University of Delaware offers 3 Acute Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- MSN
- DNP
- Post-Master’s Certificate
All tracks are delivered in a primarily online format with structured clinical placement support and a 100% board pass rate reported across programs.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program Name | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN ACNP | $38.3K | 2–3 Years (PT) | 42 |
| Certificate AGACNP | $21.3K-$35.4K | 2–3 Years (PT) | 68 |
| DNP ACNP | $75.9K | 3 Years FT / 5 Years PT | 24-40 |
Tuition is calculated from published per-credit rates rather than published as a total.
Students benefit from dedicated preceptor placement assistance and scholarship-supported tuition rates.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN, DNP, Post-Master’s Certificate |
| Population Focus | AGACNP, adults 18 through end of life |
| Format | Mostly Online |
| Campus Visits | Occasional intensives in Newark; DNP lists 2 to 8 days per semester |
| Clinical Hours | MSN 816; DNP 1,016; certificate minimum 750 |
| Clinical Placement | UD partners with students to secure preceptors; rotations permitted in any state |
| RN Experience | None published for MSN; one year for post-baccalaureate DNP |
| License Requirements | Delaware RN license; certificate requires a multistate compact license |
| Start Terms | Fall and Summer; certificate adds a Spring start for some applicants |
| Tuition | $913/credit MSN, $886 certificate, $1,116 DNP |
| Certification | ANCC AGACNP-BC |
| Accreditation | CCNE |
| State Restrictions | SARA member; California residents must contact UD’s compliance office |
Requirements Shared Across All Tracks
Clinical Requirements
- Placement model: UD partners with students to locate and secure preceptors rather than assigning the search to the student
- Rotation location: any state, subject to faculty approval and a contract between the clinical agency and the university
- MSN hours: 816 practicum hours across four 204-hour courses
- DNP hours: 1,016 total, split 816 direct care and 200 indirect
- Certificate hours: minimum of 750, set by gap analysis against prior graduate clinical work
Campus Requirements
- MSN and DNP: UD lists both as online with occasional required on-campus intensive experiences in Newark
- DNP cadence: students may be required on campus 2 to 8 days per semester
- Certificate: UD lists the location as online with no campus footnote, though the specialty sequence matches the MSN
RN Experience and Licensure
- MSN experience: no RN experience requirement published
- DNP experience: at least one year of clinical experience as an RN, for post-baccalaureate applicants
- Certificate credential: current certification or licensure as a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist
- Delaware license: UD states that graduate students are required to hold a Delaware nursing license
- DNP license: active RN license in Delaware or a compact state, or documented eligibility before starting
- Certificate license: a multistate compact RN license
Be aware: Delaware belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate license issued by a compact home state satisfies these rules. A nurse whose primary state of residence sits outside the compact, including California, New York, and Oregon, does not hold a qualifying multistate license and cannot meet the certificate’s stated criterion without relocating or obtaining Delaware licensure directly.
MSN Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the MSN AGACNP program at the University of Delaware is approximately $38,346 (42 credits at $913/credit). Students are admitted to three-year part-time plans of study and must finish within five years.
MSN Curriculum
The track totals 42 credits, of which 12 are practicum credits carrying 816 clock hours.
- NURS 620, 621, 622: Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology (3 credits each)
- NURS 630: Advanced Diagnostic Reasoning (2 credits)
- NURS 641, 642, 643: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner I, II, and III (3 credits each)
- NURS 644, 645, 646: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum I, II, and III, 204 hours each (3 credits each)
- NURS 921: Clinical Role Immersion, 204 hours (3 credits)
- NURS 617, 618, 619: Concepts for Advanced Healthcare Delivery, Role of the Nurse Practitioner, Financial Management for Healthcare Practitioners
- NURS 628: Nursing Research (3 credits)
The specialty sequence pairs every didactic course with its own practicum. NURS 641 runs with 644, 642 with 645, and 643 with 646, so clinical placement begins in the same term the acute care content starts.
MSN Admissions
- Degree: BSN from an accredited college or university
- GPA: 3.0 or higher undergraduate
- License: RN licensure in the United States, plus the Delaware license requirement above
- Application: NursingCAS, followed by a UD Graduate College supplemental application
- Deadlines: July 1 for fall, April 1 for summer
You Should Know: UD publishes no acute care, ICU, or general RN experience requirement for the MSN AGACNP, while the post-baccalaureate DNP requires a year. Expect a cohort with a wider range of bedside backgrounds than acute care programs that gate on critical care hours.
DNP Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the DNP AGACNP program at the University of Delaware is approximately $75,888 (68 credits at $1,116/credit). The program can generally be completed in 3 years full-time or 5 years part-time.
DNP Curriculum
- Total credits: 68, against 42 for the MSN in the same population focus
- Specialty sequence: the NURS 641 through 646 acute care courses and practica, shared with the MSN
- Doctoral component: population health focus, practice innovation, health systems management, and a DNP project developed with faculty and practice experts
- Clinical hours: 1,016, of which 816 are direct care and 200 indirect
- Transfer credit: up to nine graduate credits, pending approval by the Director of Graduate Practice Programs
The doctoral premium adds indirect hours, not patient contact. Direct care hours are 816 in both the DNP and the MSN. The extra 200 hours in the DNP are indirect.
You Should Know: UD’s DNP page states in one place that post-baccalaureate students must finish all coursework within seven years, and in its FAQ that students must finish within five years of matriculation. The two figures are not reconciled on the page.
DNP Admissions
- Post-baccalaureate degree: BSN from an ACEN or CCNE-accredited school, undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Post-baccalaureate experience: at least one year of clinical experience as an RN
- Post-master’s degree: MSN from an ACEN or CCNE-accredited school with national certification, graduate GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Post-master’s documentation: a letter from the master’s program stating advanced practice clinical hours completed
- Interview: required, with graduate leadership and DNP faculty
- References: three letters, mixing academic and professional sources, with academic references prepared at the doctoral level
- Deadline: July 1
You Should Know: A post-master’s applicant already certified as a nurse practitioner who wants AGACNP certification must apply for dual enrollment in the DNP and a post-master’s certificate program. The DNP alone does not add a new population focus.
Post-Master’s Certificate AGACNP
The estimated tuition for the post-master’s AGACNP certificate at the University of Delaware is approximately $21,264 to $35,440 (24 to 40 credits at $886/credit). UD publishes conflicting completion times of 1 to 2 years and 2 to 3 years part-time.
Certificate Curriculum
- Plan of study: individualized after a free gap analysis at matriculation
- Credit range: 24 to 40, depending on coursework completed in the prior graduate program
- Specialty courses: the same NURS 641 through 646 acute care sequence used in the MSN
- Clinical hours: more than 750, also set by the gap analysis
You Should Know: The gap analysis sets both credits and clinical hours, so the $14,176 spread between the low and high credit counts is decided after matriculation, not before. Nurses whose master’s core coursework predates current standards land toward the 40-credit end.
Certificate Admissions
- Degree: master’s in nursing from a CCNE or ACEN-accredited school
- GPA: 3.5 or higher graduate
- License: a multistate compact RN license
- Credential: current certification or licensure as a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist
- Deadlines: December 10 for a spring start for applicants who already hold NP certification; April 1 for summer and July 1 for fall otherwise
- Admission basis: enrollment availability
Tuition
UD charges three different per-credit rates across its acute care pathways. The MSN rate is $913 per credit, the certificate rate is $886, and the DNP rate is $1,116. A College of Health Sciences Dean’s Scholarship reduces the MSN and certificate rates below UD’s published graduate tuition and applies to all students in those programs.
| Program | Credits | Estimated Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGACNP | 42 | $38,346 |
| DNP AGACNP | 68 | $75,888 |
| Certificate AGACNP | 24-40 | $21,264-$35,440 |
Totals are calculated from the per-credit rates. UD states there are no additional university fees beyond tuition for these programs because they are online, and applies the same rate regardless of residency.
Rate details are on the MSN, DNP, and certificate program pages.
Financial aid
The Dean’s Scholarship is applied automatically as a reduced tuition rate rather than awarded by application, and it covers certificate students, who are excluded from institutional aid at many schools.
UD’s School of Nursing lists further awards on its scholarships page.
Why Choose This ACNP Program?
Clinical rotations in any state. UD approves placements anywhere, subject to faculty sign-off and an agency contract, so a nurse does not have to relocate or commute to a designated region to complete 816 hours.
The school helps find preceptors. UD describes locating and securing qualified preceptors as shared work with the student rather than the student’s responsibility alone. This is assistance, not a guaranteed placement.
No RN experience gate on the MSN. Nurses moving into acute care from med-surg, step-down, or telemetry can enter the master’s track without documenting critical care hours first.
Certificate students get the scholarship rate. At $886 per credit, the certificate carries the lowest per-credit cost of the three pathways, and the Dean’s Scholarship applies to it.
816 direct care hours in every degree pathway. Both the MSN and the DNP deliver the same direct patient care volume, well above the 500-hour ANCC minimum for AGACNP-BC eligibility.
UD suits a nurse who already holds a compact multistate license, wants to stay in their current hospital system for clinicals, and would rather not prove critical care experience before starting. Nurses in non-compact states should resolve the Delaware licensure requirement before applying.
Accreditation and Certification
The master’s degree program in nursing, the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and the post-graduate APRN certificate program at the University of Delaware are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. All three AGACNP pathways fall inside that scope, which matters for the certificate specifically, since ANCC requires certificate holders to have completed an accredited post-graduate APRN program.
The University of Delaware is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The School of Nursing is also a member of the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence and an NLN Center of Excellence in Nursing Education.
All three pathways prepare graduates for the ANCC Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner certification exam, covering patients aged 18 through the end of life. UD names ANCC as the certifying body for the certificate track and does not list AACN’s ACNPC-AG exam for any of the three pathways.