Loyola University Chicago’s Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing offers four nurse practitioner population foci: family (FNP), psychiatric-mental health (PMHNP), adult-gerontology primary care (AGPCNP), and adult-gerontology acute care (AGACNP). Every NP track is a Doctor of Nursing Practice, and three specialties add an optional focus: emergency care (FNP), substance use and addictions (PMHNP), and oncology (AGPCNP). Loyola offers no NP master’s.
Three policies shape the decision more than any single specialty detail:
- Faculty arrange clinical placements. Loyola designs rotations and places students with preceptors through Chicago-area partnerships, with an emphasis on underserved communities.
- A high experience gate before clinicals. Students need 2,000 hours of recent RN practice before their first practicum, in psychiatric nursing for the PMHNP and with CCRN certification for the AGACNP.
- Doctoral pricing at one rate. Loyola charges $1,295 per credit in 2026–27 for every graduate nursing student, about $89,000 to $96,000 for a standard NP doctorate.
Quick facts
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Nursing School | Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing |
| Location | Chicago, IL; Health Sciences Campus in Maywood |
| NP Specialties | FNP, PMHNP, AGPCNP, AGACNP |
| Optional Focus Areas | Emergency (FNP), Substance Use and Addictions (PMHNP), Oncology (AGPCNP) |
| Degree Options | BSN to DNP (four tracks); post-graduate APRN certificate (FNP, AGPCNP, AGACNP) |
| Format | Online coursework with in-person courses, labs, or immersions at Maywood |
| Clinical Placement | Faculty-arranged, Chicago area only |
| RN Experience | 2,000 hours of recent RN practice before the first practicum |
| Start Terms | DNP: fall only. Certificate: fall or spring |
| Tuition | $1,295 per credit (2026–27), all graduate nursing students |
| Accreditation | CCNE (master’s, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate); HLC |
Comparing Loyola’s NP programs
Standard NP doctorates run 69 to 74 credits. Loyola publishes a clinical hour total only for the FNP Emergency track, and certificate credits are set individually after admission.
| Pathway | Credits | Clinical hours | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) | |||
| BSN to DNP | 72 | Not published | BSN; 2,000 hours of RN practice before practicum |
| BSN to DNP, Emergency | 79–83 | 1,050 | BSN; 2,000 hours of RN practice before practicum |
| Post-graduate certificate | Individualized | Not published | DNP |
| Psychiatric-Mental Health (PMHNP) | |||
| BSN to DNP | 72–74 | Not published | BSN; 2,000 hours of psychiatric nursing before practicum |
| Adult-Gerontology Primary Care (AGPCNP) | |||
| BSN to DNP | 69 | Not published | BSN; 2,000 hours of RN practice before practicum |
| BSN to DNP, Oncology | 72 | Not published | BSN; 2,000 hours of RN practice before practicum |
| Post-graduate certificate | Individualized | Not published | DNP |
| Adult-Gerontology Acute Care (AGACNP) | |||
| BSN to DNP | 71 | Not published | BSN; 2,000 hours and CCRN before practicum |
| Post-graduate certificate | Individualized | Not published | DNP |
Figures come from Loyola’s 2026–27 catalog and program pages. Where they disagree, the table shows a range: the FNP Emergency catalog totals 79 credits while the program page lists 83, and the PMHNP catalog lists 74 while the program page lists 72. Practicum credits run 12 to 15 per track, but Loyola does not publish clock hours for them.
What stands out about Loyola’s NP programs
- Placements arranged in every specialty. Faculty design rotations and place students with preceptors across all four NP tracks.
- An emergency department block for FNPs. The Emergency track adds 525 emergency hours to 525 primary care hours, and Loyola describes it as the only such DNP in the Chicago area.
- An addictions specialty for PMHNPs. Loyola describes its optional Substance Use and Addictions specialty as the first of its kind in a PMHNP DNP.
- Procedure-focused coursework. The AGACNP and FNP Emergency tracks include a 3-credit emergency and acute care procedures lab, and the standard FNP includes suturing and wound management.
- An oncology option in adult primary care. The AGPCNP can be completed with an oncology specialty in 72 credits.
Which Loyola NP program fits your goal?
- FNP: Lifespan primary care, with an optional emergency department track
- PMHNP: Psychiatric care for experienced psychiatric nurses, with an optional addictions focus
- AGPCNP: Adult and older-adult primary care, with palliative care coursework and an optional oncology focus
- AGACNP: Adult acute and critical care, for nurses who hold or will earn CCRN
Family Nurse Practitioner
Credits 72–83 · Clinical hours 1,050 (Emergency) · BSN to DNP · Certificate
The FNP DNP runs 72 credits, including dedicated courses in suturing and acute wound management and basic diagnostics. The FNP with Emergency Specialty adds three emergency courses and a second practicum, for 1,050 clinical hours: 525 in primary care and 525 in the emergency department. Loyola puts the Emergency track at four to five years from a BSN.
Loyola does not publish a clinical hour total for the standard FNP. The Emergency track drops the family health promotion and suturing courses, so nurses headed for community primary care may be better served by the standard track.
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Credits 72–74 · Practicum credits 15 · BSN to DNP
The PMHNP DNP runs 72 to 74 credits over four to five years, full- or part-time, with 15 practicum credits. The population sequence covers psychiatric assessment, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy with individuals, groups, and families, and two lifespan advanced practice courses. Coursework is online, with immersion weekends at the Health Sciences Campus; Loyola does not publish how many.
Students need 2,000 hours of recent psychiatric mental health nursing before the first practicum, a higher bar than Loyola’s other NP tracks. The optional Substance Use and Addictions specialty is described on Loyola’s program page. Loyola does not list a PMHNP certificate.
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
Credits 69–72 · Practicum credits 12 · BSN to DNP · Certificate
The AGPCNP DNP runs 69 credits, with a dedicated palliative care course and a course in advanced practice care of older adults. The entire practicum sits in one 12-credit course. An oncology specialty version runs 72 credits, though the catalog does not yet list its additional courses.
Loyola’s track page and catalog say faculty place students with preceptors, while the DNP landing page says faculty guide students as they select sites. Clinical hours and program length are not published.
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care
Credits 71 · Practicum credits 12 · BSN to DNP · Certificate
The AGACNP DNP runs 71 credits, with two acute and critical care management courses and a 3-credit emergency and acute care procedures lab. Coursework is hybrid, with recurring classroom, lab, and simulation sessions; Loyola does not publish their cadence.
Before the first APRN rotation, students need 2,000 hours of recent clinical practice, CCRN certification, and an Illinois RN license. Graduates work in ICU, trauma, cardiovascular, transplant, hospitalist, and surgical roles.
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Every Loyola NP track is a BSN-entry DNP, built from five blocks: 24 foundational credits, 12 to 15 role credits, 14 to 19 population credits, a 6-credit four-course DNP project, and 12 to 15 practicum credits.
- Who can enter: RNs with a BSN or higher who are not already certified as an NP or CNS
- Pace: full- or part-time; Loyola publishes four to five years for the PMHNP and FNP Emergency tracks
- Start: fall only, with a July 1 deadline
- Foundational core: standalone courses in social justice and ethics and in population-focused health
Because the DNP tracks exclude certified NPs and CNSs, a practicing APRN who wants to add a specialty must use the certificate instead.
Post-graduate certificates
Loyola’s Post-Graduate APRN Certificate is built individually from a gap analysis of prior graduate coursework and its recency.
- Specialties: FNP, AGPCNP, and AGACNP
- Eligibility: the catalog says graduate-prepared nurses, while the School of Nursing and its application requirements say a completed DNP
- Cost and length: set after admission; Loyola publishes no credit range
- Deadlines: July 1 (fall) and December 1 (spring)
Read as published, an MSN-prepared certified NP who wants a second population focus has no clear route at Loyola. Confirm eligibility before applying.
Clinical placement
Loyola’s faculty design clinical rotations and place students with preceptors through academic-practice partnerships across the Chicago metro, with an emphasis on underserved communities.
- Where: Chicago-area sites only, in every specialty
- Licensure: an Illinois RN license is required before rotations begin
- Background check: required before practicums, and results can affect placement
- Certificates: Loyola does not state separately whether certificate students receive the same placement support
The trade-off is direct: students do not search for preceptors, but they need to live within reach of Chicago for every clinical term.
Format and campus requirements
Coursework is largely online, with in-person components at the Health Sciences Campus in Maywood. Loyola does not publish the number or frequency of campus sessions for any NP track.
| Program | Format | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| PMHNP | Mostly Online | Immersion weekends in Maywood; number not published |
| FNP | Hybrid | On-site courses and immersions in Maywood |
| AGPCNP | Hybrid | In-person immersions in Maywood; frequency not published |
| AGACNP | Hybrid | Recurring classroom, lab, and simulation sessions |
Admissions
- Degree: a BSN or higher from an accredited program; not already certified as an NP or CNS
- GPA: 3.0 or higher
- Licensure: a U.S. RN license eligible for Illinois endorsement; an Illinois license before clinicals
- Experience: 2,000 hours of recent RN practice before the first practicum, not at application
- Materials: two professional letters (one from a doctorally prepared clinician suggested), a personal statement under 1,000 words, a CV, and an interview
- Deadline: July 1 for fall; rolling review and no application fee
Admission is competitive, and the interview is part of the decision. A missed July 1 deadline means waiting a full year for the next DNP start.
Tuition
Loyola charges one per-credit rate to every graduate nursing student, degree-seeking or certificate, with no residency difference.
| Per credit (2026–27) | $1,295 |
| Student development fee, hybrid plans, per semester | $31–$62 |
| Technology fee, per semester | $32–$135 |
| Matriculation fee, one time | $100 |
| Student health insurance, per year (waivable) | $3,869 |
| Pathway | Credits | Estimated Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| AGPCNP DNP | 69 | $89,355 |
| AGACNP DNP | 71 | $91,945 |
| FNP DNP | 72 | $93,240 |
| AGPCNP DNP, Oncology | 72 | $93,240 |
| PMHNP DNP | 72–74 | $93,240–$95,830 |
| FNP DNP, Emergency | 79–83 | $102,305–$107,485 |
| Post-graduate certificates | Individualized | Set after gap analysis |
- Course fees: practicum and lab courses carry fees of roughly $20 to $200 each, such as $185 for the adult primary care and acute care practicums.
- Rates rise annually: the rate moved from $1,240 in 2025–26 to $1,295 for 2026–27.
- Certificates can’t be priced in advance: credits depend on how recent your prior advanced practice coursework is.
These are NPPrograms.com estimates built from Loyola’s published rate and catalog credit totals. See Loyola’s 2026–27 graduate nursing tuition and fees.
Accreditation and certification
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits Loyola’s baccalaureate, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs. Loyola University Chicago is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Certification follows the population focus: ANCC or AANP for FNP and AGPCNP, ANCC for PMHNP, and ANCC or AACN for AGACNP. Loyola directs oncology specialty graduates to the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation for oncology NP credentialing.
State authorization
Loyola participates in NC-SARA, but the DNP is not offered to residents of Minnesota or Washington, and School of Nursing students cannot complete clinicals in Colorado. Loyola has not determined whether the DNP meets APRN licensure requirements in Maryland, Puerto Rico, or American Samoa. Because every clinical placement is in the Chicago area, residence near Chicago is the practical requirement. See Loyola’s state authorization page.
Who is Loyola best for?
May be a strong fit for
- Chicago-area nurses who want placements arranged for them
- FNP students who want emergency department training
- Psychiatric nurses focused on addictions care
- Critical care nurses with or working toward CCRN
- Adult primary care nurses interested in oncology or palliative care
Compare other options if
- You want an NP master’s rather than a doctorate
- You have less than a year of recent RN practice
- You are already a certified NP adding a specialty with an MSN
- You live outside commuting range of Chicago
- You want published clinical hour totals to compare programs
Compare more NP programs in Illinois
- Bradley University - Peoria
- DePaul University - Chicago
- Rush University - Chicago
- University of Illinois Chicago - Chicago