Yale School of Nursing offers 4 acute care nurse practitioner tracks:
- MSN AGACNP
- Post-Master’s Certificate AGACNP
- MSN PNP-AC
- Post-Master’s Certificate PNP-AC
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN AGACNP | $113.2K | 2 years (4 semesters) | 50.6-53.6 |
| Certificate AGACNP | Up to $110K | Up to 2 years (4 semesters) | Up to 50.6 |
| MSN PNP-AC | $113.2K | 2 years (4 semesters) | 50 |
| Certificate PNP-AC | Up to $102K | Up to 2 years (4 semesters) | Up to 47 |
Tuition totals are calculated from Yale’s 2026-2027 rate schedule. Certificate figures are pre-gap-analysis ceilings.
Yale is one of the few schools running two acute care population foci side by side, and the school arranges every clinical placement itself across hospitals in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Every applicant needs a Connecticut RN license, and Yale has not determined whether the MSN meets Oregon’s licensure education requirement.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN and post-master’s APRN certificate; no BSN-to-DNP acute care pathway |
| Population Focus | AGACNP and PNP-AC |
| Format | Campus |
| Campus Visits | Weekly in-person classes at Yale West Campus for all four terms |
| Clinical Hours | AGACNP 848-932; PNP-AC 755 |
| Clinical Placement | Arranged by Yale staff and faculty for every student |
| RN Experience | AGACNP none required; PNP-AC one to two years acute inpatient |
| Distinctive Coursework | Critical Care Clinical Immersion; bedside ultrasound; pediatric acute care diagnostics |
| License Requirements | Connecticut RN license by November 1 of the first term |
| Start Terms | Fall |
| Tuition | Flat $54,336 per year for the MSN; $2,175 per credit for certificates |
| Certification | ANCC AGACNP-BC and AACN ACNPC-AG; PNCB CPNP-AC |
| Accreditation | CCNE |
| State Restrictions | Oregon licensure eligibility undetermined; all other states and DC met |
Requirements Shared Across All Tracks
Clinical Requirements
- Placement model: a Preceptor Liaison and clinical support staff, working with faculty, arrange all clinical experiences
- Geography: acute care hospitals in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts for AGACNP; Rhode Island is added for PNP-AC
- Settings: intensive care units, inpatient services, specialty clinics, and emergency departments
- Transportation: students supply their own, including to sites outside Connecticut, and pay for parking
- Background check: required of every admitted student before fall enrollment
Yale’s AGACNP program page states a minimum of 856 total clinical hours, while the plan of study totals 848 without the critical care immersion. The PNP-AC page states 665 minimum pediatric practice hours against 755 in the plan of study.
Campus Requirements
- Location: Yale West Campus, with no online option for either acute care specialty
- Cadence: weekly classes across all four terms, alongside separately scheduled clinical days
- PNP-AC schedule: roughly two class days per week in year one, generally Thursdays in year two
- Facilities: high-fidelity simulation lab and procedural workshops in both specialty sequences
RN Experience and Licensure
- AGACNP experience: none required, and the specialty is explicitly designed for RNs with or without acute or critical care backgrounds
- PNP-AC experience: the catalog states the specialty is designed for entering RNs with one to two years of acute inpatient experience
- General preference: at least one year of professional nursing experience is highly recommended for MSN admission
- Certificate licensure: applicants must already be a licensed APRN, CRNA, or CNM and hold Connecticut RN licensure at application
- MSN licensure: a license in any US state before first-term registration, then a Connecticut RN license by November 1 of the first term
- Working during the program: permitted part-time or per diem in both specialties, and encouraged in PNP-AC
You Should Know
- Connecticut licensure is not optional: fall entrants into the on-campus MSN must hold a Connecticut RN license by November 1 of their first term, and certificate applicants need it before they apply.
- Oregon is unresolved: Yale states the MSN curriculum meets licensure education requirements in every state and Washington, DC, except Oregon, where no determination has been made.
MSN Adult/Gerontology Acute Care
The estimated tuition for the MSN AGACNP program at Yale is approximately $113,191 across two years of full-time study, including required program fees. The program can generally be completed in about 2 years, or 3 years part-time.
MSN AGACNP Curriculum
The full-time plan of study runs 53.6 credits over four terms, or 50.6 credits for students who do not take the critical care immersion.
- NURS 7810: Advanced Diagnostics in Acute Care (4 credits, fall year one)
- NURS 7820: Critical Care Clinical Immersion (3 credits, 84 clinical hours, fall year one)
- NURS 7800: Advanced Health Assessment in Adult/Gerontology Acute Care (3 credits, 20 clinical hours)
- NURS 7830: Pathophysiology and Management of Acute Care Health Problems I (4 credits)
- NURS 7880: Advanced Acute Care Pharmacology (1 credit)
- NURS 7840: Acute Care Clinical Practice I (3 credits, 108 clinical hours)
- NURS 7850: Pathophysiology and Management of Acute Care Health Problems II (4 credits)
- NURS 7860: Acute Care Clinical Practice II (8.3 credits, 360 clinical hours)
- NURS 7870: Acute Care Clinical Practice III (8.3 credits, 360 clinical hours)
- Core courses: advanced health assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacology, statistics and research, transitions to practice, and population and community health
First-year diagnostic training includes bedside ultrasound.
Both specialties may add a concentration in Research, Diabetes Care, Oncology, or Gender and Sexuality Health Justice, applied for during the first specialty year.
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN AGACNP Admissions
- Degree: baccalaureate degree and graduation from a state-approved nursing program
- GPA: 3.0 cumulative undergraduate, or GRE scores at or above the fiftieth percentile in all three sections
- Application: NursingCAS, resume, personal statement, three letters of recommendation, and all transcripts
- Assessment: an asynchronous verbal and written Kira Talent assessment replaces a live interview
You Should Know
- The immersion changes the credit count: students without critical care nursing experience take NURS 7820, adding 3 credits and 84 clinical hours. Flat MSN tuition absorbs the difference, so it costs an MSN student nothing extra.
- Part-time is longer and slightly more expensive: the six-term part-time plan totals about $114,202 against $113,191 for the two-year full-time route, because the annual fee stack repeats a third time.
Post-Master’s Certificate AGACNP
The estimated tuition for the Post-Master’s AGACNP Certificate reaches $110,055 before any gap-analysis waivers, at 50.6 credits and $2,175 per credit. Duration depends on the individualized plan and runs up to 2 years.
The certificate uses the same specialty sequence, clinical requirements, and placement model as the MSN, described in the shared section above. It drops only the statistics and research course.
- Required degree: a master’s in nursing in a defined specialty area, plus a bachelor’s degree in any major
- Required licensure: current licensure as an advanced practice nurse, CRNA, or CNM, and Connecticut RN licensure
- Experience: one year of post-master’s clinical nursing experience preferred, not required
- Plan of study: set by the specialty director from the applicant’s graduate transcript
- Residency rule: every required AGACNP course must be taken at Yale or challenged by examination or demonstrated equivalent content
- Enrollment: part-time or full-time, declared on the application
You Should Know
- Certificate students pay for the immersion: NURS 7820 costs $6,525 at the per-credit rate, so a certificate applicant without ICU experience faces a real cost the MSN student does not.
- The ceiling can exceed the MSN: an unwaived certificate plan bills more than two years of flat MSN tuition. Gap analysis is what brings it down, and Yale determines it after admission.
MSN Pediatric Acute Care
The estimated tuition for the MSN PNP-AC program at Yale is approximately $113,191 across two years, matching the AGACNP rate because MSN tuition is flat. The program can generally be completed in about 2 years.
MSN PNP-AC Curriculum
The full-time plan of study runs 50 credits and 755 clinical hours over four terms, with an optional 2-credit elective. Pediatric primary care forms the first year; acute care management dominates the second.
- NURS 7400: Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning (3 credits)
- NURS 7430: Primary Care of Children I Clinical Practice (2 credits, 76 clinical hours)
- NURS 7910: Advanced Acute and Critical Care Diagnostics for Pediatrics (2 credits)
- NURS 7560: Specialty Pediatric Acute Care Clinical Practice (3 credits, 130 clinical hours)
- NURS 7520: Chronic Health Conditions in Children and Adolescents (2 credits)
- NURS 7912: Acute Care of Children I (3 credits)
- NURS 7914: Acute Care of Children I Clinical (4.5 credits, 196 clinical hours)
- NURS 7916: Acute Care of Children II (2 credits)
- NURS 7918: Acute Care of Children II Clinical (8 credits, 353 clinical hours)
- Also included: advanced pediatric pharmacology, primary care of adolescents, and child and family development
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN PNP-AC Admissions
Admission requirements match the AGACNP track above, with two differences.
- Experience: the catalog describes the specialty as designed for entering RNs holding one to two years of acute inpatient experience
- Entry route: applicants may enter as an RN or through Yale’s Graduate Entry Prespecialty in Nursing program for non-nurses
Post-Master’s Certificate PNP-AC
The estimated tuition for the Post-Master’s PNP-AC Certificate reaches $102,225 before gap-analysis waivers, at 47 credits and $2,175 per credit. Duration runs up to 2 years depending on the individualized plan.
The plan includes every required PNP-AC course except research and statistics, and uses the same clinical requirements and placement model as the MSN.
- Intended applicants: master’s or doctorally prepared PNP-primary care, clinical nurse specialist, neonatal NP, or family NP holders
- Required licensure: current APRN, CRNA, or CNM licensure plus Connecticut RN licensure
- Residency rule: all required PNP-AC courses must be completed at Yale or challenged by examination or demonstrated equivalent content
- Certification result: graduates apply for pediatric acute care certification through the PNCB
Tuition
Yale charges the MSN as flat annual tuition rather than by credit, and certificates at $2,175 per credit. Full-time MSN tuition is $54,336 per year for 2026-2027, split evenly across fall and spring.
| Program | Credits | Estimated Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGACNP | 50.6-53.6 | $113,191 |
| Certificate AGACNP | Up to 50.6 | Up to $110,055 |
| MSN PNP-AC | 50 | $113,191 |
| Certificate PNP-AC | Up to 47 | Up to $102,225 |
MSN totals combine a new-student year ($57,370) and a continuing year ($55,821), each including tuition plus the equipment and technology, lab, and student activity fees. Credit counts do not change what an MSN student pays.
Be aware that:
- Concentrations carry a fee: enrolling in one adds a charge equal to four credits, or $8,700, for each academic year enrolled.
- Health insurance is separate: Yale bills $3,764 for single-student hospitalization coverage, waivable with proof of alternative coverage.
- Certificate totals are ceilings: students are not charged for courses waived by transcript or challenge examination, so actual cost lands below the figures above.
See the official tuition and fees page for more details.
Financial Aid
Yale awards need-based and merit scholarships to MSN students alongside federal loans. Certificate students are ineligible for institutional scholarship aid but may borrow through graduate and professional loan programs.
Why Choose This ACNP Program?
Two acute care population foci. Adult-gerontology and pediatric acute care run as separate MSN specialties with separate certificates, so a nurse who wants inpatient pediatrics does not have to leave the school or settle for an adult credential.
Yale places every student. A Preceptor Liaison and clinical support staff arrange all clinical experiences in both specialties, removing the preceptor hunt that governs most distance NP programs.
No acute care experience gate on the adult track. The AGACNP specialty admits RNs with no ICU or emergency background and routes them through an 84-hour critical care immersion instead. PNP-AC takes the opposite approach, expecting one to two years of acute inpatient work.
Doctoral study is post-master’s only. Yale has no BSN-to-DNP acute care pathway, so a nurse who wants the doctorate earns the MSN first and applies to the post-master’s DNP separately.
Yale suits nurses who can commit to Connecticut licensure and weekly campus attendance in exchange for a high-hour, fully in-person education. Applicants set on adult acute care and applicants set on pediatric acute care each get a full pathway here.
Accreditation and Certification
The master’s degree program in nursing at Yale School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, which covers both the AGACNP and PNP-AC specialties. Yale’s post-master’s APRN certificate program operates as an option built on the same accredited master’s curriculum, using the identical required courses.
Yale University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
AGACNP graduates are eligible to sit for the Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner examinations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (AGACNP-BC) and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (ACNPC-AG). PNP-AC graduates apply for Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certification in acute care through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (CPNP-AC). Certification eligibility follows the population focus, so an AGACNP graduate cannot sit for the pediatric exam and a PNP-AC graduate cannot sit for the adult-gerontology exams.
More ACNP Programs for Connecticut Residents
- Quinnipiac University - Hamden
- University of Connecticut - Storrs
- Western Connecticut State University - Danbury