Admissions FAQ

Access FNU’s tuition and fees page by clicking here.

FNU is on a term (quarter) system with each term being 11 weeks in length. There are 2 weeks off between terms. Even though FNU is on a term system, semester credits are awarded.

The minimum GPA requirement to be eligible to apply to FNU is a cumulative 3.0 in your most recent degree in nursing or a related healthcare field. We do not round up, and we do not calculate GPAs. We use the final official GPA as listed on the official transcript. We do not consider work or additional educational/professional experience to raise your GPA. The GPA listed on your final official transcript is the one that is used to determine eligibility.

FNU uses the cumulative GPA as listed on the final official transcript and if the cumulative GPA is less than 3.0 you are not eligible to apply.

Contact your degree granting institution and inquire about repeating courses in an effort to raise your overall GPA.

• Bridge Students - Statistics is built into your Program of Study (POS) and must be taken with FNU even if you have completed a stats course prior.
• MSN Students - If you have taken an approved statistics course within the last 10 years you will NOT be required to retake it with FNU. Click here to determine if your stats course will be approved by FNU. Please submit a final official transcript to your Admissions Officer for final approval.
• PGC Students - You will not be required to take statistics unless you plan to complete the DNP as well as the PGC.
• DNP Students - If you have taken an approved statistics course within the last 10 years you will NOT be required to retake it with FNU. Click here to determine if your stats course will be approved by FNU. Please submit a final and official transcript to your Admissions Officer for final approval.

Will I be required to take a Physical Assessment (PA) course during my first term at FNU?

• Bridge Students - PA is built into your Program of Study (POS) and must be taken with FNU even if you have completed a PA course prior.
• MSN Students - If you have taken an approved PA course (no time limit) you will NOT be required to retake it with FNU. Click here to determine if your PA course will be approved by FNU. Please submit a final and official transcript to your Admissions Officer for final approval.
• PGC Students - If you haven’t successfully completed all the 3Ps (Advanced PA, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Pathophysiology) the missing course(s) will be added to your POS. Please submit a final and official transcript to your Admissions Officer for final approval.
• DNP Students - You will not be required to take PA.

Once you have accepted your offer of admission, you are eligible to submit course(s) for transfer. Please access the FNU catalog by clicking here and view the Course Transfer Policy and Procedure.

• Bridge Students - You will be required to attend campus three times:

1-Bridge Bound. Bridge Bound is the new student orientation that is three nights and four days.

2-Crossing the Bridge. After you complete your Bridge year and prepare to enter the MSN curriculum you will return to campus for a three night/four day stay.

3-Clinical Bound. Prior to entering your clinical practicum you will return to campus for five nights and six days.

• MSN/PGC - You will be required to attend campus two times.

1-Frontier/DNP Bound. Frontier/DNP Bound is the new student orientation that is three nights and four days.

2-Clinical Bound. Prior to entering your clinical practicum you will return to campus for five nights and six days.

• DNP Students - You will be required to attend campus one time.

1-DNP Bound. DNP Bound is the new student orientation that is three nights and four days.

In order to apply to FNU, your nursing degree must be conferred and one year of RN experience (prior to coursework) is required. Once conferred a final official transcript showing the degree earned and the official GPA must be submitted.

In order to maintain consistency and fairness among all applicants and stay on a reasonable timeline with being able to announce admission decisions we must adhere to the published deadline. Deadlines can be viewed by clicking this link.

The answer depends on when you apply. However, it is our goal to have admission decisions made and communicated within eight weeks after the deadline for application.

The one year of RN experience must be completed prior to the beginning of coursework. There are a few cases where experience outside the scope of an RN, such as extensive practice as a doula may substitute or in public health, although it is not common.

Full-time is five (5) or more credits per term and part-time is four (4) credits or fewer. FNU has two Programs of Study (POSs) for each program; they are not designed on a full-time/part-time basis but more around the length of time a student chooses to complete the program.

Click here to view the POS for each specialty and degree offered by FNU.

FNU cannot confirm if its programs meet individual state requirements for professional licensure. Students and applicants should contact the licensing boards in their state of residence, or any state in which they may reside in the future, to determine whether the program meets state requirements for licensure. A directory for state boards of nursing can be found here.

When considering graduate education as a nurse practitioner, be aware that the Consensus Model for Regulation has designated specific educational tracks that are recommended in order to provide care for a designated population group. States vary significantly on their licensure requirements regarding this model. Prior to applying, investigate state regulations where you anticipate working to ensure the program you are seeking enables you to provide care for the population you seek to serve. 

You can apply for financial aid at any time. You can apply prior to receiving an offer of admission or after. You will still have plenty of time to apply after receiving your offer of admission. Access this link for the step-by-step process on applying for financial aid.

FNU is a VA friendly school. We have a VA Certifying Official that works with the VA to certify enrollment so that the student can access their educational benefits but FNU does not provide tuition/fee discounts.

At this time, your admission packet will need to be mailed to the campus and must be received in house by the published deadline date. 

Yes, you may contact your Admissions Officer to verify that your packet was received. However, your Admissions Officer will contact you with the status of your packet and what documents are needed or if your packet is complete.

FNU has four terms (quarters) a year:

• Winter term-coursework begins in January
• Spring term-coursework begins in April
• Summer term-coursework begins in July
• Fall term-coursework begins in October

Please refer to our "Apply" page for application deadlines.

That depends on the student and their support team. FNU does not require that students work less than full-time but FNU’s academic curriculum is demanding; it is unlikely, and usually inadvisable, for a student to be able to work full-time throughout the clinical practicum, and even part-time employment may prove difficult. Full- or part-time employment during the didactic portion may prove manageable, but that will depend on the individual’s work schedule and ability to fulfill work and personal commitments while successfully completing course requirements.

Course instruction and structure will vary from instructor to instructor. There are a few scheduled class times, but the setup depends on the course and instructor. However, all of the classes require some form of live interaction, presentations, modules, and assignments due with exams, simulation activities, forum posts, group work, and reflective writing. We also use a software called Proctorio that you will log into from your home to complete the exams.

FNU does not offer dual programs. However, after completion of one clinical certification, it is possible to add another clinical certification by applying for a Post-Graduate Certificate (PGC) in another clinical track offered by FNU. Review this link for more information about our PGC programs.

Please access the FNU catalog by clicking here and viewing “Grading Policies.”

You will complete the online application “MSN with DNP Option”. The key word is option. Once your MSN is conferred you have the option to transition to the DNP program via a direct admission process, but it is not required. The application can be found here.

No. Please access the FNU website for Waitlist facts by clicking here.

Yes, but there are stipulations. The first step is to contact your Academic Advisor followed by communication with the Associate Deans in each program.

Although the ratio varies, the average student to faculty ratio is 21:1

The average percent of applicants that receive an offer of admission is 53%

For information about preceptors and clinical sites please access the FNU catalog through this link and review the “Clinical Site Selection” section.

Please feel free to contact an Admissions Officer. Access this link for the name and contact information of the Admissions Officer available to you. The list of Admission Officers available to assist you is located at the bottom of the page.