Wayne State University FNP Programs

College of Nursing • Detroit, MI • Mostly Online • $1,181/credit

Wayne State University offers 2 Family Nurse Practitioner Tracks:

  • BSN-DNP
  • Post-Master’s DNP (Certified APRNs)

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. DurationCredit Hours
BSN-DNP$102.5K / $182.2K3 years (9 semesters)79
Post-Master’s DNP$47.5K+ / $85.9K+Not clearly stated38

Tuition estimates apply Wayne State’s 2026–27 graduate nursing per-credit rates plus the student services and registration fees.

Wayne State teaches the FNP only as a doctorate, and it starts the DNP project early: two of the three 180-hour project practicums are finished before the first FNP clinical course begins. The college arranges every clinical placement, but all FNP clinical hours must be completed in Michigan.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Program TypesBSN-DNP; post-master’s DNP for nationally certified APRNs. No MSN or certificate FNP route
FormatMostly Online (synchronous online classes) or on campus in Detroit; campus required for NUR 7030
Clinical Hours630 FNP clinical hours plus 540 DNP project practicum hours
Clinical PlacementCollege-arranged; students may not contact preceptors or sites themselves
Distinctive CourseworkFamily-centered health promotion course; DNP project practicums begin in Year 2
RN License RequirementsMichigan RN license required by the end of the second semester
Start TermFall only; application deadline August 1
Clinical GeographyAll APRN clinical hours in Michigan, with limited Toledo, Ohio placements
Tuition$1,181.47 per credit resident, $2,191.25 non-resident, plus $69.63 per credit in fees (2026–27)
AccreditationCCNE (BSN, MSN, DNP, and graduate certificates) through 2033

BSN to DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner

The estimated tuition for the DNP – Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) at Wayne State University is approximately $102,463 for Michigan residents and $182,236 for non-residents (79 credits at $1,181.47 or $2,191.25 per credit, plus mandatory fees). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years on the full-time plan of work, which runs nine consecutive semesters including Spring/Summer.

BSN-DNP Curriculum

Doctoral core first, FNP specialty last. Year 1 is entirely doctoral coursework: statistics, informatics, nursing as a discipline, leadership, health policy, health disparities, analytics, evidence-based practice, and population health. None of it is FNP-specific. The advanced practice foundation (pathophysiology, pharmacology, advanced assessment, and family-centered health promotion) arrives in Year 2, and the three paired FNP didactic and clinical courses fill Year 3.

The DNP project runs alongside, not after. Project practicums I and II sit in the Fall and Winter of Year 2, before any FNP clinical course. The third project practicum lands in Fall of Year 3, in the same term as the first FNP clinical course. Students finish the program on an FNP clinical rotation rather than on a capstone.

Term-locked sequence. Each FNP didactic course is paired with a corequisite clinical course and offered in only one term (Fall, Winter, Spring/Summer). Combined with the Fall-only intake, there is one fixed path through the specialty.

  • NUR 7000: Statistics in Nursing (3 credits, waivable with prior graduate statistics)
  • NUR 7444: Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology (4 credits)
  • NUR 7555: Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice (3 credits)
  • NUR 7030: Advanced Nursing Assessment (4 credits, on campus)
  • NUR 7035: Family Centered Health Promotion and Risk-reduction (3 credits)
  • NUR 8340 and 8345: FNP I Foundations, didactic and clinical (8 credits)
  • NUR 8350 and 8355: FNP II Intermediate, didactic and clinical (8 credits)
  • NUR 8360 and 8365: FNP III Advanced, didactic and clinical (8 credits)
  • NUR 9508, 9510, 9520: DNP Project Practicums (12 credits)

More curriculum details are available here.

You Should Know
  • The credit total depends on the source. The plan of work sums to 79 credits. The graduate catalog lists 76, because it treats NUR 7000 statistics as a prerequisite rather than a program course. Students who have already taken approved graduate statistics would complete 76.
  • The catalog also lists a newer project sequence (NUR 9530, 9540, 9550) totaling 8 credits instead of 12, which would bring the FNP program to 72 credits (75 with statistics). The published plan of work still uses the 12-credit sequence. Ask which version applies to your entry year.
  • The plan of work lists the final clinical course as “8565.” The catalog course is NUR 8365, FNP Clinical III: Advanced. This page uses the catalog number.

BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements

  • FNP clinical hours: 630 (180 + 225 + 225), per the catalog course descriptions
  • NUR 8345 FNP Clinical I: 180 hours, Year 3 Fall
  • NUR 8355 FNP Clinical II: 225 hours, Year 3 Winter
  • NUR 8365 FNP Clinical III: 225 hours, Year 3 Spring/Summer
  • DNP project practicum hours: 540 (180 in each of NUR 9508, 9510, 9520)
  • Placement: arranged by the college; specialty coordinators and clinical faculty handle all contact with preceptors and sites
  • Location: all APRN clinical hours in Michigan, with limited placements in Toledo, Ohio for some specialties
  • Preceptors: advanced practice nurses or physicians, nationally certified, with at least 3 years of specialty experience
  • Hours logged in E-Value within 15 days of each clinical day

At 630 hours, FNP clinical volume sits within the 600 to 700 hour range common among FNP programs and above the 500-hour certification floor. The DNP adds 540 project practicum hours, but those support the doctoral project rather than direct FNP patient care. The practical load is concentrated: all 630 FNP hours fall in the final three terms, and Fall of Year 3 stacks a 180-hour clinical course on a 180-hour project practicum. That is roughly 24 practice hours a week across a 15-week term, plus 12 credits of coursework.

The placement model is a genuine support. Students are told not to approach preceptors on their own, which removes the preceptor search that many FNP students handle alone. The trade-off is control: you work where the college places you, inside Michigan.

You Should Know
  • The 2024–25 DNP handbook sets a minimum of 675 APRN clinical hours (1,215 total with the project). The FNP course descriptions sum to 630, a 45-hour gap. The handbook figure may be a college-wide minimum or may count hours from another course. Confirm the FNP total with the program.
  • Out-of-state students cannot complete clinical hours in their home state. Non-Michigan residents must also plan to be on campus in Detroit for the clinical sequence courses.
  • An older FNP clinical handbook asked students to recommend preceptors and sites. The current DNP handbook and program page state the college arranges placements, which governs.
  • Clinical rotations require 100% attendance.

BSN-DNP Admissions

Wayne State admits once a year for Fall, interviews every qualified applicant, and requires a Michigan RN license early in the program.

  • BSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program with a minimum 3.0 GPA
  • Current RN license; Michigan RN license required by the end of the second semester
  • At least one year of recent clinical experience preferred before clinical coursework (not required)
  • Graduate statistics (NUR 7000 in the first semester unless previously completed and approved)
  • Goal statement, resume or CV, and official transcripts
  • Two references, one from a doctorally prepared individual
  • Interview for all qualified applicants
  • Application through NursingCAS; deadline August 1 for Fall enrollment
  • International applicants: credential evaluation, TOEFL 101 or IELTS above 7, and CGFNS certification
You Should Know
  • The sources disagree on statistics timing. The DNP admissions page says graduate statistics must be taken before the program begins. The catalog and handbook schedule NUR 7000 in the first semester. The plan of work follows the catalog.
  • The catalog lists a current Michigan RN license as an admission requirement. The admissions page and handbook allow it by the end of the second semester. Non-Michigan nurses should confirm which rule applies before applying.
  • The catalog notes that meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission, because seats depend on program space and clinical resources.
  • The program page cites a “high certification pass rate” but publishes no figure.

Post-Master’s DNP, Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty

The estimated tuition for the Post-Master’s DNP (Path II) at Wayne State University is approximately $47,542 for Michigan residents and $85,913 for non-residents (38 credits at $1,181.47 or $2,191.25 per credit, plus the $69.63 per-credit student services fee), before per-semester registration fees. The program length is not clearly stated for this path.

Post-Master’s DNP Curriculum

This path is for nurses who already hold national APRN certification. It includes the 26-credit DNP core and the 12-credit DNP project practicum sequence, with no specialty clinical courses repeated. It adds the doctorate to an existing FNP credential; it does not prepare a nurse for FNP certification.

  • DNP core courses: 26 credits (same eight courses as the BSN-DNP)
  • DNP project practicums: 12 credits, 540 practicum hours
  • Total: 38 credits (34 under the newer 8-credit project sequence)

Post-Master’s DNP Admissions

  • Nationally recognized specialty certification required
  • Additional documents may be required for MSN-to-DNP applicants
  • Same Fall-only intake, August 1 deadline, interview, and Michigan RN license rules as the BSN-DNP
You Should Know
  • Wayne State does not list a post-master’s FNP certificate. The college’s graduate certificates cover acute care adult-gerontology, both pediatric specialties, and psychiatric mental health, but not family practice. An MSN-prepared nurse seeking FNP certification would need to enter the BSN-DNP or look elsewhere.
  • Master’s-prepared applicants without an APRN specialty have their credit requirements set after a syllabus review.

Tuition

Wayne State charges a published $1,181.47 per credit for Michigan residents and $2,191.25 per credit for non-residents in graduate nursing for 2026–27. Two mandatory university fees apply on top of tuition, which brings the effective cost to about $1,297 per credit for residents and $2,307 for non-residents across the BSN-DNP.

2026–27 ChargeResidentNon-Resident
Tuition per credit (nursing)$1,181.47$2,191.25
Student services fee per credit$69.63$69.63
Registration fee per semester$402.91$402.91
TrackDerivationResidentNon-Resident
BSN-DNP79 credits tuition + fees + 9 registration fees$102,463$182,236
Post-Master’s DNP38 credits tuition + per-credit fees$47,542+$85,913+
  • Rates are from the Wayne State graduate tuition and fees schedule for 2026–27
  • BSN-DNP tuition alone: $93,336 resident, $173,109 non-resident
  • BSN-DNP mandatory fees: about $9,127 ($5,501 in student services fees plus $3,626 in registration fees over nine semesters)
  • Graduate nursing is billed per credit, so part-time study does not trigger a flat-rate penalty or discount
  • Non-residents pay about $79,773 more in tuition over the 79-credit BSN-DNP
  • Financial aid named by the college: FAFSA-based federal aid, the Graduate Professional Scholarship, the ANEW grant, and Rumble Fellowships

Be aware that:

  • Totals are derived from one year’s rates. The 2026–27 schedule is applied to all nine semesters. The resident graduate nursing rate rose from $1,040.30 in Fall 2023 to $1,181.47 in 2026–27, about 13.6% over three years, so Fall 2027 entrants should expect a higher real total.
  • Credit count changes the total. A student who waives NUR 7000 completes 76 credits (about $98,710 resident). If the newer 8-credit project sequence applies, the total falls by roughly another $5,000 for residents.
  • Course fees are extra. NUR 7030 carries a $95 course fee, and other courses may carry material fees.
  • Clinical compliance costs are extra. Background check, drug screen at the Campus Health Center, and liability insurance (about $10 per year) are student costs not included above.
  • Non-residents face travel on top of tuition. Clinical sequence courses require on-campus attendance in Detroit for non-Michigan residents, and a Michigan RN license must be obtained.
  • The post-master’s total excludes registration fees, because the number of semesters is not published. Each semester adds $402.91.

For a Michigan resident, the realistic all-in figure for the BSN-DNP is a little over $100,000 before annual increases, and it buys the doctorate and FNP preparation in one program. For a non-resident, the cost nearly doubles and the program still requires Michigan clinicals, Michigan licensure, and campus attendance for the clinical courses, so it functions as a Michigan program regardless of where the student lives.

Why Choose This FNP Program?

Best suited for Michigan nurses near Detroit who want to go straight to the doctorate, prefer live online classes to a daily commute, and would rather have the college find their preceptors.

Placement handled for you. Wayne State arranges every clinical placement and directs students not to contact sites on their own. For a nurse who has watched colleagues spend a semester cold-calling clinics, that is the most practical reason to apply. The limit is geographic: placements are in Michigan, with a small number in Toledo.

Doctoral work spread across three years. Because two of the three project practicums finish in Year 2, the DNP project is well underway before FNP clinicals start. Students avoid the common DNP pattern of finishing clinicals and then facing a full capstone year. Synchronous online delivery keeps most of the classroom work off campus for Michigan residents, with NUR 7030 as the required on-campus course.

Honest drawbacks. There is no MSN or certificate exit, so a nurse who only wants FNP certification pays for 79 doctoral credits. Year 1 contains no FNP-specific coursework, and there is one Fall start with an August 1 deadline. Wayne State does not publish its certification pass rate.

Can you work while doing it? Years 1 and 2 are the manageable stretch, at 7 to 10 credits per term with project practicum hours in Year 2. Year 3 is different. Every term carries a 180- or 225-hour clinical course, and Fall adds the final 180-hour project practicum, for roughly 24 practice hours a week. Most working nurses should plan to drop to part-time employment for the final year, or ask about the part-time plan, whose length the school does not publish.

Accreditation

The Wayne State University College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The college reports full accreditation of its bachelor’s, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and graduate certificate programs through 2033, following a March 2023 site visit. Both FNP-related DNP paths fall under the DNP accreditation.

Wayne State University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and the transfer of graduate credit into later study.

The college states that its nurse practitioner tracks align with the academic standards required for APRN certification in Michigan. Nurses planning to practice in another state should confirm requirements with that state’s board.

Graduates of the BSN-DNP FNP specialty are eligible to sit for the national FNP certification exam (AANP or ANCC).

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