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FNP

The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track prepares students for advanced practice of nursing in the primary health care of children and adults.

Program Overview

The Family Nurse Practitioner track is offered for the following programs:

Advanced practice nurses (APRNs) provide high-quality healthcare services in a wide range of problems from acute, chronic and wellness care to health promotion, disease prevention, health education, and counseling. The core courses provide a solid foundation in the use of evidence based practice guidelines and theory as a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of illness and the promotion of wellness. Clinical experiences are precepted in community or outpatient-based settings after approval by the faculty.

The students who select the MSN degree as entry to practice, which includes successful completion of the FNP national certification exam, through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), are encouraged to continue on to the DNP degree through the post-MSN program option.

  • Review the references located with the ANCC in order to take the certification test to be a Family Nurse Practitioner.
  • AANP also offers a certification test.

The UMKC NP graduate programs include three separate courses in:

  • advanced physical/health assessment
  • advanced pharmacology
  • advanced pathophysiology

and content in

  •  health promotion and disease prevention, and
  • differential diagnosis and disease management

On Campus Intensive Requirements

Students will be required to attend an on-campus intensive once per semester during clinical courses only. Intensives are 2-3 days in length, include skills labs, presentations and lectures from professionals in the field, exams, and more. Faculty and advisors will communicate intensive dates well in advance so students can plan accordingly.

State Regulation Requirements

We are now a part of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) which allows us to offer online programs to students in other SARA states. We are able to accept and enroll students into most of our online programs in 48 states, including Washington, DC. We highly recommend that you review this information prior to submitting your application. Please review the state regulatory map to verify the status of your state’s regulations.

How Does Online Education Work?

We designed the graduate programs to give professionals flexibility. Our courses are conducted online, with some requiring scheduled class/chat times. Class/chat times are scheduled on Thursdays or Fridays and are communicated well in advance.

Students use the Web-based software, Canvas, for their online courses. Courses are conducted in synchronous and asynchronous modes depending on the professor and class. You can log on to find homework, class assignments, a class list, a syllabus and more at any time. The program allows students to engage in interactive learning with faculty and other students in an online platform.

Clinical Institutes

Spring 2026 Clinical Institute: Wednesday, January 14th & Thursday, January 15th

  • Held via Zoom

Summer 2026 Clinical Institute: Wednesday, May 27th & Thursday, May 28th

  • Held via Zoom

Additional Resources

Contact

Corrina Beck
Senior Student Services Coordinator (A-K)
816-235-5788
beckc@umkc.edu 

Georgia Campbell
Senior Student Services Coordinator (L-Z)
816-235-1740
gcampbell@umkc.edu 

Dr. Nancy Willis-Smith
Family Track Coordinator
MSN Program Director
willissmithn@umkc.edu 

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