Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (JHSON) offers a DNP: Adult-Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Track:
The program is delivered primarily online with required on-site immersions.
Students must be local to Maryland or Washington, D.C. by semester 3 for clinical coursework.
JHSON is ranked #1 for DNP programs by U.S. News & World Report (2025), and graduates are eligible to sit for both ANCC and AACN AGACNP certification exams.
Program Track Overview
Doctor of Nursing Practice – AGACNP
The estimated cost for the DNP: Adult-Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program is approximately $143,990 (70 credits × $2,057/credit) and is completed in 3 years on a full-time basis.
DNP Curriculum
The DNP requires 70 total credits, including 26 track-specific credits and 44 credits of core doctoral coursework. The program spans six semesters across three years, with required on-site immersions marked each spring semester.
Core ACNP courses include:
NR.401.700 – Introduction to Acute Care Fundamentals (4 credits)
Introduces foundational concepts for AG-ACNP practice, emphasizing evidence-based care, comprehensive assessment, and technology integration for acutely and critically ill adults.
NR.401.701 – Advanced Practice in Acute Care I: Diagnostic Reasoning (3.5 credits)
Develops diagnostic reasoning and problem-solving for acute illness management through the integration of assessment data, pathophysiology, and evidence-based decision-making.
NR.401.702 – Advanced Practice in Acute Care II: Diagnostic Reasoning (2 credits)
Advances clinical reasoning for increasingly complex acute and critical conditions, emphasizing differential diagnosis and patient-centered management strategies.
NR.401.703 – Advanced Practice in Acute Care III: Diagnostic Reasoning (3 credits)
Strengthens advanced diagnostic and analytical abilities to manage multifaceted acute illnesses within diverse adult populations.
NR.401.704 – Advanced Practice in Acute Care IV: Diagnostic Reasoning (3 credits)
Integrates advanced diagnostic reasoning and clinical synthesis for the management of complex acute and chronic health conditions across the acute care continuum.
NR.401.710 – Introduction to Acute Care Clinical Management (1 credit)
Introduces core clinical assessment and management skills for AG-ACNP students through 80 hours of immersive experiences focused on evidence-based acute care practice.
NR.401.712 – Advanced Practice in Acute Care I: Clinical Management (2 credits)
Applies foundational clinical skills in acute care management across diverse adult populations during 160 hours of guided clinical practice.
NR.401.713 – Advanced Practice in Acute Care II: Clinical Management (2.5 credits)
Expands clinical competence through 200 hours of experiential learning that integrates assessment, diagnostic reasoning, and evidence-based interventions.
NR.401.714 – Advanced Practice in Acute Care III: Clinical Management (2.5 credits)
Enhances advanced clinical reasoning and decision-making applied to complex acute care cases during 200 hours of supervised clinical immersion.
NR.401.715 – Advanced Practice in Acute Care IV: Clinical Management
Synthesizes advanced clinical practice skills in acute and critical care, incorporating care coordination, palliative, and end-of-life management principles.
Year 1 – Fall (10 credits)
- Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology Part I (2 credits)
- Pharmacology for Advanced Practice Part I (2 credits)
- Health Promotion and Disease Across the Lifespan (2 credits)
- Application of Biostatistical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice (2 credits)
- Advanced Health Policy (2 credits)
Year 1 – Spring (8 credits) (On-site immersion required)
- Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology Part II (2 credits)
- Pharmacology for Advanced Practice Part II (2 credits)
- Diagnostics and Procedures (1 credit)
- Advanced Health Assessment and Measurement for Advanced Practice Nurses (3 credits)
Year 1 – Summer (7 credits / 80 clinical hours)
- Application of the Research Process to Evidence-Based Practice (2 credits)
- Introduction to Acute Care Fundamentals (4 credits)
- Introduction to Acute Care Clinical Management (1 credit / 80 clinical hours)
Year 2 – Fall (9.5 credits / 160 clinical hours)
- Advanced Practice in Acute Care I: Diagnostic Reasoning (3.5 credits)
- Advanced Practice in Acute Care I: Clinical Management (2 credits / 160 clinical hours)
- Healthcare Finance for Advanced Nursing Practice (2 credits)
- Organization and Systems Leadership for Quality Healthcare (2 credits)
Year 2 – Spring (10.5 credits / 200 clinical hours / 40 project practicum hours) (On-site immersion required)
- Advanced Practice in Acute Care II: Diagnostic Reasoning (2 credits)
- Advanced Practice in Acute Care II: Clinical Management (2.5 credits / 200 clinical hours)
- Scholarly Problem Discovery and Foundations of Nursing Leadership in Healthcare (2.5 credits)
- Scholarly Problem Discovery and Foundations of Nursing Leadership in Healthcare Practicum (0.5 credits / 40 hours)
- Inquiry for Scholarly Practice (3 credits)
Year 2 – Summer (6 credits / 40 project practicum hours)
- Evidence-Based Practice and Research Translation in Healthcare (2.5 credits)
- Evidence-Based Practice and Research Translation in Healthcare Practicum (0.5 credits / 40 hours)
- Translation of Evidence for Advanced Nursing Practice (1 credit)
- Advanced Clinical Data Management for Evidence-Based Practice and Performance Improvement (2 credits)
Year 3 – Fall (9.5 credits / 200 clinical hours / 40 project practicum hours)
- Advanced Practice in Acute Care III: Diagnostic Reasoning (3 credits)
- Advanced Practice in Acute Care III: Clinical Management (2.5 credits / 200 clinical hours)
- Health Policy, Advocacy, and Legislation Transformation in Healthcare (1.5 credits)
- Health Policy, Advocacy, and Legislation Transformation in Healthcare Practicum (0.5 credits / 40 hours)
- Advanced Applications of Information Technology in Healthcare Delivery (2 credits)
Year 3 – Spring (9.5 credits / 200 clinical hours / 40 project practicum hours) (On-site immersion required)
- Advanced Practice in Acute Care IV: Diagnostic Reasoning (3 credits)
- Advanced Practice in Acute Care IV: Clinical Management (2.5 credits / 200 clinical hours)
- Clinical Data Management (2 credits)
- Quality, Safety, and Systems Improvement and Dissemination in Healthcare (1.5 credits)
- Quality, Safety, and Systems Improvement and Dissemination in Healthcare Practicum (0.5 credits / 40 hours)
See the full curriculum details
DNP Clinicals
Students complete a minimum of 1,000 total practice hours, including 840 direct clinical hours and 160 DNP project practicum hours.
An on-site clinical immersion at Johns Hopkins Hospital occurs during Introduction to Acute Care (Summer Year 1), with additional simulation immersions required during Acute Care I through Acute Care IV.
Students must hold a Maryland RN license (or compact state license) prior to beginning clinical coursework, and must be residing in Maryland or Washington, D.C. by semester 3. Clinical sites in Louisiana and New York are not authorized.
- Introduction to Acute Care Clinical Management: 80 clinical hours
- Advanced Practice in Acute Care I: 160 clinical hours
- Advanced Practice in Acute Care II: 200 clinical hours
- Advanced Practice in Acute Care III: 200 clinical hours
- Advanced Practice in Acute Care IV: 200 clinical hours
- DNP Project Practicum (4 courses): 160 project practicum hours
DNP Prerequisites & Admissions
- BSN or entry-level nursing master’s degree from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited institution (or equivalent foreign degree)
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- At least 1 year of full-time RN experience in direct care of physiologically unstable adults in an inpatient acute care setting (ICU, critical care, intermediate care, progressive care, stepdown, or telemetry unit) by program start
- Current ACLS certification required prior to first clinical rotation
- Active RN license; Maryland licensure (or compact state) required before clinical courses begin
- Must be local to MD or DC by semester 3
- Three letters of recommendation: at least one from a direct supervisor/manager, at least one from an academic faculty member, and one from a second faculty member or clinical leader
- Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
- Current résumé/CV (include work experience, education, scholarly activities, professional activities, community service)
- Goal statement
- GRE scores accepted but not required
- Interview with faculty (if advanced by admissions committee)
- TOEFL or IELTS required if English is not native language
- Applications submitted via NursingCAS (no supplemental school fee)
- Undergraduate statistics prerequisite with a grade of B or better (B- not accepted); topics must include correlation, regression, t-tests, ANOVA, and chi-square
Tuition
JHSON charges $2,057 per credit hour for the DNP Advanced Practice program (2025–2026 rates).
Additional costs include a $500 non-refundable admission deposit, a $500 matriculation fee, and an annual $900 health services fee. The estimated first-year Cost of Attendance (including living expenses, transportation, books, and health insurance) is approximately $104,005.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Application Deadlines
DNP: AGACNP – Fall Entry:
- Deadline 1: November 1
- Deadline 2: January 15
Accreditation
Graduates of the JHSON DNP: AGACNP track are eligible to apply for certification from both the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).
The curriculum is developed in alignment with the AACN Scope and Standards for Adult-Gerontology and Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (2021), the NP Competency Implementation Guide (2024), and AACN’s Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (2021).