Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions offers 2 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathways:
- MSN
- Post-Master’s Certificate
Both pathways are online, part-time only, and require at least one in-person campus intensive in Philadelphia. Students must hold a Pennsylvania RN license before starting clinicals, regardless of where they live. Drexel cannot currently admit AGPCNP students from 11 states.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN AGPCNP | $60,788 (quarter basis) | 3 years (part-time) | 52 quarter / 43 semester |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | $39,746 (quarter basis) | 2 years (part-time) | 34 quarter / 34 semester |
Tuition estimates multiply Drexel Online’s 2026–2027 rate of $1,169 per quarter credit (one rate for all students, regardless of state) by the quarter-credit totals on Drexel’s program pages. Drexel switches to semesters in Fall 2027 and has not published a semester rate, so semester-based totals cannot yet be calculated.
Drexel’s appeal rests on a short, specialty-focused clinical sequence: four consecutive 5-credit primary care courses totaling 640 clinical hours, delivered online with a single published four-day campus intensive. A working RN can complete the MSN without relocating or attending weekly on-campus sessions.
The cost of that flexibility falls on the student. Drexel requires students to find and coordinate their own clinical sites and preceptors, warns that travel may be needed, and requires a Pennsylvania RN license on top of a home-state license. The program is also mid-conversion from quarters to semesters, and the semester curriculum changes credit totals before Drexel has published what semester credits will cost.
Drexel offers a part-time online AGPCNP path with minimal campus travel, but students secure their own preceptors and need a Pennsylvania RN license, and the Fall 2027 semester switch leaves future tuition unpublished.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | MSN; Post-Master’s Certificate |
| Format | Online, part-time only; Drexel labels it Online – Residency Required |
| Campus Visits | 4-day in-person intensive in Philadelphia during the first clinical course; Drexel also references additional on-campus and/or virtual intensives |
| Clinical Hours | 640 |
| Clinical Placement | Student finds and coordinates sites and preceptors; department provides resources |
| Licensure | Unrestricted U.S. RN license to apply; Pennsylvania RN license before clinicals |
| Population Focus | Adolescents (13+), adults, and older adults |
| Next Starts | MSN: Winter 2027 (deadline Dec. 7, 2026) or Fall 2027. Certificate: Fall 2027 (deadline July 1, 2027) |
| Tuition | $1,169 per quarter credit (2026–2027) |
| Accreditation | CCNE |
Master of Science in Nursing – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The MSN AGPCNP costs an estimated $60,788 for 52 quarter credits and takes about three years part-time. It is open to BSN-prepared RNs with a 3.0 GPA. Adult nursing experience is preferred but not required.
A curriculum change worth knowing about. Drexel’s program page lists the 52-quarter-credit curriculum. The 2027–2028 semester catalog lists a redesigned 43-semester-credit MSN that takes effect in Fall 2027. By Drexel’s own conversion (1 semester credit = 1.5 quarter credits), 43 semester credits equal 64.5 quarter credits, about 24% more coursework by credit volume than the current plan (calculated). Winter 2027 entrants will start on quarters and cross into semesters after three terms. Drexel has not clearly published how in-progress students convert. This page uses the quarter curriculum for the tuition estimate because it is the only version with a published rate.
MSN Curriculum
The current quarter plan runs in three stages. Year one is entirely non-clinical graduate core: policy, ethics, quality and safety, and two research courses. Year two adds the advanced practice support courses (pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment) and a 0-credit clinical orientation seminar that covers compliance and site contracting. The clinical sequence starts in the summer of year two and runs four consecutive quarters, one 5-credit course per term.
The sequence moves by age: young adults first, then adults, then older adults in primary and long-term care, ending with a gerontology-focused transition course. That progression gives the program a heavier geriatric weighting than its name alone suggests.
The semester version compresses the core to three courses, adds an introductory advanced practice role course, merges pharmacology into one 4-credit pharmacotherapeutics course, drops the elective, and retitles the four clinical courses around diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making. No separate AGPCNP-specific pharmacology course appears in the semester plan. The catalog states that two MSN courses (NURS 5000 and 5001) can be applied to Drexel’s post-master’s DNP.
One published oddity: the catalog description of NURS 7600, the first semester-plan clinical course, says the course focuses on gender-related care. That wording appears borrowed from another NP track and is unexplained.
Current quarter curriculum (key courses)
- NURS 500 Confronting Issues in Contemporary Health Care Environments (3)
- NURS 544 Quality and Safety in Healthcare (3)
- RSCH 503 Research Methods and Biostatistics (3)
- RSCH 504 Evaluation and Translation of Health Research (3)
- NUPR 520 Nurse Practitioner Clinical Orientation Seminar (0)
- NURS 548 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NURS 549 Advanced Pharmacology (3)
- NURS 550 Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnostic Reasoning (4)
- NURS 641 Advanced Pharmacology for AGPCNPs (3)
- NURS 664 Professional Issues for Nurse Practitioners (1)
- NURS 660 Adult-Gero Primary Care I: Care of the Young Adult (5)
- NURS 661 Adult-Gero Primary Care II: Management of Adult Patients (5)
- NURS 662 Adult-Gero Primary Care III: Management of the Older Adult (5)
- NURS 663 Adult-Gero Primary Care IV: Gerontology Management and Care (5)
- Elective (3)
Fall 2027 semester curriculum
- NURS 5000 Transforming Healthcare through Policy and Ethics (3)
- NURS 5001 Advancing Quality and Safety in Healthcare (3)
- NURS 5002 Applied Nursing Research (3)
- NURS 6000 Introduction to Advanced Practice Nursing (3)
- NURS 6001 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NURS 6002 Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics (4)
- NURS 6003 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning (4)
- NURS 7600–7602 Diagnostic Reasoning and Clinical Decision Making for Primary Care I–III (5 each)
- NURS 7603 Comprehensive Primary Care Review and Clinical Immersion for the AGPCNP (5)
View the current quarter curriculum or the sample plans of study.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total hours: 640 clinical hours (quarter catalog)
- Sequence: four clinical courses over four consecutive quarters, starting summer of year two
- Placement: students find and coordinate their own sites and preceptors; the department offers resources
- Travel: Drexel states access to sites varies by state and students may need to travel
- Settings: primary care and assisted living, spanning specialty and primary care outpatient settings
- Preceptors: licensed physicians and APRNs
- Licensure: Pennsylvania RN license required before clinicals begin
- Campus intensive: 4 days in person during week one of the summer quarter, in NURS 660
- New York: NY residents can enroll but cannot complete clinical hours in New York
Self-placement is the planning issue that matters most here. Drexel does not guarantee a site, and the program publishes no consequence or backup process if a student cannot find one. Applicants should line up likely preceptors before enrolling, especially in competitive metro markets.
Drexel describes multiple on-campus visits and mandatory on-campus and/or virtual intensives, but names only one in-person event: the four-day NURS 660 intensive. Because NURS 660 does not exist in the semester plan, intensive timing for semester students is not clearly published.
MSN Admissions
- BSN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or NLN CNEA-accredited program
- Cumulative BSN GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Current, unrestricted U.S. RN license (catalog also accepts eligibility for licensure)
- One year of adult nursing experience preferred, not required
- Two professional references
- Personal statement under 1,000 words
- Resume with specific job responsibilities
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions, including trade schools
- Interview may be required
- No standardized tests
- Next deadline: December 7, 2026, for Winter 2027 (classes begin January 4, 2027)
Reference rules conflict between sources. Drexel’s program page excludes references from colleagues, while the 2027–2028 catalog accepts colleagues or supervisors. Supervisors and former nursing faculty satisfy both.
The Pennsylvania license is not an admission requirement, but Drexel recommends starting the application immediately after admission. Out-of-state nurses should budget for the endorsement fee and processing time.
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate
The Post-Master’s Certificate costs an estimated $39,746 for 34 quarter credits and takes about two years part-time. It requires an MSN. It does not require existing APRN certification, so MSN-prepared educators and leaders are eligible alongside current NPs.
A published conflict worth knowing about. Drexel’s program page lists 34 quarter credits. The 2027–2028 semester catalog lists 34 semester credits, equal to 51 quarter credits under Drexel’s conversion (calculated), a 50% increase in credit volume. The next listed start is Fall 2027, the first semester term, so the semester curriculum is the one incoming students will likely follow. The $39,746 estimate reflects the quarter curriculum because Drexel has not published a semester rate. Applicants should treat it as a floor, not a final price.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate drops the MSN’s graduate core and keeps the advanced practice support courses and the full four-course clinical sequence. Because it includes pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment, it serves MSN holders without APRN preparation. Drexel’s optional gap analysis may reduce this for applicants who already have those courses.
The semester version adds the Introduction to Advanced Practice Nursing course and raises pharmacology to 4 credits, making the certificate nearly identical to the semester MSN minus its 9-credit core.
One unexplained inconsistency: the catalog lists NURS 5000, 5001, and 5002 (MSN core courses) as prerequisites for NURS 7600, yet the semester certificate does not include them. Drexel does not explain how certificate students satisfy those prerequisites.
Current quarter curriculum
- NUPR 520 Nurse Practitioner Clinical Orientation Seminar (0)
- NURS 548 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NURS 549 Advanced Pharmacology (3)
- NURS 550 Advanced Clinical Assessment & Diagnostic Reasoning (4)
- NURS 664 Professional Issues for Nurse Practitioners (1)
- NURS 641 Advanced Pharmacology for AGPCNPs (3)
- NURS 660–663 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care I–IV (5 each)
Fall 2027 semester curriculum
- NURS 6000 Introduction to Advanced Practice Nursing (3)
- NURS 6001 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NURS 6002 Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics (4)
- NURS 6003 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning (4)
- NURS 7600–7603 Primary Care clinical sequence (5 each)
View certificate course descriptions.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Total hours: 640 clinical practicum hours
- Location: completed in the student’s state of residency or in Pennsylvania (catalog)
- Licensure: Pennsylvania RN license, plus an RN license for the state where clinicals take place
- Placement: student-arranged, with department resources
- Campus intensive: same 4-day in-person intensive as the MSN
- Settings: primary care and assisted living
The residency-or-Pennsylvania rule appears only in the certificate’s catalog entry. It means a student cannot chase open preceptor slots in a third state. The MSN pages do not state this rule, so MSN applicants should not assume more flexibility without confirming it.
Certificate Admissions
- MSN from a regionally accredited program (catalog). The program page also lists a DNP, but the catalog states applicants must hold an MSN
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Current, unrestricted U.S. RN license
- Two professional references from supervisors, managers, nursing faculty, or program directors (not colleagues or family)
- Personal statement of 800–1,600 words
- Resume
- Official transcripts from all institutions
- Interview by phone or in person may be required
- Gap analysis: optional; if requested, performed and paid in full at application
- Next deadline: July 1, 2027, for Fall 2027 (classes begin August 23, 2027)
The degree conflict matters for DNP holders without an MSN. The catalog language is more restrictive and more recent, so those applicants should confirm eligibility before paying an application fee.
Tuition
Drexel Online charges $1,169 per quarter credit for 2026–2027, a 10% discount from Drexel’s regular $1,298 rate. The rate is the same for every student regardless of state. Rates increase each fall.
Drexel converts to semesters in Fall 2027 and has not published a semester credit rate. Every current-year total below therefore assumes the quarter curriculum. Both pathways grow in credit volume under the semester plan, so actual costs for new students may run higher.
Estimated Total Tuition
| Pathway | Quarter Credits | Est. Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| MSN | 52 | $60,788 |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 34 | $39,746 |
Calculated from Drexel’s published rate and credit totals; not university-published totals.
Fees Beyond Tuition
- Graduate online program fee: $125 per year
- MSN equipment/lab fee: $1,200 one time at admission, plus $95 per quarter
- Certificate equipment/lab fee: $1,200 one time at admission, plus $115 per quarter
- Optional gap analysis (certificate): paid at application; amount not clearly published
- Pennsylvania RN license: required for clinicals; cost not published by Drexel
Fees are published per quarter; semester-basis fees are not yet published.
Discounts and Aid
- Reduced rates for Drexel alumni, military members, and partner organization employees
- Special rates cannot be combined and must be requested within the first two weeks of the term
- Both pathways are eligible for federal financial aid
Under the quarter plan, the second-year winter term carries only 3 credits. Drexel’s catalog notes that this falls below half-time status, so aid is not disbursed that term.
Review Drexel’s nursing equipment and lab fees.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: RNs in or near Pennsylvania who already have preceptor connections, want a part-time online pace, and can manage a private-university price.
Minimal Campus Travel
Drexel names one in-person requirement: a four-day intensive in Philadelphia. For a distance student, that is one trip across a two- or three-year program. Programs with recurring residencies cost more in travel and missed work. The caveat is Drexel’s reference to additional on-campus and/or virtual intensives, which are not scheduled publicly.
You Find Your Own Preceptors
Drexel frames self-placement as flexibility. In practice, it shifts the hardest part of NP school to the student. Nurses with an employer pipeline or established provider contacts will benefit. Nurses without them face real risk of delayed progression, since Drexel publishes no placement guarantee.
The Pennsylvania License Requirement
Every student needs a Pennsylvania RN license before clinicals. Certificate students also need a license in their clinical state and must train either at home or in Pennsylvania. For out-of-state nurses this adds cost and lead time, but it is manageable if started at admission.
Pricing in Flux
At $60,788 for the MSN on the quarter plan, Drexel is not a low-cost option. The Fall 2027 semester conversion adds uncertainty: both pathways grow in credit volume, and the semester rate is unpublished. Applicants comparing costs should get a written semester estimate from Drexel before committing.
The Verdict
Drexel makes the most sense for Pennsylvania-area RNs, or nurses anywhere outside the excluded states, who can secure their own primary care preceptors and want part-time online study with one short campus visit. The certificate is a practical option for MSN holders without APRN preparation.
Applicants who need placement support, a full-time pace, firm tuition figures, or clinical training in New York should compare other programs. Residents of the 11 excluded states cannot enroll.
Accreditation
The MSN and post-graduate APRN certificate are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Drexel is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Drexel’s catalog states graduates are eligible for AGPCNP certification through AANP and ANCC.
Drexel participates in NC-SARA but currently cannot admit AGPCNP students from 11 states, and New York residents cannot complete clinicals in New York. Check Drexel’s current state regulations and restrictions page before applying.
Other AGPCNP Programs in Pennsylvania
- La Salle University - Philadelphia
- Misericordia University - Dallas
- Moravian University - Bethlehem
- University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia
- Wilkes University - Wilkes-Barre
- York College - York