A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) comes with the confidence and authenticity needed for the highest levels of practice. Our fully online asynchronous program with optional synchronous sessions allows you to complete the DNP program with a Family Nurse Practitioner certificate on a timeline that works best for your life. 

You are ambitious, seeking opportunities to progress in your career and practice as a nurse beyond acute care. Pursuing a DNP with an FNP certificate allows you to become an expert-level nurse that provides primary care to individuals and families of all ages and diverse backgrounds. PLNU values your calling, meeting it with leadership and practical skills you’ll need to grow into prominent roles within complex health systems.

A DNP from PLNU builds upon your expertise and your distinct point of view. Learn from experts in the field, perform a clinical or research-based project catered to your preferences, and walk alongside a mentor throughout the process. 

While a Ph.D. in Nursing is most suited for advancement in research and academia, a DNP, FNP is ideal for professionals who want to expand their expertise working chiefly in patient care settings. 

Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate

Through our DNP with FNP, you will earn your Doctor of Nurse Practice degree while simultaneously completing your Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate. With your FNP certificate, you can work in a variety of healthcare settings:

• Hospitals 
• Private clinics 
• Community clinics 
• Long-term care facilities 
• Private care practice 
• And more

A Strong Impact

When you become a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), you will be prepared to advance the standard of primary care in any healthcare organization or physician’s office. When you earn your FNP from PLNU, you will focus on the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of nursing, preparing you to make a big impact on patients’ holistic care.

A Healthy Future

The hands-on, evidence-based instruction, clinical hours, mentoring, and networking opportunities through an extensive alumni group, as well as PLNU’s strong nursing reputation set the stage for your continued career success after graduation.

Space to Fully Invest in Work and School

PLNU’s DNP is a fully online asynchronous program where you can pace yourself with online coursework and continue working as a nurse in your field. Our program is CCNE accredited and aligns with the core competencies of an AACN Essentials for Advanced Level Nursing Practice program.

Multiple entry points allow those at most degree levels to earn the DNP. Enter as BSN-prepared and have the option to finish with an MSN or use your MSN clinical work as credits toward the DNP.

Work that is Authentic and Sacred

Nursing as sacred work is a cornerstone value of PLNU’s nursing programs. Learn alongside faculty and colleagues who value it the same way. Any program can teach you skills and best practices; at PLNU seasoned professors serve as academic and professional mentors not only in class but in helping you discover your unique calling.

Which DNP is right for me?

PLNU offers three DNP programs including:

• DNP Family Nurse Practitioner
• DNP Healthcare Leadership
• DNP Clinical Nurse Specialist

Each program is geared to equip you with skills needed for specific nursing roles. While FNPs perform primary care for patients, CNSs provide specialized clinical care for specific patient populations. A DNP in Healthcare Leadership will prepare you to effectively lead entire teams or departments of nurses.

When you complete the DNP program with an FNP certification, you will be able to:

• Provide primary and/or preventative care
• Create dialogue and strategies supporting practice changes within the healthcare system
• Appraise evidence for best practice implementation through the utilization of information technology
• Synthesize evidence to implement change that affects client outcomes
• Recommend standards for holistic care that meet the client needs
• Analyze own self-care practices that advance optimal care of clients, nurses and organization(s)
• Model graceful service through compassionate responses to patient, family, staff and organizational needs
• Design an environment of advocacy for patient care that honors the diversity of patients/families, healthcare staff and organizations
• Create opportunities to improve the quality of health within a community
• Defend ethical care consistent with professional practice
• Step into leadership, managerial, and nurse educator positions
• Provide a higher level of care with increased professional responsibility and autonomy

Two Pathways to Earn Your DNP with an FNP certification

BSN to DNP with FNP

If you already earned your Bachelor of Science in Nursing, you can enter our BSN to DNP with FNP track. This pathway is 76 units and can be completed in as little as 10 semesters.

Complete the program at your own pace through fully online asynchronous classes (with optional synchronous sessions), two on-campus intensive weekends, and in-person clinicals. You are required to complete 1000 clinical hours, including a minimum of 750 direct patient care hours and 250 hours related to the DNP project.

The School of Nursing will accept only in-state students and assist San Diego residents with clinical placements, however, San Diego non-residents will need to find their own placements.

You have the flexibility to complete your required evidence-based quality improvement project catered to your preferences and passions. Based on your project, you will be able to select a mentor who will work alongside you.

Although an MSN degree is not earned through this pathway you will still earn a DNP degree with FNP certification in a shorter time period than it would take to earn an MSN and DNP separately. 

*Note: The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) made the commitment to move all entry-level NP education to the DNP degree by 2025.

MSN to DNP with FNP

If you have earned an MSN degree, you can complete your DNP with FNP certification in as little as 9–10 semesters. This fully asynchronous online program is 55–65 units — depending on the gap analysis of course units you enter the program with.

You are required to complete 1000 clinical hours, including a minimum of 750 direct patient care clinical hours and 250 hours related to the DNP project.

The School of Nursing will accept only in-state students and assist San Diego residents with clinical placements, however, San Diego non-residents will need to find their own placements.

You have the flexibility to complete your required evidence-based quality improvement project catered to your preferences and passions. Based on your project, you will be able to select a mentor who will work alongside you.

Compare the two different DNP with FNP pathways

Depending on where you are in your educational journey, there are different paths you can take to earn your DNP with FNP. 

Speak with your admissions counselor to identify where you are at.

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Schedule a Meeting with a Counselor

Professional Licensure or Certification

This program is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing and meets the requirements for licensure or certification in the state of California, where Point Loma Nazarene University is physically located. For information about PLNU programs and out-of-state educational requirements for professional licensure or certification, please refer to our disclosures page. Information about out-of-state requirements in Nursing are available on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing website.

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Point Loma Nazarene University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

You will be eligible to take the FNP certification examination by ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center) and AANP (American Association of Nurse Practitioners) upon completion of the program.

Program Start Date(s):

• Fall 2025 — September 2, 2025
• Spring 2026 — January 12, 2026
• Summer 2026 — May 11, 2026
• Fall 2026 — August 31, 2026

Application Deadline(s):

• Fall 2025 — Applications for this cohort are already full.
• Spring 2026 — August 1, 2025
• Summer 2026 — August 1, 2025
• Fall 2026 — January 15, 2026

If you have any further questions or need clarification, our Enrollment Counselors are available to assist you. Please don't hesitate to reach out for personalized support. 

*All applications submitted after this date will be reviewed based on availability of space.

Start Application

Application Checklist

Admission to the program is based on an overall appraisal of the applicant's ability to undertake doctoral study and their contributions to the discipline of nursing as evidenced by the following:

1. Documentation of current RN license
2. Current employment in nursing or at least 1 year of full-time practice in the last 5 years
3. Online application for admissions (includes $50 non-refundable application fee)
   Fee waived if applicant is one of the following: PLNU alum, current or former military and their dependents, PLNU employee
4. Submit official transcripts. (If you are a PLNU alumnus, please notify your counselor to have your transcripts retrieved. You do not need to request transcripts from the PLNU Office of Records.)
   
   Official transcripts must be sent to:
   Point Loma Nazarene University
   Office of Graduate Admissions
   3900 Lomaland Dr.
   San Diego, CA 92106
   
   Official electronic transcripts must be emailed to:
   gradprocessing@pointloma.edu
    
5. Minimum grade point average of 3.2 (MSN)
6. Curriculum Vitae or Resume
7. Two professional letters of recommendation
8. In 250 words, discuss your professional career goals and how you believe obtaining a doctoral degree or post-doctoral certificate with the selected track will assist you in achieving those goals.
9. After all application materials are submitted, an interview with the School of Nursing is scheduled

The Selection Process

The educational context at PLNU will challenge you to live a full life that integrates the pursuit of knowledge with beliefs, values, and actions. While acknowledging diverse perspectives and beliefs, Christian values and principles are woven into the educational experience. We understand your application is not only a reflection of you as a student; it’s a reflection of you as a person.

At PLNU, we holistically evaluate your academic history, work and life experience, background, and circumstances to determine admission into a graduate program. If you do not meet all of the above criteria, PLNU offers an exceptions policy. Speak with your admissions counselor for more information.

State Authorization

In certain states outside California, PLNU is not authorized to enroll students in online courses and/or offer internships. If a student moves to another state after admission to a program or enrollment in an online course, continuation in the program/course will depend on whether PLNU is authorized within that state. Please refer to the State Authorization map to view which states allow online courses and/or internships.

PLNU’s DNP with FNP will prepare you for the highest levels of nursing leadership and to engage on policy-level decisions regarding patient care. Some even pursue entrepreneurship and open their own nurse-run clinics.

PLNU’s DNP program will prepare you for an FNP in a variety of fields. 

• Hospitals
• Private clinics
• Community clinics
• Long-term care facilities
• Private care practice
• Urgent care sites
• Home health agencies
• Veterans Administration
• Schools and colleges

What is the job trajectory for DNP with FNP graduates?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for nurse practitioners is expected to grow 52% between 2020 and 2030. Not only is a nurse practitioner the fastest growing healthcare career, it’s also one of the five, fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. across all industries.

Different Career Outcomes for DNPs with FNP:

Acute or Urgent Care Nurse Practitioner

Average Salary: $135,532
Projected Job Growth: 14.8% through 2026 (much faster than average)

An acute or urgent care nurse practitioner treats patients who need immediate care. In this role, you will treat a range of illness and injuries that can range from acute, episodic to chronic complex diseases.

Travel Nurse Practitioner

Average Salary: $123,848
Projected Job Growth: 40% through 2031 (Much faster than average)

A travel nurse practitioner supports the staffing needs of healthcare facilities across the country. In this role, you can work in a variety of settings in different cities based on your assignment. Your scope of practice remains the same, but you are not assigned a permanent location to work, instead, you work on a contractual basis.

For information about the courses required for the Doctor of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner program, view the PLNU Catalog. 

Course Information