“USC’s College of Nursing holds a top-2 national ranking for online master’s nursing programs — and for South Carolina nurses, that credential comes at a cost most comparable programs can’t match.”
The University of South Carolina offers three Adult-Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- MSN AGACNP
- BSN-DNP AGACNP
- Post-Master’s Certificate AGACNP
All three tracks deliver didactic content fully online with select on-campus immersion requirements embedded in specific courses.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGACNP | $45K in-state / $78K out-of-state | ~3 years (8 semesters) |
| BSN-DNP AGACNP | $71K in-state / $122K out-of-state | ~3 years (9 semesters full-time) |
| Post-Master’s Certificate AGACNP | ~$10K (certified APRN) / ~$18K (non-APRN) | 1.5–2.5 years |
The programs are best suited to working nurses who need flexibility — and to South Carolina residents who want top-ranked AGACNP preparation at an in-state price point. Out-of-state applicants may qualify for a nursing scholarship that reduces total program cost significantly.
MSN AGACNP
The estimated cost for the MSN AGACNP at the University of South Carolina is approximately $44,961 for in-state students and $77,755 for out-of-state students (out-of-state with nursing scholarship: $51,071).
The program takes about 3 years to complete across 8 semesters.
MSN Curriculum
The MSN AGACNP is 48–51 credit hours, delivered entirely online in didactic format.
The curriculum progresses from graduate nursing foundations and research methods through advanced pharmacology, pathophysiology, and health assessment, then into three sequential acute care management courses covering adult and gerontological patients from adolescence through older adulthood.
The final semester integrates an advanced practice role seminar with a clinical practicum.
Students complete either a 3-hour applied research course (NURS 791) or a 6-hour thesis (NURS 799).
NURS 700 – Theoretical and Conceptual Foundation for Nursing (3 credits)
Explores nursing theory, concept development, and conceptual frameworks. Students critically examine nursing and related health science theories.
NURS 702 – Pharmacologic Mgmt in Pediatric, Adult, & Gerontological Patients Across Healthcare Delivery Continuum (3 credits)
Focuses on pharmacologic management of acute and chronic conditions across the lifespan. Emphasizes safe, effective medication use in diverse care settings.
NURS 704 – Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning (3 credits)
Develops advanced assessment, critical thinking, and diagnostic reasoning skills. Includes didactic, lab, and field-based learning across the lifespan.
NURS 707 – Advanced Pathophysiology for Nurses (3 credits)
Examines advanced pathophysiologic concepts and their application to nursing practice. Supports clinical decision-making in specialty areas.
NURS 717 – Application of Basic Statistics for Nursing Practice & Service Management (3 credits)
Introduces statistical principles for nursing practice and management. Emphasizes using data to guide decisions and improve care.
NURS 718 – Diagnostic Interpretation and Therapeutic Modalities (3 credits)
Covers interpretation of diagnostic data and therapeutic methods for advanced practice. Supports clinical judgment and treatment planning.
NURS 720 – Clinical Application of Population Analysis (3 credits)
Applies epidemiology, genomics, informatics, and population health concepts to practice. Supports clinical decision-making and policy development.
NURS 772 – Introduction of Acute Care Adult and Gerontological Health Problems (3 credits)
Introduces care of acutely ill adult and older adult patients. Provides a foundation for advanced acute care management.
NURS 773 – Principles of Acute Care Adult and Gerontological Health Problems I (6 credits)
Focuses on assessment and management of acute care needs in adult and geriatric patients. Combines didactic learning with field study.
NURS 774 – Principles of Acute Care Adult and Gerontological Complex Health Problems II (6 credits)
Builds advanced skills in managing complex acute care conditions in adult and geriatric patients. Includes didactic and field experiences.
NURS 778 – Advanced Practice Role: Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP (AGACNP) (3 credits)
Examines the AGACNP role with emphasis on professional, ethical, legal, and business issues. Prepares students for advanced practice responsibilities.
NURS 778A – Practicum of Advanced Practice Role: Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP (AGACNP) (3 credits)
Provides supervised clinical experience in acute care for adult and geriatric patients. Students apply advanced practice skills in real-world settings.
NURS 790 – Research Methods for Nursing (3 credits)
Introduces nursing research methods and research design. Prepares students to evaluate and apply evidence in practice.
NURS 791 – Seminar in Clinical Nursing Research (3–6 credits)
Examines current clinical nursing research through survey and critical analysis. Supports the development of a thesis or research focus.
NURS 799 – Thesis Preparation
Prepares students to develop and complete a nursing thesis. Focuses on scholarly research and academic writing.
Total: 48–51 credit hours. More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinicals
The MSN AGACNP requires 784 total clinical hours, embedded primarily across the three acute care management courses and the final practicum. Clinical placement assistance is available for students who cannot complete hours at their current workplace.
- 784 total clinical hours required
- NURS 773: Acute Care Adult and Gerontological Health Problems I — includes practicum hours
- NURS 774: Acute Care Adult and Gerontological Complex Health Problems II — includes practicum hours; on-campus immersion required
- NURS 778A: Practicum of Advanced Practice Role — final clinical placement
- NURS 704: on-campus immersion required for Advanced Health Assessment
- Population focus: adolescence through older adulthood in acute and complex care settings (ICU, critical care, cardiology, trauma, surgery, nephrology, gastroenterology, pulmonary)
- The College of Nursing offers assistance with clinical placements when students cannot complete hours in their current workplace
MSN Admissions
Applicants need a BSN from a nationally accredited program, a minimum 3.0 GPA, at least 2,400 hours of recent nursing experience, and current BLS and ACLS certification.
- BSN from a nationally accredited program
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Minimum 2,400 hours of nursing experience within the past 24 months (full- or part-time); preferred experience in an acute care setting (ICU, critical care, medical/surgical, or emergency department)
- Current BLS and ACLS certification
- Personal statement
- Current CV or resume
- Three professional references (master’s or higher in a healthcare field; recommendation form required — letters of recommendation not accepted in lieu)
- Copy of unencumbered RN license from an approved state
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
- U.S. citizenship or permanent residency required (program does not meet F-1 visa eligibility)
- GRE not required
- $50 application fee (required beginning August 1, 2026; no fee for applications submitted before that date)
- Summer and fall entry; early decision deadline August 15 (summer) or February 1 (fall)
BSN-DNP AGACNP
The estimated cost for the BSN-DNP AGACNP at the University of South Carolina is approximately $70,719 for in-state students and $121,655 for out-of-state students (out-of-state with nursing scholarship: $36,159).
The program takes about 3 years to complete on a full-time basis across 9 semesters; a 12-semester part-time option is also available.
DNP Curriculum
The BSN-DNP AGACNP is approximately 73 credit hours delivered across 9 semesters full-time (12 part-time).
The curriculum layers DNP-level scholarship, evidence-based practice, and health systems content alongside the full AGACNP clinical preparation sequence.
Students complete a DNP final project with a proposal defense and oral defense, and must meet a doctoral residency requirement of at least 18 graduate credit hours over three consecutive major semesters. All didactic coursework is online.
- NURS 717 – Application of Basic Statistics for Nursing Practice and Service Management (3 cr)
- NURS 720 – Clinical Application of Population Analysis (3 cr)
- NURS 737 – Foundations for DNP Development (3 cr)
- NURS 707 – Advanced Pathophysiology for Nurses (3 cr)
- NURS 790 – Research Methods for Nursing (3 cr)
- NURS 808 – Advanced Nursing in Population Health (3 cr)
- NURS 702 – Pharmacologic Management (3 cr)
- NURS 780 – Organizational Theories and Systems in Healthcare (3 cr)
- NURS 779 – Health Policy (3 cr) — clinical hours required
- NURS 704 – Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning (3 cr) — on-campus immersion
- NURS 817 – Application of Statistics for Evidence Based Nursing Practice (3 cr)
- NURS 819 – Evidence and Nursing Practice (3 cr)
- NURS 718 – Diagnostic Interpretation and Therapeutic Modalities (3 cr)
- NURS 781 – Applied Technology in Health Care (3 cr)
- NURS 783 – Clinical Project Immersion and Proposal Development (3 cr) — clinical hours required
- NURS 772 – Introduction of Acute Care Adult and Gerontological Health Problems (3 cr)
- NURS 805 – Advanced Nursing Leadership (3 cr)
- NURS 897 – DNP Project Preparation (6 cr) — clinical hours required
- NURS 773 – Principles of Acute Care Adult and Gerontological Health Problems I (6 cr) — clinical hours required
- NURS 774 – Principles of Acute Care Adult and Gerontological Complex Health Problems II (6 cr) — clinical hours required; on-campus immersion
- NURS 778 – Advanced Practice Role: AGACNP (3 cr) — clinical hours required
- NURS 778A – Practicum of Advanced Practice Role: AGACNP (3 cr) — clinical hours required
Total: approximately 73 credit hours. A DNP final project — including proposal defense and oral defense — is required for graduation.
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP Clinicals
The BSN-DNP AGACNP requires a minimum of 1,112 clinical hours embedded across clinical project, specialty, and practicum courses. Clinical hours from prior graduate work are not applicable at BSN entry; all hours are completed within the DNP program.
- Minimum 1,112 clinical hours required
- NURS 773 and NURS 774: sequential acute care clinical rotations across adult and gerontological patient populations
- NURS 779, NURS 783, NURS 897: clinical hours tied to health policy, project development, and DNP scholarship residency
- NURS 778A: final advanced practice role practicum
- NURS 704: on-campus immersion for Advanced Health Assessment
- NURS 774: on-campus immersion required
- Preferred clinical settings: ICU, critical care, medical/surgical, or emergency department
- Clinical placement assistance available when workplace completion is not feasible
DNP Admissions
BSN-entry applicants need a nationally accredited BSN, 2,400 recent work hours, three doctoral-level references, current BLS and ACLS, and must complete a faculty interview.
- BSN from a nationally accredited program
- Preferred cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (official transcripts required for all nursing coursework)
- 2,400 work hours within the past 24 months; preferred experience in ICU, critical care, medical/surgical, or emergency department
- Current BLS certification
- Current ACLS certification (AGACNP applicants)
- Personal goal statement
- Evidence of writing competence (evaluated via personal statement and essay question during interview)
- Current CV or resume (include certifications, leadership, diverse/underserved population experience)
- Three letters of reference from doctorally prepared individuals in a healthcare field (DNP, PhD, MD, DO, PharmD, etc.)
- Official Verification of Work Hours Form from employer
- Unencumbered, active RN license in the state where clinical experiences will occur
- Interview with nursing graduate faculty
- GRE not required
- $50 application fee (beginning August 1, 2026)
- Summer entry only (BSN entry); application opens June 1; early decision deadline August 15; final deadline October 31
Post-Master’s Certificate AGACNP
The estimated cost for the Post-Master’s Certificate AGACNP at the University of South Carolina is approximately $10,300 for certified APRNs (18 credits) or approximately $17,700 for non-APRN-certified applicants (31 credits).
Estimate based on the published graduate part-time rate of $572.25 per credit hour.
The program takes a minimum of 3 semesters for certified APRNs or 5 semesters for non-APRNs.
Certificate Curriculum
The post-master’s certificate AGACNP is structured in two tiers depending on prior APRN certification status.
Certified APRNs complete a minimum of 18 credits, focused on the AGACNP specialty sequence; non-APRNs complete 31 credits including advanced practice core prerequisites.
A gap analysis conducted after admission determines which core courses a certified APRN may skip based on prior graduate coursework. All didactic content is online.
Advanced Practice Core (may be waived via gap analysis for certified APRNs; 10–12 credits):
- NURS 702 – Pharmacologic Management (3 cr)
- NURS 704 – Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning (3 cr) — on-campus immersion
- NURS 707 – Advanced Pathophysiology for Nurses (3 cr)
- NURS 718 – Diagnostic Interpretation and Therapeutic Modalities (1–3 cr) or NURS 770 – Emergent Diagnostics in Nursing
Required AGACNP Specialty Courses (21 credits):
- NURS 772 – Introduction of Acute Care Adult and Gerontological Health Problems (3 cr)
- NURS 773 – Principles of Acute Care Adult and Gerontological Health Problems I (6 cr) — clinical hours required
- NURS 774 – Principles of Acute Care Adult and Gerontological Complex Health Problems II (6 cr) — clinical hours required; on-campus immersion
- NURS 778 – Advanced Practice Role: AGACNP (3 cr)
- NURS 778A – Practicum of Advanced Practice Role: AGACNP (3 cr) — clinical hours required
Total: 18 credits (certified APRN) or 31 credits (non-APRN). More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Clinicals
The post-master’s certificate requires 784 total clinical hours, identical to the MSN track’s clinical requirement, concentrated in the AGACNP specialty sequence. Certified APRNs may have some clinical requirements waived via gap analysis based on prior practice experience and MSN clinical hours.
- 784 total clinical hours required (may be reduced via gap analysis for certified APRNs)
- NURS 773 and NURS 774: sequential acute care clinical rotations
- NURS 778A: final practicum in advanced AGACNP role
- NURS 774: on-campus immersion required
- NURS 704: on-campus immersion required (if not waived)
- Clinical settings: ICU, critical care, cardiology, trauma, surgery, nephrology, gastroenterology, pulmonary
- Clinical placement assistance available from the College of Nursing
Certificate Admissions
Applicants must hold both a BSN and MSN from nationally accredited programs and be certified, licensed, and actively practicing as an APRN with prescriptive authority.
- BSN and MSN from nationally accredited programs
- Active APRN specialty certification (copy required); must be certified, licensed, and practicing with prescriptive authority
- Unencumbered, active APRN license in the state where clinical experiences will occur
- Preferred graduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Minimum 2,400 hours of nursing experience within the past 24 months; preferred acute care experience (ICU, critical care, medical/surgical, emergency department) for AGACNP applicants
- Current BLS and ACLS certification
- Personal statement addressing the AGACNP scope and how the program advances professional goals
- Current CV or resume
- Three recommendations from master’s or doctoral-prepared healthcare professionals
- Evidence of graduate-level coursework in health/physical assessment, physiology/pathophysiology, and pharmacology (three separate courses meeting Consensus Model criteria)
- Official transcripts for all graduate coursework
- GRE not required
- $50 application fee (beginning August 1, 2026)
- Summer entry for clinical specialty programs; application window June 1–October 31; early decision August 15
- Certified APRNs qualifying for advanced standing may be permitted fall matriculation instead
Tuition
USC graduate tuition for part-time students is $572.25 per credit hour, applied equally to in-state and online/non-resident students enrolled in specially priced online programs.
Full-time in-state graduate tuition is $6,867 per semester; out-of-state is $14,880 per semester.
Total program costs published by the College of Nursing incorporate all tuition and required fees: the MSN AGACNP runs $44,961 in-state and $77,755 out-of-state; the BSN-DNP AGACNP runs $70,719 in-state and $121,655 out-of-state.
An out-of-state nursing scholarship is available for both programs, reducing the out-of-state MSN to approximately $51,071 and the BSN-DNP to approximately $36,159.
Post-master’s certificate costs are not published as a program total; at $572.25 per credit hour, the 18-credit certified APRN path runs approximately $10,300 and the 31-credit non-APRN path runs approximately $17,700. A technology fee ($17/credit hour part-time) applies.
See the official tuition page for more details.