Widener University offers 3 Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – AGACNP
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – AGACNP (BSN to DNP)
- Post-Master’s Certificate – AGACNP
Program Tracks Overview
| Program Name | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGACNP | $47,700 + fees | 2–3 years |
| BSN-DNP AGACNP | $77,380 + fees | ~5 years |
| Certificate AGACNP | $31,800 + fees | 1.5–2 years |
All tracks are available in hybrid format (in-person and online) with clinical practicums. Widener’s programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and prepare graduates to sit for ANCC or AANP credentialing examinations.
Students receive mentorship from expert full-time faculty who are clinically active and connect students with clinical experiences in medical/surgical ICUs, trauma units, and hospitalist rotations.
Master of Science in Nursing – AGACNP
The estimated cost for the MSN – AGACNP program is $47,700 (45 credits × $1,060/credit) plus technology and graduate student fees and would take 2-3 years to complete on a full-time basis, with up to 5 years allowed post-matriculation.
MSN Curriculum
The program requires 45 credits including core courses and AGACNP specialty courses, with 750 faculty-supervised clinical hours.
NURS 601 Advanced Pathophysiology (3 credits)
This course connects normal physiology to disease processes across the lifespan. Students link signs and symptoms to underlying pathology. Students practice interpreting physiologic data to detect status changes and guide advanced practice decisions.
NURS 608 Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits)
This course develops advanced history and physical exam skills for children, adults, and older adults. Students learn to identify abnormal findings and build evidence-based differential diagnoses using case work. Lab practice strengthens data collection, clinical judgment, privacy awareness, and cultural sensitivity.
NURS 634 Nursing Leadership for Advanced Practice (3 credits)
This course prepares advanced practice nurses to lead in health care organizations. Students study leadership, motivation, communication, and change in relation to structure and culture. The course also addresses quality, disparities, ethics, policy shifts, teamwork, and self-care.
NURS 639 Advanced Pharmacology (3 credits)
This course covers pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics for medications used across the lifespan. Students compare drug classes by indications, evidence of benefit, and safety risks for different populations. Students also review prescribing regulations and adverse effect monitoring to support safe pharmacotherapy.
NURS 684 Using Research for Evidence-Based Practice (3 credits)
This course teaches the steps of scientific inquiry and evidence-based practice. Students review research designs and basic statistics to interpret results. Students then appraise evidence and apply it to clinical decisions and policy-related practice improvement.
NURS 690 Population Health and Epidemiology (3 credits)
This course focuses on population-level health promotion and disease prevention. Students analyze social, physical, and biologic factors that shape health outcomes and disparities. Students use epidemiologic methods to identify patterns and plan population-focused interventions.
NURS 694 Health Care Finance (3 credits)
This course introduces economic principles that influence access, payment, and reimbursement. Students examine how financing models affect outcomes and equity. Students also review budgeting and basic financial management in health care organizations.
NURS 708 Health Care Policy (3 credits)
This course surveys national and global health policy and how it affects organizations and patients. Students learn strategies to analyze policy and influence change. The course also reviews ethics, financial impact, and organizational risks and opportunities.
NURS 736 Informatics (3 credits)
This course explains how information systems improve care through data and knowledge management. Students examine decision support, technology evaluation, and outcomes measurement tools. Students also study systems tools for quality, compliance, productivity, and administrative decisions, with focus on the DNP role in selection and implementation.
NURS 605 Clinical Decision Making and Diagnostic Reasoning AGACNP/Practicum I (6 credits; 250 clinical hours + 16 simulation hours)
This course introduces acute management of unstable medical conditions across the adult lifespan, including frail elders. Weekly seminars focus on diagnostic reasoning, evidence-based management, and care coordination. The practicum builds NP role skills through supervised clinical hours and simulation while emphasizing prevention, ethics, culture, and technology.
NURS 606 Clinical Decision Making and Diagnostic Reasoning AGACNP/Practicum II (6 credits; 250 clinical hours + 16 simulation hours)
This course develops acute care management for complex surgical patients, including pre-op risk assessment and comorbidity management. Seminars reinforce diagnostic reasoning, current evidence, and coordinated surgical care. The practicum advances NP competencies with focus on safe, high-quality, and cost-aware care.
NURS 607 Clinical Decision Making and Diagnostic Reasoning AGACNP/Practicum III (6 credits; 250 clinical hours + 16 simulation hours)
This course focuses on intensive care management for complex, unstable patients. Students learn critical care concepts such as hemodynamic monitoring, resuscitation, airway management, and escalation or weaning decisions. Seminars use case presentations to sharpen reasoning, and the practicum supports entry-level AGACNP competency through supervised clinical and simulation hours.
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinicals
The program requires 750 faculty-supervised clinical hours distributed across three practicum courses.
- Practicum I: 250 clinical hours
- Practicum II: 250 clinical hours
- Practicum III: 250 clinical hours
- Clinical experiences include medical/surgical ICUs, trauma units, and hospitalist rotations
- Expert full-time faculty connect students with clinical experiences aligned with personal and professional goals
MSN Admissions Requirements
- Completed online application
- Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from accredited program
- Transcripts from all previously attended institutions of higher education
- Minimum 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale) in BSN program
- Completion of undergraduate statistics/research course with grade of C or better
- Two recommendations (preferably from professional nurses with graduate degrees)
- Valid Pennsylvania or multi-state RN license
- Personal statement (one typewritten page explaining graduate work goals and proposed specialization area)
- Updated resume
- International applicants: English proficiency test results taken within 2 years (unless from TOEFL-exempt country)
- International applicants seeking U.S. licensure: work with CGFNS for credentials evaluation
Doctor of Nursing Practice – AGACNP (BSN to DNP)
The estimated cost for the DNP – AGACNP program is $77,380 (73 credits × $1,060/credit) plus technology and graduate student fees and would take 5 years to complete on a full-time basis, with up to 7 years allowed post-matriculation.
DNP Curriculum
The program requires 73 credits including MSN-level core and specialty courses plus DNP-level courses, with 1,310 total clinical hours (750 AGACNP + 560 DNP).
Core Courses:
- Advanced Pathophysiology
- Advanced Health Assessment
- Nursing Leadership for Advanced Practice
- Advanced Pharmacology
- Population Health and Epidemiology
- Health Care Finance
- Health Care Policy
- Informatics
AGACNP Specialty Courses:
- Clinical Decision Making and Diagnostic Reasoning AGACNP/Practicum I (250 clinical hours)
- Clinical Decision Making and Diagnostic Reasoning AGACNP/Practicum II (250 clinical hours)
- Clinical Decision Making and Diagnostic Reasoning AGACNP/Practicum III (250 clinical hours)
DNP Courses:
- Nursing Science I: Epistemology
- Complex Health Care Systems and Organizational Change
- Evidence-Based Practice I
- Evidence-Based Practice II: Translational Inquiry
- Ethics and Genetics in Advanced Practice
- Doctor of Nursing Practice I (112 clinical hours)
- Doctor of Nursing Practice II (224 clinical hours)
- Doctor of Nursing Practice III—DNP Project (224 clinical hours)
- DNP Project Advisement (as needed with continuous enrollment)
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP Clinicals
The program requires 1,310 total clinical hours: 750 AGACNP clinical hours plus 560 DNP practicum hours.
AGACNP Clinical Hours (750 total):
- Practicum I: 250 hours
- Practicum II: 250 hours
- Practicum III: 250 hours
DNP Practicum Hours (560 total):
- Doctor of Nursing Practice I: 112 hours
- Doctor of Nursing Practice II: 224 hours
- Doctor of Nursing Practice III: 224 hours
- Experiences focus on clinical leadership, direct care, patient outcomes, and complex systems management
DNP Admissions Requirements
- Completed online application
- Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from accredited program
- Transcripts from all previously attended institutions of higher education
- Minimum 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale)
- Undergraduate statistics course with grade of at least C (2.0)
- Two references (one from educator or advanced practice nurse, one from employer with graduate degree)
- Goal statement highlighting interests with emphasis on healthcare practice improvement
- Curriculum vitae
- Valid Pennsylvania or multi-state RN license
- Interview with nursing faculty member (arranged after preliminary application review)
- International applicants: English proficiency test results taken within 2 years (unless from TOEFL-exempt country)
- International applicants seeking U.S. licensure: work with CGFNS for credentials evaluation
- GRE scores not required
Post-Master’s Certificate – AGACNP
The estimated cost for the Post-Master’s Certificate – AGACNP program is $31,800 (30 credits × $1,060/credit) plus technology and graduate student fees and would take 1.5-2 years to complete.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate requires 30 credits including foundational courses and AGACNP specialty courses, with 750 clinical hours.
Required Courses:
- Advanced Pathophysiology
- Dynamics of Family Health Care
- Advanced Pharmacology
- Advanced Health Assessment
- Clinical Decision Making and Diagnostic Reasoning AGACNP/Practicum I (250 clinical hours)
- Clinical Decision Making and Diagnostic Reasoning AGACNP/Practicum II (250 clinical hours)
- Clinical Decision Making and Diagnostic Reasoning AGACNP/Practicum III (250 clinical hours)
More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Clinicals
The program requires 750 clinical hours distributed across three practicum courses (same distribution as MSN program).
- Practicum I: 250 clinical hours
- Practicum II: 250 clinical hours
- Practicum III: 250 clinical hours
- Clinical experiences in medical/surgical ICUs, trauma units, and hospitalist rotations
Certificate Admissions Requirements
- Master’s degree in Nursing from accredited MSN program
- Registered nurse with valid licensure
- Completed online application
- Transcript from completed master’s degree program
- Valid Pennsylvania or multi-state RN license
Tuition
Graduate nursing tuition is $1,060 per credit for master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs.
Additional fees include $90-$215 technology fee per semester (depending on credit load), $60 nursing technology fee per semester, $36 new student fee, and $37 graduate student fee per semester.
Up to 2 courses may transfer into Widener graduate nursing programs.
See the official tuition page for more details.
More ACNP Programs for Pennsylvania Nurses
- Cedar Crest College - Allentown
- Drexel University - Philadelphia
- Duquesne University - Pittsburgh
- Moravian University - Bethlehem
- Penn State - University Park
- Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
- Thomas Jefferson University - Philadelphia
- University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia
View all Pennsylvania ACNP programs
Accreditation
The Master’s and Doctoral degree programs in nursing at Widener University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Graduates are eligible to sit for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) credentialing examinations. Widener reports that 85% of full-time graduate students receive financial aid.