OnlineFNPPrograms.com’s mission is to help registered nurses interested in becoming family nurse practitioners find accredited online FNP programs that meet their academic and career goals. We have created pages dedicated specifically to the different types of online FNP degree programs currently available, including BSN to MSN, RN + Bachelor’s to MSN (BSN not required), RN to MSN, post-MSN certificate, and DNP FNP programs, and have also compiled a comprehensive list of CCNE and ACEN-accredited online FNP programs for each degree program.
While online FNP programs must meet the same accreditation standards as on-campus programs, there is currently no set standard for what can be called an online FNP Program. The majority of online FNP programs require students to make a limited number of visits to the campus per year. On OnlineFNPPrograms.com, we define an online FNP program as one that requires three or fewer visits to the campus per year. We classify FNP programs that are offered primarily online, but require more than three visits to the campus per year as hybrid FNP programs and currently do not list them on the site.
To help students better understand the travel requirements for specific online FNP programs, we indicate the number of campus visits each online nursing program requires. In addition, we provide information on program accreditation, program options (full-time versus part-time), tuition costs, and instruction methods (synchronous versus asynchronous instruction).
Online FNP Degree Programs
In general, accredited online FNP programs fall into one of six categories, depending on their specific eligibility requirements:
- Accredited Online BSN to MSN FNP Programs: On OnlineFNPPrograms.com, we classify Online BSN to MSN-FNP programs as those that accept RNs who have completed a BSN degree program. This page contains a comprehensive list of schools for which RNs with a BSN are eligible for admission. Therefore, this page contains both schools that require a BSN for admission and schools that accept RNs who have completed either a BSN or a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing. This resource also explains BSN to MSN programs’ typical curriculum, admissions criteria, clinical hours and campus visits requirements, common courses, and methods of instruction.
- Accredited Online Bachelor’s to MSN FNP Programs: Online Bachelor’s to MSN programs do not require applicants to have completed a BSN for eligibility, and thus are suitable for registered nurses who earned a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing. These programs allow students to earn their MSN without having to complete a second baccalaureate degree in nursing first. This page contains a comprehensive list of online MSN-FNP programs that accept RNs with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree. This page does not contain schools that require students to have completed a BSN program for admission. In addition, this article explains the academic and professional requirements that RNs must fulfill for admission into Bachelor’s to MSN-FNP programs, and also provides details on the length, typical coursework, and curriculum structure for these types of programs.
- Accredited Online RN to MSN FNP Programs: Online RN to MSN programs allow registered nurses who have an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a diploma in nursing from an accredited institution to pursue their BSN and MSN together through one concentrated program. This article provides an in-depth explanation of how RN to MSN programs work, including their admission requirements, curriculum structure, clinical hours and campus visits requirements, types of instruction, and typical courses. Students should note that some RN to MSN programs require applicants to hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing subject. This type of RN to MSN program generally culminates in an MSN degree only, and on OnlineFNPPrograms.com we classify this type of program as a Bachelor’s to MSN program.
- Accredited Online Post-MSN FNP Certificate Programs: Online post-MSN FNP certificate programs are for registered nurses who have already completed an MSN or higher graduate degree in nursing in a specialty other than family nurse practitioner (FNP), and who wish to gain training and licensure as an FNP. This resource describes the length, typical curriculum, and clinical hours requirements of online post-MSN FNP programs. In addition, this resource includes information about campus visits requirements, typical courses, and methods of instruction.
- Accredited Online BSN to DNP FNP Programs: Online BSN to DNP programs are for RNs who have a BSN, and want to pursue a DNP without completing a separate MSN program first. These programs offer RNs the most direct route to earning a DNP and preparing for the APRN certification examination for family nurse practitioners. This article provides an overview of online BSN to DNP FNP programs, including information about admission requirements, program structure, curriculum, clinical hours, and online instruction methods.
- Accredited Online MSN to DNP FNP Programs: There are several different types of online MSN to DNP programs available to students. This page only lists online MSN to DNP programs that prepare students to sit for the APRN certification examination in the family nurse practitioner specialty. These programs are essentially a combination of a post-MSN DNP program and a post-master’s FNP certificate program. The article contains a detailed breakdown of the admissions criteria for these programs, as well as information about coursework, clinical placements, online course delivery, and more.
