Barry University offers 2 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – AGACNP
- Post-Master’s Certificate – AGACNP
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est.Tuition | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN-AGACNP | ≈ $36,960 | ≈ 3.5 years |
| Certificate-AGACNP | ≈ $26,320–$27,750 | ≈ 3 years |
The MSN-AGACNP program prepares nurses to provide advanced care to adult and elderly patients managing acute, chronic, and critical conditions, differentiating acute care practitioners from primary care providers.
Both tracks feature hybrid coursework combining on-campus and off-campus sessions with clinical training across diverse acute care settings.
MSN – Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
The estimated cost for the MSN-AGACNP program is approximately $36,960 after the 25% tuition scholarship and would take 3.5 years to complete on a full-time basis.
MSN-AGACNP Curriculum
The 52-credit MSN-AGACNP curriculum spans seven semesters and includes research papers, online exams, and sequential clinical coursework.
Semester I (7 credits)
NUR-510 – Advanced Pathophysiology
Introduces advanced, system-based pathophysiology across the lifespan, including variations by race, ethnicity, and gender. Emphasizes altered physiology as a basis for advanced assessment, clinical decision making, and disease management.
NUR-618 – Scientific Foundations of Advanced Pharmacology
Covers core pharmacology concepts such as pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacogenetics, and pharmacoeconomics. Highlights drug interactions, adverse effects, and safety strategies that support sound selection of pharmacotherapy in advanced practice.
NUR-615 – Advanced Pharmacology
Applies pharmacology principles to nurse practitioner practice with a focus on major drug classes. Reviews compatible and incompatible drug combinations, legal prescribing scope, and safe medication management in clinical settings.
Semester II (6 credits)
NUR-678 – Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning
Builds advanced health assessment and diagnostic reasoning skills for nurse practitioner and nurse educator roles. Guides students in forming differential diagnoses for health promotion, disease prevention, and early detection using prior knowledge of pathophysiology and pharmacology.
NUR-679 – Health Promotion, Disease Prevention, and Epidemiology
Explores population-focused health promotion and disease prevention using epidemiologic concepts and evidence-based guidelines. Examines health beliefs, cultural practices, and health disparities at individual, family, and community levels.
Semester III (7 credits)
NUR-665 – Clinical Procedures in Advanced Acute Care
Focuses on core clinical procedures and decision-making skills needed in advanced acute care practice. Links theory to supervised clinical performance and emphasizes safe, efficient execution of procedures in high-acuity environments.
NUR-601 – Philosophical and Theological Bases of Nursing
Examines major philosophical and theological perspectives that shape modern nursing. Traces the development of nursing theory and encourages critical analysis of how theory, research, and practice intersect to guide the future of the profession.
Semester IV (9 credits)
NUR-625 – Evidence-Based Inquiry in Nursing
Introduces the research process and its link to theory, clinical practice, and quality improvement. Reviews qualitative and quantitative methods, research ethics, new methodologies, and strategies for translating findings into evidence-based care.
NUR-667 – Adult-Gerontology Acute Care I
Provides the first clinical immersion in the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner role. Under preceptor guidance, students begin assessing, diagnosing, and managing acutely and critically ill adults using evidence-based interventions and advanced assessment skills.
Semester V (8 credits)
NUR-626 – Differential Diagnosis for AGACNP
Develops advanced diagnostic thinking to distinguish between disease processes with overlapping signs and symptoms. Uses case-based learning to refine clinical reasoning grounded in prior coursework in pathophysiology, pharmacology, and advanced assessment.
NUR-668 – Adult-Gerontology Acute Care II
Expands the AGACNP role in managing complex acute and exacerbated chronic conditions in adults across diverse acute and specialty settings. Emphasizes evidence-based care for gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine, immunologic, gynecologic, and musculoskeletal disorders with progressive, preceptor-directed responsibility.
Semester VI (7 credits)
NUR-669 – Adult-Gerontology Acute Care III
Final AGACNP clinical course focused on independent management of highly complex, acutely ill adult and older adult patients under advanced practice preceptor supervision. Integrates palliative and psychosocial care with high-level diagnostic and therapeutic decision making.
NUR-680 – Special Topics: Behavioral Health
Covers assessment and management of common behavioral health conditions in advanced practice. Addresses cultural and spiritual influences on mental health care while building on core nurse practitioner knowledge.
Semester VII (8 credits)
NUR-652 – Professional Development and Public Policy in Advanced Practice Nursing
Explores the master’s-prepared nurse’s role in health policy, leadership, and advanced practice. Addresses teaching-coaching, interprofessional relationships, health system organization and financing, and strategies to influence ethical policy at local, national, and global levels.
NUR-694 – Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Practicum
Provides a culminating practicum where students fully enact the acute care nurse practitioner role with qualified preceptors. Emphasizes independent, evidence-based management of adult and gerontology patients in appropriate acute and specialty care settings.
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN-AGACNP Clinicals
Clinical hours vary by program with a qualified list of available preceptors supplied to students. Students are required to conduct outreach to secure preceptors for clinical placements in acute care settings including hospitals, ICUs, trauma units, and emergency departments.
MSN-AGACNP Admissions
- Baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing from regionally and professionally accredited or internationally recognized institution
- Current unrestricted RN license in United States (Florida license required prior to program start)
- Minimum one year full-time clinical experience as RN within last year
- 3.0 GPA minimum on 4.0 scale
- Grade B or higher in undergraduate nursing research course
- One letter of recommendation from professional reference
- Admission interview upon receipt of all documentation
Post-Master’s Certificate – Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
The estimated cost for the Post-Master’s Certificate program is approximately $26,320-$27,750 and would take 3 years to complete on a part-time basis.
Certificate Curriculum
The Post-Master’s Certificate curriculum consists of 35-37 credit hours delivered over six semesters through hybrid platform combining on-campus and off-campus sessions. Sequential curriculum begins fall semester each year and requires completion of doctoral scholarly project during final semester.
- NUR 711: Role of the DNP (3 credits)
- NUR 721: Scientific Foundation for DNP (2 credits)
- NUR 727: Healthcare Informatics for DNP (3 credits)
- ANE 706: Leadership, Policy & Interdisciplinary Collaboration (3 credits)
- NURA-746: Biostatistics (3 credits)
- NUR 733: Translational Research for DNP (4 credits)
- NUR 734: Legal/Ethical Issues Advanced Nursing Practice (3 credits)
- NUR 737: Scholarly Project I (1 credit)
- NUR 747: Evaluation Methods for DNP (3 credits)
- NUR 753: Scholarly Project II (5 credits)
- NUR 739: Epidemiology/Population Health Advanced Clinical Practice (3 credits)
- NUR 803: Residency (4 credits)
- NUR 807: Scholarly Project III (3 credits)
Certificate Clinicals
Clinical training is integrated throughout the certificate program with residency requirement (4 credits) completed during fifth semester. Students complete and present doctoral scholarly project demonstrating synthesis of concepts and skills learned during program enrollment.
Certificate Admissions
- Master’s degree in Nursing (MSN) from regionally accredited or internationally recognized school
- 3.3 cumulative GPA minimum on 4.0 scale in graduate study
- Current RN or APRN license
- Valid current national certification in advanced nursing practice specialty (or achieved within one year of program start)
- CV/Resume
- Essay with clear statement of goals and expectations for DNP program
- Essay describing planned clinical project
- One letter of recommendation from healthcare professional
- Grade B or higher in undergraduate or graduate nursing research course
Tuition
Graduate tuition is $1,400 per credit with $950 annual student services fee. MSN students receive 25% tuition scholarship while Post-Master’s DNP students receive $1,000 per month for 24 months.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
The College of Health Professions & Medical Sciences maintains accreditation for undergraduate (BSN), master’s (MSN), post-graduate certificates (ARNP), and doctoral (DNP) nursing programs through Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Barry University is accredited by Commission on Colleges of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award degrees at baccalaureate, master’s, specialist, and doctoral levels.