Yale School of Nursing offers 2 Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – AGACNP
- Post-Master’s APRN Certificate – AGACNP
Both programs are delivered in person at Yale West Campus in Connecticut with no online option currently available, featuring hands-on learning through high-fidelity simulation labs, procedural workshops, and critical care immersion clinicals.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program Track | Estimated Cost | Estimated Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN – AGACNP | $107,168 | ≈ 2 years (full-time) |
| Post-Master’s APRN Certificate – AGACNP | Varies (per-credit, based on gap analysis) | ≈ 2 years (individualized plan) |
All AGACNP faculty are Board Certified Acute Care NPs actively practicing in acute and critical care settings, bringing real-world experiences to their teaching, with students able to elect additional education in concentrations including Research, Diabetes, Oncology, and Gender and Sexuality Health Justice.
Master of Science in Nursing – AGACNP
The estimated cost for the MSN-AGACNP program is $107,168 and takes approximately 2 years to complete full-time across 52.6 credits.
MSN Curriculum
The MSN-AGACNP program totals 52.6 credits delivered through in-person coursework, simulation labs, procedural workshops, and clinical practicums over two academic years.
The curriculum includes core graduate nursing courses, specialty acute care assessment and diagnostics, pathophysiology and management courses, advanced pharmacology, and progressive clinical practice experiences.
Year One
Fall Term (15 credits, 128 clinical hours)
NURS 6000 – Advanced Health Assessment
Introduces advanced history-taking, physical exams, and differential diagnosis across diverse populations. Focuses on identifying normal and abnormal findings and building diagnostic reasoning skills.
NURS 6010 – Advanced Pathophysiology
Explores disease mechanisms across the lifespan and links symptom patterns to physiological change. Case-based discussions help connect theory to clinical care.
NURS 7800 – Advanced Health Assessment in Adult/Gerontology Acute Care
Builds acute care–focused assessment skills, including communication, interpretation of diagnostics, and structured clinical reasoning. Includes simulation and real clinical exposure.
NURS 7810 – Advanced Diagnostics in Acute Care Seminar
Covers complex diagnostic data interpretation for acutely and critically ill patients. Emphasis is placed on labs, imaging, and device-generated clinical information.
NURS 7820 – Critical Care Clinical Immersion
Provides hands-on experience caring for patients with high-acuity and life-support needs. Students strengthen problem prediction and early clinical decision-making in critical care settings.
Spring Term (13 credits, 120 clinical hours)
NURS 6020 – Advanced Pharmacology
Covers pharmacokinetics, major drug classes, and safe prescribing for advanced practice providers. Focuses on applying drug knowledge to real clinical scenarios.
NURS 6040 – Statistics & Research for Evidence-Based Practice Nursing
Introduces research appraisal and application to clinical decision-making. Students learn to interpret studies and integrate findings into practice.
NURS 7830 – Pathophysiology & Management of Adult/Gerontology Acute Health Problems I
Focuses on cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, neurologic, and hematologic disorders in acute care. Links physiology to treatment decisions and outcome monitoring.
NURS 7840 – Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Practice I
Introduces supervised clinical care with acutely and critically ill adults and older adults. Students practice diagnosis, care planning, and documentation with faculty guidance.
NURS 7880 – Advanced Acute Care Pharmacology
Refines medication management for acute and high-acuity conditions. Includes drug interactions, monitoring, and safe prescribing strategies.
Year Two
Fall Term (16.3 credits, 360 clinical hours)
NURS 6050 – Transitions to Professional Practice
Supports the shift into the nurse practitioner role with content on scope, ethics, leadership, and systems-based practice. Helps students prepare for practice readiness.
NURS 6060 – Promoting Health in the Community
Covers health promotion, epidemiology, and prevention strategies across populations. Focuses on community-level and lifespan-based care planning.
NURS 7850 – Pathophysiology & Management of Adult Gerontology Acute Health Problems II
Covers trauma, endocrine, infectious disease, GI/hepatic issues, and end-of-life care. Builds advanced management strategies for complex and comorbid patients.
NURS 7860 – Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Practice II
Advances assessment and management skills with complex patient loads and technology-supported care. Emphasizes collaboration, communication, and clinical efficiency.
Spring Term (8.3 credits, 360 clinical hours)
NURS 7870 – Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Practice III
Final advanced practicum focused on full-scope AGACNP management from stabilization through discharge. Strengthens autonomy, teamwork, and leadership in high-acuity practice.
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinicals
MSN-AGACNP students complete a minimum of 968 total clinical hours (856 required hours plus 112 hours for students without critical care experience) with experienced preceptors across variety of acute care settings.
Clinical practicums expose students to specialty critical care units, inpatient settings, specialty clinics, and emergency departments at acute care hospitals in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts.
Students without critical care nursing experience complete a critical care immersion clinical spent at the bedside with an expert critical care nurse to gain experience with high-technology life-supporting therapies.
The AGACNP Preceptor Liaison and Clinical Support Unit staff, in conjunction with faculty, arrange all clinical experiences to best meet each student’s needs.
MSN Prerequisites & Admissions
- BSN degree from accredited institution
- Strong interest and motivation to provide acute, complex chronic, and critical care to adult and gerontologic patients
- Current RN license
- Program designed to support accelerated nursing students and RNs with or without acute and/or critical care work experience
- Online NursingCAS application
- Current resume/curriculum vitae
- Three letters of recommendation (academic and professional)
- Official transcripts at time of application
- Personal statement
- Virtual interview
- TOEFL or IELTS scores required for all non-native English speakers
- Students may elect full-time or part-time plans of study
- Students expected to remain in the specialty to which they were accepted
- Transportation required for clinical site placements, including sites away from Connecticut
Post-Master’s APRN Certificate – AGACNP
The estimated cost for the Post-Master’s AGACNP Certificate varies based on individual gap analysis and courses required, with tuition charged on a per-credit basis, and takes approximately 2 years to complete depending on individualized plan of study.
Certificate Curriculum
The Post-Master’s Certificate program includes all required courses from the AGACNP specialty curriculum except research courses. Students design individualized plans of study with faculty based on gap analysis from their previous master’s program, background, career objectives, and outside commitments. All AGACNP required courses must be taken at Yale School of Nursing or challenged by examination or demonstration of similar course content in the student’s previous master’s program.
Typical Required Courses (based on gap analysis):
- NURS 6000 – Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits)
- NURS 6010 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 credits)
- NURS 6020 – Advanced Pharmacology (2 credits)
- NURS 6050 – Transitions to Professional Practice (2 credits)
- NURS 6060 – Promoting Health in the Community (2 credits)
- NURS 7800 – Advanced Health Assessment in Adult/Gerontology Acute Care (3 credits)
- NURS 7810 – Advanced Diagnostics in Acute Care Seminar (3 credits)
- NURS 7820 – Critical Care Clinical Immersion (3 credits)
- NURS 7830 – Pathophysiology & Management of Adult/Gerontology Acute Health Problems I (4 credits)
- NURS 7840 – Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Practice I (3 credits)
- NURS 7850 – Pathophysiology & Management of Adult Gerontology Acute Health Problems II (4 credits)
- NURS 7860 – Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Practice II (8.3 credits)
- NURS 7870 – Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Practice III (8.3 credits)
- NURS 7880 – Advanced Acute Care Pharmacology (1 credit)
Exact curriculum determined by gap analysis and courses waived by transcript or challenge examination.
Certificate Clinicals
Post-Master’s Certificate students complete clinical hours distributed across three clinical practice courses and critical care immersion, with total hours determined by gap analysis and previous clinical experience.
Clinical experiences occur at acute care hospitals in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts, exposing students to specialty critical care units, inpatient settings, specialty clinics, and emergency departments.
The AGACNP Preceptor Liaison and Clinical Support Unit staff arrange all clinical placements.
Certificate Prerequisites & Admissions
- Master’s degree in nursing from accredited institution
- Current APRN or CNM license (required to qualify for admission)
- Online NursingCAS application
- Current resume/curriculum vitae
- Three letters of recommendation (academic and professional)
- Official transcripts at time of application
- Personal statement
- Virtual interview
- TOEFL or IELTS scores required for all non-native English speakers
- Plan of study determined by gap analysis comparing previous master’s coursework to AGACNP specialty requirements
- Students not charged for courses waived by transcript or challenge examination
- PMC students not eligible for scholarship aid but may be eligible for graduate and professional student loans
Tuition
Graduate nursing tuition is charged on a per-credit basis with full-time study costing $25,450 per term ($50,900 per academic year) for 2025-2026. Half-time study costs $12,725 per term.
Post-Master’s Certificate students are charged only for courses taken and not charged for courses waived by transcript or challenge examination.
Additional fees include Continuous Registration Fee of $850 per term and Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage of $3,422 for twelve months (single students).
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
The master’s degree program in nursing at Yale School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
The AGACNP curriculum prepares students to apply for Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (AGACNP-BC) and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (ACNPC-AG).
Other Yale Nursing Programs
Yale School of Nursing offers additional programs including:
- Graduate Entry Prespecialty in Nursing
- MSN specialties: Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwifery/Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner–Acute Care, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner–Primary Care, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Post-Master’s APRN Certificates: Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner–Acute Care, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner–Primary Care, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
- Clinical Concentrations: Diabetes Care, Gender and Sexuality Health Justice, Global Health, Oncology, Research
More ACNP Programs for Connecticut Residents
- Quinnipiac University - Hamden
- University of Connecticut - Storrs
- Western Connecticut State University - Danbury