DePaul University’s School of Nursing, in the College of Science and Health, offers three nurse practitioner population foci online: family (FNP), psychiatric-mental health (PMHNP), and adult-gerontology primary care (AGPCNP). It also offers a dual FNP/PMHNP track. Each specialty is available as an MSN, a DNP, and a post-graduate certificate.
Three policies shape the decision more than any single specialty detail:
- Four start terms a year. DePaul runs on quarters and reviews applications for fall, winter, spring, and summer, so a missed deadline costs ten weeks rather than a year.
- No campus visits named. Coursework is online for every NP track, and clinicals are completed in the student’s home community.
- Students find their own preceptors. DePaul expects post-licensure students to secure their own clinical sites, and practicums are closed in nine states.
Quick facts
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Nursing School | School of Nursing, College of Science and Health |
| Location | Chicago, IL |
| NP Specialties | FNP, PMHNP, AGPCNP, dual FNP/PMHNP |
| Degree Options | MSN, BSN or MSN to DNP, post-graduate certificate (all specialties) |
| Format | Online; no campus visits named |
| Clinical Placement | Student-secured, in the student’s home community |
| Start Terms | Fall, winter, spring, and summer |
| Excluded Practicum States | AZ, CA, CO, LA, MN, NV, NY, TN, WA |
| Tuition | $852 per quarter hour (2026–27), plus $100–$150 per term |
| Accreditation | CCNE (MSN, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate); HLC |
Comparing DePaul’s NP programs
DePaul counts credits in quarter hours, each worth two-thirds of a semester hour. The FNP and AGPCNP tracks share most of their coursework, while the PMHNP track uses its own 40-quarter-hour specialty sequence.
| Pathway | Quarter hours | Clinical hours | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) | |||
| MSN | 68 | 500 | BSN, or ADN plus a non-nursing bachelor’s |
| DNP | 100 | Not published | BSN or MSN |
| Post-graduate certificate | 44 | Not published | Graduate degree |
| Psychiatric-Mental Health (PMHNP) | |||
| MSN | Not published | Not published | BSN, or ADN plus a non-nursing bachelor’s |
| DNP | 80 | Not published | BSN or MSN |
| Post-graduate certificate | 40 | Not published | Graduate degree |
| Adult-Gerontology Primary Care (AGPCNP) | |||
| MSN | 67 | 500 | BSN, or ADN plus a non-nursing bachelor’s |
| DNP | 99 | Not published | BSN or MSN |
| Post-graduate certificate | 43 | Not published | Graduate degree |
| Dual FNP/PMHNP | |||
| DNP | 106 | Not published | BSN or MSN |
| MSN or certificate | Not published | Not published | BSN or graduate degree |
Quarter-hour totals come from DePaul’s catalog course lists. The PMHNP and dual-track lists omit the advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment courses that the FNP and AGPCNP doctorates include, so their true totals may be higher.
What stands out about DePaul’s NP programs
- A dual FNP/PMHNP track. Graduates are prepared for two national certifications, and DePaul offers the dual track as a DNP, an MSN, and a certificate.
- Rolling quarterly starts. Four deadlines a year (July 15, November 15, February 1, and April 15) and ten-week courses.
- Certificates open to any graduate degree. RNs with a master’s in education, leadership, or another field can enter, and the certificates qualify for federal aid.
- One simple fee. Beyond the per-quarter-hour rate, DePaul charges only a $100 to $150 comprehensive fee each term.
- No BSN needed with another bachelor’s. ADN-prepared RNs with a non-nursing bachelor’s take three bridge courses inside the MSN.
Which DePaul NP program fits your goal?
- FNP: Lifespan primary care, including women’s health, maternal-child, and adolescent coursework
- PMHNP: Psychiatric care across the lifespan, with separate adult and child assessment courses and a substance use course
- AGPCNP: Adult and older-adult primary care, with a dedicated gerontology pharmacotherapeutics course
- Dual FNP/PMHNP: Primary care and psychiatric practice, for nurses who want both certifications
Family Nurse Practitioner
Quarter hours 44–100 · Clinical hours 500 (MSN) · MSN · DNP · Certificate
The MSN FNP track runs 68 quarter hours, about 45 semester-hour equivalents, over two to three years. Its clinical sequence is three consecutive practicum quarters, each paired with a primary care content course. The MSN requires 500 clinical hours, the national certification minimum.
The DNP FNP track adds a 40-quarter-hour doctoral core and two advanced NP practicums, for 100 quarter hours. DePaul does not publish its clinical hour total.
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Quarter hours 40–80 · Clinical hours Not published · MSN · DNP · Certificate
The PMHNP sequence is the same 40 quarter hours at every level: psychopharmacology, separate adult and child psychiatric assessment courses, substance use and addictive disorders, psychopathology, psychotherapy, and three practicum courses. The DNP adds the 40-quarter-hour doctoral core, for 80 quarter hours as listed.
DePaul publishes no MSN credit total and no clinical hour total for any PMHNP track. Unlike the FNP and AGPCNP doctorates, the PMHNP DNP lists no advanced NP practicums beyond the three specialty practicums.
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
Quarter hours 43–99 · Clinical hours 500 (MSN) · MSN · DNP · Certificate
DePaul calls this the Adult-Gerontological Nurse Practitioner track. The MSN runs 67 quarter hours and mirrors the FNP structure, with a 5-quarter-hour gerontology pharmacotherapeutics course in place of the women’s and pediatric content. Like the FNP MSN, it requires 500 clinical hours.
The DNP runs 99 quarter hours with two advanced NP practicums, and the certificate runs 43 quarter hours, including the advanced practice sciences.
Dual FNP/PMHNP
Quarter hours 106 (DNP) · Clinical hours Not published · MSN · DNP · Certificate
The dual DNP combines the doctoral core, a 26-quarter-hour FNP block, and the full 40-quarter-hour PMHNP block, with six practicum courses in all. Students need separate primary care and psychiatric preceptors, each with at least two years of experience in the specialty.
DePaul publishes no credit totals for the dual MSN or certificate, and the dual course list omits the advanced practice sciences. Confirm the full plan of study before enrolling.
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Every DePaul NP doctorate combines a 40-quarter-hour doctoral core with a specialty block. The core leans toward health systems, with separate courses in health care finance, economics, program evaluation, population health quality and safety, and biostatistics, plus a three-course DNP project sequence.
- Who can enter: RNs with a BSN or an MSN
- MSN transfer credit: up to 12 quarter hours completed within the last five years
- Format: asynchronous online coursework
- Already certified: a separate DNP Completion track serves certified NPs, CNSs, CRNAs, and CNMs, who document at least 600 precepted hours from their prior program
MSN-prepared nurses who want a new specialty enter the NP track itself with transfer credit, while certified NPs who want only the doctorate use the completion track.
Post-graduate certificates
DePaul offers post-graduate certificates in all three specialties and the dual track.
- FNP: 44 quarter hours
- PMHNP: 40 quarter hours
- AGPCNP: 43 quarter hours, including the advanced practice sciences
- Dual FNP/PMHNP: credit total not published
Certificates require a graduate degree and an RN license, not prior NP certification. DePaul describes them as about 60 weeks of coursework, and they are approved for federal student aid. Students needing an F-1 visa are not eligible.
Clinical placement
DePaul expects post-licensure students to find their own preceptors and clinical sites, completed in their home communities.
- Preceptors: licensed NPs, physicians, or PAs with at least two years of experience in the track specialty
- Agreements: if DePaul has no agreement with a site, the student initiates one
- Licensure: an unencumbered RN license in the state where the practicum takes place
- Compliance: records are tracked in Exxat and must be approved before the clinical quarter begins
Because practicums run in three consecutive quarters, a delayed placement in any one quarter can stall the sequence. Dual-track students need two sets of preceptors.
Format and campus requirements
DePaul describes DNP coursework as fully online and asynchronous, and the MSN as online except for the clinical component. No intensives or campus visits are named for any NP track.
| Program | Format | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| FNP | Online | No campus visits named |
| PMHNP | Online | No campus visits named |
| AGPCNP | Online | No campus visits named |
| Dual FNP/PMHNP | Online | No campus visits named |
Admissions
- Degree: a BSN, or an ADN plus a non-nursing bachelor’s, for the MSN; a BSN or MSN for the DNP; a graduate degree for certificates
- ADN only: RNs without any bachelor’s must complete a BSN first
- GPA: 2.75 for the MSN; 3.00 for the DNP
- Licensure: an unencumbered RN license in the practicum state
- Prerequisite: statistics with a C or better for the MSN
- Materials: a NursingCAS application, a 2–3 page personal statement, a CV, and two letters of recommendation, one from a direct supervisor
- Deadlines: July 15 (fall), November 15 (winter), February 1 (spring), and April 15 (summer)
DePaul publishes no minimum RN experience. Applicants living outside Illinois are asked to contact the college before applying.
Tuition
DePaul charges $852 per quarter hour for College of Science and Health graduate coursework in 2026–27, about $1,278 per semester-hour equivalent. There is no residency difference and no nursing program fee.
| Per quarter hour (2026–27) | $852 |
| Comprehensive fee, part-time, per term | $100 |
| Comprehensive fee, full-time, per term | $150 |
| Pathway | Quarter Hours | Estimated Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| PMHNP certificate | 40 | $34,080 |
| AGPCNP certificate | 43 | $36,636 |
| FNP certificate | 44 | $37,488 |
| AGPCNP MSN | 67 | $57,084 |
| FNP MSN | 68 | $57,936 |
| PMHNP DNP | 80 | $68,160 |
| AGPCNP DNP | 99 | $84,348 |
| FNP DNP | 100 | $85,200 |
| Dual FNP/PMHNP DNP | 106 | $90,312 |
- MSN entry to the DNP: transferring 12 quarter hours lowers a doctorate by about $10,224.
- Totals may be low where course lists are incomplete: the PMHNP and dual doctorates omit the advanced practice sciences.
- Rates rise annually: the rate moved from $836 in 2025–26 to $852 in 2026–27.
- Not included: background checks, drug screening, Exxat tracking, and certification exam fees.
These are NPPrograms.com estimates built from DePaul’s published rate and catalog quarter-hour totals. See DePaul’s graduate tuition and fees.
Accreditation and certification
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits DePaul’s Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs. DePaul University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Graduates sit for certification by population focus through ANCC or AANP. Dual-track graduates are eligible for both the FNP and PMHNP exams.
State authorization
DePaul does not accept degree students who plan to complete a practicum in Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Tennessee, or Washington, and the list is subject to change. The certificate admission page lists the same states except Colorado. Licensure outside Illinois is the student’s responsibility to verify with the destination state’s board.
Who is DePaul best for?
May be a strong fit for
- Nurses who want to start within the next quarter
- Nurses who want both FNP and PMHNP certification
- RNs with a non-nursing graduate degree seeking an NP certificate
- Nurses who want to avoid campus travel
- Nurses with local preceptor contacts
Compare other options if
- You want the school to arrange clinical placements
- You want clinical hours above the 500-hour minimum
- You plan to complete clinicals in one of the nine excluded states
- You hold an ADN without any bachelor’s degree
- You want published clinical hour totals for the DNP or certificate
Compare more NP programs in Illinois
- Bradley University - Peoria
- Loyola University Chicago - Chicago
- Rush University - Chicago
- University of Illinois Chicago - Chicago