The University of Utah offers 2 Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- BSN-DNP with AGACNP Emphasis
- Post-Graduate APRN Certificate: AGACNP
Both tracks are built around high-acuity adult and gerontology care across hospitals, specialty clinics, and critical care environments.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program Name | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP AGACNP | ~$63K | 3 years |
| Post-Graduate Certificate AGACNP | ~$20K–$24K (est.) | ~1 year |
Utah’s DNP program is ranked #22 among public universities and carries a 99.5% combined APRN certification pass rate, making it a strong choice for BSN-prepared nurses who want to go straight to a terminal clinical degree in acute care.
BSN-DNP AGACNP
The estimated cost for the BSN-DNP AGACNP at the University of Utah is approximately $62,700 for Utah residents, and the program takes 3 years (8 consecutive semesters) to complete on a full-time basis.
DNP Curriculum
The curriculum totals 74 credits and moves through DNP core content, AGACNP specialty coursework, and a three-part scholarly project sequence.
The final year integrates three practicum courses, an immersion experience, and the DNP scholarly project arc.
DNP Core Courses
- NURS 6670 – Advanced Evidence-Based Practice and Research
- NURS 6671 – Applied Biostatistics for Evidence-Based Practice
- NURS 6672 – Advanced Population Health
- NURS 6673 – Quality & Safety
- NURS 6675 – Healthcare Finance and Economics
- NURS 6676 – Informatics and Healthcare Technologies
- NURS 6760 – Role of the Nurse Practitioner
- NURS 6767 – Clinical Diagnostic Reasoning
- NURS 6780 – Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan
- NURS 6782 – Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan
- NURS 7375 – Adolescent Health Care
- NURS 7466 – Hospital Medicine
- NURS 7482 – Professional Issues for the Nurse Practitioner
- NURS 7684 – Diagnostic Procedures & Simulation for Acute Care
- NURS 7911 – Doctor of Nursing Project Planning
- NURS 7912 – Doctor of Nursing Project Implementation
- NURS 7913 – Doctor of Nursing Project Evaluation & Dissemination
- NURS 6440 – Interdisciplinary End-of-Life/Palliative Care
AGACNP Specialty Courses
NURS 6781 – Advanced Health Assessment (3 cr)
Builds advanced, evidence-based assessment skills across the lifespan with a focus on holistic health evaluation; required for DNP NP students.
NURS 7180 – Diagnostic Health: Adult (1 cr)
Develops evidence-based assessment and clinical decision-making skills for adult, problem-focused visits; required for AGNP and FNP students.
NURS 7366 – Acute Care Pharmacology I (2 cr)
Covers pharmacologic approaches to managing acute and complex conditions in adult/geriatric patients; first in a two-course sequence.
NURS 7367 – Acute Care Pharmacology II (2 cr)
Applies pharmacologic management for complex and critical adult/geriatric conditions across all care goals; second course in a two-part sequence.
NURS 7832 – Diagnosis & Management: AC I (4 cr)
Introduces diagnostic reasoning and management of complex/critical adult-geriatric conditions; first course in a two-part series.
NURS 7833 – Diagnosis & Management: AC II (4 cr)
Focuses on synthesizing data, forming differential diagnoses, and managing complex/critical conditions in adult-geriatric patients; second in a two-course series.
NURS 7904 – AG-ACNP Practicum I (2 cr)
Introduces acute care clinical practice with emphasis on assessment, decision-making, and management; includes 120 supervised clinical hours.
NURS 7905 – AGACNP Practicum II (1–2 cr)
Advances acute care clinical skills in diagnosis and management; includes 120 supervised clinical hours.
NURS 7906 – AGACNP Practicum III (1–5 cr)
Emphasizes competency in acute care clinical practice across complex cases; requires 300 supervised clinical hours.
NURS 7907 – AGACNP Immersion (1–5 cr)
Culminates in proficient acute care practice with full-spectrum clinical management; includes 300 supervised clinical hours.
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP Clinicals
Students complete a minimum of 840 direct patient care hours, with a program-wide requirement of 1,000 or more combined direct and indirect clinical hours. Utah guarantees clinical placement sites for DNP students in Utah.
- Practicum structured across three sequential courses plus an immersion experience
- Focus on acute, complex, and critical illness in adults and older adults
- Settings include hospitals, specialty clinics, and critical care units
- Simulation for acute care integrated prior to direct patient practicum
DNP Admissions
Applicants must hold an accredited BSN from a U.S. institution and meet standard graduate nursing requirements.
- BSN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or CNEA-accredited program
- 3.0 or higher cumulative undergraduate GPA
- Active, unrestricted RN license (Utah or applicable state)
- BSN applicants may apply while completing their degree; degree must post before program start
- Application window: opens September 1, closes December 1 (for Fall entry)
Post-Graduate Certificate AGACNP
The estimated cost for the Post-Graduate AGACNP Certificate at the University of Utah is approximately $20,000–$24,000 based on resident tuition rates applied to 24–28 credits, and the program takes roughly 1 year (4 semesters) to complete.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate totals 24 credits in the catalog program requirements, with a sample plan of study at 28 credits. Coursework is individualized via a gap analysis of prior graduate coursework.
Core content covers acute care diagnosis and management, acute care pharmacology, simulation, hospital medicine, practicum hours, and palliative care.
- NURS 7832 – Diagnosis & Management: Acute Care I
- NURS 7833 – Diagnosis & Management: Acute Care II
- NURS 7366 – Acute Care Pharmacology I
- NURS 7367 – Acute Care Pharmacology II
- NURS 7684 – Diagnostic Procedures & Simulation for Acute Care
- NURS 7904 – AG-ACNP Practicum I
- NURS 7905 – AGACNP Practicum II
- NURS 7906 – AGACNP Practicum III
- NURS 7466 – Hospital Medicine
- NURS 6440 – Interdisciplinary Approach to End-of-Life/Palliative Care
More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Clinicals
Clinical requirements are built into the three-part practicum sequence and follow the same acute care population focus as the DNP track.
- Practicum I, II, and III across Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters
- Focus on adults and older adults in acute, specialty, and critical care settings
- Total clinical hours are individualized; specific hour minimums are determined during the gap analysis and onboarding process
Certificate Admissions
This program is restricted to currently licensed APRNs with national certification in a different population focus.
- Graduate degree in nursing (MSN or DNP) from a regionally accredited institution
- Current APRN national certification and licensure (NP, CNS, CRNA, or CNM) in at least one NCSBN jurisdiction
- 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA
- Resume
- PDF copies of all college transcripts
- Copy of APRN certification
- Two professional letters of recommendation
- Application deadline: January (for Fall entry); admissions decisions posted in early February
- Federal financial aid is not available; this is a non-matriculated, non-degree program
Tuition
Utah charges graduate nursing tuition by credit hour. Rates vary by residency status. The effective resident rate for the BSN-DNP is approximately $847 per credit based on published program totals. Summer semesters are billed at the resident rate regardless of residency.
The certificate program uses resident graduate rates; federal financial aid is not available for that track. Program and course fees, books, supplies, and travel are not included in these estimates.
| Residency Status | BSN-DNP Total (74 credits) |
|---|---|
| Utah Resident | ~$62,700 |
| Non-Resident | ~$129,000 |
| WRGP Member State | ~$77,400 |
See the official tuition page for more details: University of Utah Tuition Schedules.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at the University of Utah are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Graduates are eligible to sit for AGACNP national certification through ANCC or AACN upon program completion.