The University of Michigan School of Nursing in Ann Arbor offers three Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathways:
- MSN (in person or digital education)
- BSN-DNP (web-blended with on-campus sessions)
- Post-Master’s Certificate (in person or online)
All three pathways admit for fall only. Every student needs an active RN license in the state where clinicals take place. Online options are limited to U.S.-based students in the states where U-M is authorized to offer them.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN AGPCNP | $16,383 per full-time term | 2–3 years | Not stated on program pages |
| BSN-DNP AGPCNP | $16,383 per full-time term | 3–4 years | Not stated on program pages |
| Post-Master’s Certificate AGPCNP | Not separately published | Not published | Not published |
Tuition uses U-M’s Fall 2026 graduate nursing rate of $16,383 per full-time term for Michigan residents ($32,808 non-resident), which includes required university fees. Program totals are not calculated because U-M’s program pages do not state credit totals or term-by-term loads.
- Why choose it: U-M guarantees and secures clinical placements for all students, including online students, who complete clinicals near home through more than 600 sites.
- Trade-off: The online MSN and certificate are open in only 33 jurisdictions, every pathway starts in fall only, and the DNP has no fully online option.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | MSN, BSN-DNP, Post-Master’s Certificate |
| Format | MSN and certificate: in person or online. DNP: web-blended with on-campus learning experiences |
| Campus Attendance | Online MSN: up to 3 on-campus days per semester. DNP: on-campus frequency not published |
| Clinical Placement | Guaranteed and secured by U-M for all students |
| Clinical Hours | Not stated on U-M’s program pages |
| Population Focus | Adults across the lifespan, including older adults, in outpatient and community primary care |
| Online Availability | 33 jurisdictions as of August 1, 2026; U.S. residents only |
| Start Terms | Fall only |
| Tuition (Fall 2026) | $16,383 per full-time term (resident); $32,808 (non-resident) |
| Accreditation | CCNE (BSN, MSN, DNP) |
Master of Science in Nursing – AGPCNP
The MSN AGPCNP runs on a 2-year or 3-year plan, in person or through digital education. Fall 2026 tuition is $16,383 per full-time term for Michigan residents. U-M’s program pages do not state a credit total, so no program total is calculated here. This is the pathway for BSN-prepared RNs who want AGPCNP certification eligibility without committing to a doctorate.
MSN Curriculum
U-M publishes the curriculum as term-by-term program plans: 2-year and 3-year versions for both the in-person and digital education formats. The AGPCNP specialty page frames the content around adults across the lifespan, including older adults, with emphasis on health promotion, disease prevention, and long-term management of chronic conditions.
The two delivery formats differ mainly in how instruction reaches the student:
- In person: coursework on the Ann Arbor campus, clinicals through U-M’s Michigan site network
- Digital education: asynchronous and synchronous coursework, real-time lab and clinical meetings, virtual simulations, and on-campus sessions of up to 3 days per semester for skills-building, testing, and faculty-led seminars
The choice between the 2-year and 3-year plan is a choice about pacing. Students who plan to keep working should look closely at the 3-year plan’s per-term load before applying.
See the current AGPCNP program plans for course sequencing by term.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total clinical hours: not stated on U-M’s program pages
- Placement responsibility: U-M states it secures clinical sites and guarantees placements for all students
- Network: more than 600 sites across Michigan and beyond, including University of Michigan Health, Corewell Health, Trinity Health, Henry Ford Health, the VA medical center, rural clinics, and senior living communities
- Online students: complete clinical experiences near where they live
- Settings: outpatient and community-based primary care
- Preceptors: at least one year of full-time practice, an unencumbered license, and current certification when precepting as an APRN
- Travel: students arrange their own transportation to clinical sites
- Licensure: RN license required in the state where clinicals take place
The placement guarantee carries the most weight for online students. In many distance programs, a student who cannot find a preceptor stalls in the sequence. U-M takes that risk on itself. What U-M does not publish is how far an online student may need to drive within their home state, so applicants in rural areas should ask about typical commute distances during the admissions process.
MSN Admissions
- BSN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or NLN CNEA-accredited program (may apply while in progress; must be conferred before the first term)
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in nursing bachelor’s coursework; lower GPAs reviewed case by case
- Active, unencumbered RN license in the state of clinical placement before the first term
- No minimum RN experience, no GRE, and no listed prerequisite courses
- NursingCAS application with a $90 fee (fee waivers available through NursingCAS)
- Personal statement up to 700 words; online applicants get added length to address managing online study
- Three references, ideally from master’s-prepared nurses
- Resume, two pages maximum
- One-way Kira Talent video assessment before submitting; live interview for some applicants
- Fall entry only: Fall 2027 priority deadline December 1, 2026; regular deadline March 1
- Applicants may apply to only one MSN specialty
- Online applicants must live in the U.S. for the full program; F-1, J-1, and TN visa holders are not accepted
Two rules shape strategy. U-M sets no minimum RN experience, which opens the door to newer nurses. But the one-specialty limit and fall-only entry mean an applicant torn between AGPCNP and FNP cannot hedge, and a missed or denied application costs a full year. Applying by the December 1 priority deadline gets a decision starting in mid-February.
Full details: MSN admission requirements and application deadlines.
Post-Baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice – AGPCNP
The BSN-DNP AGPCNP runs on a 3-year or 4-year plan and bills at the same $16,383 per full-time term for Michigan residents. U-M’s program pages do not state a credit total. It suits BSN-prepared RNs who know they want the doctorate and prefer one continuous program over an MSN followed by a separate DNP.
Format, clarified. The previous version of this profile described the DNP as residential only. Current U-M pages describe it differently: the DNP page lists in-person and web-blended learning, and the admissions page describes web-blended coursework with dedicated on-campus learning experiences. The digital education page confirms there is no fully online DNP. This page uses the admissions description. U-M does not publish how often DNP students must come to campus.
DNP Curriculum
The DNP adds doctoral coursework and a longer timeline to the same AGPCNP specialty preparation the MSN provides. U-M’s program pages do not itemize the doctoral courses or the structure of the DNP project. The 3-year and 4-year plans are posted with the other AGPCNP program plans.
The alternative route matters here. U-M also runs a post-master’s DNP on 2-year and 3-year plans, and its digital education page points MSN graduates toward it. A nurse can finish the MSN, start practicing, and return for the doctorate later. The BSN-DNP makes sense mainly for students who are sure of the doctorate now and can handle a longer stretch of graduate tuition before earning an NP salary.
DNP Clinical Requirements
- Clinical and DNP practice hours: not stated on U-M’s program pages
- Placement responsibility: U-M states it guarantees clinical placements aligned with program requirements
- Location: the DNP is not part of digital education, so placements draw on U-M’s Michigan-centered network
- Travel: students provide their own transportation to clinical sites
DNP Admissions
- BSN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or NLN CNEA-accredited program (may apply while in progress)
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in nursing bachelor’s coursework; lower GPAs reviewed case by case
- Active, unencumbered RN license in the state of clinical placement before the first term
- No minimum RN experience and no GRE
- Personal statement up to 1,000 words covering specialty and doctoral goals
- Three references, resume, Kira Talent video assessment, and a live interview if faculty request one
- $90 NursingCAS fee
- Fall entry only: Fall 2027 priority deadline December 1, 2026; regular deadline March 1
- F-1, J-1, and TN visa holders cannot be considered
Full details: post-baccalaureate DNP admission requirements.
Post-Master’s Certificate – AGPCNP
The Post-Master’s Certificate AGPCNP is offered on campus and online, with fall entry only. U-M does not publish its credit total, clinical hours, duration, or certificate-specific tuition. It serves nurses who already hold a master’s in nursing and want to add the AGPCNP population focus.
Certificate Curriculum and Clinicals
U-M does not post a certificate plan of study or say whether prior graduate coursework is credited through a gap analysis. Applicants with an existing NP credential should expect to discuss which advanced practice core courses carry over before enrolling.
The placement guarantee covers all U-M students, and online certificate students follow the same 33-jurisdiction availability as the online MSN. Clinical hours are not published.
Certificate Admissions
- MS in a nursing focus, MSN, or MN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or AMCB-accredited program (conferred before the start term)
- BSN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or CNEA-accredited program
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in both graduate and undergraduate nursing programs
- Active, unencumbered RN license in the state of clinical placement
- Most direct-entry and MEPN graduates are not eligible
- $90 NursingCAS fee, personal statement up to 700 words, three references, resume, Kira Talent video; some applicants interviewed
- Fall entry only: Fall 2027 priority deadline December 1, 2026; regular deadline March 1
- International applicants not eligible for any graduate certificate
The eligibility rules are wider than at many schools. U-M’s requirements page does not list current APRN certification as a prerequisite, so master’s-prepared nurses in education or leadership roles appear eligible alongside practicing NPs. The exclusion that matters is direct-entry and MEPN graduates: U-M says those degrees typically lack specialty clinical hours. The previous version of this profile also omitted the BSN requirement, which applies even to applicants who already hold a master’s.
Full details: post-master’s certificate requirements.
Tuition
U-M bills full-time graduate nursing students a flat amount per term rather than a per-credit rate. The provost’s FY2027 tuition schedule sets Fall 2026 graduate nursing tuition and required fees at:
- Michigan residents: $16,383 per term, up 4.9% from $15,618 in fall 2025
- Non-residents: $32,808 per term, up from $31,276 in fall 2025
Those figures include required university fees: infrastructure maintenance, health service, registration, recreation, student government, and student legal services. Residency is the biggest cost variable. A non-resident in the in-person program pays roughly double what a Michigan resident pays.
The provost’s schedule has no separate row for digital education nursing tuition. Online students outside Michigan should check the Registrar’s tuition lookup for the digital education rate rather than assuming the $32,808 in-person figure applies.
Estimated Tuition per Full-Time Year
| Enrollment | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| One full-time term | $16,383 | $32,808 |
| Full-time fall and winter terms | $32,766 | $65,616 |
Annual figures are calculated from U-M’s published per-term rate, not published by U-M. Spring and summer terms and part-time terms bill differently.
Program totals depend on how many full-time and part-time terms each plan contains, which U-M’s program pages do not state. The 2-year MSN covers at least two academic years and the BSN-DNP at least three, so the annual figure above is the floor for each year enrolled.
Costs Beyond Tuition
- $90 NursingCAS application fee
- Transportation to clinical sites, which U-M assigns to students
- Travel to Ann Arbor for on-campus sessions (online MSN: up to 3 days per semester)
- Course-specific charges listed in the Registrar’s class fee table
See U-M’s tuition and fees page and the Registrar’s tuition lookup for current rates.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: BSN-prepared RNs in Michigan, or in one of U-M’s authorized online states, who want the school to secure their clinical sites and can commit to a fall start.
Guaranteed Placement Reaches Online Students
U-M’s placement guarantee applies to all students, and online students complete clinicals near home. For a working nurse outside Michigan, that removes the most common reason distance NP students fall behind. That is worth weighing against any lower-priced program that leaves the preceptor search to the student.
Online Access Ends at 33 Jurisdictions
The online MSN and certificate are unavailable in 26 states and territories, including New York, Georgia, Colorado, Tennessee, and Washington state. Applicants in those places can only attend in person in Ann Arbor. The list is current as of August 1, 2026 and can change.
One Specialty, One Fall Start
Every pathway admits once a year, and applicants may pick only one specialty. A nurse undecided between AGPCNP and FNP must choose before applying, and a denial means waiting a full cycle. Programs with spring or summer starts and multiple specialty applications offer more room to recover.
MSN Now, DNP Later, or Both at Once
U-M offers three routes to the same specialty. The MSN is the fastest path to practice and is the only degree available online. The BSN-DNP adds one to two years and stays mostly in Michigan. The post-master’s DNP lets MSN graduates add the doctorate later. For most working nurses, the MSN followed by a post-master’s DNP spreads the cost and gets them into NP practice sooner.
The Verdict
Michigan residents and online students in authorized states who want guaranteed clinical placement have the strongest reason to choose U-M, particularly through the MSN. Non-residents attending in person face roughly double the resident rate. Applicants in excluded states, those who need a spring or summer start, and those who want a fully online DNP should compare other programs.
Accreditation
U-M’s BSN, MSN, and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The AGPCNP pages reviewed do not state which certification exams graduates are eligible to take.
U-M participates in NC-SARA but does not offer its online nursing programs in every state. Online applicants should check the state list on U-M’s digital education page and the university’s distance education disclosures before applying, because availability can change.
More AGPCNP Programs in Michigan
- Madonna University - Livonia
- Michigan State University - East Lansing
- Oakland University - Rochester
- Spring Arbor University - Spring Arbor
- University of Michigan-Flint - Flint