EKU's post-MSN FNP certificate: a second specialty with the full FNP clinical sequence
EKU's post-graduate FNP certificate is for nurses who already hold an MSN or higher and want to add family practice. The catalog sets it at 32 credits, 9 of them prerequisites, and the clinical side is the same as the MSN FNP: NSC 800 beside FNP I to III, then the NSC 876 internship. What varies from student to student is how much of the front end you can bring with you, and EKU settles much of that case by case.
Plan your certificate clinicals
Tell us your start term and which prerequisites you are transferring.
Who the certificate is built for
The catalog describes the certificate as a route for nurses who have completed an MSN or a higher degree and want a second nursing specialty. That covers a nurse educator or administrator with an MSN, a DNP-prepared nurse, or an NP certified in another population who now wants family practice. Like the MSN, it runs online with no campus visits and 7-week terms for core courses.
Admission asks for an MSN, DNP or PhD in nursing from a nationally accredited program, an unencumbered RN license from an approved state and one year of RN experience. EKU's web pages add that any APRN license you hold must also be active and unencumbered in every state where you hold it. The catalog adds one line that shapes everything after admission: all MSN policies apply to post-graduate certificate students, so the clinical rules, grades and paperwork described for the MSN apply to you as well.
32 credits, 23 to 32, or 22 to 32: the conflict
EKU gives three different credit figures for this certificate. The 2026-27 catalog says 32 credits, counting the 9 prerequisite credits. The certificate page's header says 23 to 32, and its body text says 22 to 32. Our reading is that the range reflects prerequisites you may already have: 32 minus the 9 prerequisite credits gives the header's 23. The 22 in the body matches nothing in the catalog. Treat the catalog as the requirement and ask your advisor for a written plan of study showing your own total.
| Course | Title | Credits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
NSC 830 | Advanced Pharmacology | 3 | NP prerequisite; may be transferred |
NSC 832 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3 | NP prerequisite |
NSC 834 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 | NP prerequisite |
NSC 870 | FNP I | 3 | Taken with NSC 800 |
NSC 872 | FNP II | 3 | Taken with NSC 800 |
NSC 874 | FNP III | 3 | Taken with NSC 800 |
NSC 800 | Advanced Practice Role | 8 in total | Clinical |
NSC 876 | FNP Internship | 6 | Clinical: rural primary care practicum |
| Total | 32 | Hours not stated on the certificate page |
Prerequisites, transfer credit and case-by-case calls
EKU accepts up to 9 transferred hours into the certificate, and faculty rule on transferring the three prerequisites one student at a time. Several other decisions are individual too, which is why two certificate students with the same start term can end up on different calendars.
What EKU has decided case by case
- Prerequisite transfer. Faculty review whether your earlier pharmacology, health assessment and pathophysiology courses count toward
NSC 830,NSC 832andNSC 834. - Repeating pharmacology. The 2021-22 MSN Student Handbook said this was decided case by case for students who already hold NP certification in another population focus.
- The health assessment gate. MSN students had to show mastery of advanced health assessment in the semester before
NSC 800; for post-MSN students the same handbook left it to individual review. The health assessment page explains the gate. - Your start point. EKU's archived certificate plan tied the start date to how the prerequisites transfer.
The handbook items come from the last edition EKU posted (2021-22), so ask your faculty how they are handled now.
The same clinical courses as the MSN FNP
Once the prerequisites are settled, the certificate follows the MSN FNP clinical path course for course. You take NSC 800 Advanced Practice Role in parts alongside NSC 870, NSC 872 and NSC 874 until you reach 8 credits, then finish with the 6-credit NSC 876 FNP Internship, which EKU describes as a concentrated rural primary care practicum. The MSN FNP guide lays out how that sequence ran in EKU's last posted plans.
The difference is the runway. Without the full MSN core in front of it, your first clinical term can arrive quickly after admission. EKU's archived plan put the certificate at 4 to 6 semesters, against 7 to 9 for the full MSN. A shorter runway leaves less time to shape your preceptor input, which is the main planning point for certificate students.
Clinical hours: not stated for the certificate
EKU's MSN FNP page states 750 direct patient care hours. The certificate page states no hour figure at all. Because the certificate's clinical credits are identical to the MSN's, 8 in NSC 800 and 6 in NSC 876, it is reasonable to expect a similar requirement, but that is our comparison, not an EKU statement.
Plan as if the full FNP clinical load applies until your faculty tell you otherwise, and ask for the total in writing when you receive your plan of study. The 750-hour page explains how the MSN figure is described.
Earlier practicum hours from an MSN or another NP specialty are not something to count on. No EKU document we found credits them toward this certificate, so confirm your hour total before you promise a preceptor a schedule.
Starts and deadlines, with a June summer start
The certificate uses the MSN deadlines with one twist: summer classes begin in June, not May as they do for the MSN. Your start term matters for clinicals because, with a short runway, it largely fixes the semester in which your first NSC 800 enrollment falls, and so the date your preceptor option must be ready.
| Start term | Apply by | Classes begin |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | July 1 | August |
| Spring | November 1 | January |
| Summer | March 15 | June |
EKU's state table for the MSN covers the certificate too, even though the certificate page itself has no state authorization line. EKU is not enrolling students living in eight states, including Tennessee and New York; see state authorization before you apply from outside Kentucky.
How we help certificate students
Experienced nurses often know exactly where they want to train, and Kentucky's APRN rule protects that input while leaving EKU responsible for securing preceptors. We turn your preferences into a ready option. Your placement advisor finds a family practice preceptor near you who fits NSC 800 and can look ahead to the NSC 876 internship, and if you already practice as an NP in another population, we look for a site that gives you family primary care beyond your current caseload.
We assemble the preceptor's license, credentials and site details for EKU's preceptor information form so your faculty can review a complete option quickly, which matters on a 4 to 6 semester runway. EKU approves every preceptor and site. If a preceptor steps away mid-plan, the placement desk begins a replacement search at once. Send your start term through the form below.
Questions EKU students ask
How long does EKU's post-MSN FNP certificate take?
The current certificate page gives no length. EKU's archived certificate plan said 4 to 6 semesters, with the start date depending on how your prerequisites transfer. A student who transfers all three prerequisites is likely to sit near the short end, and one who takes them at EKU near the long end. Ask for a plan of study with term-by-term dates after admission.
Can I start the post-MSN FNP certificate in summer?
Yes. The certificate accepts summer starts with a March 15 application deadline, and summer classes begin in June. That is later than the MSN FNP, whose summer classes begin in May. Fall and spring follow the MSN deadlines of July 1 and November 1.
Is EKU's post-MSN FNP certificate accredited?
Yes. CCNE lists EKU's post-graduate APRN certificate program as accredited, with its current term running through December 31, 2028 and the next on-site visit in spring 2028. EKU's program pages carry the same statement. The accreditation page covers what that means for certification.
Does EKU secure preceptors for certificate students too?
The certificate is part of EKU's Kentucky-based APRN education, and EKU's catalog applies all MSN policies to certificate students. Kentucky's regulation makes the program responsible for securing preceptors and lets students have input. Your input can be a specific practice near home, prepared so EKU can review it without delay.
Do I need an APRN license to apply?
No, an APRN license is not required; the catalog asks for an unencumbered RN license from an approved state. If you already hold an APRN license, EKU's certificate pages say it must be active and unencumbered in every state where you hold it, so check each one before you apply.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-25
We check these pages against EKU's own catalog, program pages and handbooks, and Kentucky's regulations. The current MSN Student Handbook, your course and your faculty have the final word.
EKU secures your preceptor. Your input decides how well it fits your life.
Tell us your EKU program, where you live and when your next clinical course starts. We find preceptors in your community who fit the course and prepare everything EKU reviews, so the option you put forward is ready to approve.
- Preceptors matched to the course: family primary care for
NSC 800andNSC 876, psychiatric care forNSC 886 - Preceptor, license and site details organized for EKU's preceptor information form
- In your own community, wherever EKU enrolls students and you hold your RN license
Start your placement plan
Program, city and start date is all we need to begin.