A BSN-to-DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) Degree with Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Focus

The Nursing DNP – Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Concentration program is for working BSN nurses who are interested in a practice-focused doctorate. You will be prepared as a clinical expert with the critical thinking, leadership and political policy skills needed to advocate and create changes in healthcare practice at the individual, population and organizational systems levels. Graduates will provide primary care health promotion and disease management for patients with episodic or chronic illnesses across the life span, focusing on the underserved.

This five-year, part-time graduate program is designed to fit the schedules of practicing BSN RNs. The first eight semesters are delivered on campus one day per week (Thursdays) and include some courses that incorporate online activities to supplement your learning, which reduces the amount of time you meet in-person for class. The remaining six semesters are completed fully online.

The program has been designed with advanced practice clinical simulations in addition to didactic coursework in order to prepare each student for the live clinical setting. A minimum of 1,245 clinical/simulation/lab hours are completed while enrolled in the clinical/practicum courses (see the Clinical Hours section under the Course of Study tab below).

FNP Eligibility and a Nursing Doctoral Degree

This program meets the guidelines for nurse practitioner education as recommended by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. As a graduate of this DNP program, you will be qualified to be recognized as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) by your State Board of Nursing and apply for national certification.

Completing this program also means that you will have earned the terminal degree for advanced practice nurses (schools affiliated with the American Association of Colleges of Nurses have endorsed the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree as the terminal degree).

Nurse Practitioner Job & Salary Growth

The median salary for a Registered Nurse as of 2021 is $73,300.

However, the median salary for a Nurse Practitioner (a role supported by this program) was $109,820 and NP employment is projected to grow 52% from 2019-2029.

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Hybrid Delivery

This program is 102 credit hours, which includes a DNP project and clinical/lab/simulation hours.

  • You can complete the program in 5 years, attending part-time (fewer than 9 credits per term).
  • This is a hybrid (partially face-to-face and online) delivery. You will attend one day per week (Thursdays) in person. Most courses are delivered in Greeley on the UNC campus. Some courses will be at our Loveland Center at Centerra. Additional face-to-face hours are required for your scheduled clinical and practicum work.

Coursework (102 Credit Hours)

To see a typical list of courses by term, visit an example Current Students page for this program.

For full program requirement details, see the official program listing in the UNC Graduate Catalog.

Clinical/Simulation/Lab/Practicum Hours

A minimum of 1,395 clinical/simulation/lab/practicum hours are completed while enrolled in the program courses:

  • 765 minimum total of FNP clinical hours. At least 180 of the total 765 clinical hours must be with a nurse practitioner and part of these hours can be with a nurse midwife.
  • 90 minimum total of FNP simulation/lab hours.
  • 540 minimum total DNP Scholarly Project practicum hours.

The clinical courses involve advanced skills labs, evidence-based practice simulations, and clinical decision-making competencies, as well as clinical hours in advanced practice skill acquisition.

Our clinical placement coordinator is dedicated to the Nurse Practitioner programs to assist Nurse Practitioner students in finding clinical placements and qualified preceptors, which include licensed physicians, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, or physician assistants.

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Additional Resources

Other FNP Programs