“RIC’s AGACNP program lets working nurses switch between in-person and remote attendance class by class — a HyFlex flexibility model backed by CCNE accreditation and a Money Magazine best-value ranking.”
Rhode Island College offers two Adult-Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- MSN AGACNP (Nurse Practitioner option)
- CGS AGACNP — Certificate of Graduate Study (post-master’s)
Both tracks are delivered via RIC’s HyFlex model, allowing up to 100% of coursework to be completed online or in a mix of in-person and remote attendance without locking students into a single format.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGACNP | ~$25K in-state / ~$48K out-of-state | ~2 years (4 semesters + summer) |
| Post-Master’s CGS AGACNP | ~$10K in-state / ~$19K out-of-state | ~1.5 years (3 semesters) |
The MSN also offers a parallel CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist) track for students interested in that role instead of NP. These programs suit working nurses who need session-by-session attendance flexibility and want a cost-competitive, CCNE-accredited credential in the Northeast.
MSN AGACNP
The estimated cost for the MSN AGACNP at Rhode Island College is approximately $24,570 in tuition for in-state students ($47,880 out-of-state), plus per-credit and per-semester fees.
The program takes about 2 years to complete across four semesters and one summer session.
MSN Curriculum
The MSN AGACNP is 45 credit hours structured across four semesters and one summer session.
- The first semester builds the graduate foundation with research methods, health care systems, pharmacology, and advanced health assessment.
- The second semester adds pathophysiology and evidence-based practice, then moves into the first of three sequential Adult Health/Illness NP clinical courses. Summer session covers professional role development.
- The third and fourth semesters complete the clinical sequence with Adult Health/Illness II and III for NPs.
Students also choose one elective from a menu of options covering topics such as quality/safety, palliative care, simulation, global health, or surgical first assist theory.
- NURS 501 – Research Methods for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 cr)
- NURS 502/HCA 502 – Health Care Systems (3 cr)
- NURS 505 – Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr)
- NURS 506 – Advanced Health Assessment (3 cr)
- NURS 504 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr)
- NURS 509 – Evidence Based Practice for Advanced Nursing Seminar I (3 cr)
- NURS 540 – Adult Health Illness I for NPs (6 cr)
- NURS 503 – Professional Role Development (3 cr)
- NURS 615 – Adult Health/Illness II for NPs (6 cr)
- NURS 622 – Evidence Based Practice for Advanced Nursing Seminar II (3 cr)
- NURS 625 – Adult Health/Illness III for NPs (6 cr)
- One elective (3 cr): options include NURS 513 Teaching Nursing, NURS 515 Simulation in Interprofessional Healthcare Education, NURS 518 Nursing Care/Case Management, NURS 519 Quality/Safety in Advanced Practice Nursing, NURS 521 Global Health and Advanced Practice Nursing, NURS 522 Concepts and Practice of Palliative Care, NURS 523 Surgical First Assist Theory, or other advisor-approved elective
Total: 45 credit hours. More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinicals
Clinical hours are embedded across the three Adult Health/Illness NP courses (NURS 540, 615, and 625), each worth 6 credits and structured to progress in complexity through the acute care sequence.
Clinical specifics beyond the course structure are not fully detailed on the official program page.
- NURS 540 – Adult Health Illness I for NPs: first clinical placement in the sequence (6 cr)
- NURS 615 – Adult Health/Illness II for NPs: intermediate acute care clinical (6 cr)
- NURS 625 – Adult Health/Illness III for NPs: advanced acute care clinical (6 cr)
- Population focus: adult and gerontological patients with acute, critical, and complex chronic conditions
- Practice settings include hospitals, outpatient urgent care, and surgical settings
- Total clinical hours not explicitly published; contact the program for specifics
MSN Admissions
Applicants need a BSN from a NLNAC- or CCNE-accredited program, a minimum 3.0 GPA, active RN licensure, a completed statistics course, and at least one year of acute care experience is recommended.
- BSN from a NLNAC- or CCNE-accredited program
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for undergraduate coursework
- Eligibility for RN licensure in Rhode Island
- Completed statistics course (MATH 240 or equivalent), minimum grade of C, within the last 10 years
- Minimum of one year RN experience in an adult acute care setting within the last 3 years (recommended)
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
- Professional résumé
- Three professional references (at least one from a clinical supervisor)
- Letter of intent — maximum 500 words, double-spaced, 12-point font; should address practice experience and reasons for graduate study
- Proof of residency for in-state tuition
- $50 non-refundable application fee (fee waiver available for active duty military and veterans)
- Interview may be required
- International applicants: transcripts must be evaluated for U.S. degree equivalency; TOEFL scores required if English is not the first language
- Application window for the AGACNP NP option: opens October 15; deadline February 15 (late applications considered at program director’s discretion if space remains)
- GRE not mentioned as a requirement in the source materials
Post-Master’s CGS AGACNP
The estimated cost for the CGS AGACNP at Rhode Island College is approximately $9,828 in tuition for in-state students ($19,152 out-of-state), plus per-credit fees.
The program takes about 1.5 years to complete across three semesters.
Certificate Curriculum
The CGS AGACNP is a focused 18-credit program consisting entirely of the three clinical NP courses in the AGACNP sequence.
It is designed for MSN-prepared nurses who have already completed advanced practice core prerequisites (Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Health Assessment) in their prior graduate work.
Certified APRNs who meet LACE criteria may have those prerequisites waived without additional coursework. There are no additional didactic or elective requirements beyond the three clinical courses.
- NURS 540 – Adult Health Illness I for NPs (6 cr) — First Semester
- NURS 615 – Adult Health/Illness II for NPs (6 cr) — Second Semester
- NURS 625 – Adult Health/Illness III for NPs (6 cr) — Third Semester
Total: 18 credit hours. More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Clinicals
All 18 credits in the CGS are clinical courses, making this an entirely practice-focused program. Clinical hours are distributed across the three NP courses in sequence; total hour requirements are not explicitly published on the official page.
- NURS 540, 615, and 625: three sequential 6-credit NP clinical courses
- One clinical course per semester across three consecutive semesters
- Population focus: adult and gerontological patients in acute, critical, and complex care settings
- Total clinical hours not explicitly stated; contact the program directly for specifics
Certificate Admissions
Applicants must hold a master’s degree in nursing, a minimum 3.0 graduate GPA, active unrestricted RN licensure in Rhode Island, and relevant acute care experience.
- Master’s degree in nursing from a regionally accredited institution
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from the prior MSN program
- Current unrestricted RN licensure in Rhode Island
- Completed prerequisites: Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Health Assessment (all three may be waived for currently certified APRNs)
- Relevant acute care experience required
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions
- Professional résumé
- Three professional references (at least one from a clinical supervisor)
- Brief letter of intent addressing goals
- Proof of residency for in-state tuition
- $50 non-refundable application fee
- Interview may be required
- International transcripts must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency
- Applications accepted on an ongoing basis; must be received at least one month before the start of each semester
- GRE not required
Tuition
Rhode Island College charges graduate tuition per credit hour across all enrollment levels — full-time (9+ credits) and part-time students pay the same per-credit rate.
In-state tuition is $546 per credit hour; out-of-state is $1,064 per credit; a Northeast Neighbors rate of $820 per credit applies to students from eligible states.
Mandatory per-credit fees add approximately $25–$30 per credit hour (library, recreation, technology, fine arts, transportation, and graduate programming fees, each with per-semester maximums), plus a flat Health, Counseling and Wellness fee of $584.89 per semester for in-state students ($1,102.89 out-of-state). A Dining Center and Student Union fee of $181 per semester also applies.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate, master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at Rhode Island College are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). RIC’s Nursing Simulation Program holds separate accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH). The institution is regionally accredited.