Northern Kentucky University offers 2 Adult-Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- Master of Science in Nursing – Adult-Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (MSN-AGACNP)
- Post-Master’s Certificate – Adult-Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (PMC-AGACNP)
Both programs are delivered entirely online in an accelerated 7-week course format, allowing working nurses to complete their education without physically attending campus while maintaining full-time employment.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program Name | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGACNP | $29,177 | 2 years |
| Certificate AGACNP | $21,505 | 20 months |
The programs emphasize advanced clinical decision-making, diagnostic reasoning, and management of high-acuity patients from adolescence through geriatrics in acute care settings including ICUs, emergency departments, and specialty units.
MSN – Adult-Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
The estimated cost for the MSN-AGACNP program is $29,177 total tuition ($600 per credit hour) and would take 2 years to complete on a full-time basis.
MSN Curriculum
The 47-credit MSN-AGACNP curriculum prepares BSN-prepared registered nurses to manage treatment of adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients with acute, chronic, and complex health conditions in high-acuity settings.
The program combines eight core courses, five specialty courses, five clinical residency courses, and a capstone project, with all courses delivered in accelerated 7-week terms.
MSN Core Courses (24 credit hours):
AGACNP Specialty Courses (15 credit hours):
MSN 624 – Differential Dx & Mgmt Acute Disorder I (3 credits)
Students develop differential diagnosis and management skills for acutely ill adolescents, adults, and older adults with acute cardiac, pulmonary, transplant, and inpatient care needs. The course integrates pathophysiology, acute care pharmacology, and ethical, legal, genetic, cultural, and age-related factors.
MSN 625 – Differential Dx & Mgmt Acute Disorder II (3 credits)
Students assess and manage acute fluid and electrolyte, renal, endocrine, and gastrointestinal problems in the acute care setting. Coursework emphasizes diagnostic reasoning and treatment planning while addressing culture, age, genetics, and ethical and legal issues.
MSN 626 – Differential Dx & Mgmt Acute Disorder III (3 credits)
Students focus on diagnosing and managing acute infectious disease issues, hemostasis and thrombus concerns, musculoskeletal and neurologic conditions, and medical emergencies. The course applies pathophysiology and acute care drug therapy while considering patient diversity and practice standards.
MSN 627 – Adv Tech & Proc for Dx Reason Acute Care (3 credits)
Students learn how to use advanced technologies to support diagnosis and management of acutely ill adults. The course introduces invasive procedures and diagnostic device use within the AGACNP scope of practice.
MSN 628 – Seminar in Health Promotion & Acute Care (3 credits)
Students integrate theory, evidence, and presentation skills to address complex acute care and health promotion issues for AGACNP patients and families. Seminar work emphasizes ethical and cultural topics and builds skills in scholarly discussion and leadership.
Clinical Residency Courses (5 credit hours):
MSN 659L – AGACNP Clinical Course I (1 credit | 150 direct patient care hours)
Students begin supervised clinical practice focused on assessment and documentation for acutely ill adults with complex conditions. Clinical work emphasizes history taking, physical exams, and interpretation of diagnostic and lab results.
MSN 660L – AGACNP Clinical Course II (1 credit)
Students build stronger clinical assessment and diagnostic reasoning skills through supervised acute care practice. The course refines foundational competencies for managing complex adult patients.
MSN 661L – AGACNP Clinical Course III (1 credit)
Students strengthen clinical decision making and management strategies for acutely ill adults. Supervised experiences focus on applying NP-level reasoning to complex cases.
MSN 662L – AGACNP Clinical Course IV (1 credit)
Students expand advanced competencies while managing adolescents and adults in high-acuity and specialty settings. Clinical practice emphasizes broader management responsibilities and higher-complexity care.
MSN 663L – AGACNP Clinical Course V (1 credit)
Students progress to mastery through advanced supervised clinical experiences in high-acuity and specialty areas. The practicum supports independent-level competency in managing complex adolescent and adult patients.
Capstone Course (3 credit hours):
MSN 633 – AGACNP Capstone (3 credits)
Students complete a culminating practicum that pulls together learning from the AGACNP specialty sequence. The capstone ends with a final project that demonstrates synthesis of advanced practice knowledge and clinical readiness.
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinicals
The MSN-AGACNP program requires 750 total clinical hours distributed across five clinical residency courses in supervised, precepted settings.
Students progress through:
- foundational skills in assessment and documentation (Clinical Course I)
- strengthen diagnostic reasoning competencies (Clinical Course II)
- enhance clinical decision-making and management strategies (Clinical Course III)
- expand competencies in high-acuity and specialty areas (Clinical Course IV)
- achieve mastery of advanced clinical competencies (Clinical Course V)
Clinical experiences focus on managing adolescents and adults with complex conditions across various acute care settings including intensive care units, emergency departments, and specialty clinics.
MSN Admissions Requirements
Prerequisites and Application Requirements:
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from both a regionally accredited program and an ACEN, CCNE, or CNEA-accredited program of nursing (exceptions considered for non-US institutions where applicable)
- Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
- Current and unencumbered RN license
- 1,000 clinical hours of practice as a Registered Nurse (verification form required)
- 1 year of critical care experience (Critical Care Verification Form required)
- Undergraduate course in statistics with grade of C or better
- Complete online application and pay $40 non-refundable application fee (waived for NKU alumni and active/veteran military)
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate academic work
- Criminal background check (state and federal) through PreCheck StudentCheck (applicant pays costs)
Application Deadlines: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with multiple start dates throughout the year (Spring 1, Spring 2, Summer 1, Summer 2 sessions).
Post-Master’s Certificate – AGACNP
The estimated cost for the PMC-AGACNP program is $21,505 total tuition ($592 per credit hour) and would take 20 months to complete on a full-time basis.
Post-Master’s Certificate Curriculum
The 35-credit Post-Master’s Certificate builds on existing MSN education to prepare master’s-prepared nurses for AGACNP specialization through nine core courses, five clinical residency courses, and a capstone project.
The program awards eligibility for the Adult-Gero Acute Care NP certification examination through AACN.
Core Courses (27 credit hours):
- MSN 609: Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
- MSN 610: Advanced Physical Assessment Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
- MSN 611: Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
- MSN 612: Role Development in Advanced Practice Nursing (3 credits)
- MSN 624: Differential Diagnosis and Disease Management in Acute Care I (3 credits)
- MSN 625: Differential Diagnosis and Disease Management in Acute Care II (3 credits)
- MSN 626: Differential Diagnosis and Disease Management in Acute Care III (3 credits)
- MSN 627: Advanced Technologies for Acute Care and Diagnostic Reasoning (3 credits)
- MSN 628: Seminar in Health Promotion and Acute Care Clinical Decision Making (3 credits)
Clinical Residency Courses (5 credit hours):
- MSN 659L: AGACNP Clinical Course I (1 credit)
- MSN 660L: AGACNP Clinical Course II (1 credit)
- MSN 661L: AGACNP Clinical Course III (1 credit)
- MSN 662L: AGACNP Clinical Course IV (1 credit)
- MSN 663L: AGACNP Clinical Course V (1 credit)
Capstone Course (3 credit hours):
- MSN 633: AGACNP Capstone (3 credits)
More curriculum details are available here.
Post-Master’s Certificate Clinicals
The Post-Master’s Certificate requires 750 total clinical hours across five supervised clinical practicum courses in precepted acute care settings.
The clinical progression mirrors the MSN program, advancing from foundational assessment and documentation skills through mastery of advanced clinical competencies for managing adolescents and adults with complex conditions in high-acuity environments.
Students complete rotations in intensive care units, emergency departments, specialty clinics, laboratories, long-term care facilities, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers.
Post-Master’s Certificate Admissions Requirements
Prerequisites and Application Requirements:
- Master of Science in Nursing degree from an ACEN, CCNE, or CNEA-accredited nursing program (exceptions considered for non-US institutions where applicable)
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in MSN graduate coursework
- Current, unencumbered RN license with expiration date in the state of licensure and practice
- 1,000 clinical hours of practice as a Registered Nurse (verification form required)
- 1 year of critical care experience (Critical Care Verification Form required)
- Completed application for graduate admission
- $40 application fee paid
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate academic work
- Criminal background check (state and federal) through PreCheck StudentCheck (applicant pays costs)
Course Equivalency Review: Applicants may receive requests for syllabi to verify equivalency of previously completed courses:
- MSN 610 – Diagnostic Reasoning & Advanced Physical Assessment (over the lifespan)
- MSN 611 – Clinical Pharmacology & Intervention (over the lifespan)
- BIO 669 – Advanced Human Physiology (over the lifespan)
- MSN 612 – Role Development in Advanced Practice Nursing
If faculty determine coursework is not equivalent, admitted students may need to complete those courses at NKU.
Tuition
Graduate tuition for NKU nursing programs is $910 per credit hour based on standard university rates.
The online MSN-AGACNP program charges a reduced rate of $600 per credit hour ($29,177 total for 47 credits) and the Post-Master’s Certificate charges $592 per credit hour ($21,505 total for 35 credits).
The same affordable pay-by-the-course tuition applies for both in-state and out-of-state students in the online programs, with financial aid available to eligible students.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
Northern Kentucky University’s baccalaureate degree in nursing, master’s degree in nursing, postgraduate APRN certificate, and Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Graduates of both the MSN-AGACNP and Post-Master’s Certificate programs are eligible to sit for the Adult-Gero Acute Care NP certification examination through the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).
Other ACNP Programs for Kentucky Nurses
- Bellarmine University - Louisville
- University of Kentucky - Lexington
- University of Louisville - Louisville