Stony Brook University School of Nursing offers 3 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
- Advanced Certificate.
All programs are delivered through distance education with on-site requirements, providing flexible learning options for working nurses.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program Name | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGACNP | $53,280 | 2–3 years (full-time) |
| DNP AGACNP (Advanced Standing) | $49,728 | 2–3 years (part-time) |
| Advanced Certificate AGACNP | $15,392–$58,696 | 1–2 years |
The MSN-AGACNP program starts in Summer 2026 with faculty-facilitated clinical placements across diverse acute and critical care settings.
Master of Science in Nursing – AGACNP
The estimated cost for the MSN-AGACNP program is approximately $53,280 for NYS residents (45 credits at $1,184 per credit) or $111,990 for non-residents (45 credits at $2,488 per credit), and would take 2-3 years to complete on a full-time basis.
MSN Curriculum
The curriculum totals 45 credits comprising core courses (8 credits), research courses (6 credits), foundational courses (9 credits), and clinical specialty courses (22 credits). Students develop competencies in managing adult-gerontology patients with complex acute and chronic health conditions across the full spectrum of acuity and healthcare settings.
HNH 503 – Organizational Leadership and Role Transformation (3 credits)
Examines how health care economics, business principles, and system structures shape nursing practice. Students study leadership theories, styles, and change strategies. The course helps learners define and grow into advanced practice roles within complex organizations.
HNH 504 – Quality Improvement, Safety and Healthcare Technologies (3 credits)
Introduces methods to measure and improve care quality, safety, and patient outcomes. Students learn to interpret data, apply quality improvement tools, and evaluate results. Current and emerging health technologies are used to support safe, value-based care across settings.
HNH 505 – Health Care Policy and Advocacy (2 credits)
Explores how health policy influences health systems, funding, and social determinants of health. Students examine institutional, local, state, and federal policy processes. The nurse’s advocacy role for vulnerable populations, the profession, and health-promoting policies is emphasized.
HNG 515 – Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits)
Builds advanced health history and physical exam skills using a regional and systems-based approach. Students apply diagnostic reasoning frameworks to organize findings and form clinical impressions. Functional health patterns and biomedical models guide each assessment.
HNG 519 – Advanced Theory and Clinical Practice in Adult-Gerontology Nursing Across the Continuum I (4 credits)
Focuses on assessing and diagnosing health status, risks, and functional patterns in adults and their families. Students plan collaborative, therapeutic interventions that promote, maintain, or restore health. Strengths and limitations of patients, families, and resources guide decision making.
HNG 529 – Advanced Theory and Clinical Practice in Adult-Gerontology Nursing Across the Continuum II (5 credits)
Continues development of advanced decision-making skills for adults with acute and chronic health problems. Students design and evaluate interventions that treat illness, manage chronic disease, and reduce disability. Managed care concepts, self-care support, and outcome evaluation are highlighted.
HNG 509 – Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Acute Care Adult-Gerontology Nursing I (5 credits)
Introduces acute and critical care management for adults and older adults across the age span. Students develop competencies from prevention through intensive treatment of complex conditions. Didactic and clinical work emphasize stabilization, high-acuity decision making, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
HNG 559 – Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Acute Care Adult-Gerontology Nursing II (5 credits)
Serves as the final clinical course in adult-gerontology acute care practice. Students refine advanced skills in diagnosing, treating, and managing complex and unstable patients. Evidence-based practice, ethical reasoning, simulation, and clinical immersions support readiness for independent advanced practice.
HNG 540 – Clinical Pharmacology (3 credits)
Covers advanced pharmacotherapeutic principles for patients across the lifespan. Emphasis is on pharmacodynamics, patient response, regimen management, and monitoring. Regulatory and legal requirements for safe prescribing are included.
HNG 541 – Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice I (3 credits)
Introduces research as the scientific basis for nursing practice. Students examine research designs, methods, and analysis strategies to judge study quality. Course content follows the steps of the evidence-based practice process and focuses on evaluating published nursing research.
HNG 543 – Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice II (3 credits)
Builds on EBP foundations with models and methods for translating evidence into practice. Students critically appraise research and guidelines for clinical relevance and feasibility. They identify, synthesize, and apply evidence to recommend strategies that improve health care outcomes.
HNG 580 – Advanced Skills, Technologies and Clinical Decision-Making in Acute Care (3 credits)
Focuses on advanced assessment, use of technology, and decision making for acutely ill patients. Students learn when and how to apply invasive and noninvasive devices using evidence-based criteria. Ethical, legal, and psychosocial effects of technology are addressed through skills labs and simulation.
HNG 588 – Clinical Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
Examines disruptions in normal physiology across body systems for patients of all ages. Students study disease processes related to genetic, environmental, and stress-related factors. Regulatory and compensatory mechanisms are linked to clinical signs, symptoms, and management decisions.
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinicals
Clinical hours are integrated throughout the specialty coursework, with students completing practicum experiences in acute care settings including ICUs, emergency departments, and specialty units. The Office of Clinical Placements works collaboratively with faculty to secure clinical sites and facilitate affiliation agreements.
Clinical Highlights:
- Clinical hours embedded in HNG 519, 529, 509, 559, and 580 courses
- Faculty-facilitated clinical placements across diverse acute and critical care settings
- Clinical affiliation agreements executed between SUNY and clinical sites
- All placements arranged at no cost to students per Stony Brook Medicine policy
- Advanced skills training in acute care technologies and clinical decision-making
MSN Admissions Requirements
Prerequisites & Admissions:
- Bachelor of Science degree with major in nursing from accredited program (or non-nursing bachelor’s with Clinical Practice Portfolio requirement)
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Current unencumbered NYS RN license
- Minimum one year of recent relevant experience (preferred)
- Three-credit undergraduate course in health assessment
- Three-credit undergraduate course in statistics
- Three letters of recommendation
- Current curriculum vitae/resume
- Must meet technical standards for admission and retention
- Application deadline: November 6, 2025 for Summer 2026 start
- Upon admission: BLS certification with AED required
- International applicants: TOEFL minimum internet score of 90 with 22+ on each section
Doctor of Nursing Practice – AGACNP (Advanced Standing)
The estimated cost for the DNP program with advanced standing is approximately $49,728 for NYS residents (42 credits at $1,184 per credit) or $104,496 for non-residents (42 credits at $2,488 per credit), and would take 2-3 years to complete on a part-time basis.
DNP Curriculum
The program requires 42 credits for students entering with advanced standing (master’s-prepared NPs or CNMs), including scientific underpinnings, DNP project core, analytics and informatics, advanced clinical practice, and population health courses. A gap analysis confirms previous coursework and validates clinical hours from the master’s level.
Scientific Underpinnings:
- HND 612: Theories of Applied Sciences (3 credits)
- HND 650: Systems Theory (3 credits)
DNP Project Core:
- HND 647: Doctoral Seminar in Evidence-based Practice (4 credits)
- HND 655: DNP Synthesis I (5 credits)
- HND 665: DNP Synthesis II (6 credits)
- HND 675: DNP Synthesis III (6 credits)
Analytics & Informatics Core:
- HND 635: Biostatistics (3 credits)
- HND 645: Large Data Analyses (3 credits)
Advanced Clinical Practice Core:
- HND 615: Genomics (3 credits)
Population Health Core:
- HND 625: Healthcare Policy and Social Justice (3 credits)
- HND 640: Epidemiology and Population Health (3 credits)
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP Clinicals
The advanced standing DNP track requires a minimum of 500 additional scholarly practice hours to meet the 1,000+ post-baccalaureate practice hour requirement. Clinical hours are completed through DNP residencies and project implementation with faculty mentorship.
Clinical Requirements:
- 500 scholarly practice hours for advanced standing students
- Gap analysis validates clinical hours from master’s level
- DNP project development and implementation in clinical settings
- Faculty collaboration and mentorship throughout
- Clinical placements facilitated by Office of Clinical Placements
DNP Admissions Requirements
Prerequisites & Admissions:
- Master of Science degree as advanced Nurse Practitioner or Certified Nurse Midwife (currently only accepting advanced standing applicants)
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 on baccalaureate degree
- Registered professional nurse licensure
- Malpractice insurance as DNP student or NP student
- Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
- Written statement (see online application for essay requirements)
- Three letters of recommendation
- Current curriculum vitae/resume
- Interview may be required
- Application deadline: February 15, 2026 for Summer 2026 start
- Upon admission: COVID-19 vaccination required for all enrolled students
- International applicants: TOEFL minimum internet score of 90 with 22+ on each section
Advanced Certificate – AGACNP
The estimated cost for the Advanced Certificate program ranges from $15,392 to $58,696 for NYS residents (13-45 credits at $1,184 per credit) or $32,344 to $111,990 for non-residents (13-45 credits at $2,488 per credit) depending on gap analysis, and would take 1-2 years to complete.
Advanced Certificate Curriculum
The program requires a minimum of 13 credits with gap analysis determining final program plan based on previous graduate coursework. The certificate offers master’s or doctorally prepared nurses the ability to specialize in AGACNP practice.
Core Courses (Required for All):
- HNG 509: Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Acute Care Adult-Gerontology Nursing I (5 credits)
- HNG 559: Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Acute Care Adult-Gerontology Nursing II (5 credits)
- HNG 580: Advanced Skills, Technologies & Clinical Decision-Making in Acute Care (3 credits)
By Individual Advisement (Gap Analysis):
- HNH 503: Organizational Leadership and Role Transformation (3 credits)
- HNH 504: Quality Improvement, Safety, and Health Care Technologies (3 credits)
- HNH 505: Health Care Policy and Advocacy (2 credits)
- HNG 515: Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits)
- HNG 540: Clinical Pharmacology (3 credits)
- HNG 588: Clinical Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
- HNG 519: Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Adult-Gerontology Across the Continuum I (4 credits)
- HNG 529: Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Adult-Gerontology Across the Continuum II (5 credits)
More curriculum details are available here.
Advanced Certificate Clinicals
Clinical hours are integrated into specialty courses based on gap analysis results. Graduates of Stony Brook’s master’s program are not required to retake courses already completed within the School of Nursing.
Clinical Components:
- Minimum 13 credits includes precepted clinical hours
- Clinical hours embedded in HNG 509, 559, and 580 courses
- Additional clinical courses determined by gap analysis
- Faculty-facilitated clinical placements in acute and critical care settings
- No payment required by students for clinical placements
Advanced Certificate Admissions Requirements
Prerequisites & Admissions:
- Master’s or doctoral degree from accredited nursing program
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Current unencumbered NYS RN license
- Minimum one year of recent relevant experience (preferred)
- Three-credit undergraduate course in health assessment
- Three-credit undergraduate course in statistics
- Three letters of recommendation
- Current curriculum vitae/resume
- Must meet technical standards for admission and retention
- Application deadline: November 6, 2025 for Summer 2026 start
- Upon admission: BLS certification with AED and ACLS certification required
- International applicants: Course-by-course evaluation by NACES-accredited service (such as WES)
Tuition
Graduate nursing tuition for Spring 2026 is $1,184 per credit for NYS residents and $2,488 per credit for non-residents (Graduate G1/3 rate for 12 credits). Full-time graduate students (12 credits) pay $7,111.01 for residents or $14,951.01 for non-residents per semester, which includes comprehensive fees.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
Stony Brook University School of Nursing programs prepare graduates for eligibility for New York State certification and national certification in their specialty. The program meets state and national requirements for AGACNP certification, enabling graduates to sit for national board certification upon completion.
Additional ACNP Programs in New York
- Columbia University - New York
- Daemen University - Amherst
- Hofstra University - Hempstead
- Molloy University - Rockville Centre
- NYU College of Nursing - New York
- Pace University - New York
- St. John Fisher University - Rochester
- University of Rochester - Rochester