Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN AGACNP | $41.7K | 2 years (6 semesters) | 45 |
| BSN-DNP AGACNP | $63.4K | 3.7 years (11 semesters) | 73 |
| Certificate | $22.2K | 1.3 years (4 semesters) | 24 |
Tuition and duration are both calculated rather than published.
NSU requires an unrestricted Florida RN license from AGACNP applicants on all three tracks, while its FNP and PMHNP applicants may hold a license from any state. Certificate applicants must also live within 225 miles of the program campus.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN, BSN to DNP, postgraduate certificate |
| Population Focus | AGACNP on all three tracks |
| Format | Mostly Online for the MSN and DNP; Hybrid for the certificate |
| Campus Visits | Three intensives totaling 8 days at NSU’s Palm Beach campus |
| Clinical Hours | 855 specialty practicum hours; 765 for the certificate |
| Clinical Placement | NSU does not publish who locates preceptors or where rotations occur |
| RN Experience | 12 months of active independent clinical practice, or 24 months at a 2.75 GPA |
| License Requirements | Unrestricted Florida RN license and current ACLS certificate |
| Start Terms | Fall (August 1 deadline) and winter (December 1 deadline) |
| Tuition | $926 per credit for the MSN and certificate; $868 for the BSN to DNP |
| Certification | ANCC AGACNP-BC and AACN ACNPC-AG |
| Accreditation | CCNE, including the post-graduate APRN certificate program |
| State Restrictions | Certificate applicants must reside within 225 miles of the campus |
Requirements Shared Across All Tracks
Clinical Requirements
- Specialty practicum hours: 855 on the MSN and BSN to DNP, from nine clinical credits at NSU’s published rate of 95 practicum hours per credit
- Certificate practicum hours: 765, published per course as 170, 170, 170, and 255
- Clinical sequence: three acute care courses plus a capstone, in lock-step order on every track
- DNP project hours: 600 additional hours across four project courses, separate from the specialty practicum
- Practicum licensure: the RN license must remain current in the jurisdiction where the practicum takes place
- Preceptor sourcing: not published for any track
Be aware that:
NSU publishes 95 practicum hours per clinical credit for the MSN and BSN to DNP but no clock-hour total. The 855-hour figure above is that published rate multiplied by the nine clinical credits in the AGACNP sequence.
Campus Requirements
- Number of intensives: three, tied to NSG 5502, NSG 5620, and NSG 5650
- Length: 2 days, 4 days, and 2 days, for 8 total on-campus days
- Location: the Palm Beach campus for all three, with no alternate site offered
- Virtual intensives: DNP students attend 1 to 2 virtual days during each of the four project courses
- Certificate: NSU lists on-site Palm Beach coursework but publishes no intensive schedule
RN Experience and Licensure
- State licensure: a current, unrestricted Florida RN license is required of AGACNP applicants on every track
- ACLS: a current Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support certificate is required at application
- Experience: 12 months of active independent clinical practice, excluding residencies and facility orientations
- GPA trade: the MSN and BSN to DNP admit at a 3.0 GPA with 12 months of practice, or a 2.75 GPA with 24 months
- Direct patient care: at least one year of current experience for the MSN and BSN to DNP
Master of Science in Nursing, AGACNP
The estimated tuition for the MSN AGACNP program at Nova Southeastern University is approximately $41,670 (45 credits at $926 per credit). The program can generally be completed in about two years across six semesters.
A flex track spreads the same 45 credits over eight semesters. Full-time students may instead be billed a flat $20,835 per academic year, which reaches the same total over two years.
MSN AGACNP Curriculum
- NSG 5000: Advanced Nurse Roles (2 credits)
- NSG 5111: Evidence and Practice (3 credits)
- NSG 5531, NSG 5510, NSG 5502: Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits each)
- NSG 5512: Diagnostic Reasoning (1 credit)
- NSG 5220: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (3 credits)
- NSG 5130: Healthcare Policy and Leadership (3 credits)
- NSG 5620 and NSG 5629: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care I and its clinical (4 and 2 credits)
- NSG 5630 and NSG 5639: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care II and its clinical (4 and 2 credits)
- NSG 5650 and NSG 5659: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care III and its clinical (4 and 2 credits)
- NSG 5660 and NSG 5669: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Capstone and its clinical (3 and 3 credits)
Applicants holding a non-nursing bachelor’s degree add NSG 5000B, Transition to Advanced Nursing Practice, a 6-credit bridge completed before the MSN begins.
You should know:
NSG 5000B is offered in the fall term only. A non-nursing bachelor’s holder who cannot start the bridge in fall waits a full year to begin the MSN sequence.
MSN AGACNP Admissions
- Entry degree: a BSN, or a non-nursing bachelor’s with a 3.0 GPA plus NSG 5000B
- Nursing program accreditation: ACEN, CCNE, or CNEA
- Interview: required with the program director
- Graduate prerequisites: the three comprehensive graduate courses in pathophysiology, health assessment, and pharmacology must be held or obtained
- Supporting materials: NursingCAS application, transcripts, and a curriculum vitae
More curriculum details are available here.
BSN to DNP, AGACNP
The estimated tuition for the BSN to DNP AGACNP program at Nova Southeastern University is approximately $63,364 (73 credits at $868 per credit). The program can generally be completed in about 3.7 years across eleven semesters.
The AGACNP specialty sequence, its nine clinical credits, and the Palm Beach intensives are identical to the MSN. The doctoral tier adds 28 credits, seven systems and science courses, and a four-part project carrying 600 practicum hours.
Doctoral credits cost less than master’s APRN credits at NSU. BSN to DNP coursework bills at $868 per credit against the MSN’s $926, so the doctorate costs about $21,700 more for 28 additional credits.
BSN to DNP Curriculum
- NSG 7300: DNP Roles, Leadership and Collaboration (3 credits)
- NSG 7350: Leadership in Complex Healthcare Systems (3 credits)
- NSG 7131: Epidemiology Advancing Global Health (3 credits)
- NSG 7135: Healthcare Information Systems and Outcomes Management (3 credits)
- NSG 7020: Healthcare Policy and Advocacy (3 credits)
- NSG 7400: Nursing Science for Clinical Practice (3 credits)
- NSG 7040: Biostatistics I (3 credits)
- NSG 7431, 7444, 7445, 7451: Project I through IV, 150 practicum hours each (5, 4, 3, and 3 credits)
BSN to DNP Admissions
- Entry degree: a BSN; there is no non-nursing bridge into this track
- Writing sample: 250 words minimum in APA 7th edition, on a practice problem viewed from a DNP perspective
- Interview: required with the program director
- Nursing program accreditation: ACEN, CCNE, CNEA, or NLNAC
More curriculum details are available here.
Postgraduate Certificate, AGACNP
The estimated tuition for the Postgraduate AGACNP Certificate at Nova Southeastern University is approximately $22,224 (24 credits at $926 per credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1.3 years across four semesters.
Applicants who still need the three graduate-level prerequisites take 33 credits, roughly $30,558, and must first apply as non-degree-seeking students to complete them.
The certificate runs on the older course structure. Its four specialty courses are 6 credits each with clinical hours built in, rather than the split didactic and clinical courses the MSN and DNP now use. The result is 765 practicum hours against 855 on the degree tracks.
You should know:
Entry term is set by prerequisite status. Applicants who already hold the three graduate courses enter in winter only; applicants who need them enter in fall only. Choosing the wrong cycle costs a term.
Certificate Curriculum
- NSG 5620: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care I (6 credits, 170 practicum hours)
- NSG 5630: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care II (6 credits, 170 practicum hours)
- NSG 5650: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care III (6 credits, 170 practicum hours)
- NSG 5660: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Capstone (6 credits, 255 practicum hours)
- Prerequisite block: NSG 5531, NSG 5510, and NSG 5502 (3 credits each) for applicants who lack them
You should know:
NSU states that postgraduate certificates shift from hybrid to fully online coursework beginning in the 2027-28 academic year. Students entering before then should plan for on-site work at Palm Beach.
Certificate Admissions
- Entry degree: an MSN from an NLNAC- or CCNE-accredited program
- GPA: 3.0 cumulative in the master’s program, with no experience-based alternative
- Residency: applicants must live within 225 miles of the program campus
- Experience: 12 months of active independent clinical practice
- Supporting materials: NursingCAS application, transcripts, and a curriculum vitae
Tuition
AGACNP coursework at NSU bills at $926 per credit for the MSN and the postgraduate certificate, and $868 per credit for the BSN to DNP. These are the 2026-27 rates.
| Program | Credits | Estimated Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGACNP | 45 | $41,670 |
| BSN to DNP AGACNP | 73 | $63,364 |
| Postgraduate Certificate | 24 | $22,224 |
| Certificate with prerequisites | 33 | $30,558 |
All four totals are calculated from published per-credit rates. A one-time $500 seat deposit applies to every track.
Full-time MSN students have a second billing option: a flat $20,835 per academic year. That equals 22.5 credits at $926, so a two-year full-time plan reaches the same $41,670.
You should know:
NSU’s cost-of-attendance tables estimate institutional fees at $2,985 a year for the MSN and BSN to DNP and $3,135 for the certificate. These sit outside the per-credit rate and are not included in the totals above.
NSU reports that 85 percent of U.S. citizens and permanent residents receive financial aid, and payment plans, employer assistance, and veterans benefits are accepted. See the official tuition and fees page for more details.
Why Choose This ACNP Program?
Florida licensure gate. Every AGACNP applicant needs a current, unrestricted Florida RN license. NSU’s FNP and PMHNP applicants may hold a license from any state, so the restriction is specific to acute care.
Eight campus days in one place. Three intensives at Palm Beach, running two, four, and two days, are the only required in-person time for the MSN and BSN to DNP.
ACLS certification is required at the point of application rather than before clinical courses, which rules out applicants planning to earn it during the first year.
Two paces, one price. The MSN runs six semesters full-time or eight on the flex track, and both cover the same 45 credits at the same total cost.
Certificate residency radius. Certificate applicants must live within 225 miles of the program campus, and their entry term depends on whether they already hold the three graduate prerequisites.
NSU suits nurses who hold or can obtain a Florida RN license and can reach Palm Beach for a handful of days each year. Nurses licensed elsewhere should resolve the licensure requirement before investing in an application.
Accreditation and Certification
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredits the baccalaureate, master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at Nova Southeastern University, along with the post-graduate APRN certificate program. That certificate accreditation matters for certificate holders, because ANCC requires it for exam eligibility.
Nova Southeastern University is accredited institutionally by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, educational specialist, doctoral, and professional degrees.
NSU’s licensure disclosure places all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and every listed territory, including Puerto Rico and Guam, in the column of jurisdictions where the program meets educational requirements for licensure. The column for jurisdictions that do not meet requirements is empty.
All three tracks carry an adult-gerontology acute care population focus. Graduates are eligible to sit for the ANCC Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner exam (AGACNP-BC) and the AACN exam (ACNPC-AG).
Research More Acute Care NP Options in Florida
- Barry University - Miami Shores
- University of Central Florida - Orlando
- University of Florida Health - Gainesville
- University of Miami - Coral Gables
- University of South Florida - Tampa
View our Florida AG-ACNP program comparison and find the best fit for you