The University of Southern Mississippi offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- BSN-DNP
- Postgraduate Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP | $37.8K–$40.2K in-state / up to $47.7K out-of-state | 3 years (9 semesters) | 63–67 |
| Certificate | $16.2K–$23.4K in-state / up to $27.8K out-of-state | 1.5 years (4 semesters) | 27–39 |
Tuition estimates use USM’s 2026–2027 graduate per-credit rate of $600.12, which includes the student activities and capital improvement fees.
USM’s defining advantage is that both tracks run on the same 27-credit FNP block, so a BSN-to-DNP student and a post-master’s certificate student complete identical diagnosis, management, and practicum courses. The format is mostly online with one Hattiesburg campus visit per semester, and every student must hold a Mississippi RN license before starting.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | BSN-DNP; Postgraduate Certificate |
| Format | Mostly Online: online didactics, one campus visit per semester |
| Clinical Hours | Not clearly stated; 18 practicum credits in the FNP block |
| Clinical Placement | Completed in the student’s own or a nearby community |
| Population | Rural and community health settings named in the DNP’s stated purpose |
| Distinctive Coursework | FNP Diagnostics and Procedures; dedicated women’s and children’s management course |
| RN License Requirements | Unencumbered Mississippi RN license before the program starts |
| Tuition | $594/credit base; $600.12 with per-credit fees; +$112 nonresident (fall/spring) |
| Accreditation | CCNE (DNP and post-graduate APRN certificate) |
| Start Term | Fall only; March 1 application deadline |
| RN Experience | One year of RN clinical experience required |
BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the BSN-DNP at the University of Southern Mississippi is approximately $37,808–$40,208 (63–67 credits at $600.12/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years, with summer terms included.
The Nursing (BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner), DNP is USM’s only BSN-entry FNP route. There is no MSN option, so BSN-prepared nurses commit to the doctorate from the start.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
Structure. The curriculum splits into three parts: a 15-credit APRN foundation, a 27-credit FNP specialty block, and 21–25 credits of doctoral coursework. Courses follow a prescribed sequence that includes summers, so there is no self-paced option within a cohort.
What stands out. Two-thirds of the FNP block (18 of 27 credits) is practicum: Practicum I, Practicum II, and a 6-credit Internship. The doctoral layer is heavy on systems coursework, with separate courses in economics and finance, quality and leadership, and health policy. The DNP project runs 2–6 credits, which is why the total is a range.
- NUR 667 / 667L: FNP Diagnosis and Management I with Practicum I
- NUR 669 / 669L: FNP Diagnosis and Management II with Practicum II
- NUR 664L: Family Nurse Practitioner Internship (6 credits)
- NUR 668: FNP Diagnosis and Management of Women and Children
- NUR 670: FNP Diagnostics and Procedures
- NUR 811: Population Health and Epidemiology
- NUR 819: Economics and Finance in Healthcare Systems
- NUR 816: Doctor of Nursing Practice Project (2–6 credits)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The program page lists 71 credits. The graduate catalog lists 63–67, and the catalog’s own course list sums to 63–67. This profile uses the catalog figure.
- Graduation requires a comprehensive exam and the DNP project in addition to coursework.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total clinical hours: not clearly stated by USM.
- Practicum credits: 18 (NUR 667L, 669L, and 664L at 6 credits each).
- Derived estimate: about 1,080 hours, assuming 60 hours per practicum credit. USM does not publish its ratio.
- Placement: clinicals in the student’s own or a nearby community.
- Campus: one visit per semester; about 9 visits across a 3-year plan (derived).
Eighteen practicum credits is a substantial clinical load. If USM uses a common 60-hour ratio, the total lands well above the 600–700 hours common in FNP programs and covers most of the 1,000 post-baccalaureate hours expected of a DNP. Spread over three practicum terms, that works out to roughly 24 hours a week. The “own community” language suggests students should expect to find or propose their own sites.
You Should Know
- USM does not say whether it arranges placements or only approves student-found sites. Ask before applying.
- USM participates in NC-SARA, which covers distance education in every state except California. State nursing boards may still set their own rules for out-of-state clinicals.
BSN-DNP Admissions
Admission is fall-only, requires an interview, and asks for three references, with doctoral-prepared nurses preferred.
- BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN/NLN CNEA-accredited program
- 3.0 GPA in undergraduate and any graduate coursework
- Unencumbered Mississippi RN license before the program starts
- One year of RN clinical experience
- Graduate-level statistics with a B or better within 5 years
- CV, cover letter, and personal statement of scholarly interests
- Supplemental nursing application and interview (in-person or virtual)
- Background check, drug screen, and immunization records
- Application deadline: March 1 each year for fall entry
You Should Know
- Timing of the RN experience requirement conflicts. The program page says one year of recent experience is required to apply. The catalog says it must be complete before NP clinical courses begin.
- The statistics requirement also conflicts. The program page asks for an introductory statistics course; the catalog requires an advanced graduate-level course with a B or better in the past 5 years.
- Progression is strict. A third C, any C-, or any D or F ends progression. Readmitted students restart the entire curriculum.
- The Mississippi RN license requirement applies to all applicants, including out-of-state residents.
Family Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate
The estimated tuition for the Postgraduate Certificate at the University of Southern Mississippi is approximately $16,203 (27 credits at $600.12/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1.5 years, starting in fall and running four consecutive semesters.
The Family Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate is built for nurses who already hold a graduate nursing degree and want to add the FNP population focus.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is the BSN-DNP’s FNP block with nothing removed: the same two management courses, two practica, internship, women’s and children’s course, and procedures course. Nurses without graduate pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment, health promotion, or NP role coursework must complete those courses first, adding up to 12 credits.
- NUR 667 / 667L: FNP Diagnosis and Management I with Practicum I
- NUR 669 / 669L: FNP Diagnosis and Management II with Practicum II
- NUR 664L: Family Nurse Practitioner Internship
- NUR 668: FNP Diagnosis and Management of Women and Children
- NUR 670: FNP Diagnostics and Procedures
- Gap courses if needed: NUR 615, 671, 800, 801, 803
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- ⚠️ USM publishes three different credit totals: 26 (program page), 23 (catalog header), and 27 (the sum of the catalog’s own course list). This profile uses 27.
- Gap coursework is set by the program coordinator after a transcript review, so final credits are individual.
- A comprehensive exam is required, and the certificate must be finished within 4 years.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Practicum credits: 18, identical to the BSN-DNP.
- Total clinical hours: not clearly stated.
- Placement: in the student’s own or a nearby community.
- Campus: one visit per semester; about 4 visits (derived).
Certificate students complete the same practicum sequence as DNP students, so their FNP clinical preparation is not a reduced version. Fitting 18 practicum credits into four semesters makes the middle of the program clinically intensive, which is hard to combine with full-time work.
Certificate Admissions
The certificate requires an online interview, and USM states that admission depends on sufficient enrollment.
- Graduate nursing degree from a CCNE- or ACEN/NLN CNEA-accredited program
- Unencumbered Mississippi RN license before starting
- CPR or BLS certification
- CV, cover letter, and personal statement of research interests
- Three references from employers, supervisors, or faculty
- Supplemental nursing application and online interview
- Background check, drug screen, and immunization records
- Application deadline: March 1 each year for fall entry
You Should Know
- A certificate cohort may not run in a given year if enrollment is too low.
- State boards set their own rules for adding a second APRN population focus. Confirm your board accepts a post-graduate certificate before enrolling.
- The program page lists the certificate as Hattiesburg only, while the catalog lists it as hybrid. The delivery model matches the BSN-DNP’s one-visit-per-semester format.
Tuition
USM charges $594 per credit in graduate tuition for 2026–2027. With the per-credit student activities and capital improvement fees, the effective rate is $600.12 per credit for Mississippi residents and $712.12 for nonresidents in fall and spring.
| Component | Per Credit (1–8 credits) |
|---|---|
| Graduate tuition | $594.00 |
| Student activities fee (fall/spring only) | $2.23 |
| Capital improvement fee | $3.89 |
| Resident total | $600.12 |
| Additional nonresident tuition (waived in summer) | $112.00 |
| Nonresident total (fall/spring) | $712.12 |
| Track | Credits | Resident | Nonresident (maximum) |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP | 63–67 | $37,808–$40,208 | $44,864–$47,712 |
| Certificate | 27 | $16,203 | $19,227 |
| Certificate with all gap courses | 39 | $23,405 | $27,773 |
All totals are derived: credits multiplied by the fee-inclusive per-credit rate. Rates come from USM’s General Tuition and Fees page.
- Graduate tuition: $594 per credit, 1–8 credits per term
- Flat rate of $5,397 per term for 9–13 credits (resident)
- Student activities fee: $2.23 per credit, fall and spring only
- Capital improvement fee: $3.89 per credit, all terms
- Nonresident surcharge: $112 per credit or $1,000 per flat-rate term, fall and spring only
Be aware that:
- USM adds a $30 per credit Online Delivery Fee to online courses. USM does not say which FNP courses carry it. If every course did, the BSN-DNP would rise by up to $2,010 and the certificate by up to $810.
- The nonresident figures assume every credit falls in fall or spring. Because the surcharge is waived in summer, actual nonresident cost will be lower.
- Terms with 9–13 credits bill at the flat $5,397 rate, which lowers the per-credit cost to about $415 at 13 credits. Most terms in a 3-year plan average below 9 credits, so the per-credit estimate is used here.
- Rates are for 2026–2027 and rose about 3.8% from 2025–2026 ($572 to $594). Expect increases across a multi-year program.
- Travel for one campus visit per semester is an extra cost.
For a Mississippi resident, the full BSN-DNP lands near $40,000 before online fees, which is modest for a doctorate. The nonresident surcharge adds at most about $7,500, and less with summer terms. The certificate costs roughly 40% of the DNP for the same FNP clinical sequence, which matters for MSN-prepared nurses who only need the new population focus.
Why Choose This FNP Program?
Best suited for Mississippi-licensed nurses who want doctoral FNP preparation at public-university cost and can travel to Hattiesburg once a semester.
One FNP block, two entry points. The BSN-DNP and the certificate share the same 27 credits of FNP coursework and 18 practicum credits. Your choice of track changes how much doctoral coursework you take, not how you are trained as an FNP. MSN-prepared nurses get the full clinical sequence at about 40% of the doctoral cost.
A doctorate without a long commute. Coursework is online and clinicals happen near home. The one required campus visit per semester keeps travel finite and predictable. That suits nurses across Mississippi and the Gulf South who already hold a Mississippi license.
Trade-offs to weigh. USM does not publish clinical hour totals or say whether it secures placements. Admission is fall-only with a March 1 deadline, and the progression policy is strict: a third C ends enrollment and readmission restarts the full curriculum. Nurses licensed only outside Mississippi must obtain a Mississippi license before starting.
Accreditation
USM’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program and its post-graduate APRN certificate program are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Both FNP tracks fall under that accreditation. The programs also hold approval from Mississippi’s Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, the state’s university governing board.
The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award bachelor’s, master’s, specialist’s, and doctoral degrees. Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit recognition by other schools.
Graduates of both tracks are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC), which most states require for APRN licensure.
More FNP Programs in Mississippi
- University of Mississippi Medical Center - Jackson