Master’s Degree to DNP
Post-Master's Certificate: Family Nurse Practitioner
Step Into Advanced Practice Leadership
Advance your nursing career and broaden your clinical reach with Antioch University’s Post-Master’s Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). Designed for nurses who already hold a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), this flexible, accredited program prepares you to step into the FNP role—delivering comprehensive, evidence-based primary care to individuals and families across the lifespan.
Whether you're looking to serve rural communities, lead in integrated care settings, or enhance your role in health equity, this program will help you make a greater impact, where it's needed most.
Program Overview
Antioch’s Post-Master’s Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner equips experienced nurses with the advanced knowledge and practical skills needed to provide compassionate, evidence-based primary care. The program emphasizes preventive care, clinical reasoning, and the integration of physical and behavioral health theories to support whole-person wellness across diverse populations and settings.
Through this career-focused FNP program, you’ll build expertise in:
- Advanced health assessment techniques
- Pharmacological and pathophysiological principles
- Diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making
- Evidence-based care for acute and chronic conditions
- Holistic, family-centered primary care
The curriculum features a flexible, online learning model that combines a science core, including Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Pathophysiology, with a comprehensive clinical component. Clinical coursework spans wellness promotion, management of acute/common illnesses, and complex/chronic conditions across adult, pediatric, and women’s health populations.
You’ll complete 600 supervised clinical hours with a nurse practitioner or physician in your local community, coordinated collaboratively between you and Antioch’s nursing faculty.
Upon completion, you’ll be eligible to sit for the Family Nurse Practitioner national certification exam offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner Certification Program (AANPCP).
Confidently step into the FNP role and deliver high-quality, person-centered care that meets the evolving needs of your community.
Elevating Your Nursing Career with a Proven Legacy
As Proud Co-Founder of the Coalition for the Common Good, Antioch University offers a program with a rich tradition of excellence, honed over 45 years by dedicated nursing professionals. Formerly anchored at Otterbein University, this initiative now thrives at Antioch, continuing a legacy of quality and practical expertise. Benefit from our flexible, student-centered graduate model, designed to empower you with clinical confidence and personalized support, ensuring you're prepared to excel in your nursing practice.
Degree Requirements
2 years
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 40% increase in employment for nurse practitioners from 2023 to 2033, significantly outpacing the average growth rate for all occupations. This surge is driven by an aging population, a heightened focus on preventive care, and a growing shortage of primary care physicians.
Family Nurse Practitioners, in particular, are in high demand due to their ability to provide comprehensive care across all age groups. This versatility makes them especially valuable in underserved areas, including rural communities.
- Domain 1, MSN Outcome 1. Synthesize knowledge from nursing and relevant fields of study as a basis for an advanced nursing role.
- Domain 9, MSN Outcome 2. Use the nursing process to perform the independent, collaborative, multifaceted functions of an advanced nursing role to optimize healthcare outcomes that advance health equity and lead to positive change.
- Domain 5 & 7, MSN Outcome 3. Demonstrate critical thinking when making decisions regarding the delivery of quality, cost-effective, culturally relevant healthcare to individuals or populations.
- Domain 8, MSN Outcome 4. Analyze the legal, political, ethical, financial, and professional functions of advanced nursing roles and how those aspects affect the community and individuals.
- Domain 8, MSN Outcome 5. Examine the implications of healthcare issues, healthcare delivery systems, and informatics on nursing and healthcare delivery to all.
- Domain 6 & 10, MSN Outcome 6. Provide leadership in advanced nursing roles through interprofessional communication, advocacy, and change management within the healthcare delivery system.
- Domain 2 & 3, MSN Outcome 7. Integrate caring behaviors and patterns into advanced nursing roles.
- Domain 4, MSN Outcome 8. Apply the body of nursing knowledge through systematic inquiry, professional standards of care, and evidence-based practice.
Faculty Spotlights
Deana Batross
Director
Diane White, PhD
Dean
Regina Prusinski
Chair
How to Apply
Admission Criteria
- Graduate degree in nursing from an institution of higher education that is fully accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency, and from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited graduate nursing program.
- A current valid and unrestricted license as a Registered Nurse in the U.S. and in the state where clinical experiences will be conducted. In addition, an applicant must not have had a previous revocation, denial, suspension, or restriction of their license from any state or country.
- Minimum of one (1) year paid clinical work experience within the past three years as a Registered Nurse before the application deadline, documented on the submitted resume. Clinical work experience, including direct care in a public health, community, hospital, or ambulatory care setting that serves patients across the life span is recommended.
- Evidence of capacity for graduate study.
- Ability to articulate one’s professional goals, evidenced by the faculty interview, with applicant’s goals congruent with the objectives and resources of the Antioch University Department of Nursing.
Application Requirements
- Complete the online admissions application, including:
- Personal Essay: Describe your personal goals and how your experience relates to your pursuit of this degree.
- Three letters of recommendation are required from people who are in a position to evaluate your professional (e.g., clinical supervisor, Peer (RN), other clinician, and academic (e.g. professor) work. The person making the recommendation may not be related to you.
- Professional resume. Also include leadership activities, scholastic awards, nursing organizational memberships, and community service, as applicable.
- Evidence of licensure and certification, if any. Include professional licensure numbers and the licensing state, and a copy of the certificate issued by your national board certification body. The Graduate School will verify licensure and certification, which will be added to the student's file.
- Submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities where you earned a degree or certificate (A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred). Email to [email protected] or mail to: Antioch University, Admissions Office, 900 Dayton Street, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387
- Interview with the Nursing Program faculty if selected. This interview will be conducted via Zoom (video conferencing).
- Students must submit documentation of meeting health requirements – including completion of the American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) curriculum – prior to starting classes, and must submit documentation of keeping health requirements current throughout their course of study.
- There are additional requirements for International applicants and applicants without a Bachelor's degree
All application materials submitted become part of an applicant’s file and cannot be returned.
Application Deadlines
| Semester | Application Deadlines |
|---|---|
| Spring | November 1 |
| Fall | July 1 |
| Please review the Academic Calendar for additional details. | |
If you have any questions during the process, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. Our faculty and staff are here to assist you throughout the application process.
Financial Aid
Please note: This certificate is not eligible to use Title IV financial aid at this time.
Many students finance their education through some form of financial aid. You may not be sure which federal, state, public, and private aid packages – such as loans, scholarships, and grants – are right for you. Our staff is here to help you so you can focus on what’s most important: beginning your academic program.
Antioch University is proud to partner with several schools and employers to offer scholarships and/or special educational benefits to employees, students, and alumni of select partner institutions. To learn more about these scholarships and to find out if you are eligible, talk with Admissions.
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