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Family Nurse Practitioner
The Family Nurse Practitioner DNP prepares students to provide primary care services to patients and families across the lifespan and in a wide range of settings.
Program at a Glance
- Time to complete: 3 years with full-time study
- Entry options: Full-time or part-time study
- Application deadline: Apply by June 1 for a fall start
- Format: Hybrid program.
- Courses are online with several on-campus clinical intensive workshops and standardized patient exams in Kansas City.
- Credit hours: 67 total
- Practice experiences: 1,000 hours
- Already have your DNP? Specialize with one of our certificates.
Need more information? Join a 30‑minute info session for an overview of KU graduate nursing programs, admissions, and the application process.
Can’t join us at these times? Email soninfo@kumc.edu to schedule a one-on-one conversation with a nursing academic advisor.
Family Nurse Practitioner Specific Courses
All DNP students take the same core courses, and we participate in the Nursing Education Xchange program to further tailor your learning. Those in the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialty take these courses as well.
| Course Number | FNP Specialty Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 801 | Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning | 3 |
| NURS 802 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NURS 803 | Advanced Pharmacology | 3 |
| NURS 850 | Diagnostic Reasoning | 3 |
| NURS 851 | Family Health I | 3 |
| NURS 852 | Family Health II | 3 |
| NURS 950 | Family Health III | 3 |
| NURS 951 | Clinical Readiness for Family Nurse Practitioner Students | 3 |
| NURS 952 | Complex Management - Family | 3 |
| NURS 955 | Family Health Practicum I | 2 |
| NURS 956 | Family Health Practicum II | 3 |
| NURS 957 | Family Health Practicum III | 3 |
| NURS 958 | Foundations Practicum | 1 |
What FNP Students Learn
Develop clinical reasoning by combining patient history, exam results, and diagnostic tests so you can identify simple healthcare issues from more complicated ones, avoid thinking mistakes, and create care plans based on good evidence for people of all ages.- Integrate, analyze, apply, and synthesize pathophysiology, pharmacology, physical assessment findings, and clinical data, including diagnostics, and use this knowledge to create accurate care plans based for patients across the lifespan.
- Prepare for real-world clinical experiences by learning and practicing how to perform comprehensive clinical assessments, apply evidence-based practice, communicate effectively and professionally, develop clinical decision-making skills, and apply advanced clinical reasoning to holistic person-centered care.
- Learn to evaluate care outcomes, foster interprofessional communication, and integrate self-care, health promotion, and disease prevention strategies, to prepare you for independent clinical decision-making and leadership as an advanced practice registered nurse.
Students should refer to the course catalog for full course information. Contact Student Affairs if you have questions.
Ready to take the next step?
All applications must be received by June 1, 2026 for fall 2026 admission.
Not sure you’re ready to apply? Request information to receive details about admissions requirements, program format, and upcoming info sessions.
Clinical Practice Preceptors, Sites and Experiences
Clinical practice sites are generally located in the Kansas City metropolitan area but may extend across the state of Kansas and to other communities where students are located.
In academic year 2024-2025, KU School of Nursing had at the graduate level:
- 98 clinical sites
- 156 preceptors
During your clinical experiences you’ll obtain a beginning level of competence in completing health assessment and comprehensive evaluations, documentation according to federal and state requirements, and apply advanced clinical reasoning to holistic person-centered care.
Recent APRN Certification Pass Rates
Upon completion, graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the Family Nurse Practitioner and to apply for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license.
FNP APRN Certification Rates by Graduating Cohort
| Graduation Year | Goal for FNP or PMHNP Certification 1st Time Pass Rate | Number of DNP 1st Time Test Takers | 1st Time Test Taker Certification Rate | Number of Post Graduate Certificate 1st Time Test Takers | 1st Time Test Taker Certification Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 80% | 18 | 88.9% | 1 | 100% |
| 2023 | 80% | 13 | 92% | 0 | -- |
| 2022 | 80% | 20 | 95% | 3 | 100% |
Graduate Nurse Training Scholarships
Are you interested in the KU Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, or Nurse Midwifery specialties? You may be eligible for a graduate nurse training scholarship.
Graduate Nurse Training Scholarships are funded through two Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) opportunities: MIDWIVES KAN and Advancing Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW): Grow and Stay.
Accreditation & Recognition
The KU School of Nursing is nationally accredited and state approved. See accreditation details.
Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing