Rasmussen University AGPCNP Programs

Rasmussen University offers 2 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:

• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – AGPCNP Specialization
• Post-Graduate Certificate – AGPCNP

Both programs are delivered entirely online through Empowered Learning® competency-based education courses allowing students to learn by doing real-world projects and manage their own pace with no weekly deadlines within each quarter.

Program Tracks Overview

The CCNE-accredited programs feature virtual immersion experiences, technology-focused nursing classes preparing students for future healthcare innovations, three elective courses expanding on diagnostic techniques and practice management, and dedicated clinical coordinators who help locate practicum experiences within students’ communities tailored to their career interests.

Master of Science in Nursing – AGPCNP Specialization

The estimated cost for the MSN-AGPCNP Specialization program is $51,130 and takes approximately 27 months to complete with full-time study across 69 credits.

MSN Curriculum

The MSN-AGPCNP program totals 69 credits consisting of 28 MSN core credits and 41 AGPCNP specialization credits delivered through competency-based online courses over 11-week terms.

The curriculum prepares graduates to diagnose and treat health concerns in patients from adolescence through elderly populations using evidence-based practice and advanced clinical skills.

MSN Core Courses (28 credits at $290/credit)

NGR5013 – Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice (4 credits)
Introduces graduate-level nursing concepts that expand on undergraduate preparation. Focuses on applying nursing and related theories to clinical judgment, decision-making, and culturally responsive communication in complex care settings.

NGR5056 – Advanced Health Assessment Across the Lifespan (4 credits)
Builds advanced health assessment skills for patients from infancy through older adulthood. Emphasizes focused and comprehensive histories, physical exams, and evidence-based plans of care.

NGR5101 – Research and Evidence-Based Practice (4 credits)
Covers the research process, study designs, and critical appraisal of evidence for advanced nursing practice. Students interpret data, apply basic statistics, and translate research findings into practice recommendations.

NGR5149 – Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (4 credits)
Examines advanced pathophysiologic processes across body systems and the lifespan. Highlights how genetics, epigenetics, and cultural factors influence disease development and clinical presentation.

NGR5172 – Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan (4 credits)
Provides an in-depth review of major drug classes and pharmacologic principles for all ages. Considers safety, policy, cost, and technology as students plan and evaluate medication therapies in advanced practice.

NGR5800 – Leading Healthcare Transformation (4 credits)
Explores leadership roles for advanced practice nurses in policy, quality improvement, and access to care. Prepares students to design and guide change initiatives that improve systems and outcomes.

NGR6900 – MSN Capstone (4 credits)
Serves as the culminating course where students integrate program concepts into a final project. Emphasizes interprofessional collaboration, cultural responsiveness, and use of evidence to address a real-world practice issue.

AGPCNP Specialization Courses (41 credits at $915/credit)

NGR6011 – Foundations of Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Practice (3 credits)
Introduces the AGPCNP role, scope, and standards in primary care. Focuses on diagnostic reasoning and on how legal, ethical, social, and cultural factors shape care for adults from young adulthood through frail old age.

NGR6211 – Principles of Adult-Gerontology Primary Care (4 credits)
Covers common acute and chronic conditions in adult and older adult populations. Students use pathophysiology, current evidence, and diagnostic reasoning to build differential diagnoses and treatment plans.

NGR6265 – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum I (6 credits)
Provides initial supervised clinical practice in adult-gerontology primary care with an emphasis on health promotion and disease management. Students distinguish normal from abnormal findings and develop age-appropriate, evidence-based plans of care.

NGR6266 – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum II (6 credits)
Expands clinical experience with adolescents, young adults, and adults in primary care. Students refine assessment, diagnostic reasoning, and selection of treatments that support health promotion, restoration, and maintenance.

NGR6267 – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum III (6 credits)
Focuses clinical practice on aging adults and frail elderly patients. Students manage complex health needs, adjust pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic plans, and address functional decline and safety concerns.

NGR6268 – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum IV (6 credits)
Serves as the final practicum where students integrate all prior learning in settings aligned with their interests. Emphasis is on increasing autonomy in assessment, diagnosis, management, and care coordination for adult-gerontology patients.

NGR6640 – Advanced Primary Care of the Adult and Older Adult I (4 credits)
Addresses complex conditions of adult-gerontology patients affecting HEENT, skin, immune, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and renal systems. Students collect and interpret clinical data to design patient-centered, evidence-based management plans.

NGR6650 – Advanced Primary Care of the Adult and Older Adult II (6 credits)
Continues advanced management of complex adult-gerontology conditions with focus on remaining body systems such as endocrine, respiratory, cardiovascular, and hematologic. Students integrate subjective and objective data, diagnostics, and evidence to guide comprehensive therapeutic plans.

Students must demonstrate successful completion of college-level Statistics course as prerequisite or corequisite to NGR5013 and NGR5101.

More curriculum details are available here.

MSN Clinicals

MSN-AGPCNP students complete practicum experiences totaling clinical hours distributed across four practicum courses under supervision of Master’s or Doctoral degree-prepared nurse preceptors.

Clinical experiences occur in students’ own communities and possibly at their current workplace, focusing on adult-gerontology primary care including health promotion, disease management, and care of aging adult and frail elderly patients.

Prior to clinical experiences, students participate in virtual immersion with simulation, telehealth, standardized patient encounters, and assessment-based activities ensuring preparation for clinical work.

One mandatory weekend on-campus residency required in addition to practicum experiences. Dedicated clinical practicum coordinator works to ensure clinical experiences are the right fit for each student’s interests and career goals.

MSN Prerequisites & Admissions

• Conferred Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from regionally or nationally accredited institution
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on 4.0 scale
• Applicants with GPA of 2.8-2.99 may request exception through personal statement essay
• Current, unencumbered RN license valid in United States (unexpired with no reprimands, stipulations, suspensions, revocations, or disciplinary actions)
• Two professional letters of recommendation
• Professional essay as prescribed in application packet
• Completed program application form
• Rasmussen University application and enrollment agreement
• Cleared criminal background check through university’s chosen third-party vendor
• Completion of Rasmussen Experiential Online Orientation and School of Nursing Orientation
• Drug testing, immunizations proof, and CPR certification not entrance requirements but may be required by practicum sites
• Program not available to residents of all states (does not meet requirements for: AL, ID, KS, MD, PA; undetermined for: American Samoa, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands)
• No GRE® requirement

Post-Graduate Certificate – AGPCNP

The estimated cost for the Post-Graduate Certificate AGPCNP program is $29,087 and takes approximately 21 months to complete with full-time study across 53 credits.

Certificate Curriculum

The Post-Graduate Certificate AGPCNP totals 53 credits for nurses with existing Master’s or Doctoral degrees in nursing who seek to add a new NP specialization.

The curriculum includes core NP courses (if not previously completed with transfer credit potential) and AGPCNP specialization courses delivered through competency-based online learning.

Core Courses (12 credits at $464/credit, if needed based on transcript review):

• NGR5056 – Advanced Health Assessment Across the Lifespan (4 credits)
• NGR5149 – Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (4 credits)
• NGR5172 – Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan (4 credits)

AGPCNP Specialization Courses (41 credits at $464/credit):

• NGR6011 – Foundations of Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Practice (3 credits)
• NGR6211 – Principles of Adult-Gerontology Primary Care (4 credits)
• NGR6265 – Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum I (6 credits)
• NGR6266 – Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum II (6 credits)
• NGR6267 – Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum III (6 credits)
• NGR6268 – Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum IV (6 credits)
• NGR6640 – Advanced Primary Care of the Adult and Older Adult I (4 credits)
• NGR6650 – Advanced Primary Care of the Adult and Older Adult II (8 credits)

Transcript reviewed by Dean of Post-Licensure Nursing to determine if transfer credit fulfills core course requirements.

Certificate Clinicals

Post-Graduate Certificate students complete practicum experiences in their own community under supervision of Master’s or Doctoral degree-prepared nurse preceptors.

Clinical experiences personalized to student’s career interests and possibly completed at student’s own organization, focusing on adult-gerontology primary care across the lifespan from adolescence through frail elderly.

Students must submit proof of current immunizations, TB testing, and standard non-employee requirements to pass clinical prerequisite course NGR6650. Certain clinical sites may require additional drug screening, CPR certification, and/or background studies with student responsible for complying and paying for requirements.

One mandatory weekend on-campus residency required. Virtual immersion experiences prepare students for clinical work through simulation and standardized patient encounters.

Certificate Prerequisites & Admissions

• Master’s or Doctoral degree in Nursing from accredited nursing program
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on 4.0 scale
• Applicants with GPA of 2.8-2.99 may request exception through personal statement essay
• Current, unencumbered RN or APRN license from state where clinical hours will be completed
• Two professional recommendation forms
• Professional essay as prescribed in application packet
• Current curriculum vitae or resume
• Completed program application form
• Rasmussen University application and enrollment agreement
• Cleared criminal background check through university’s chosen third-party vendor
• Completion of online orientation course
• Attendance at Graduate Nursing Orientation
• Program not available to residents of all states (does not meet requirements for: AL, ID, KS, MD, PA; undetermined for: American Samoa, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands)

Tuition

MSN-AGPCNP Specialization tuition is $290 per credit for core MSN courses (28 credits) and $915 per credit for AGPCNP specialization courses (41 credits), with total program fees of $5,495, bringing total estimated cost to $51,130.

Post-Graduate Certificate AGPCNP tuition is $464 per credit for all 53 credits with total program fees of $4,495, bringing total estimated cost to $29,087.

Neither program is currently eligible for participation in Title IV federal student aid programs.

Military grants available for those who qualify with 10% tuition grant to active-duty service members, National Guard, Reserve, retired military, and veterans. Employer tuition reimbursement may also be available.

See the official tuition page for more details.

Accreditation

The master’s degree program in nursing and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Rasmussen University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Both programs are designed to prepare graduates to apply for advanced practice nursing license and eligibility to write the associated national certification examination, which may be required by individual state boards of nursing for advanced practice licensure.

Programs approved by Minnesota State Board of Nursing.