Frequently Asked Questions about the Nurse Practitioner Programs

The NP application opens online February 1 and closes April 1. It is not possible to apply to the program outside of the application window. Only applications completed by April 1st will be reviewed. If an application is submitted but not completed before April 1st (completion includes reference letters, transcripts, resume, etc), it will not be reviewed in that admission cycle. Applicants in this situation may work with the Center for Graduate Studies to defer the application to the following year if desired, but we strongly recommend updating the application to include current work experience before submitting it the following year. Admission offers are sent via email before the end of April.  

At this time the NP programs are only admitting a cohort in the fall.

The NP programs are 42 required credits. Full-time enrollment is 9-10 credits each semester and one summer course (3 credits) is required. Part-time enrollment is two courses a semester and involves some summer coursework as well. It takes 3 years to complete the part time program.

 With the onset of COVID the GRE requirement was made optional. At some point in the future this requirement could be reinstated which will be indicated on the application at that time.

The classes all run for the full semester (15 weeks), with the exception of the online summer courses that run 6 weeks.

Yes, when you apply you will have the option to apply for full-time or part-time status. If you are planning to work full time, you will need to apply for part-time status only. We do not accept students into the full time track who are also going to be working full time. Part time status still requires 2 courses at a time some semesters and summer hours.

All FNP students must complete a total of 600 in-person clinical hours in their three clinical courses (NUR 500, NUR 550 and NUR 600). AGPCNP students must complete a total of 525 in-person clinical hours in their three clinical courses (NUR 500, NUR 650, NUR 600). Most of these hours are available 8 am - 6 pm during business days. There are very few evening and weekend sites available. Your work schedule will need to accommodate this availability when you are taking these courses. If you are not able to do so it will be your responsibility to identify an appropriate and available clinical site able to accommodate your availability. This site and preceptor will need to be arranged in advance with the clinical placement coordinator to ensure all requirements are met.

We will consider up to 9 transfer credits for non-clinical classes only. If you have more than 9 credits, you may be better off finishing your degree where you are.

At this time, our program is enrolled at full capacity. We occasionally have summer courses available for non-matriculated students. Non-matriculated seats in the fall and spring semesters are rarely available within the program and do require a non-matriculated application including official transcripts. Inquiries may be direct to fnp@brockport.edu approximately 1 month before courses begin (July for fall NM seats, November for spring NM seats).

You are eligible for admission to our advanced certificate program (rolling admissions) and should contact the program director to determine what courses you would need. Typically, NP’s in the advanced certificate program only need about 16 credits of coursework to be eligible to sit for FNP licensure exam.

Example of a full-time curriculum

An example of a part-time curriculum is available at: www.brockport.edu/academics/nursing/graduate/part_time_curriculum.html

Example of a part-time curriculum for the AGPCNP track

The FNP and AGPCNP graduate programs are both executive models with most courses online and some in-person content on select weekends. The part-time tracks span three years and require one three credit online course in the summer after the first year. Additional summer courses are available periodically but are optional.

The in-person weekends are scheduled on Fridays from 3 to 9 pm and Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm. In the part-time track, there is one in-person weekend in the fall and one in the spring of year 1. There arefive in-person weekends in year 2, and two in-person weekends in year 3. There are a total of nine in-person weekends throughout both of the NP programs.

NUR 510 Pathophysiology for APN and NUR 521 Pharmacology for APN have an in-person Saturday with no outside clinical hours. NUR 545 and NUR 699 are hybrid. They each have online content. In addition, NUR 545 has three in-person weekends and NUR 699 has one in-person weekend. There are no outside clinical hours required.

Clinical courses are hybrid (NUR 500, NUR 550, NUR 650 and NUR 600). They include online content and scheduled in-person hours at your clinical site (200 hours each for NUR 500 and 600, 200 hours for NUR 550- in the FNP program, and 125 clinical hours for NUR 650- in the AGPCNP program). There are two in-person weekends in NUR 500, and one in each of the other clinical courses.

The rest of the courses are 100% online. 

You can still apply to the program, but we do have a highly competitive applicant pool and candidates who have been unsuccessful in other programs without extremely extenuating circumstances are highly unlikely to be admitted.

We encourage all applicants to have documented work experience as a registered nurse. Applicants who have just completed a bachelor’s degree program without experience as a registered nurse are encouraged to consider applying after 1-2 years of working as a registered nurse.

In 2025, Master’s degree graduate tuition for New York residents is $471/credit hour. Fees are an additional $700 - $1,100/semester.  

You should ask recent academic instructors, current managers/supervisors, or advanced practice providers with whom you have a professional relationship for your letters of recommendation. Brockport faculty may write letters of recommendation if they are not on the admissions committee. We discourage letters from family friends, colleagues in the same role and those who can not speak to your specific strengths in a recent professional relationship.

The focus for the FNP is primary care — family practice offices, clinics, pediatric offices, and women’s health practices. This is not the degree you should pursue if you wish to work in an acute care setting (ED, hospital) or a psychiatric setting. The scope of practice is limited to primary care. 

You have 200 hours of in-person clinical time in each of the three clinical courses (NUR 500, 550 and 600). You take one clinical course each of your last three semesters. You will have your “test out” for these courses in person during the on campus time. The hours that are available at your clinical site dictate what schedule you need to follow for clinical. Students who have identified appropriate clinical sites with a preceptor who is willing to work with them are welcome to request these placements with the Clinical Coordinator. Clinical sites can be anywhere in New York as long as it is an appropriate primary care clinical site willing to work with us. If they agree to participate, we can set up a contract with them. However, it does take some time to do this. We encourage students to explore sites and preceptors for clinical options they would like to pursue early in the program. Appropriate sites would be family practice offices, clinics, pediatric offices, and women’s health practices. Additional information is available at: www.brockport.edu/academics/nursing/graduate/clinical_placement.

Students enrolled in our Master’s Degree FNP or AGPCNP programs or our CAS program have the option to take a DNP course at the master’s degree tuition rate while enrolled in their last semester of the FNP, AGPCNP, or CAS program. They are also eligible for expedited DNP admission in the last semester of the FNP, AGPCNP, or CAS program as long as they meet the DNP admission criteria.  

The focus of the AGPCNP is primary care for adolescents to geriatric-aged patients. You may opt to work in family practice offices, clinics, internal medicine, women’s health practices, long-term care facilities, and geriatric rehab facilities. This is not the degree you should pursue if you wish to work in an acute care setting (ED, hospital), pediatric setting (under age 13), or a psychiatric setting. The scope of practice is limited to primary care for adolescents and older.

You have a total of 525 hours of in-person clinical time in your clinical courses (NUR 500, 650, and 600). You will have your “test out” for these courses in person during the on-campus time. The hours that are available at your clinical site dictate what schedule you need to follow for clinical. Students who have identified appropriate clinical sites with a preceptor who is willing to work with them are welcome to request these placements with the Clinical Coordinator. Clinical sites can be anywhere in New York as long as it is an appropriate primary care clinical site willing to work with us. If they agree to participate, we can set up a contract with them. However, it does take some time to do this. We encourage students to explore sites and preceptors for clinical options they would like to pursue early in the program. Appropriate sites would be family practice offices, clinics, internal medicine, women’s health practices, long-term care facilities and geriatric rehab facilities. Additional information is available at: www.brockport.edu/academics/nursing/graduate/clinical_placement.