrinology, women’s health, pulmonology, dermatology, orthopedics, pediatrics, community clinics
- Simulation: Boyne Family Advanced Simulation Center, OSCE training with standardized patients, virtual reality
600 hours sits at the low end of the common 600–700 range and 100 hours above the 500-hour certification floor. The ramp is gentle: about 7.5 hours per week in the first clinical semester, then about 16 hours per week in each of the next two (derived, assuming 15-week semesters). Most working nurses can hold a reduced schedule through that load. The broad specialty list suggests USM rotates students beyond pure family practice.
You Should Know
- Who finds preceptors and sites is not clearly stated. Confirm whether USM places students or expects them to self-source.
- Part-time study is offered only during the pre-clinical phase. Plan for a heavier load once the three clinical semesters begin.
MSN Admissions
USM runs two intakes for outside applicants, plus an early-consideration route for its own BSN students that can lock in a seat a year ahead.
- BSN from a CCNE- or NLN-accredited program
- Maine RN license before the program starts (conditional admission possible without it at application)
- Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA; GRE or MAT may offset a lower GPA
- Prerequisites: microbiology and introductory statistics (B- or better), undergraduate health assessment
- Resume or CV, transcripts; interview may be requested
- No GRE required for applicants meeting the GPA minimum
- Deadlines: April 1 (fall) and October 1 (spring)
- Current USM BSN students: April 1 (fall only); traditional-program students may apply October 1 of the prior year for early consideration (3.3 GPA)
You Should Know
- No minimum RN experience is stated, and the early-consideration route admits current BSN students. New graduates appear eligible.
- USM requires a Maine license. Whether a multistate compact license from another state is accepted is not clearly stated.
- Enrollment is capped by clinical cohort size, and applications are reviewed only after the deadline.
Post-Master’s Certificate of Advanced Study, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Post-Master’s Certificate at the University of Southern Maine is approximately $10,818–$24,040 (18–40 credits at $601/credit, in-state). The Nursing Post-Master’s Certificate of Advanced Study can generally be completed in about 3 semesters at minimum, depending on prior coursework.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is one of three tracks (FNP, AGACNP, PMHNP) within a single Certificate of Advanced Study. Students join MSN students in the same courses. USM builds each plan from a review of prior syllabi and documented clinical hours, which explains the wide 18–40 credit range. A practicing APRN with separate patho, pharm, and assessment courses lands near the low end. A non-APRN with an MSN in education or leadership lands near the high end.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Clinical hours vary by prior clinical practice; the FNP certificate total is not clearly stated
- Students take courses alongside MSN students, which suggests the same practicum sequence
- Applicants must document total prior clinical hours and the courses they were embedded in
Because certificate students share MSN courses, the 600-hour practicum is the likely benchmark. Credit for prior hours is decided individually, so request a gap analysis before committing.
You Should Know
- State boards set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus. Confirm your board’s requirements before enrolling.
Certificate Admissions
Non-APRN applicants face a recency rule: the three core advanced courses must be taken at USM.
- MSN from a CCNE- or NLN-accredited program; minimum 3.0 graduate GPA
- Unencumbered Maine RN license
- Non-APRN applicants: pathophysiology, pharmacotherapeutics, and physical assessment taken at USM within 2 years of starting clinicals
- Practicing APRNs: those three courses must appear as separate courses on the transcript
- All syllabi from the original MSN, documentation of clinical hours
- 500-word essay, two letters of recommendation, resume; interview may be requested
- Deadlines: August 1 (fall) and December 15 (spring)
You Should Know
- The certificate page labels the format “blended” without stating how often students come to campus. Shared MSN courses suggest the same weekly cadence.
- The summer start is reserved for a MaineHealth employee acute care cohort and does not apply to FNP.
Tuition
The MSN costs $661 per credit in-state ($554 tuition + $107 mandatory fees). The certificate costs $601 per credit in-state ($494 + $107). Both rates are published for 2026–2027.
| Rate (per credit) | MSN (Differential Level 3) | Certificate (Level 1) |
|---|---|---|
| In-state & Canadian | $554 + $107 = $661 | $494 + $107 = $601 |
| NEBHE Tuition Break | $970 + $107 = $1,077 | $840 + $107 = $947 |
| Out-of-state | $1,674 + $107 = $1,781 | $1,494 + $107 = $1,601 |
Derived totals (credits × all-in rate):
- MSN, 51 credits: $33,711 in-state; $54,927 NEBHE; $90,831 out-of-state
- MSN, 49 credits: $32,389 in-state; $52,773 NEBHE; $87,269 out-of-state
- Certificate, 18–40 credits: $10,818–$24,040 in-state; $17,046–$37,880 NEBHE; $28,818–$64,040 out-of-state
Confirmed costs:
- Comprehensive fee: $96 per credit
- Technology fee: $11 per credit
- Graduate enrollment fee: $60 one time for newly admitted degree students
- No nursing-specific clinical or lab fee is listed on the bursar page
Full rate tables are on USM’s 2026–2027 Graduate Tuition & Fees page.
Be aware that:
- The MSN credit total conflicts (49 vs. 51), a swing of $1,322 in-state and $3,562 out-of-state.
- NEBHE eligibility for the FNP MS is not confirmed. Check USM’s eligible-program list before counting on the reduced New England rate.
- The certificate’s Level 1 rate is $60 per credit below the MSN rate in-state ($180 out-of-state), even though both share courses. Confirm the rate applies to nursing CAS students.
- Rates are set annually by the University of Maine System trustees and may rise each year.
For Maine residents, about $34,000 all-in for the MSN is a moderate public price. Out-of-state students pay about 2.7 times that, which makes this a hard sell without a move to Maine. The certificate’s lower rate and individualized credit load make it the better value for nurses who already hold an MSN.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for Maine-licensed nurses near Portland who want in-person teaching and a structured clinical path without full-time campus attendance.
Face-to-face training on a working schedule. One campus day a week keeps hands-on instruction and OSCE practice with standardized patients in the program. Online FNP programs rarely offer that. The rest of the week stays free for work.
Dedicated population coursework. Separate courses in adolescent, prenatal, women’s, and pediatric primary care give more structured exposure to those populations. Nurses aiming for family practice with a heavy women’s or pediatric caseload benefit most.
Honest drawbacks. The program is geographically bound: a Maine license, a weekly commute, and a southern Maine clinical network. 600 hours meets the common range but does not exceed it. The 100% certification pass-rate claim carries no cohort years or sizes. The placement model is not published.
The geographic verdict. If you live within commuting distance of Portland and plan to practice in Maine, USM offers a public, in-person FNP at a resident price. If you live outside Maine or need full online flexibility, look elsewhere.
Accreditation
The University of Southern Maine’s nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). USM names CCNE accreditation on both the FNP MS page and the Post-Master’s Certificate page. The programs are also approved by the Maine State Board of Nursing.
Institutionally, USM is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), reviewed through the University of Maine System. Regional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer, including later doctoral study.
Graduates of the MSN, and certificate completers in the FNP track, are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).
More FNP Programs in Maine
- Beal University - Bangor
- Husson University - Bangor
- Saint Joseph's College of Maine - Standish
- University of Maine - Orono