Quinnipiac University School of Nursing offers Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner track:
Highlights include:
- delivered 100% online with four mandatory one-week on-campus immersions
- students can typically complete the program in just over 2 years, maintaining flexibility while working.
- Quinnipiac’s AGACNP program achieved a 100% first-time pass rate in 2024 on the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Certification Exam.
- graduates can transition seamlessly into the DNP program within two years of completing the MSN
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN AGACNP | $57.9K | 2+ years (6 semesters) | 51 |
Tuition is calculated from the published 2026-27 rate. Duration is derived from the term rotation.
Quinnipiac accepts nurse practitioner applicants from only nine states, and the School of Nursing arranges clinical placements in Connecticut alone. Students admitted from the other eight find their own site and preceptor for every clinical hour in the program.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN only. No AGACNP doctoral track and no post-graduate AGACNP certificate. |
| Population Focus | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care (AGACNP). No pediatric acute care option. |
| Format | Mostly Online |
| Campus Visits | Four one-week on-campus immersions, plus an on-ground residency in the assessment lab. |
| Clinical Hours | 780 clock hours across four sequential practicum courses. |
| Clinical Placement | School arranges sites in Connecticut only. Out-of-state students self-source with guidance. |
| RN Experience | One year full-time acute care, roughly 2,000 hours. ER or critical care preferred. |
| Distinctive Coursework | Three-course acute care diagnosis and management sequence; dedicated acute care pharmacology. |
| Start Terms | Fall and spring. Rolling applications, deadlines about two weeks before classes. |
| Tuition | $1,135 per credit including the mandatory per-credit student fee. |
| Certification | Graduates are eligible for the national AGACNP certification exam. |
| Accreditation | CCNE for the MSN. NECHE institutionally. |
| State Restrictions | Open to residents of CT, MA, NY, NJ, RI, NH, VT, ME, and PA only. |
MSN, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the MSN AGACNP program at Quinnipiac is approximately $57,885 (51 credits at $1,135 per credit). Quinnipiac publishes a completion time of 2+ years, and the specialty course rotation supports six semesters as the working minimum.
AGACNP Curriculum
The 51 credits split into a 12-credit graduate nursing core, a 14-credit advanced practice core, and 25 credits of AGACNP specialty and clinical coursework.
- NUR 660: Advanced Specialty Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning for the AGACNP (3 credits, summer, includes a required on-ground immersion)
- NUR 662: Advanced Acute Care Pharmacology (2 credits, summer)
- NUR 664, 666, 668: Acute Care Diagnosis and Management I through III (9 credits, offered fall, spring, and summer in sequence)
- NUR 661, 663, 665, 667: Clinical Practicum and Seminar I through IV (13 credits, offered summer, fall, spring, and summer)
- NUR 669: Transition to Practice for the APRN (1 credit, spring)
- NUR 520 and 520L: Advanced Health Assessment Across the Lifespan and lab (5 credits, taken together, lab requires an on-ground clinical residency)
- NUR 522 and 530: Advanced Pathophysiology and Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan (6 credits)
- Graduate core: NUR 501, 502, 503, and 504, covering evidence-based practice, epidemiology and biostatistics, leadership, and healthcare technology (12 credits)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Annual course rotation: every AGACNP specialty course runs once per year, in one named term
- Progression effect: a grade below B minus sends the student to the next cohort, which for a specialty course means waiting a full year
- Specialty change: Quinnipiac does not accommodate a switch between nurse practitioner specialties after enrollment
Clinical Requirements
- Total hours: 780 clock hours, all in acute care settings
- Distribution: 150 hours in NUR 661, 240 in NUR 663, 240 in NUR 665, and 150 in NUR 667
- Sequence: four practicum courses across four consecutive terms, each prerequisite to the next
- Placement responsibility: the School of Nursing places students in Connecticut only; students elsewhere identify their own sites and preceptors
- Support for out-of-state students: guidance and preceptor recommendations, not an arranged placement
- Passing standard: B minus or better on both the faculty and preceptor clinical evaluations
- Seminar and simulation: built into all four practicum courses alongside the clinical hours
You Should Know
- Placement geography: eight of the nine eligible states carry no placement assistance beyond recommendations
- New York clinicals: New York residents may enroll but cannot complete clinical requirements in New York, and must plan on Connecticut or New Jersey
Campus Requirements
- Immersions: four one-week on-campus sessions, four weeks of campus time in total
- Purpose: simulation lab work and hands-on skills training
- Named immersion: NUR 660 carries a required on-ground immersion in the specialty assessment course
- Assessment lab: NUR 520L requires an on-ground clinical residency separate from the immersion weeks
- Timing: Quinnipiac does not publish the calendar dates or the term placement of each immersion
AGACNP Admissions
- Degree: earned BSN with a 3.0 GPA
- RN experience: at least one year full-time, roughly 2,000 hours, in acute care; ER or critical care preferred
- License: copy of an unencumbered, unrestricted RN license
- Prerequisite: undergraduate statistics with a C or better, or conditional acceptance and complete it at Quinnipiac
- References: minimum of one from a professional supervisor or faculty member who can speak to specialty clinical experience
- Also required: official transcripts, CV or resume, personal statement, and TOEFL or IELTS scores for international applicants
- Deadlines: rolling, with final deadlines generally two weeks before classes start; class sizes are limited
- After acceptance: background check and urine drug screen, both conditions of enrollment
Be aware that:
- Eligible states: Quinnipiac’s nurse practitioner programs accept applicants residing in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Pennsylvania
- Other states: residents elsewhere are directed to contact Graduate Admissions about future openings rather than applying
- Relocating mid-program: students must notify the program director immediately, and progression can be jeopardized if the school is not approved to place students in the new state
Tuition
Quinnipiac charges $1,135 per credit for 2026-27, combining the $1,085 graduate nursing tuition rate with the mandatory $50 per-credit student fee. The per-credit fee is capped at $450 per semester, so it applies in full below ten credits a term.
| Program | Credits | Estimated Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGACNP | 51 | $57,885 |
Two semester-based fees sit outside the per-credit rate. Technology and lab fees run $430 per fall or spring semester for full-time students, $205 for part-time students, and $110 for summer. Registration adds $30 per term for online programs.
Across a two-year full-time plan those add roughly $2,100, bringing tuition and mandatory fees to about $60,000. Quinnipiac’s accident insurance and commuter meal plan charges do not apply to students in strictly online programs.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Financial aid
Federal loans require the FAFSA plus Quinnipiac’s own graduate financial aid application. Priority processing dates are March 31 for summer, June 1 for fall, and November 1 for spring.
You Should Know
- Grant exclusion: Quinnipiac graduate grant funds are available only for on-campus programs
- Scholarship exclusion: graduate merit scholarships go to full-time students in on-campus programs
- Practical effect: AGACNP students are outside both, since the program is delivered online
Why Choose This ACNP Program?
Every clinical hour is an acute care placement. The four practicum courses are specialty placements rather than a mix of primary and acute care rotations, and Quinnipiac publishes the hour count for each one.
Four weeks of campus time, not a recurring commute. Coursework runs online, and the on-campus obligation is four discrete one-week immersions plus the assessment lab residency.
Quinnipiac reports a 100% first-time pass rate on the AGACNP certification exam for its 2025 graduates.
Acute care experience is a real gate. Applicants need a year of full-time acute care nursing, with emergency or critical care preferred, so cohorts arrive with high-acuity bedside background rather than general medical-surgical experience.
Doctoral continuation without reapplying. Quinnipiac MSN nurse practitioner graduates can move into the post-master’s DNP within two years of graduation without a new admission application.
You Should Know
- DNP population focus: Quinnipiac’s post-master’s DNP offers Care of Populations and Nursing Leadership, neither of which adds a nurse practitioner credential
- Hour carry-forward: the DNP requires 1,000 post-baccalaureate practice hours and accepts a maximum of 500 from the MSN, so 280 of the 780 AGACNP hours do not transfer
The program fits an experienced ICU or emergency nurse living in the Northeast who wants an online master’s with a contained campus commitment. Nurses outside the nine eligible states, and anyone who needs the school to secure a clinical site, should look elsewhere.
Accreditation and Certification
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredits Quinnipiac’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs. The AGACNP track sits inside the accredited MSN. Quinnipiac offers no post-graduate APRN certificate in acute care, so the certificate accreditation question that affects certificate holders does not arise here.
The New England Commission of Higher Education accredits Quinnipiac University as an institution. Quinnipiac is also accredited by the Office of Higher Education of the State of Connecticut and authorized by the General Assembly to confer degrees.
Graduates of the MSN AGACNP track are eligible to sit for national certification as adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioners. The population focus is adults and older adults in acute and critical care; the credential does not extend to pediatric acute care or to primary care practice.
Compare More ACNP Programs in Connecticut
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