The University of Arizona College of Nursing offers three acute care nurse practitioner pathways, all in the same population focus — Adult-Gerontology Acute Care (AGACNP):
- DNP – AGACNP (post-BSN or post-MSN entry)
- Graduate Certificate – AGACNP (post-graduate, APRN-only)
- DNP – FNP with Certificate – AGACNP (dual primary/acute care, internal application only)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNP | $74,081 | 2.5 years full-time / 3.5 years part-time | 70 |
| Graduate Certificate | $37,040 (or ~$27,516 with max transfer credit) | ~1 year, 3 months (4 semesters) | 35 |
| DNP – FNP + Certificate | ~$100,539 | 3.3 years | 95 |
Tuition figures for the DNP and certificate come directly from the College of Nursing’s FY 2026–27 tuition schedules. The dual-pathway figure is a calculation (95 units × $1,058.30) because the university does not publish a combined total.
The distinguishing feature is the clinical model: the College of Nursing arranges clinical placements and preceptors rather than requiring students to find their own, and the DNP track’s 2026–27 plan of study carries 810 specialty clinical hours — well above the 500-hour APRN minimum.
The biggest trade-off is geography. The DNP program is not authorized in 18 states, DC, and several U.S. territories, and every student must travel to Tucson three separate times during the clinical year. This is not a program you can complete from anywhere.
Quick Facts
| Population Focus | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care (adults 18+ with serious illness or injury) |
| Format | Online didactic coursework + on-campus clinical immersions + local clinical practica |
| Campus Visits | 3 on-campus Clinical Immersions in Tucson (Jan, May, Aug), ~3 days each, during the clinical year. RISE orientation is virtual (2 days on Zoom) |
| Specialty Clinical Hours | 810 (DNP) / 720 (Certificate) per the 2026–27 plans of study |
| Clinical Placement | Arranged by the College of Nursing; priority given to the student’s geographic area, but not guaranteed |
| RN Experience | 1 year / 1,800 hours in a qualifying adult setting; adult ICU preferred, not required |
| Required Certifications | ACLS and BLS (American Heart Association) by program start |
| Distinctive Coursework | Acute Care Pharmacology, Cardiac Rhythm Analysis for the AGACNP, Traumatic Injury & Emergent Illness, Clinical Issues in the Care of Acutely Ill Older Adults |
| Start Term | Fall only |
| Deadlines | Opens Aug 15 • Priority Nov 1 • Final Mar 1 |
| Certification | ANCC or AACN AGACNP board examination |
| Accreditation | CCNE (nursing); WSCUC (institutional) |
| State Restrictions | DNP not offered in 18 states, DC, and several territories |
DNP – Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Estimated tuition and fees are $74,081 for 70 credits, per the College of Nursing’s FY 2026–27 schedule. Full-time students finish in 2.5 years (7 semesters); part-time students take 3.5 years (10 semesters). Both routes carry identical credit and tuition totals — part-time simply spreads the cost over more terms.
Applicants can enter with a BSN, post-baccalaureate BSN, MEPN, or MSN. The critical eligibility rule is not about the degree: every student must complete 1,800 hours of RN experience before starting the clinical year, whether or not they had it at admission.
Credit conflict to note: the DNP-AGACNP specialty page states “67 credit hours” in its curriculum paragraph but “70 Credit Hours” in its Program Facts box. The 2026–27 plan of study and the FY 2026–27 tuition schedule both total 70 units, so 70 is the figure used here.
DNP Curriculum
The 70 credits break into three layers. Year 1 is entirely non-clinical: advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment, plus the DNP core (statistics, scholarly inquiry, theory, policy, leadership, informatics, evidence-based practice). No specialty content appears until Year 2.
Year 2 fall opens the acute care sequence, and this is where the curriculum separates itself from a generic advanced-practice track. Rather than folding high-acuity content into broad management courses, Arizona breaks out several short, targeted courses:
- NURS 649 Acute Care Pharmacology (1 unit) — separate from the general advanced pharmacology course taken in Year 1
- NURS 674 Cardiac Rhythm Analysis & Interpretation for the AGACNP (1 unit) — dedicated dysrhythmia interpretation
- NURS 686 Traumatic Injury and Emergent Illness for the AGACNP (1 unit) — trauma and emergent presentations
- NURS 687 Clinical Issues in the Care of Acutely Ill Older Adults (3 units) — complex geriatric acute care in the final semester
The backbone is a three-course specialty sequence — AGACNP Specialty I, II, and III — each paired with its own clinical practicum. Didactic and clinical run concurrently rather than sequentially, so students apply management content in the same semester they learn it.
Key acute care courses:
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
| NURS 600 Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NURS 601 Advanced Pharmacology | 3 |
| NURS 603 Advanced Physical & Health Assessment | 3 |
| NURS 649 Acute Care Pharmacology | 1 |
| NURS 674 Cardiac Rhythm Analysis & Interpretation for the AGACNP | 1 |
| NURS 677 / 677a AGACNP Specialty I + Clinical Practicum | 4 + 2 |
| NURS 678 / 678a AGACNP Specialty II + Clinical Practicum | 4 + 2 |
| NURS 679 / 679a AGACNP Specialty III + Clinical Practicum | 2 + 5 |
| NURS 686 Traumatic Injury and Emergent Illness for the AGACNP | 1 |
| NURS 687 Clinical Issues in the Care of Acutely Ill Older Adults | 3 |
| NURS 921 / 922 DNP Project | 2 + 4 |
One gap worth flagging: the plan of study contains no dedicated mechanical ventilation or invasive procedures course. The specialty page describes graduates performing procedures, but procedural training appears to be embedded in the specialty courses and on-campus immersions rather than taught as standalone coursework. Applicants who want an explicit procedures curriculum should ask the program directly what is covered during Clinical Immersions.
View the official 2026–27 DNP-AGACNP plans of study
DNP Clinical Requirements
Specialty clinical hours: 810, distributed across three practica:
- NURS 677a — 180 hours (Year 2 spring)
- NURS 678a — 180 hours (Year 2 summer)
- NURS 679a — 450 hours (final fall semester)
Clinical hours conflict: the DNP-AGACNP specialty page lists 720 clinical hours. The 2026–27 plan of study (approved September 2025) itemizes 810 hours. The plan of study is the more recent and more granular source and is used here.
The university does not separately publish DNP project practice hours, so it is not possible to confirm from official sources whether the 810 figure includes or excludes project time. Based on the plan of study, all 810 hours are attached to AGACNP practicum courses, which suggests they are specialty patient-care hours.
The final semester is the heavy one: 450 hours in a single fall term, alongside two other courses. Whether full-time or part-time, the last three semesters require full-time enrollment, and the College advises full-time students to work fewer than 12 hours per week.
Placement responsibility: the College of Nursing states that clinical placements are arranged with appropriate preceptors and administrators, with priority given to placing students in their geographic area. This is a meaningful advantage over programs that offload preceptor-hunting onto students. But the policy is explicitly conditional — if a placement isn’t available locally, or if faculty determine a student needs additional skills support, the student may be required to complete clinicals in a different approved geographic area. The state authorization page goes further, noting that accepted applicants may be required to relocate or travel to another state, preferably Arizona, to complete clinical hours.
The university does not publish a placement guarantee, a list of partner hospitals, or a breakdown of required rotation types (ICU, ED, trauma, subspecialty). Applicants who need a specific rotation mix should ask before committing.
Practical read: the placement model removes the single biggest logistical burden in distance NP education — but it replaces it with a different risk. You trade “find your own preceptor” for “accept the placement we can secure, which may not be near you.” Anyone in a rural area, an oversaturated market, or a state marked with an asterisk on the authorization list should contact the College of Nursing’s Office of Student and Academic Affairs before applying, not after.
DNP Campus Requirements
- RISE (Required Immersive Summer Experience) — orientation held the first week of fall semester, synchronous online via Zoom, 2 days. No travel.
- Clinical Immersions #1, #2, #3 — on campus in Tucson, first week of each clinical semester (January, May, August), approximately 3 days each. Held at the Health Sciences Innovation Building and College of Nursing. Faculty run skills workshops designed to build specialty clinical competencies before students continue under preceptor supervision.
The DNP specialty page describes the schedule as “RISE twice and CPI once,” which conflicts with both the plan of study and the RISE/immersion calendar. The plan of study and the immersions page agree: one virtual RISE, three on-campus immersions.
Budget three round trips to Tucson within a 9-month window, each requiring roughly 4 days away from work.
DNP Admissions
- BSN, post-baccalaureate BSN, MEPN, or MSN from a regionally accredited institution
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in nursing coursework from the most recent nursing degree
- Current, unencumbered RN license (plus APRN license for post-master’s DNP applicants)
- Experience — required: at least 1 year (minimum 1,800 hours) in one of: Adult ICU (preferred), Medical-Surgical, Emergency Department, Post-Anesthesia Care, Adult Step Down, or PCU/Telemetry — to apply full-time
- Experience — preferred: Adult ICU is explicitly labeled preferred, not required
- ACLS and BLS through the American Heart Association, earned by program start
- Two professional references
- CV using the DNP Applicant CV template
- Transcripts from all postsecondary institutions, verified by NursingCAS within 2 weeks of the deadline
- Two applications: NursingCAS first; Graduate College GradApp only after the College of Nursing recommends admission
- One specialty per application cycle
- Applications open Aug 15 • Priority deadline Nov 1 (decision mid-December) • Final deadline Mar 1 (decision mid-April)
- Fall start only
The experience rule that matters most: the 1,800-hour requirement operates on two timelines. To apply full-time, you need it already. To apply part-time, you don’t — you can accumulate it while enrolled, at roughly 900 RN hours per year, as long as it’s complete before the clinical year begins. This makes the part-time track a legitimate entry route for nurses with under a year of experience, not just a scheduling preference.
On the ICU question: Arizona’s list is broader than many AGACNP programs. Med-surg, telemetry, PACU, and step-down all qualify. If you have two years on a busy tele floor but no ICU time, you are eligible here. Programs that hard-require ICU experience would reject the same application.
View full DNP admission requirements
Graduate Certificate – Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Estimated tuition and fees are $37,040.50 for 35 credits, or roughly $27,516 if a student transfers in the maximum 9 units. The program runs four semesters — about 1 year and 3 months — with a fall start only.
Eligibility is narrow. This certificate is for currently licensed and nationally certified APRNs (NP, CRNA, CNS, or CNM) who hold a master’s or higher in nursing and who have RN experience in an acute care setting. It is not an entry point for RNs without an APRN credential.
Source conflict: the Arizona Online certificate page lists 30 credits required, a 28-credit minimum, 810 clinical hours, a “Clinical Skills Intensive,” and a course list including NURS 683 and NURS 693a. The College of Nursing’s 2026–27 plan of study (approved September 2025) and FY 2026–27 tuition schedule (posted August 2026) instead show 35 units, 720 clinical hours, three on-campus Clinical Immersions, and a different course set. The College of Nursing documents are newer and more specific; this profile follows them. The Arizona Online page appears to describe a superseded version of the certificate.
Certificate Curriculum
The four-semester sequence front-loads assessment, then moves fast into acute and critical illness management:
| Semester | Courses | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 Fall | NURS 609A Health Assessment | 3 |
| Year 1 Spring | NURS 501 Advanced Physiology & Pathophysiology (3), NURS 574 Pharmacology in Acute Care (1), NURS 615 Diagnosis & Management of Chronic & Acute Illness I (6, 180 clinical hours), NURS 682 Cardiac Rhythm Analysis & Interventions (1) | 11 |
| Year 1 Summer | NURS 572 Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics (3), NURS 616 Diagnosis & Management of Chronic & Acute Illness II (6, 180 clinical hours), NURS 680 Women’s Health in Advanced Practice Nursing (2), NURS 684 Adult-Gerontology Traumatic Injury and Emergent Illness (1) | 12 |
| Year 2 Fall | NURS 685 Clinical Issues in the Care of Acutely Ill Older Adults (3), NURS 617 Clinical Residency (6, 360 clinical hours) | 9 |
Note that the certificate uses the older 500/600-level course numbering while the DNP track has moved to 600/700-level courses. The content areas overlap heavily — acute care pharmacology, rhythm interpretation, trauma and emergent illness, acutely ill older adults — but the two pathways are not running identical courses.
Transfer credit: APRNs who have already completed the “three P’s” (advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment) can request to transfer up to 9 units after admission. That reduces billable credits from 35 to 26 and cuts roughly $9,525 off the total. Most practicing NPs will qualify — but the transfer is requested after admission, not guaranteed at application, so treat the $37,040 figure as the planning number and the $27,516 figure as the best case.
View the official Certificate-AGACNP plan of study
Certificate Clinical Requirements
720 supervised clinical hours across three courses: 180 hours in NURS 615, 180 hours in NURS 616, and 360 hours in the NURS 617 Clinical Residency. The College of Nursing’s NP certificates page independently confirms the 720-hour total.
Clinical placement follows the same College-arranged model as the DNP, with the same geographic caveats. Certificate students attend the same three on-campus Clinical Immersions in Tucson and the same virtual RISE.
The scheduling reality: the College states that certificate students participate in hands-on clinical experiences requiring full-time participation during the last three semesters. A 720-hour certificate compressed into roughly 15 months, with 360 of those hours in one term, is not compatible with full-time NP employment. Working APRNs should plan for a significant income interruption.
Certificate Admissions
- Master’s or higher in nursing with an advanced practice specialty focus
- Active, unrestricted U.S. RN license and current APRN national certification (NP, CRNA, CNS, or CNM)
- RN experience in an acute care setting — required for this specialty specifically; the university does not publish a minimum hour count for certificate applicants
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above
- One professional reference (the DNP requires two)
- Transcripts from all postsecondary institutions, verified by NursingCAS within 2 weeks of the deadline
- CV in PDF format
- Both NursingCAS and Graduate College applications
- Arizona DPS Fingerprint Clearance Card required as a condition of final acceptance
- Applications open Aug 15 • Priority Nov 1 • Final Mar 1 • Fall start only
Two eligibility issues that materially affect applicants:
First, the certificate is not offered every year. Arizona Online advises confirming availability with the College of Nursing Office of Student Affairs before applying. Anyone planning around this pathway should verify it is running in their intended cycle.
Second, certificate-only students are not eligible for federal financial aid or College of Nursing scholarships. This is unusual and financially significant: a $27,000–$37,000 program with no federal loan access means self-funding, employer support, or private financing. Students enrolled in a DNP specialty and a certificate simultaneously remain aid-eligible.
DNP – FNP with Certificate – AGACNP (Dual Specialty)
This is the only dual primary/acute care pathway Arizona offers, and it is not open to direct applicants. Students apply after enrollment: during the first fall semester they meet with an academic advisor, and with approval they may apply in the spring.
Per the 2026–27 plan of study: 95 total units, 3.3 years, and 1,620 clinical hours — 810 for the FNP specialty and 810 for the AGACNP specialty. Students attend six on-campus Clinical Immersions, three per specialty, plus one virtual RISE.
Estimated tuition is approximately $100,539 (95 units × $1,058.30). This is a calculated figure — the university does not publish a combined total for this pathway.
Conflict: the DNP-AGACNP specialty page describes this option as “720 hours for each specialty, total = 1440 hours” with “RISE 3 times and CPI 2 times.” The 2026–27 plan of study states 810 hours per specialty (1,620 total) and six on-campus immersions with one virtual RISE. The plan of study is more recent.
Who this actually serves: a nurse who wants to practice across both outpatient primary care and inpatient acute care — for example, in a rural hospitalist or hospital-affiliated clinic role where scope crosses both settings. The cost is roughly $26,000 and eight months more than the FNP alone, plus three additional Tucson trips. That’s a defensible investment for someone with a specific dual-scope job in view, and hard to justify otherwise.
Tuition
All AGACNP pathways bill at the same rate: $1,058.30 per credit for FY 2026–27, a combined tuition-and-fee figure that applies to all DNP specialties except Nurse Anesthesiology. There is no separate out-of-state rate — Arizona residents and out-of-state distance students pay the same per-credit amount.
| Pathway | Credits | Published/Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|
| DNP – AGACNP (full-time or part-time) | 70 | $74,081 (published) |
| Certificate – AGACNP | 35 | $37,040.50 (published) |
| Certificate – AGACNP with 9 transfer units | 26 billable | $27,515.80 (published) |
| DNP-FNP + Certificate-AGACNP | 95 | ~$100,538.50 (calculated) |
Two notes on figures found elsewhere. The Arizona Online certificate page still lists $1,053.00 per credit; the College of Nursing’s FY 2026–27 schedules — posted more recently — list $1,058.30. Arizona Online’s university-wide range of $650–$1,332 per credit reflects all online programs, not nursing, and should not be applied to AGACNP.
These totals assume no future rate increases. The College notes that program tuition and fees are calculated as of January 1 each year and are subject to change, so a 2.5-year DNP will likely span two or three rate adjustments. The Tuition Calculator provides current figures.
Costs not included in the published totals:
- Travel to three Tucson immersions (six for the dual pathway) — airfare, 3–4 nights lodging, parking, meals, and lost work time per trip
- The College explicitly states that students should expect additional expenses and directs questions to CON-OSAA@arizona.edu
- Fingerprint clearance card fees for certificate students
- ACLS/BLS certification if not already held
Financial aid:
- DNP students are eligible for federal aid and College of Nursing scholarships. Scholarship applications open through Scholarship Universe in early January and close June 1; FAFSA filing is required for consideration.
- Certificate-only students are ineligible for federal financial aid and College of Nursing scholarships.
- WICHE Western Regional Graduate Program may allow students from WICHE-member Western states to pay no more than 150% of the resident rate — worth verifying with the program, though the flat online rate limits its relevance here.
- Loan programs including the Nursing Student Loan Program (up to $7,899/year, unmet need) and the Bonnie Daniels Loan (up to $5,000/semester, $20,000 total) are administered through the College.
- The BHWET scholarship ($32,500) is PMHNP-only and does not apply to AGACNP students.
Why Choose This ACNP Program?
Best suited for: an experienced adult acute care RN — ICU, step-down, telemetry, ED, or med-surg — who lives in a state where Arizona’s DNP is authorized, can absorb three trips to Tucson, and wants a program that handles clinical placement rather than making them cold-call preceptors.
Clinical placement is handled for you
This is the strongest practical argument for Arizona. The College of Nursing arranges placements with preceptors and administrators, with priority given to the student’s own geographic area. For anyone who has watched a classmate stall a semester hunting for an AGACNP preceptor, this materially reduces risk. The caveat is real and published: if local placement isn’t available, you may be assigned elsewhere, potentially out of state. But “we’ll try to place you near home and find something if we can’t” is a stronger position than “you’re on your own.”
Clinical volume above the minimum
810 specialty hours in the DNP track substantially exceeds the 500-hour APRN certification floor, and 450 of those come in a single concentrated final semester — closer to a residency block than to scattered shifts. The certificate’s 720 hours, including a 360-hour clinical residency, is likewise above minimum for a post-graduate pathway. More supervised hours in high-acuity settings translates directly into readiness for a first AGACNP job.
The experience requirement is more accessible than most
Adult ICU is preferred, not required. Med-surg, telemetry, PACU, step-down, and ED all satisfy the 1,800-hour requirement. And the part-time track lets you start before you’ve accumulated those hours, as long as you finish them before the clinical year. Two structural doors are open here that many AGACNP programs keep closed.
The geographic restrictions are the deciding factor for many
The DNP is not authorized in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia, or in American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Students in California, Colorado, Maine, and Washington — plus Alabama, Alaska, and Oregon — are directed to contact the Office of Student and Academic Affairs before applying regarding clinical placement considerations. And if you relocate to a non-authorized state mid-program, you must transfer out. That last rule alone should give pause to anyone with a military spouse, a travel-nursing background, or a likely job relocation.
The Verdict
Strongest reason to choose Arizona: you’re an adult acute care RN in an authorized state, you value program-arranged clinical placement over the flexibility of choosing your own sites, and you want more than the minimum clinical hours before sitting for ANCC or AACN boards. The lack of an out-of-state tuition premium makes the $74,081 DNP competitive against comparable public-university AGACNP programs, and the broad experience criteria open the door to nurses without ICU backgrounds.
Compare other options if: you live in one of the 18 restricted states or expect to move; you can’t take three separate multi-day trips to Tucson during your clinical year; you’re an APRN seeking the certificate and can’t self-fund it without federal loans; or you want an AGACNP curriculum with explicit standalone coursework in mechanical ventilation and invasive procedures, which Arizona’s published plan of study does not show.
Accreditation and Certification
- Institutional accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
- Nursing program accreditation: The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Arizona College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- State approval: Arizona State Board of Nursing
- Population focus: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) — adults 18 and older with serious illness or injury. No pediatric acute care (PNP-AC) pathway is offered; Arizona’s PNP track is primary care focused.
- Certification eligibility: Graduates of both the DNP-AGACNP and the AGACNP certificate are prepared to sit for national AGACNP board certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). The certificate page independently confirms certificate graduates are eligible for an AGACNP national board examination.
- State authorization: distance students must reside in an authorized state at enrollment and throughout the program. See the DNP state authorization table for current determinations, and contact CON-OSAA@arizona.edu before applying if your state carries an asterisk. Determinations change; verify before you apply.
- Residency requirement: applicants must reside in the United States and hold an unencumbered U.S. RN license.
Additional ACNP Programs for Arizona Residents
- Arizona State University - Phoenix
- Grand Canyon University - Phoenix