California State University, Los Angeles offers 2 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- MSN Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP)
- Post-Master’s Certificate in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP)
Both options are based at the main campus and focus on caring for acutely ill adults in settings such as ICUs, step-down units, emergency departments, and acute hospital units.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGACNP | ≈ $27,000 | 3 years |
| Certificate AGACNP | ≈ $18,000 | 2 years |
*Estimates are based on graduate tuition and mandatory fees of about $9,144 per academic year for California residents, assuming typical full-time enrollment.
The curriculum blends advanced theory, intensive clinical training, and graduate-level scholarship to prepare nurses for advanced practice and national AGACNP certification exams.
Master of Science in Nursing – AGACNP
The estimated cost for the MSN Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program is approximately $27,000 in resident tuition and mandatory fees and would take about 3 years of full-time study to complete.
MSN Curriculum
The MSN AGACNP option requires 56 graduate units, combining a 21-unit MSN core, 32 units of AGACNP specialty coursework, and 3 units of culminating experience.
Students build a foundation in advanced pharmacology, pathophysiology, health assessment, informatics, and research before moving into intensive AGACNP management and practicum courses.
Key courses include:
A. Core Courses (21 units)
NURS 5020 – Role, Health Care & Policy
Introduces the advanced practice nurse role and how it shapes health care delivery and policy. Examines professional responsibilities, system-level influences, and strategies for impacting practice environments.
NURS 5280 – Advanced Pharmacology
Covers pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapeutics for common conditions encountered in primary and acute care. Emphasizes safe prescribing, monitoring, and medication management across diverse patient populations.
NURS 5660 – Advanced Pathophysiology
Explores complex disease processes and the body’s adaptive responses across organ systems. Links pathophysiologic changes to clinical signs and supports rationale for advanced clinical interventions.
NURS 5720 – Advanced Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning
Builds advanced health assessment and diagnostic reasoning skills for patients across the lifespan. Integrates physical, psychosocial, developmental, and environmental data to support accurate clinical judgments and health promotion.
NURS 5730 – Advanced Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning Practicum
Provides supervised practice applying advanced assessment and diagnostic reasoning in real or simulated clinical settings. Focuses on organizing findings, refining differentials, and planning patient-centered care.
NURS 5800 – Nursing Informatics
Introduces the use of information and communication technologies to support nursing practice, quality, and scholarship. Highlights data management, documentation tools, and decision-support systems that enhance patient care.
NURS 5900 – Nursing Theory, Research & Practice
Examines nursing theories and research methods as foundations for evidence-based practice. Guides students in critiquing research, synthesizing findings, and applying evidence to improve nursing and interprofessional care.
Required AGACNP Courses (12 units)
NURS 5301 – Advanced Care Management I: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Introduces evidence-based management of adults and older adults with acute and chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, neurologic, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and emergency conditions. Emphasizes stabilization, complex decision-making, and early recognition of deterioration.
NURS 5302 – Advanced Care Management II: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Continues advanced management of adult and gerontology patients with HEENT, dermatologic, musculoskeletal, endocrine, immunologic, psychiatric, and oncologic disorders. Focuses on risk reduction, symptom control, and long-term impact of nonmodifiable risk factors.
NURS 5303 – Advanced Care Management III: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Integrates national guidelines, systems thinking, and role development for the AGACNP. Stresses cross-system coordination, advanced care planning, and reflective practice in complex clinical environments.
Practicum (20 units)
NURS 5401 – Advanced Therapeutics Practicum I for the AGACNP
Introduces supervised clinical practice in acute care settings with a focus on advanced assessment, differential diagnosis, and initial management of acutely ill adults and their families. Builds confidence in applying classroom knowledge to real patients.
NURS 5402 – Advanced Therapeutics Practicum II for the AGACNP
Expands clinical responsibility for managing more complex acute and unstable conditions. Refines therapeutic decision-making, patient education, and collaboration with the interprofessional team.
NURS 5403 – Advanced Therapeutics Practicum III for the AGACNP
Provides advanced-level clinical immersion managing high-acuity adult and gerontology patients. Emphasizes independent yet supervised practice, prioritization in fast-paced settings, and readiness for the AGACNP role at graduation.
Culminating Experience (3 units)
- Thesis, project, or comprehensive exam (NURS 5960, 5970, 5990, or 5995)
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinicals
The MSN AGACNP option includes approximately 900 supervised clinical hours, aligned with updated NONPF nurse practitioner hour expectations.
Students complete progressive practicum courses that emphasize advanced care management, therapeutic decision-making, and interprofessional collaboration in high-acuity adult settings.
Clinical placements typically involve acute care environments such as ICUs, telemetry or step-down units, emergency departments, and specialty services that care for medically complex adults.
MSN Admissions
MSN AGACNP admission focuses on BSN preparation and strong recent academics.
- Education: BSN in nursing from an NLN- or CCNE-accredited program
- GPA: Minimum 3.0 in upper-division nursing and in the last 60 semester (or 90 quarter) units
- Prerequisite courses: Undergraduate statistics and nursing research, plus a recent physical assessment course
Applications and documents:
- Cal State Apply university application
- Separate School of Nursing application
- Three references
- Personal essay
- Possible interview and/or onsite writing sample
Licensure and clearances:
- Current California RN license with a cleared background check
Before starting clinicals, students must provide:
- Current CPR certification
- Proof of liability insurance
- Recent physical exam
- Proof of required immunities
- TB clearance (with chest x-ray if indicated)
- Any agency-required drug screening
Post-Master’s Certificate – AGACNP
The estimated cost for the Post-Master’s Certificate in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner is approximately $18,000 in resident tuition and mandatory fees and would take about 2 years of full-time study to complete.
Certificate Curriculum
The post-master’s AGACNP certificate is a 32-unit program for nurses who already hold an MSN or DNP and need AGACNP coursework for credentialing.
The focus is on advanced management of acutely ill adults, integrating theoretical content with intensive clinical practice.
Required certificate courses are:
- NURS 5301 – Advanced Care Management I: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP
- NURS 5302 – Advanced Care Management II: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP
- NURS 5303 – Advanced Care Management III: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP
- NURS 5401 – Advanced Therapeutics Practicum I for the AGACNP
- NURS 5402 – Advanced Therapeutics Practicum II for the AGACNP
- NURS 5403 – Advanced Therapeutics Practicum III for the AGACNP
More curriculum details are available here:
https://ecatalog.calstatela.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=75&poid=34571
Certificate Clinicals
The certificate also includes about 900 clinical hours, ensuring depth and breadth in acute and critical care management. Clinical experiences mirror those of the MSN option (see above).
Certificate Admissions
Admission to the post-master’s AGACNP certificate targets experienced graduate-prepared nurses. Applicants must hold a master’s degree in nursing (MSN or MN), a current California RN license, and typically one year of recent clinical practice with acutely ill adults.
Additional requirements include a School of Nursing application with two references and an essay, recent physical assessment coursework (unless already practicing as an NP), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification, and often a specialty certification such as CCRN.
BRN rules require that pharmacology coursework be completed within five years of applying for a furnishing number, so pharmacology recency is also reviewed.
Tuition
Graduate tuition and mandatory fees for California residents are estimated at $9,144 per academic year (fall and spring), with non-resident students charged an additional $444 per unit.
Based on typical full-time enrollment, this equates to an approximate resident cost of around $380–$400 per unit, excluding housing, books, transportation, and personal expenses.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
The Master of Science in Nursing at the Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing, including the AGACNP option, is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
California State University, Los Angeles is also regionally accredited, and AGACNP graduates are eligible for recognition as advanced practice nurses by the California Board of Registered Nursing and to sit for national AGACNP certification examinations.
Additional ACNP Programs for California Students
- California Baptist University - Riverside
- CSU Long Beach - Long Beach
- Loma Linda University - Loma Linda
- University of California San Francisco - San Francisco