OnlineFNPPrograms.com was created to provide nursing students with a comprehensive and unbiased resource on online graduate nursing programs with a family nurse practitioner (FNP) specialization. For nursing students who are considering pursuing their Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) online, we have all the information needed to make an informed decision about an online FNP program. Through extensive research, we are creating the only website with a comprehensive list of accredited online MSN- and DNP-FNP programs, complete with program details, admission requirements, tuition costs, and more. OnlineFNPPrograms.com also provides useful information on eligibility requirements for online FNP programs and specific graduation requirements that include clinical internships and campus visits.
In order to obtain licensure to work as an FNP in one's state of residence, one must complete an FNP program that has been accredited by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Online FNP programs must meet the same rigorous accreditation standards as on-campus programs. On OnlineFNPPrograms.com, we only list online FNP programs accredited by either the CCNE or ACEN.
Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who have received graduate-level training in patient treatment, diagnosis, and evaluation. Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) provide long term health care to patients of all ages by performing physical examinations, diagnosing health conditions, developing treatment plans, and monitoring patient health. Nurse practitioners can also specialize in acute care, pediatric primary care, adult primary care, and adult-gerontology acute care. Nurse practitioners, along with nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists (two other types of APRNs), are expected to experience significant growth in employment, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, well above the national average for job growth across all professions.
MSN-FNP pathways for licensed RNs — including BSN to MSN, Bachelor's to MSN, RN to MSN, and post-MSN certificate options — accredited by the CCNE or ACEN.
For MSN graduates seeking FNP certification — New or Second Specialty programs (any MSN accepted) and Second Specialty programs for currently licensed APRNs.
Doctoral FNP pathways — BSN to DNP, Bachelor's to DNP, MSN to DNP, and RN to DNP — for RNs who want to earn their doctorate alongside FNP certification.
While both on campus and online nursing programs must abide by certain criteria in order to achieve accreditation by CCNE or ACEN, there is at present no set standard for what can be called an online program. Based on data from the CCNE and ACEN websites, there are over 510 universities with master's-level nursing programs in the United States. Based on our research, we have identified over 60 universities that offer online FNP programs.
On OnlineFNPPrograms.com, we classify any program that requires three or fewer visits to the campus per year as an online program. We categorize programs that require more than three visits per year to the campus as hybrid programs, and do not include them on the site at this time. Programs that require multiple visits to the campus per year are more designed for students who live close to a university and want the flexibility of online education.
Please note, all FNP degree programs — online, hybrid and campus — require students to complete clinical hours at a local site to graduate.
All online FNP programs require that their students be registered nurses (RNs) with an active license. However, different online FNP programs exist for RNs who have obtained different levels of education. OnlineFNPPrograms.com currently classifies FNP programs into 14 different categories and includes 12 of those categories on the site. Of the 12 categories, four are MSN programs, two are post-masters certificate programs, and six are DNP programs.
Students looking to pursue a DNP while earning FNP certification have several degree paths to choose from, based on their current level of education. Below are the six different categories of DNP-FNP programs:
The following two categories of FNP programs are not currently included on OnlineFNPPrograms.com, either because they cannot typically be completed online or they do not train students to become FNPs:
While some nursing schools may only offer one type of nursing degree program, other schools may offer multiple degree options to students. For quick reference, the table below helps students determine which program types to research based on their educational background.
| Current Degree | Desired Degree | Applicable Degree Classifications |
|---|---|---|
| RN + Nursing Diploma | MSN | RN to MSN (ADN or Diploma accepted) |
| RN + ADN | MSN | RN to MSN (ADN or Diploma accepted) and RN to MSN (ADN required) |
| RN + Non-Nursing Bachelors | MSN | MSN (BSN or Non-Nursing Bachelors accepted) |
| RN + BSN | MSN | MSN (BSN or Non-Nursing Bachelors accepted) and MSN (BSN Required) |
| RN + MSN | Certificate | Post-MSN Certificate New or Second Specialty (any MSN accepted) |
| RN + MSN + APRN Certification | Certificate | Post-MSN Certificate New or Second Specialty (any MSN accepted) and Post-MSN Certificate Second Specialty (APRN required) |
| RN + Nursing Diploma | DNP | RN to DNP (ADN or Diploma accepted) |
| RN + ADN | DNP | RN to DNP (ADN or Diploma accepted) and RN to DNP (ADN required) |
| RN + Non-Nursing Bachelors | DNP | DNP (BSN or Non-Nursing Bachelors accepted) |
| RN + BSN | DNP | DNP (BSN or Non-Nursing Bachelors accepted) and DNP (BSN Required) |
| RN + MSN | Certificate + DNP | MSN to DNP with New or Second Specialty (any MSN accepted) |
| RN + MSN + APRN Certification | Certificate + DNP | MSN to DNP with New or Second Specialty (any MSN accepted) and MSN to DNP with Second Specialty (APRN required) |
| Current Degree | Desired Degree | Applicable Degree Classifications |
|---|---|---|
| RN + MSN | DNP | MSN to DNP Leadership, Advanced Clinical Practice, APRN Specialization |
| Bachelor's Degree (No RN) | MSN | Master's Entry, Accelerated MSN programs |
The admission requirements for an online FNP program will vary by degree level, program path, and school. Apart from the entry-level education requirements detailed above, the primary admission requirement for all online FNP programs is an active RN license in one's state of residence. Some programs may also require applicants to have one or more years of professional nursing experience, or have completed certain college courses, such as health assessment or statistics, prior to enrollment. Depending on the particular program track, bridge courses or prerequisite coursework may be required before students can begin graduate-level coursework. Many online MSN- and DNP-FNP programs do not require applicants to submit GRE scores; however, students often must meet a minimum GPA threshold in order to be considered for admission.
Application materials for online FNP programs typically include transcripts for all post-secondary coursework, a professional resume, a personal statement, and letters of recommendation from people who have seen one's work in an academic and/or health care setting (for example, one's college professors and internship supervisors).
Full time programs are generally designed for nursing students who want to complete their graduate course of study and earn their advanced nursing degree as quickly as possible. Nursing schools that offer these programs generally do not recommend that students work full time while enrolled due to the course loads and clinical internship hours that are required. Students who want or need to work full-time while pursuing their advanced degree may want to explore part-time online FNP programs, which do not have as intense of a course load per quarter/semester/term. However, these types of programs tend to take longer to complete.
Accredited FNP programs, including online FNP programs, have mandatory clinical hours that students must complete in order to earn their degree. Clinical hours are defined as the time that nursing students spend in an actual medical setting, fulfilling actual nursing responsibilities and receiving hands-on training under the supervision of preceptors, who are medical professionals that serve as mentors to students. Clinical hours function as mandatory medical internships for nursing students. Depending on their place of residence and specialization, nursing students may be able to fulfill their clinical hours in a number of different medical settings, including hospitals, private medical offices, community health centers, volunteer clinics, and wellness centers.
Based on the data we have collected, BSN to MSN-FNP, Bachelor's to MSN-FNP, RN to MSN-FNP, and post-MSN FNP programs generally require students to complete between 525 and 800 clinical hours in order to graduate. DNP students must fulfill a minimum of 1,000 post-baccalaureate clinical hours to earn their doctorate. For Post-Baccalaureate to DNP or RN to DNP students, these 1,000 or more hours are often completed during the program itself. MSN to DNP programs typically include around 500 clinical practice hours as part of the program requirements, with students transferring the other 500 hours from their previous graduate program to meet the total required 1,000 hours. This assumes post-master's students completed at least 500 clinical hours during their MSN program.
The precise number of required clinical hours varies depending on the program. Some programs match students with approved sites and preceptors where they can fulfill their clinical hours, while other programs provide students with guidance in finding sites to complete their clinical hours, but place the primary responsibility of finding a site and preceptor on the student.
Most online FNP programs require that students come to the campus a limited number of times during their course of study. (As noted above, on OnlineFNPPrograms.com, we classify any program that requires three or fewer visits to the campus per year as an online FNP program.) During these on-campus visits, students typically participate in simulated clinical scenarios and/or other hands-on training sessions, interact in person with faculty and fellow students, and engage in networking events.
These on-campus visits, sometimes called on-campus intensives or clinical immersions, are typically two to three days in length, but may last as long as a week, and are often designed to focus on a particular area of nursing or health care. For example, an on-campus intensive may focus on advanced health assessment training or core issues that family nurse practitioners may face in a medical setting. Some schools even have simulation centers that allow students to practice certain nursing skills and tasks in a low-risk yet realistic environment.
Most nursing schools use one of three types of instruction methods for their online FNP programs: synchronous, asynchronous or a combination of both. Each form of instruction has its advantages and disadvantages and it is really up to the student to determine which instruction method is best for them.
Synchronous instruction, also known as "real-time" instruction, requires students and instructors to meet at scheduled times to participate in live lectures and discussions; this type of instruction typically involves interacting with people using a web camera and/or participating in real-time chat discussions with peers and faculty. Synchronous instruction typically gives a more realistic "classroom" feel to a program's curriculum, and enables students to engage more directly with their instructor and fellow students.
Additionally, as online nursing programs with synchronous instruction have lecture and discussion schedules that students must abide by (with assignments that are oftentimes due before these real-time meetings), some students may prefer this method of instruction due to the structure it provides to the learning experience. Please note that all online FNP programs with synchronous instruction inherently have an asynchronous component, because students must complete some assignments and study for exams on their own time.
With asynchronous instruction, students can access course materials and pre-recorded lectures at any time, and are not required to attend lectures with their instructor and fellow students in real time. Online FNP programs with asynchronous instruction allow students to view lectures and other course materials on their own schedule; as a result, such programs are inherently more flexible than programs that use synchronous instruction.
In place of virtual classroom discussions, programs that utilize asynchronous instruction test students' understanding and progress through homework assignments and exams. Additionally, instructors oftentimes engage with students by posting regular assignments to online discussion forums where students must earn participation credit. Students can also typically interact with instructors through email and potentially web/video conferencing if the instructor has live office hours. Finally, depending on the school, some FNP online programs with asynchronous instruction may still require students to participate in group projects with fellow classmates, while others may not.
Please note, all online programs require discipline from students to stay on top of lectures, course materials, and assignments, but programs with asynchronous instruction in particular necessitate that students stay organized and proactive, as these types of programs do not have the degree of structure that synchronous instruction provides.
Some online FNP programs use a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction. This merging of instruction methods usually follows one of two formats: 1) the program uses both synchronous and asynchronous instruction depending on the particular class and instructor; or 2) the program has classes that require students to attend a limited number of real-time lectures/sessions during the semester or term.