Georgia Southern University’s School of Nursing offers four nurse practitioner population focuses: family (FNP), psychiatric-mental health (PMHNP), adult-gerontology primary care (AGPCNP), and adult-gerontology acute care (AGACNP). Each runs as a BSN to DNP with an optional MSN exit, and each has a post-master’s certificate for practicing APRNs.
The programs are built for distance students, with mostly asynchronous coursework. Three policies shape the decision more than any single specialty detail:
- One rate for every state. For 2026–27, the BSN to DNP bills $411 per credit with no separate out-of-state rate, about $32,900 in tuition for the 80-credit doctorate.
- An MSN exit partway through. Students can leave with a certification-eligible MSN after 43 credits.
- Students find their own preceptors. Clinicals must take place in Georgia or South Carolina, and residents of 14 states cannot enroll.
Quick facts
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Nursing School | Georgia Southern University School of Nursing |
| Location | Statesboro and Savannah (Armstrong Campus), GA |
| NP Specialties | FNP, PMHNP, AGPCNP, AGACNP |
| Degree Options | BSN to DNP with MSN exit (all four); post-master’s certificate (all four); post-master’s DNP |
| Format | Online: mostly asynchronous, with some live online sessions |
| Clinical Placement | Student-secured; clinicals in Georgia or South Carolina |
| Entry Points | BSN (DNP); certified APRN (certificates); APRN master’s (post-master’s DNP) |
| RN License | Georgia or multistate RN license |
| Tuition | $411 per credit (BSN to DNP), same for every state (2026–27) |
| Accreditation | CCNE |
Comparing Georgia Southern’s NP programs
All four BSN to DNP tracks share an 80-credit doctorate and a 43-credit MSN exit point. Certificates are for nurses who already hold APRN certification.
| Pathway | Credits | Clinical hours | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) | |||
| BSN to DNP (MSN exit at 43) | 80 | Not published | BSN; fall start |
| Post-master’s certificate | Not published | 630 | Certified APRN; fall start |
| Psychiatric-Mental Health (PMHNP) | |||
| BSN to DNP (MSN exit at 43) | 80 | Not published | BSN; fall start |
| Post-master’s certificate | Not published | 630 | Certified APRN; fall start |
| Adult-Gerontology Primary Care (AGPCNP) | |||
| BSN to DNP (MSN exit at 43) | 80 | Not published | BSN; fall start |
| Post-master’s certificate | 19 | Not published | Certified APRN; fall start |
| Adult-Gerontology Acute Care (AGACNP) | |||
| BSN to DNP (MSN exit at 43) | 80 | Not published | BSN and a year of critical care work |
| Post-master’s certificate | 19 | Not published | Certified APRN and critical care experience |
Figures come from Georgia Southern’s program pages. Georgia Southern’s program page lists 80 credits for the BSN to DNP, while its catalog has listed 77 and the University System of Georgia’s Georgia ONmyLINE listing shows 74. Estimates on this page use 80. Clinical-hour totals for the doctoral tracks are not stated on the program pages.
What stands out about Georgia Southern’s NP programs
- The lowest-cost NP doctorate across four specialties in Georgia. At $411 per credit, the 80-credit BSN to DNP runs about $32,900 in tuition for students from any state.
- A built-in exit ramp. Students can stop at 43 credits with an MSN and sit for national certification, then return to finish the DNP.
- Mostly asynchronous. Georgia Southern describes coursework as mostly asynchronous, with live sessions only in selected courses.
- Certificates in all four specialties. Practicing APRNs can add FNP, PMHNP, AGPCNP, or AGACNP.
- High pass rates. The School of Nursing reports a 99% APRN certification pass rate, without a year or specialty breakdown.
Which Georgia Southern NP program fits your goal?
- FNP: Primary care across the lifespan, with a focus on rural and underserved communities
- PMHNP: Psychiatric care across the lifespan through a doctorate or a certificate
- AGPCNP: Primary care for adults and older adults
- AGACNP: Acute care of adults, for nurses with a year of critical care experience
Family Nurse Practitioner
Credits 43–80 · BSN to DNP (MSN exit) · Certificate
The FNP track runs as an 80-credit BSN to DNP, with a certification-eligible MSN exit at 43 credits. It emphasizes care for rural and underserved communities.
The FNP certificate includes 630 clinical hours and is open to nurses who already hold APRN certification.
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Credits 43–80 · Clinical hours 630 (certificate) · BSN to DNP (MSN exit) · Certificate
The PMHNP track follows the same 80-credit BSN to DNP structure, with the MSN exit at 43 credits. It is one of the few PMHNP doctorates in Georgia with no campus visits listed on the program page.
The PMHNP certificate includes 630 clinical hours over about two years, with both synchronous and asynchronous classes. It bills at $378 per credit for 2026–27, the only NP certificate with its own published rate.
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
Credits 19–80 · BSN to DNP (MSN exit) · Certificate
The AGPCNP track runs as an 80-credit BSN to DNP with an MSN exit at 43 credits. The 19-credit certificate is for certified APRNs with a year of full-time RN clinical experience.
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care
Credits 19–80 · BSN to DNP (MSN exit) · Certificate
The AGACNP track requires a year of critical care nursing employment for BSN to DNP applicants. The 19-credit certificate can be finished in as few as three semesters and requires a year of critical care RN work within the last three years.
The AGACNP certificate page limits clinicals to sites within 250 miles of the Statesboro campus in Georgia, while also saying out-of-state students may complete clinicals in Georgia or South Carolina.
BSN to DNP
All four tracks share one admission process, with one fall cohort a year.
- Degree: a BSN, plus a statistics course with a C or better
- Licensure: a Georgia or multistate RN license
- Experience: one year of full-time RN clinical experience before Advanced Health Assessment; AGACNP adds a year of critical care work
- References: three recommendations
- Deadline: March 1 for fall admission
Georgia Southern also offers a post-master’s DNP for advanced practice nurses: 77 credits and 630 applied clinical hours over six semesters, fully online, with a summer start. It does not add an NP specialty.
Post-master’s certificates
Georgia Southern offers certificates in all four NP specialties for nurses who already hold APRN certification.
- Eligibility: an MSN with a 3.0 GPA and current APRN certification
- Start: fall, with a March 1 deadline
- Credits: 19 for AGPCNP and AGACNP; not stated for FNP and PMHNP
- Clinical hours: 630 for FNP and PMHNP; not stated for AGPCNP and AGACNP
Clinical placement
Georgia Southern expects students to secure their own preceptors. Its program pages state that NP students must be proactive in finding preceptors for each clinical course.
- Where: the School of Nursing supervises clinicals only in Georgia and South Carolina, and students from other states must commit to completing their hours there.
- Acute care limit: the AGACNP certificate page also cites a 250-mile radius from Statesboro within Georgia.
- Vaccination: Georgia Southern notes that unvaccinated students may have trouble finding clinical sites.
The practical trade-off: students pay one of the lowest NP doctorate rates in Georgia, but carry the preceptor search themselves.
Format and campus requirements
| Program | Format | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| BSN to DNP (all four tracks) | Online | No campus visits listed on the program page; some live online sessions |
| Post-master’s certificates | Online | Synchronous and asynchronous classes; no campus visits listed |
| Post-master’s DNP | Online | 100% online, mostly asynchronous |
The University System of Georgia’s Georgia ONmyLINE listing describes the BSN to DNP differently: up to two campus visits per term and an annual mandatory graduate intensive. Georgia Southern’s own pages do not mention either, and the listing’s other figures appear outdated. Confirm attendance requirements with the program before applying.
Tuition
Georgia Southern’s 2026–27 distance-learning rate sheet sets one rate for each online program, with no separate out-of-state rate. These rates apply only while a program is classified as fully online.
| BSN to DNP pathway and DNP, per credit | $411 |
| MSN, per credit | $293 |
| PMHNP certificate, per credit | $378 |
| Pathway | Credits | Estimated Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| BSN to DNP (full program) | 80 | $32,880 |
| MSN exit point | 43 | $17,673 |
| Post-master’s DNP | 77 | $31,647 |
| PMHNP certificate | 19 (if matching other certificates) | About $7,200 |
- No out-of-state premium: every online student pays the same rate.
- Fees are separate: students pay a technology fee and an online learning fee each term.
- Other certificates: the rate sheet lists no rate for the FNP, AGPCNP, or AGACNP certificates.
These are NPPrograms.com estimates. The MSN exit estimate uses the $411 pathway rate, since exit students are enrolled in the BSN to DNP. See Georgia Southern’s tuition and fees page for current figures.
Accreditation and certification
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits Georgia Southern’s DNP program. Georgia Southern University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Graduates of the MSN exit or the DNP are eligible for national certification in their population focus. The School of Nursing reports a 99% APRN certification pass rate.
State authorization
Students living in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, or Washington cannot enroll. Students in other states outside Georgia and South Carolina can enroll, but must complete clinicals in Georgia or South Carolina. Georgia Southern notes that it has not determined whether the program meets APRN licensure requirements in every state.
Who is Georgia Southern best for?
May be a strong fit for
- Nurses who want an NP doctorate for about $33,000
- Out-of-state students who can travel to Georgia or South Carolina for clinicals
- Working nurses who need mostly asynchronous coursework
- Students who want the option to stop at an MSN
- Critical care nurses heading into AGACNP
- Certified APRNs adding a second specialty
Compare other options if
- You want the school to arrange your preceptors
- You live in one of the 14 excluded states
- You want to complete clinicals outside Georgia or South Carolina
- You need a spring or summer start
- You want pediatric or neonatal preparation
- You need confirmed campus-free attendance in writing
Compare more NP programs in Georgia
- Augusta University - Augusta
- Brenau University - Norcross
- Emory University - Atlanta
- Georgia College & State University - Milledgeville
- Georgia State University - Atlanta
- Mercer University - Atlanta
- South University - Savannah
- Valdosta State University - Valdosta