Western Connecticut State University Department of Nursing offers 2 Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – AGACNP
- Post-Master’s Certificate – AGACNP
Both programs are designed for part-time study with courses offered online/hybrid and on-ground in the evening, requiring approximately 3-4 years for completion with students granted up to 6 years to complete requirements.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program Track | Est. Cost | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN – AGACNP | $34,180 | ≈ 3–4 years part-time |
| Post-Master’s Certificate – AGACNP | ≈ $17,000 – $34,000 (based on gap analysis) | ≈ 2–3 years part-time |
WCSU is one of the top-rated nursing schools in New England with NCLEX pass rates ranging between 91-100% for first-time test takers, offering small class sizes, accessible faculty, and hands-on learning in nursing simulation labs with SimMan patient simulators.
Master of Science in Nursing – AGACNP
The estimated cost for the MSN-AGACNP program is approximately $34,180 (Tri-State rate) to $40,530 (National rate) and takes approximately 3-4 years to complete part-time across 41 credits.
MSN Curriculum
The MSN-AGACNP program totals 41 credits organized into three components: foundational core (11 credits), role component (23 credits), and role support (7 credits).
All students complete 540 clinical practicum hours under qualified clinical preceptor guidance and an evidence-based research project.
Foundational Core (11 credits):
NUR 501 – Theoretical Basis For Advanced Nursing Practice (3 credits)
Introduces major theories from nursing and related disciplines as a framework for advanced practice. Students learn to apply conceptual models to clinical care, leadership, education, and research decision making.
NUR 507 – Diagnostics for Advanced Nursing Practice (2 credits)
Covers the principles of diagnostic reasoning and selection of appropriate diagnostic tests across the lifespan. Emphasis is on interpreting results to support accurate advanced practice assessments and plans of care.
NUR 504 – Evidence Based Research for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 credits)
Prepares students to appraise research, translate findings into evidence-based protocols, and design practice changes. Focus includes understanding scholarly inquiry and building skills to generate and apply evidence in advanced nursing roles.
NUR 511 – Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice, Health Care Policy and the Health Care System (3 credits)
Examines the APRN role in health promotion, disease prevention, and management of acute and chronic conditions within the broader health system. Students explore how health policy, regulation, and system structures shape advanced practice.
Role Component (23 credits):
NUR 515 – Advanced Pathophysiology for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 credits)
Explores advanced human physiology and alterations in cellular and system function underlying disease. Students connect pathophysiologic mechanisms to clinical manifestations and advanced nursing interventions.
NUR 570 – Advanced Clinical Pharmacology for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 credits)
Focuses on pharmacotherapeutic principles, mechanisms of action, and safe drug selection in advanced practice. Emphasis is on preventing and managing adverse effects and drug interactions in complex patients.
NUR 575 – Advanced Health Assessment for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 credits)
Builds advanced skills in taking comprehensive histories and performing physical and psychosocial assessments in young adult to gerontologic clients. Students integrate findings with pharmacologic and pathophysiologic knowledge to identify priority problems.
NUR 580 – The Advanced Nursing Management of the Acutely Ill Adult-Gerontology Populations (2 credits)
Addresses advanced assessment, diagnosis, and management of acute and multisystem illness in young adult–gerontology populations. Emphasis is on stabilization, treatment planning, and health promotion for acutely ill patients.
NUR 576 – The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Management of Acutely Ill Adult Populations (5 credits, 180 clinical hours)
Clinical course centered on managing complex and critically ill adult–gerontology patients with rapidly changing conditions. Students refine skills in evaluating, diagnosing, and implementing evidence-based treatment plans while collaborating with interprofessional teams.
NUR 585 – The Advanced Nursing Management of the Chronically Ill Adult-Gerontology Populations (2 credits)
Covers advanced nursing strategies for managing complex chronic illness in adult–gerontology populations. Focus is on long-term symptom control, complication prevention, and promoting quality of life.
NUR 577 – The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Management of the Chronically Ill Complex Populations (5 credits, 180 clinical hours)
Clinical course emphasizing care of acutely ill adults with complicated chronic conditions and multisystem involvement. Students manage urgent and emergent problems in specialty and general acute care settings using evidence-based and collaborative approaches.
Role Support (7 credits):
NUR 590 – Professional Roles in Advanced Practice Nursing (7 credits, 180 clinical hours)
Examines ethical, legal, financial, and technological issues that shape advanced practice nursing roles. Through clinical experience and analysis, students integrate professional standards and systems-level thinking into their APRN role enactment.
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinicals
MSN-AGACNP students complete 540 total clinical hours distributed across three practicum courses: NUR 576 (180 hours), NUR 577 (180 hours), and NUR 590 (180 hours).
Clinical practicum experiences enable students to develop experiences that meet course objectives as well as their own specific learning needs and interests, with flexibility in time and places where clinical experiences occur.
Students enact all aspects of the AGACNP role under guidance of qualified clinical preceptors in variety of settings.
Background checks, vaccinations, drug testing, and fingerprinting required prior to beginning clinical experiences due to Connecticut clinical site requirements.
MSN Prerequisites & Admissions
- BSN degree from program accredited by recognized accrediting agency
- Current RN license
- Minimum 1 year of nursing experience before starting program
- Minimum 2 years nursing experience before starting clinical practice
- Graduate application submitted through Office of Graduate Admissions
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work
- Graduate application fee
- Resume
- One letter of recommendation
- One-page writing sample (no more than 500 words) answering: “What motivating factors influenced your decision to pursue a degree as an advanced practice nurse?”
- Meeting with program coordinator to develop plan of study required as part of admission process
- Advanced Pharmacology and Advanced Health Assessment courses must be completed within 5 years of graduation
- CPR certification as healthcare provider required prior to entering clinical courses and must maintain current certification
- Advanced practice student malpractice insurance policy required while in clinical courses
- Criminal background check and drug testing required where mandated by clinical agencies
Post-Master’s Certificate – AGACNP
The estimated cost for the Post-Master’s AGACNP Certificate varies based on gap analysis and ranges from approximately $17,000-$34,000 depending on courses required, and takes approximately 2-3 years to complete part-time.
Certificate Curriculum
The Post-Master’s Certificate curriculum is individualized based on gap analysis from previous master’s degree work. Students must have MSN with significant clinical component and meet specific prerequisites or complete them at WCSU.
Required Prerequisite Courses (if not completed within past 5 years or not completed previously):
- NUR 515 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 credits)
- NUR 570 – Advanced Clinical Pharmacology (3 credits)
- NUR 575 – Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits) – must achieve 85% on health assessment exam administered by Nursing Department
Required AGACNP Specialty Courses:
- NUR 580 – Advanced Practice Nursing Management of the Acutely Ill Adult-Gerontology Populations (2 credits)
- NUR 585 – The Advanced Practice Nursing Management of the Chronically Ill Adult-Gerontology Populations (2 credits)
- NUR 576 – The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners Management of Acutely Ill Adult Populations (5 credits, 180 clinical hours)
- NUR 577 – The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Management of The Chronically Ill Complex Populations (5 credits, 180 clinical hours)
- NUR 590 – Professional Roles in Advanced Nursing Practice (7 credits, 180 clinical hours)
Total certificate requires minimum 21 credits (if prerequisites already completed) up to 30 credits (if prerequisites needed).
Certificate Clinicals
Post-Master’s Certificate students complete 540 clinical hours distributed across NUR 576 (180 hours), NUR 577 (180 hours), and NUR 590 (180 hours).
Clinical experiences occur under guidance of qualified preceptors with flexibility in timing and locations.
Students must demonstrate basic health assessment skills by achieving 85% on departmental exam prior to program entry.
Certificate Prerequisites & Admissions
- MSN degree with significant clinical component from accredited institution
- Current RN license
- Advanced Pathophysiology (NUR 515 or equivalent)
- Advanced Clinical Pharmacology (NUR 570 or equivalent) completed within past 5 years
- Advanced Health Assessment (NUR 575 or equivalent) completed within past 5 years, with 85% or better on health assessment exam
- Courses not meeting recency or proficiency requirements can be taken at WCSU
- Graduate application through Office of Graduate Admissions
- Official transcripts
- Graduate application fee
- Resume
- Letter of recommendation
- Writing sample
- Meeting with program coordinator required
- CPR certification as healthcare provider
- Malpractice insurance for clinical courses
- Background check and drug testing as required
Tuition
Graduate nursing tuition for 2025-2026 is estimated at $836 per credit for Tri-State residents (CT, NY, NJ) and $1,077 per credit for National rate students (all other U.S. states and territories).
Full-time graduate study at 9 credits per term costs approximately $15,039 for Tri-State rate or $19,397 for National rate (including tuition and fees).
Part-time students pay per credit based on enrollment.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Western Connecticut State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Upon program completion, students are eligible to take the certification examination for the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner role.
Other Nursing Programs
Western Connecticut State University Department of Nursing offers additional programs including:
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
- RN to BS Program
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – Online with annual residency requirement
- Ed.D. in Nursing Education – Online
- MSN concentrations: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Post-Master’s Certificates: Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
More ACNP Programs for Connecticut Residents
- Quinnipiac University - Hamden
- University of Connecticut - Storrs
- Yale University - New Haven