MSN - Family Nurse Practitioner
Are you interested in becoming a family nurse practitioner, working to develop your skills in taking patient history, physical examination, diagnostic testing, diagnosis, and treatment?
Employment of advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners, is projected to grow 45 percent from 2019 to 2029, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).1 These opportunities for NPs are expected to help bridge the gap of the primary care shortage facing America by offering high-quality, cost-effective, patient-centered health care.2
CTU’s Master of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN-FNP) program is designed to help you advance your skills in this fast-paced field.
The program integrates a foundation of evidence-based practice, population health, policy, informatics and nursing theory with concentration courses in pathophysiology, pharmacology, and assessment. Students will receive hands-on instruction during weekend labs in Colorado at the start and end of the program.
The MSN-FNP prepares nurses for advanced licensure and to sit for the national certification exam. Certification exam applicants may be denied exam eligibility based on a past criminal record.
Highlights of the CTU’s MSN-FNP program:
- Can be completed in as little as 24 months
- Tuition starting at $36,720
- Complete your 630 direct-care clinical hours in your community (if available)
- Aligned to nursing industry standards and competencies
- Programmatically Accredited3
Ranked Among the Best Online Nursing Programs
CTU’s online Master of Science in Nursing degree programs are ranked among the Best Online Master's in Nursing Programs by U.S. News & World Report for the fifth consecutive year.*
* CTU programs are ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Online Programs.
1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm (visited February 08, 2021). This data represents national figures and is not based on school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.
2 https://www.aanp.org/all-about-nps/what-is-an-np#why-nps-are-important
3 The Master of Science in Nursing degree program at Colorado Technical University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Relevant Institutional/Programmatic Accreditation
CTU is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission www.hlcommission.org
The Master of Science in Nursing degree program at Colorado Technical University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org)
Nursing Program FAQs
At CTU, the College of Nursing & Health Studies recognizes the varying degrees of nursing knowledge our licensed practicing nurses possess when returning to school. As a CTU nursing student, you can expect to:
- Skip the content you know to focus on new knowledge development using CTU’s intellipath® adaptive learning technology, like the computerized adaptive testing nurses use to enter the profession.
- Experience faculty-led nursing courses infused with intellipath® assignments, writing assignments, discussion boards, virtual simulation, clinical experiences and journaling, among others.
- Bypass group project assignments due to interdisciplinary collaboration in clinical courses.
- Complete clinical experiences along with additional traditional assignments.
Nursing students receive support from the Clinical Coordinator to identify practicum sites within their community. NRSG660: FNPI takes place at a clinical site that serves the adult, geriatrics and women populations. NRSG661: FNPII takes place at a practicum site that serves the pediatric population. NRSG662: FNPIII takes place at a practicum site that serves patients across the lifespan.
Information about the practicum can be found in the Nursing Learning Center where the Family Nurse Practitioner Handbook (MSN & PGC) is located. The Clinical Coordinator also partners with nursing students to assist with practicum placements.
To speak with an advisor, request information here.
The FNP nursing student is required to complete 630 direct-care clinical hours. Since the FNP nursing student is preparing to care for patients from birth to death, it is essential they have enough time to learn how to care for the varied populations.
NRSG660: FNPI Adult, Geriatrics, and Women’s Health requires 240 total clinical hours.
NRSG661: FNPII Pediatrics requires 180 total clinical hours.
NRSG662: FNPIII Care across the Lifespan requires 210 total clinical hours.
Nursing students must disclose if they are requesting to do their practicum with their employer.
Nursing students may not complete practicum hours in their current department or with in-line supervisors.
The structure of the FNP nursing program is designed to allow the working nurse to advance in his/her MSN degree while continuing to work within the community With an asynchronous (any time of day) classroom format, this allows nursing students to formulate a study schedule that can be incorporated into their professional life. Instructors also provide synchronous chats to support varied adult learning needs. The Family Nurse Practitioner concentration requires rigorous study and strong time management skills with dedicated daily reading and study time.
FNP nursing students are required to visit our Colorado campus in Denver, Colorado for two intensives or labs. The first intensive weekend is required before the practicum courses to ensure students are prepared for safe patient interactions. Hands-on instruction is also provided during the intensive. The second intensive weekend is required before completion of the FNP program to help ensure students are prepared to act as independent practitioners before sitting for certification exams.
The College of Nursing has resources built into the program that assist students in preparing for the Family Nurse Practitioner certification exam. The 3P exam which students take in NRSG653 Advanced Physical Assessment for the Nurse Practitioner Lab, is used to assess students’ synthesis of learning from the advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology and advanced physical assessment courses. CTU also provides APEA (Advanced Practice Education Associates) resources such as MyQBank with hundreds of review questions, a pre and post-predictor exam, along with a certification review course during the final practicum. Students also receive access to the UpToDate database to retrieve the latest clinical evidence to support their practice.
CLASSES START
- October 03, 2023
- November 14, 2023
- January 02, 2024
TOTAL CREDITS
PROGRAM AVAILABILITY
- Online
Program Details
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Estimate Tuition and Grad Date
Total tuition for this degree program will vary depending on your educational needs, existing experience, and other factors..
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Degree Requirements
Courses - Core
CreditsCourse Title Course Description Credit Hours NRSG612 Integrating Theory and Research for Evidence-Based Practice 4 NRSG615 Healthcare Informatics and Technologies 4 NRSG617 Policy and Politics in Nursing and Healthcare 4 NRSG625 Promoting and Preserving Health in a Diverse Society 4 Total Credit Hours: 16 Courses - Concentration
CreditsCourse Title Course Description Credit Hours NRSG650 Advanced Pathophysiology for the Nurse Practitioner 4 NRSG651 Advanced Pharmacology for the Nurse Practitioner 6 NRSG652 Advanced Physical Assessment for the Nurse Practitioner 4 NRSG653 Advanced Physical Assessment for the Nurse Practitioner Lab 2 NRSG654 Role of the Nurse Practitioner 3 NRSG655 FNPI Advanced Nursing Practice: Care of the adult, geriatric and frail elderly 6 NRSG656 FNPII Advanced Nursing Practice: Women’s Health 2 NRSG657 FNPIII Advanced Nursing Practice: Pediatrics 2 NRSG660 FNPI Practicum: Advanced nursing care of the adult, geriatric and women patients 8 NRSG661 FNPII Practicum: Advanced nursing care of the pediatric patient 6 NRSG662 FNPIII Practicum: Advanced nursing care across the lifespan 7 NRSG663 FNPIII Advanced nursing care across the lifespan, Lab 2 Total Credit Hours: 52 Total Credit Hours: 68
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Ways to Save
Cost of this degree may be reduced based on one or more of the following:
- Active duty military status (see the tuition tab for details)
- Number of credits transferred and accepted from other institutions
- Eligibility for a Corporate Alliances Grant (check with your CTU Admissions Advisor)
- Tuition Reimbursement (talk to your HR Manager)
- Grants or scholarships at CTU
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Outcomes
MSN Program Outcomes
- Synthesize knowledge from nursing and a variety of sciences in diverse settings for the purpose of improving nursing care.
- Apply organizational and systems leadership concepts to promote quality patient care.
- Evaluate performance improvement processes designed for the purpose of providing quality patient care.
- Apply research outcomes and evidence-based practice to recommendations for improved patient care.
- Synthesize health policy processes established for the advocacy of quality healthcare.
- Integrate interprofessional collaboration to the management of patient and population health outcomes.
- Apply organizational, client-centered, and culturally appropriate concepts to clinical prevention and population care to identified populations.
MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner concentration outcomes:
- Integrate technology in patient care management to improve health outcomes.
- Operate as an independent practitioner in the management of healthcare for patients across the lifespan.
- Formulate ethical plans of care which incorporate knowledge from current research, clinical guidelines, practice and assessment to improve health outcomes.
- Employ complex and advanced leadership skills in guiding change to improve health outcomes.
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Admission Requirements
Admission Requirements
Admission to this program requires an unencumbered license to practice as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the United States. All students must maintain this licensure throughout the program of study.
Students must have graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from an institutionally accredited institution. A cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0 for the last 90 quarter (60 semester) hours of study undertaken for full acceptance into the program.
Prior to starting the nursing program all applicants must submit an unofficial or official copy of college transcript from their BSN degree for review. Applicants to the Master of Science in Nursing degree program who meet all general admission requirements, but who have a CGPA for the BSN degree between 2.75 to 2.99 for the last 90 quarter (60 semester) hours of study, may be granted provisional admission. Students must successfully complete their first two MSN courses with a minimum of 3.0 GPA to be granted full admission to the nursing program or be administratively withdrawn.
Students must have a minimum of one year of recent direct care nursing experience prior to admission to the program.
Provide a current resume.
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Next Steps
Program details are provided lower on the page.
Classes start October 3, 2023 *
*Start dates may vary by program and location.