The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing offers two Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) pathways:
- MSN (full-time or part-time; Penn BSN students can enter through the BSN/MSN option)
- Post-Master’s (plan of study not published)
Both run through the same in-person program in Philadelphia. Some courses are offered online or in hybrid format, but clinical placements are in person in the Penn network and other local and mid-Atlantic health systems. Penn charges one tuition rate regardless of residency.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN (Full-Time) | $93,602 | 15 months (4 terms) | 12 course units |
| MSN (Part-Time) | $93,334 | About 2 years (7 terms) | 12 course units |
| Post-Master’s | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Tuition estimates apply Penn’s 2026–2027 MSN rate ($7,160 per course unit, same for all students) to the catalog’s 12 course units, plus the general, technology, and clinical fees Penn charges for each term’s enrollment level in the published plans of study.
What sets Penn apart from most AGPCNP programs is that the school arranges clinical sites and preceptors for students, within the Penn network and other mid-Atlantic systems, and finishes full-time students in 15 months. Full-time AGPCNP students are also eligible to be invited into the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program, which covers tuition and fees in exchange for two years of practice in an underserved community.
The cost of that model is presence and price. This is an in-person program, so distance applicants need to relocate to the Philadelphia area. Without Lauder funding, tuition and mandatory fees come to roughly $93,600 at current rates for 12 course units, and Penn does not publish the number of clinical hours students complete.
Penn finds your preceptors and can finish you in 15 months, but only if you can study in person in Philadelphia and absorb about $93,600 in tuition and fees or earn a Lauder Fellowship.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | MSN (full-time, part-time, BSN/MSN), Post-Master’s |
| Format | In-person; some courses online or hybrid |
| Campus Attendance | Regular on-campus attendance in Philadelphia; schedule not published by course |
| Clinical Hours | Not clearly published |
| Clinical Placement | Arranged by Penn, including preceptors |
| Clinical Locations | Penn network and other local and mid-Atlantic health systems |
| Population Focus | Adolescence through end of life |
| Start Terms | Full-time: May. Part-time: spring, summer, or fall |
| Tuition | $7,160 per course unit (2026–2027) |
| Funding | Lauder Fellowship covers tuition and fees for selected full-time students; tuition discount for employees of Penn Academic Practice Partners |
| Accreditation | CCNE through June 30, 2034 |
Master of Science in Nursing – Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP MSN requires 12 course units. Estimated tuition and fees are $93,602 full-time (15 months, May to August of the following year) and $93,334 part-time (seven terms, summer to summer two years later). Applicants need a BSN. Penn BSN students can enter through the BSN/MSN option.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The catalog labels the full-time plan “2 years” and the part-time plan “3 years” because the plans run across academic years. The term-by-term plans show the full-time program spans four terms (summer, fall, spring, summer) and the part-time program seven terms. This page uses the program page’s 15-month full-time figure because it matches the catalog’s term sequence.
MSN Curriculum
The 12 course units divide into three blocks: five advanced practice core courses, three primary care theory courses, and four clinical courses. Each course carries one course unit.
The full-time sequence front-loads the foundation. Summer one covers pathophysiology, research methods, and advanced physical assessment. Clinical practicum begins in the first fall, paired with the first primary care theory course, and the complex-management practicum follows in spring. The final summer holds two more clinical courses. Theory and practicum run together in the same term, so classroom content on a condition overlaps with seeing it in clinic.
The part-time plan spreads the core across the first year and delays clinical work until the second fall. Part-time students carry one or two course units per term.
The one gerontology-specific course is NURS 6440, Health Care in an Aging Society. The rest of the specialty sequence is framed as primary care of adults across the lifespan, starting at adolescence.
Core courses
- NURS 6070 – Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology (1 CU)
- NURS 6080 – Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics for Nursing Practice (1 CU)
- NURS 6560 – Professional Role Issues for Nurse Practitioners (1 CU)
- NURS 6570 – Advanced Physical Assessment and Clinical Decision Making (1 CU)
- NURS 6370 – Introduction to Research Methods and Design (1 CU); Penn BSN students take NURS 5470 instead
Theory courses
- NURS 6440 – Health Care in an Aging Society (1 CU)
- NURS 6460 – Primary Care: Diagnosis and Management of Adults Across the Lifespan (1 CU)
- NURS 6480 – Primary Care: Complex Diagnosis and Management of Adults Across the Lifespan (1 CU)
Clinical courses
- NURS 6470 – Primary Care Clinical Practicum: Diagnosis and Management of Adults Across the Lifespan (1 CU)
- NURS 6490 – Primary Care Clinical Practicum: Complex Diagnosis and Management of Adults Across the Lifespan (1 CU)
- NURS 6610 – Clinical Management of Primary Care with Adults (1 CU)
- NURS 6630 – Advanced Concepts in Primary Care (1 CU)
Full requirements and plans of study are in the 2026–2027 Penn catalog.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total clinical hours: not clearly published on the program page or in the catalog
- Clinical courses: four, beginning the first fall (full-time) or second fall (part-time)
- Placement responsibility: Penn arranges clinical sites and preceptors
- Locations: Penn network and other local and mid-Atlantic health systems
- Format: in person
- Structure: classroom case studies plus clinical preceptorships
- Clinical fee: $385 in fall and spring terms with 3 or more course units
School-arranged placement removes the biggest workload most AGPCNP students face: cold-calling clinics for preceptors. It also means students go where Penn places them. “Mid-Atlantic” can mean commuting beyond Philadelphia, and Penn does not publish how far.
The missing hour total matters for comparison. Many AGPCNP programs publish a clinical hour figure, and applicants comparing clinical volume will not find one for Penn.
MSN Admissions
- BSN with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
- College-level statistics course
- GRE: required unless the applicant completed a U.S. BSN with a GPA of 3.2 or higher (per Penn’s MSN admissions page)
- RN licensure. Penn’s general MSN admissions page says some programs require RN experience before clinical coursework; the AGPCNP page does not say whether or how much applies
- Immunizations, CPR certification, drug screen, and background check
- Full-time start: May only
- Part-time start: spring, summer, or fall
- Most recently published deadlines: full-time early November; part-time October 15 (spring), March 15 (summer), April 1 (fall)
Two points need care. First, the program page still lists deadlines from an earlier admissions cycle (November 4, 2024 for full-time), so dates for the current cycle are not clearly published there. Second, the AGPCNP program page lists no GRE requirement, but Penn’s MSN admissions page says the GRE is required unless a U.S. BSN was completed with a GPA of 3.2 or higher. Applicants with a BSN GPA from 3.0 to 3.19 should be prepared to submit scores until the two pages agree.
Full-time applicants have one window per year. Missing the November deadline pushes a full-time start back a full year. Part-time applicants have three entry points.
See Penn Nursing MSN and post-master’s admissions.
Post-Master’s Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP
The program page states that the AGPCNP program is offered as a post-master’s option. Penn does not publish a separate post-master’s AGPCNP plan of study, credit total, duration, or tuition estimate. Penn Nursing’s CCNE accreditation covers its post-graduate APRN certificate programs.
Post-master’s students would take the AGPCNP specialty courses from the MSN, with the number of core courses waived depending on prior coursework. That is an interpretation: Penn does not publish its gap-analysis rules. At $7,160 per course unit, each course waived or required shifts the total by more than $7,000.
Tuition
Penn’s 2026–2027 MSN tuition is $7,160 per course unit for summer 2026, fall 2026, and spring 2027. There is no in-state discount. In fall and spring, tuition is capped at the 4-CU rate ($28,640). Summer has no cap.
The AGPCNP program page still shows 2024 figures: $6,640 per course unit, with totals of $86,636 full-time and $88,460 part-time. Penn’s billing office publishes the newer 2026–2027 rate, so this page uses $7,160. On tuition alone, the gap is $6,240 across 12 course units.
| Pathway | Tuition | Mandatory Fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN Full-Time | $85,920 | $7,682 | $93,602 |
| MSN Part-Time | $85,920 | $7,414 | $93,334 |
| Post-Master’s | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Totals are calculated from Penn’s 2026–2027 rate and fee tables and the catalog plans of study. They are not figures published by Penn.
Fees beyond tuition (2026–2027, on-campus programs):
- Technology fee: $132 per course unit, capped at $528
- General fee: $530 per summer term; $530 to $2,134 in fall and spring depending on course units
- Clinical fee: $385 in fall and spring terms with 3 or more course units
Part-time study costs slightly less in fees because terms with one or two course units carry a lower general fee and no clinical fee.
Lauder Fellowship. The Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program covers tuition and fees for selected students, with stipends for those with greater financial need. AGPCNP is one of three eligible programs, alongside FNP and PMHNP. Fellows commit to two years of practice in an underserved community after graduation. Students cannot apply directly: Penn selects from admitted full-time students and invites them to apply. Part-time students are not eligible. Details are in the Lauder Program FAQ.
Employer discount. The program page notes a tuition discount for employees of Penn Nursing’s Academic Practice Partners. The amount is not stated there.
See Penn’s 2026–2027 MSN rate tables and the official nursing cost page for rate tables and cost of attendance.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: BSN-prepared nurses who can study in person in Philadelphia, want the school to handle clinical placement, and either can fund about $93,600 or are positioned to compete for a Lauder Fellowship.
Penn Arranges Preceptors
Many AGPCNP programs, especially online ones, make students find their own sites. Penn places students in its own network and partner systems and arranges preceptors. For applicants who have watched classmates delay graduation over unfilled rotations, this is the strongest reason to pick Penn.
A 15-Month Full-Time Path
The full-time plan finishes in four terms. Clinical work starts in the second term. That pace suits nurses who can step back from full-time work for 15 months. It is a heavy load for anyone who cannot.
High Sticker Price, Possible Full Coverage
At about $93,600 before living costs, Penn is an expensive way to earn an AGPCNP. The Lauder Fellowship can erase tuition and fees entirely, but selection is by invitation, limited to full-time students, and tied to a two-year underserved-practice commitment. Applicants should plan as if they will pay full price.
In-Person Only, With Gaps in Published Detail
Some courses are online or hybrid, but the program is in person. Penn also does not publish clinical hours, a post-master’s plan of study, or current-cycle deadlines on the program page. Applicants who want those numbers in hand before applying will find them easier to get from other programs.
The Verdict
Penn makes the most sense for nurses already in or willing to move to the Philadelphia area who want placement handled for them and a 15-month finish. It is especially strong for applicants committed to underserved primary care, since the Lauder Fellowship can cover the full cost. Working nurses who need online coursework, applicants outside the mid-Atlantic, and anyone who must keep total cost well below $90,000 without fellowship support should compare other options.
Accreditation
Penn Nursing’s MSN programs and post-graduate APRN certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) through June 30, 2034. The MSN nurse practitioner programs are approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
Penn’s program page says graduates can sit for certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). AACN certifies acute and critical care, so for a primary care graduate the ANCC adult-gerontology primary care exam is the relevant credential Penn names. The page does not mention AANPCB. Penn’s accreditation page reports a 100% first-time certification pass rate for its AGPCNP graduates in 2023. Because the program and its clinical training are in person in the mid-Atlantic, distance-education state authorization is unlikely to affect applicants, though students placed outside Pennsylvania may need licensure where they train.
Other AGPCNP Programs in Pennsylvania
- Drexel University - Philadelphia
- La Salle University - Philadelphia
- Misericordia University - Dallas
- Moravian University - Bethlehem
- Wilkes University - Wilkes-Barre
- York College - York