Colorado Christian University offers one AGPCNP pathway, plus a post-master’s doctorate that carries no NP population focus:
- BSN to DNP – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP and Transformational Leadership
- MSN to DNP – Transformational Leadership (leadership only, no NP certification)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP AGPCNP | $50.4K | 3 years (36 months) | 67 |
| MSN-DNP Leadership | $24.3K | 2 years (24 months) | 32 |
Tuition is calculated from CCU’s published per-credit rate and fee schedule rather than taken from a published total.
Every AGPCNP student also completes the full 32-credit Transformational Leadership core, so 520 of the 1,160 practicum hours go to leadership rather than patient care. There is no MSN exit point; the only credential CCU awards on this pathway is the DNP.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | BSN to DNP (AGPCNP and leadership); MSN to DNP (leadership only) |
| Population Focus | AGPCNP: middle adolescents, adults, older adults, frail elderly |
| Format | Mostly Online, with courses in 5-, 10-, and 15-week terms |
| Campus Visits | One mandatory weekend intensive in Lakewood during NUR792 |
| Clinical Hours | 1,160 total: 640 AGPCNP and 520 leadership |
| Clinical Placement | Completed near home; CCU’s Clinical Program Manager helps identify preceptors |
| RN Experience | Five months of full-time RN work before the start date |
| License Requirements | Active, unencumbered RN license in the state where clinicals occur |
| Start Terms | January and April, with November 10 and March 10 deadlines |
| Tuition | $625 per credit plus a mandatory $71 per-credit resource fee |
| Certification | ANCC or AANPCB adult-gerontology primary care exams |
| Accreditation | CCNE for the DNP; HLC institutionally |
| State Restrictions | None published for nursing; CCU participates in SARA |
Requirements Shared Across Both Tracks
Clinical Placement and Preceptors
- Location: all in-person hours are completed in the student’s geographic area of residence
- Placement responsibility: students work with CCU’s Clinical Program Manager to identify qualified local preceptors
- Supervision: one-on-one preceptor supervision with course faculty oversight
- Virtual hours: 288 DNP project hours may be completed virtually under faculty and mentor supervision
- Tracking: Exxat clinical management software, paid directly to the vendor
- Guarantee: CCU does not publish a placement guarantee or say what happens if no site is secured
Assistance is not the same as an arranged placement. CCU commits to helping identify preceptors near you, which is more support than student-sourced programs give, but the university stops short of guaranteeing a site.
Delivery and Campus Requirements
- Coursework: online, in 5-, 10-, and 15-week formats
- Orientation: a one-day mandatory online orientation the week before the start date
- Campus intensive: one Saturday and Sunday session in Lakewood during NUR792, required of BSN to DNP students only
- Travel: intensive travel costs are excluded from tuition and fees
- MSN to DNP: no campus intensive is published for this track
Licensure, Screening, and Transfer Credit
- RN license: active, unrestricted license in the state where practicum hours will be completed
- Interview: virtual interview with the nursing admissions committee
- Pre-clinical screening: criminal background check, drug screen, physical exam, vaccination record, TB screening, and BLS certification after provisional acceptance
- Transfer credit: up to 6 credits, or up to 12 for MSN holders entering the AGPCNP or FNP track after a gap analysis
- Recency: transfer coursework within five years, and the three Ps within three years
- Time limit: five years to finish the BSN to DNP, four years for the MSN to DNP
You should know: MSN holders entering the AGPCNP track get a case-by-case transcript review, and CCU does not publish how many credits a typical gap analysis removes. Budget for the full 67 credits until the review comes back.
BSN to DNP: AGPCNP and Transformational Leadership
The estimated tuition for the BSN to DNP AGPCNP and Transformational Leadership track is approximately $50,373: 67 credits at $696 per credit including the resource fee, plus $3,741 in one-time program fees. CCU publishes a 36-month full-time plan and no part-time option.
DNP Curriculum
The 67 credits divide into a 35-credit AGPCNP specialty sequence and the 32-credit Transformational Leadership core. CCU maps the curriculum to AACN Essential Sub-Competencies, NONPF nurse practitioner role competencies, AONL nurse leader competencies, and the ANCC Nurse Executive Advanced content outline.
Individual AGPCNP course titles are not displayed in CCU’s online catalog. The fee schedule and program pages identify several courses by number:
- NUR756: carries a $575 APEA 3P review bundle, charged to BSN to DNP students
- NUR782: carries a $1,125 APEA nurse practitioner bundle, charged to NP students only
- NUR792: the course containing the mandatory on-campus weekend intensive
- NUR797, NUR798, NUR799: the three DNP project courses, each carrying a $500 faculty mentor fee
- NUR797: also carries a $176 Intellectus statistics platform fee
Each student works one-on-one with a faculty mentor across all three project courses, from proposal through defense.
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total: 1,160 practicum hours
- AGPCNP specialty: 640 hours
- Transformational Leadership: 520 hours
- By year: 160 in year one, 160 in year two, 840 in year three
- Pacing, years one and two: about one full day, roughly 8 hours, per week
- Pacing, year three: about two days, roughly 12.5 to 14.5 hours, per week
- Settings: hospitals, primary care clinics, and long-term care facilities
Year three carries 72 percent of the clinical load. Students holding a full-time job through the first two years should plan for a much heavier final year, not a steady three-year pace.
DNP Admissions
- Degree: BSN from a regionally accredited institution
- GPA: 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
- RN experience: at least five months full time before the program starts
- Application: CAGS online application with essay, professional recommendation, and fees
- Documents: official nursing transcripts, resume or CV, and a written personal narrative
- Deadlines: November 10 for the January start, March 10 for the April start
- MSN holders: admitted through a case-by-case transcript review and gap analysis
You should know: CCU’s DNP admissions page lists January and April starts, while the AGPCNP program page describes spring and summer starts. The deadlines on the admissions page are the more specific figures and are used here.
MSN to DNP: Transformational Leadership
The estimated tuition for the MSN to DNP Transformational Leadership track is approximately $24,313: 32 credits at $696 per credit plus $2,041 in one-time fees. CCU publishes a 24-month plan with 520 clinical hours.
This track adds no NP population focus and does not lead to AGPCNP certification. An MSN-prepared nurse who wants the AGPCNP credential enters the BSN to DNP track instead, with up to 12 transfer credits after gap analysis.
- Entry: MSN from a nationally accredited nursing program with a 3.0 graduate GPA
- Prior hours: 500 clinical hours in the master’s degree; shortfalls are made up through NUR698
- Start term: the program page lists a summer start, while the admissions page gives a March 10 deadline for an April start
- Campus: no on-campus intensive is published for this track
- Certification: prepares for nurse executive credentials, which require additional leadership practice hours after graduation
Tuition
CCU charges $625 per credit for DNP courses and a mandatory resource fee of $71 per credit, $51 for technology and $20 for course materials. The effective rate is $696 per credit, and the published schedule covers Summer 2026 through Spring 2027.
| Program | Credits | Estimated Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| BSN to DNP AGPCNP | 67 | $50,373 |
| MSN to DNP Leadership | 32 | $24,313 |
One-time fees included in those estimates:
- Exxat clinical software: $330, paid directly to the vendor
- NUR720 uniform fee: $35
- NUR756 APEA 3P bundle: $575, BSN to DNP only
- NUR782 APEA nurse practitioner bundle: $1,125, NP students only
- NUR797 Intellectus platform: $176
- DNP project faculty mentor: $500 in each of NUR797, NUR798, and NUR799
Both totals exclude future rate increases, travel to the campus intensive, and background check and drug screen costs.
More tuition details are available here.
Financial Aid
CCU does not publish scholarships specific to DNP or AGPCNP students. Graduate aid, payment plans, and military benefits are handled through the CCU financial aid office.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Dual clinical and executive preparation. The leadership core is not an elective add-on. Every AGPCNP graduate finishes 32 credits of systems, policy, population health, and ethics coursework plus 520 leadership practicum hours, aimed at clinical manager, nurse executive, and quality improvement roles.
Placement help without relocation. Clinical hours happen where you live, and CCU’s Clinical Program Manager works with you to find preceptors. Distance students who cannot travel for rotations get real support, though not a guaranteed site.
One campus weekend across three years. The only required in-person event is a Saturday and Sunday intensive during NUR792. Travel is not covered by tuition, so budget for one trip to Lakewood.
Doctorate or nothing. CCU offers no MSN stop-out. Sixty-seven credits and roughly $50,000 buy a DNP, which is a poor fit for nurses who want the fastest or cheapest route to NP licensure.
A faith-integrated curriculum. Every course incorporates Scripture and a Christian worldview, and CCU states that a desire to do doctoral work in a Christ-centered community is required.
CCU suits a working BSN nurse who wants the doctorate and the executive credential together, can stay put for clinicals, and is comfortable in an explicitly Christian program. Nurses who want a master’s-level entry, a lighter credit load, or the highest possible share of direct patient care hours should compare other Colorado options.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate, master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at Colorado Christian University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. CCU is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
AGPCNP graduates are eligible to apply for APRN licensure in their state and to sit for adult-gerontology primary care certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. The MSN to DNP leadership track confers no NP certification eligibility.
CCU participates in NC-SARA and publishes program exceptions for its School of Education Professions only, so nursing carries no state exclusion at present. Licensure rules still vary by state, so check CCU’s state authorization and professional licensure disclosure pages for your state before applying.
More AGPCNP Programs in Colorado
- Colorado Mesa University - Grand Junction
- University of Colorado Anschutz - Anschutz