University of Cincinnati Online Nurse Practitioner & Nurse-Midwifery Programs
#11 Best Program Variety
- BSN to DNP – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- BSN to DNP – Family Nurse Practitioner
- BSN to DNP – Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- BSN to DNP – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- MSN – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner
- MSN – Nurse-Midwifery
- MSN – Women's Health Nurse Practitioner
- Post-Master's Certificate – Family Nurse Practitioner
- Post-Master's Certificate – Psychiatric Mental Health NP
The College of Nursing at the University of Cincinnati offers an online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with four advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) specializations: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP), and Nurse-Midwifery (NM). In addition, the university offers Post-Master’s Certificates in two areas of specialization: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). Finally, the University of Cincinnati offers a BSN to DNP program with four NP specializations: FNP, PMHNP, AGPCNP, and Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (PNP-AC). The Nurse-Midwifery MSN and the BSN to DNP specializations require two campus visits and the PMHNP Certificate program requires one campus visit. Coursework is 100% online and students complete clinical preceptorships at approved facilities local to them.
Throughout the MSN, BSN to DNP, and post-master’s programs, students learn how to develop collaborative relationships with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals, advocate for their patients and use critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills to make ethical decisions. Applicants to the nursing programs should have at least one year of relevant nursing work experience.
Adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners (AGPCNPs) work with patients from age 13 onwards, with common and complex health issues. They work with other health care professionals to develop care plans when working with end-of-life patients. Graduates of this track are eligible to take the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care certification exam through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB).
Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) serve patients from birth across the lifespan, focusing on health promotion, disease prevention, and working with health care teams to care for patients with acute and chronic conditions. Graduates of this track are eligible to take the national certification in Primary Care through either the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB).
Women’s health nurse practitioners (WHNPs) provide services to women from adolescence through adulthood and into menopause. Roles may cover obstetrics, gynecology, well-women care, prenatal care, health education, and treatment for chronic illness, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and eating disorders. Graduates of this program are eligible to sit for the National Certification Corporation’s WHNP NCC exam.
Nurse-midwives (NMs) work with women and their newborns during the reproductive years, providing birthing care, gynecological care, preventive care, contraceptive care, and diagnostic care, as well as general care. Prior work with women in antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum phases of life is preferred. Graduates of this program are eligible to take the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) exam for nurse-midwives.
Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) serve patients across the lifespan with mental health and psychiatric needs. They may assess patients, develop treatment plans, work with families and other caregivers, prescribe medications, and offer counseling and psychotherapy. Graduates of the certificate program are eligible to sit for the PMHNP certification exam through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Finally, pediatric acute care nurse practitioners serve patients from birth to 21 years of age with acute and chronic health conditions that are more complex than those addressed by primary care nurse practitioners. PNP-AC applicants must have at least one year of pediatric nursing work experience.
The University of Cincinnati is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the nurse-midwifery program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME). The University of Cincinnati is located in Cincinnati, Ohio.
What to Expect from the University of Cincinnati Online NP and NM Programs
Admission Requirements: Applicants to the College of Nursing MSN and BSN to DNP programs must hold a BSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Post-Master’s certificate students must hold a BSN from an accredited nursing program, plus an MSN with an advanced practice nursing specialty from an accredited nursing program.
A statistics course must have been completed and passed with a 2.0 or higher. Students should have one year of nursing experience (PNP-AC applicants must have experience in pediatric nursing). In addition, applicants must show proof of an unencumbered RN license. Application materials include the application and application fee, resume or CV, three or more letters of recommendation, a goal statement, and official transcripts. Applicants must also have immunizations up to date before clinicals begin. Students whose primary language is not English and who do not hold a U.S. higher education degree must also provide proof of English language proficiency.
State Restrictions: While the University of Cincinnati accepts students from most states, applicants outside of Ohio should check with the College of Nursing to make sure they are eligible for the nursing programs. Students from the following states may not enroll in the nursing programs at the University of Cincinnati: Arizona, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Tennessee. Interested students should also contact their state licensing board to determine if the program meets state requirements for NP licensure.
Study Plan: The NP and NM programs begin in the Fall, Spring, and Summer. The MSN programs can be completed in as little as two years. The BSN to DNP program begins in the Fall only and can be completed in about nine semesters or three years. The post-master’s certificates can be completed in four semesters on a part-time basis. Nursing program coursework is delivered 100% online and supervised clinicals are completed locally. MSN Nurse-Midwifery students are required to come to campus twice and may complete their orientation on campus or virtually in the online classroom. BSN to DNP students come to campus twice, once for orientation and once to defend their DNP project. A half-day summer workshop is optional but highly encouraged. PMHNP certificate students come to campus once in the first semester.
MSN Core Curriculum: The MSN degree includes the following core courses: Biostatistics for Evidence-Based Practice; Advanced Health Assessment; Health Care Policy; Theoretical Basis for Clinical Reasoning; Research and Best Evidence for Clinical Reasoning; and Pharmacology for Advanced Nursing Practice.
MSN AGPCNP Specialization Curriculum: The AGPCNP track comprises 44 credits and includes a minimum of 504 clinical hours. Specialty courses include Pathophysiology for Advanced Nursing Practice; Differential Diagnosis for the Advanced Practice Nurse; AANP Practicum I-III; AANP Seminar I-III; and Clinical Management I-II.
MSN FNP Specialization Curriculum: The FNP track comprises 50 credits and includes a minimum of 672 clinical hours. Specialty courses include Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology; The Care of Well Women and Children; Family Nurse Practitioner: Practicum I-III; Family Nurse Practitioner: Seminar I-III and Capstone; Clinical Management I-II.
MSN WHNP Specialization Curriculum: The WHNP track comprises 49 credits and includes a minimum of 672 clinical hours. Specialty courses include Advanced Reproductive Dynamics; Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology; Conceptual Frameworks for Women’s Health; Primary Care of Episodic Illnesses in Women; Primary Care of Episodic Illnesses in Women Practicum; Advanced Women’s Health I-II; Advanced Women’s Health Practicum I-III; Women’s Health in a Contemporary Society; and MSN Capstone Project.
MSN NM Specialization Curriculum: The NM track comprises 57 credits and includes a minimum of 784 clinical hours. Specialty courses include Advanced Reproductive Dynamics; Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology; Conceptual Frameworks for Nurse-Midwifery; Primary Care of Episodic Illnesses in Women; Primary Care of Episodic Illnesses in Women Practicum; Well Woman for Nurse-Midwifery; Antepartum Care for Nurse-Midwifery; Intrapartum, Postpartum and Newborn Care for Nurse-Midwifery; Integration and Professional Issues for Nurse-Midwifery; and Nurse-Midwifery Practicum III and Capstone.
BSN to DNP Curriculum: The FNP specialization requires the completion of 78 to 83 credits plus 1,172 clinical hours depending on prior schooling and where students land in the courses. The AGPCNP specialization comprises 75 to 77 credits plus 1,004 clinical hours. The PNP-AC specialization comprises 75 to 79 credits plus at least 1,000 clinical hours. The PMHNP specialization comprises 77 to 82 credits plus 1,004 clinical hours.
Core DNP courses include Healthcare Policy for the Doctorally Prepared Nurse; Finance and Economics of Health Care; Biostatistics for Evidence-Based Practice; Epidemiology Methods in Health Care; Essentials of Research Methods for Evidence-Based Practice; Informatics for DNP Practice; DNP Role Seminar; Quality Improvement and Patient Safety; Application of Advanced Clinical Reasoning; DNP Practicum I-III; Planning, Management, and Evaluation of Programs and Projects; Capstone; and Capstone Writing Seminar. Other courses follow some for the MSN and the specialty courses for the FNP, AGPCNP, PNP-AC, and PMHNP specializations.
Post-Master’s FNP Certificate Curriculum: The FNP certificate comprises up to 38 credits depending on previous education and transferrable courses. If a student is already educated as a nurse practitioner in another specialty the course load may drop to 20 credits. The certificate includes a minimum of 672 clinical hours. Courses include Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology; Clinical Management of Well Women and Children for FNP; FNP Internship I-IV; Advanced Health Assessment; Differential Diagnosis; Research and Best Evidence for Clinical Reasoning; Clinical Management I-II; Pharmacology for the Advanced Practice Nurse; Biostatistics; Health Care Policy; and Theoretical Basis for Clinical Reasoning.
Post-Master’s PMHNP Certificate Curriculum: The PMHNP certificate comprises at least 19 credits and could be more depending on previous coursework. It includes 504 hours of clinicals which must be divided between all age groups – pediatrics (100), adult (100), and geriatrics (100) with the remainder at the student/faculty discretion. Courses may include Psychopathological Disorders Across the Lifespan; Clinical Psychiatric Diagnostics and Management of Adults; Neurobiology and Psychopharmacology – Life Cycle Perspectives; Role of the PMHNP in Promoting Health; Clinical Psychiatric Diagnostics and Management of Children; Supervised Clinical Practice Across the Lifespan – Internship I-III; Pharmacology for Advanced Nursing Practice; Advanced Health Assessment; and Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology.
Online Experience: The University of Cincinnati utilizes Blackboard for online courses and communication. Students can view assignments, syllabi, PowerPoint presentations, and videos, and participate in chat sessions and discussion boards with peers and faculty. In addition students complete assessments through the Blackboard LMS. Courses are asynchronous for maximum flexibility with time management. Online students have access to library resources, the online bookstore, admissions and career counseling; academic advising, faculty hours, 24/7 technical support, and other services.
On-Site Requirements: Students in the Nurse-Midwifery program come to the Cincinnati, OH campus twice for skills intensives. Orientation can be completed in person or online. BSN to DNP students come to Cincinnati twice, once for orientation and once to defend the DNP project. A half-day summer intensive on campus is optional but encouraged. Those in the PMHNP Post-Master’s Certificate attend campus once during the first semester. The other programs do not require any campus visits.
Paying for the University of Cincinnati Online NP and NM Programs
The online MSN, BSN to DNP, and Post-Master’s Certificate cost $746 per credit plus fees for Ohio residents and $1,333 per credit plus fees for non-residents. Travel expenses for the on-campus visits are not included in tuition and fees. Prospective students should contact the College of Nursing through the University of Cincinnati for current tuition costs and fees.
University of Cincinnati graduate students may be eligible for unsubsidized federal Stafford Loans and Graduate PLUS loans through the FAFSA. Nursing students should also check with their employers in regard to a tuition reimbursement program. In addition, students may seek community or organizational opportunities for scholarships and grants.
The University of Cincinnati offers affordable tuition rates for their MSN, BSN to DNP, and post-master's certificate programs with various NP specializations, most of which do not have any campus visit requirements.
BSN to DNP – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
BSN to DNP – Family Nurse Practitioner
BSN to DNP – Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
BSN to DNP – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
MSN – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner
MSN – Nurse-Midwifery
MSN – Women's Health Nurse Practitioner
Post-Master's Certificate – Family Nurse Practitioner
Post-Master's Certificate – Psychiatric Mental Health NP
P.O. Box 210038
Cincinnati, Ohio 45221
Program Essentials
DNP – Doctor of Nursing Practice
AGNP – Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
Fall
No
2
77
1,004
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AZ, LA, MA, NY, OR, RI, TN
Program Tuition
77
$836.00
$64,372.00
$851.00
$65,527.00
Program Essentials
DNP – Doctor of Nursing Practice
FNP – Family Nurse Practitioner
Fall
No
2
83
1,172
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AZ, LA, MA, NY, OR, RI, TN
Program Tuition
83
$836.00
$69,388.00
$851.00
$70,633.00
Program Essentials
DNP – Doctor of Nursing Practice
PNP – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Fall
No
2
79
1,000
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AZ, LA, MA, NY, OR, RI, TN
Program Tuition
79
$836.00
$66,044.00
$851.00
$67,229.00
Program Essentials
DNP – Doctor of Nursing Practice
PMHNP – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Fall
No
2
82
1,004
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AZ, LA, MA, NY, OR, RI, TN
Program Tuition
82
$836.00
$68,552.00
$851.00
$69,782.00
Program Essentials
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
AGNP – Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
Fall, Spring, Summer
Yes
0
44
504
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AZ, LA, MA, NY, OR, RI, TN
Program Tuition
44
$836.00
$36,784.00
$851.00
$37,444.00
Program Essentials
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
FNP – Family Nurse Practitioner
Fall, Spring, Summer
Yes
0
50
672
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AZ, LA, MA, NY, OR, RI, TN
Program Tuition
50
$836.00
$41,800.00
$851.00
$42,550.00
Program Essentials
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
NM – Nurse-Midwife
Fall, Spring, Summer
No
2
57
784
ACME – Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AZ, LA, MA, NY, OR, RI, TN
Program Tuition
57
$836.00
$47,652.00
$851.00
$48,507.00
Program Essentials
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
WHNP – Women's Health Nurse Practitioner
Fall, Spring, Summer
Yes
0
48
672
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AZ, LA, MA, NY, OR, RI, TN
Program Tuition
48
$836.00
$40,128.00
$851.00
$40,848.00
Program Essentials
Post-Master Certificate – Post-Graduate (Post-MSN) Nursing Certificate
FNP – Family Nurse Practitioner
Fall, Spring, Summer
Yes
0
20
672
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AZ, LA, MA, NY, OR, RI, TN
Program Tuition
20
$836.00
$16,720.00
$851.00
$17,020.00
Program Essentials
Post-Master Certificate – Post-Graduate (Post-MSN) Nursing Certificate
PMHNP – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Fall, Spring, Summer
No
1
19
504
CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Program Admissions
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
No GRE Required
3.0 or higher
AZ, LA, MA, NY, OR, RI, TN
Program Tuition
19
$836.00
$15,884.00
$851.00
$16,169.00
Sara Navratil
WriterSara Navratil is a freelance writer and a Certified Canfield Success Principles Trainer. She’s the owner of Sara Liza Life, a company dedicated to helping people rewrite their lives. She enjoys researching and writing about healthcare-related topics, including information on online NP programs. When not working she likes to read, bake, and spend time with her family.