Oakland University’s School of Nursing in Rochester, Michigan offers 2 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathways:
- MSN (BSN entry)
- Post-Master’s Certificate (gap analysis)
Both pathways require an unrestricted Michigan RN license. Didactic courses are delivered online and in hybrid format, and clinical rotations run through the School of Nursing’s preceptor approval process. Oakland does not offer a BSN-DNP or post-master’s DNP with an AGPCNP specialty.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $44,721 | 2 years full-time | 47 |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | Varies by gap analysis | Not published | Varies by gap analysis |
MSN estimate multiplies Oakland’s 2026–2027 graduate rate ($951.50/credit resident) by the 47 credits in the official plan of study. Oakland lists no mandatory fees on top of tuition.
- Why choose it: A 756-hour clinical minimum organized by acute, chronic, and aging-adult conditions, at a fee-free public rate.
- Trade-off: A Michigan RN license is required, and students are encouraged to find their own placements, with facilitation but no guarantee.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | MSN, Post-Master’s Certificate |
| Format | Hybrid: didactic online and hybrid per the NP program page (catalog lists In Person); frequency of campus sessions not published |
| Clinical Hours | 756 minimum (MSN, per graduate catalog); handbook requires at least 210 direct patient contact hours per clinical course |
| Clinical Placement | Students encouraged to find their own sites; School of Nursing facilitates; NP preceptors preferred |
| Population Focus | Adolescents, young adults, adults, and older adults in primary care |
| Licensure Required | Unrestricted U.S. RN license plus unrestricted Michigan RN license |
| Start Term | Fall only (MSN deadlines: March 1 early decision, May 1 standard) |
| Tuition | $951.50/credit resident; $1,078.25/credit non-resident (2026–2027) |
| Accreditation | CCNE |
MSN Adult/Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The MSN AGPCNP track costs an estimated $44,721 for Michigan residents and $50,678 for non-residents. It requires 47 credits and takes two years full-time, including two summer terms. It is open to BSN-prepared RNs holding a Michigan RN license. A part-time plan of study is available, but Oakland does not publish its length.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The graduate catalog entry lists 48 credits in its summary but states 47 in its degree requirements, and its course list sums to 47, matching the plan of study. This page uses 47. On clinical hours, the catalog requires a minimum of 756, while the MSN handbook requires at least 210 direct patient contact hours in each of the three clinical courses (630 total). This page uses the catalog’s 756 as the degree requirement; the handbook figure appears to be the direct-care floor within it. The catalog also lists no required summer terms and In Person delivery, while the plan of study schedules courses in two summers and the NP program page describes online and hybrid didactic courses.
MSN Curriculum
The full-time plan runs six consecutive terms, and Oakland requires students to take courses in the published sequence. Year 1 is entirely didactic: graduate foundations (theory, scholarship, health policy), the advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment core, plus Advanced Concepts in Gerontology. Year 2 holds the three 6-credit clinical courses, one per term.
Two sequencing choices stand out. The gerontology course comes in the first winter, so students study aging physiology and psychosocial factors before seeing patients. The role, leadership, and ethics course comes last, alongside the aging-adults practicum, rather than at the start as in many NP programs. A 2-credit graduate project seminar replaces a thesis.
Year 1 (22 credits)
- NRS 5312 Theory and Translation Research for Advanced Nursing Practice (4)
- NRS 5322 Introduction to Nursing Scholarship (1)
- NRS 6411 Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (3)
- NRS 5241 Systems Leadership and Health Policy for Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
- NRS 6627 Advanced Concepts in Gerontology (3)
- NRS 6441 Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan (4)
- NRS 6421 Advanced Health Assessment (4)
Year 2 (25 credits)
- NRS 6637 Advanced Nursing Care: Acute Health Conditions (6), fall
- NRS 6633 Health Promotion Across the Lifespan (2)
- NRS 6647 Advanced Nursing Care of Chronic Health Conditions (6), winter
- NRS 6398 Graduate Project Seminar (2)
- NRS 6667 Advanced Nursing Care of Aging Adults (6), summer
- NRS 5251 Interprofessional Role Development, Leadership & Ethics in Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
See the official AGPCNP plan of study and graduate catalog entry.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Minimum 756 clinical practice hours (graduate catalog)
- At least 210 direct patient contact hours in each of the three clinical courses (MSN handbook)
- Direct hours include patient care and time consulting with the preceptor
- Shifts may not exceed 12.5 clock hours; hours should be spread across the semester
- Placement: students are encouraged to find their own site; the School of Nursing facilitates placement and can help identify a preceptor
- Nurse practitioners are the preferred preceptors; a student-found non-NP preceptor may be denied if an NP preceptor becomes available
- Students may not ask nurse educators or advanced practice provider managers to find preceptors for them
- All sites require approval from NP program leadership after preceptor forms are submitted
- Most Southeast Michigan health systems route rotations through ACEMAPP; students must be compliant three weeks before the rotation and pay an annual ACEMAPP fee
- Placement is not described as guaranteed
Oakland’s model is a hybrid of self-placement and school support. The MSN handbook pushes students to source their own preceptors, while the NP program page describes placement assistance through agency relationships and a clinical services department. Applicants who already know primary care NPs willing to precept have a clear head start.
The handbook refers to out-of-state students receiving badge instructions, which suggests some rotations occur outside Michigan. Oakland does not publish which states are approved for clinicals. With roughly 250 clinical hours per term across three back-to-back terms, any delay in securing a site can push a course, and the lockstep sequence makes that costly.
MSN Admissions
- BSN from an NLN- or CCNE-accredited institution
- Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Current, unrestricted RN license in the U.S. or a U.S. territory
- Unrestricted RN license to practice in Michigan
- Transcripts from all previously attended institutions
- Two recommendations from healthcare professionals in nursing, leadership, management, or education
- Professional statement (750 words max) on the APRN consensus model and scope of practice, career goals, how recent clinical experience prepared you, and professional development plans
- Faculty interview for selected qualified applicants
- Apply through NursingCAS only; the OU Graduate Application is not used
- Fall admission only, once per year; full-time or part-time plan of study
- Deadlines: March 1 (early decision) and May 1 (standard and international); incomplete NursingCAS applications are not sent for review
The Michigan license requirement is the rule most likely to screen out applicants. RNs licensed elsewhere need a Michigan license in hand to qualify. See the full AGPCNP admission requirements. The early March 1 deadline is worth targeting, since Oakland gives priority to complete applications.
Post-Master’s Certificate: Adult-Gerontological Primary Care NP
The post-master’s certificate is built entirely from a gap analysis of each student’s prior MSN coursework and clinical experience. Oakland does not publish a credit total, duration, or tuition total for the primary care certificate. Cost scales with the courses the gap analysis assigns: each 6-credit clinical course runs an estimated $5,709 for residents.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The certificate page’s “Program Requirements” link opens a graduate catalog entry titled for the acute care post-master’s certificate (15 credits, 1.5 years, in-person delivery). The primary care MSN career page likewise links to an acute care catalog entry. Neither figure is stated for the primary care certificate, so this page does not apply them. The previous catalog’s 15-credit minimum for the primary care certificate no longer appears in a current source.
Certificate Curriculum
Courses come from the MSN sequence. The MSN handbook states that certificate students must meet the same outcomes as the degree, including specialty track requirements, and that the gap analysis produces a plan of study meeting those outcomes. The certificate page names Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Nursing Care of Aging Adults, Health Promotion Across the Lifespan, and Systems Leadership and Health Policy as sample courses.
In practice, an APRN or MSN graduate with the advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment core already completed would mainly need the gerontology and primary care specialty courses. A nurse with a non-NP MSN would likely need far more. Oakland does not publish typical plans.
- NRS 6627 Advanced Concepts in Gerontology (3)
- NRS 6633 Health Promotion Across the Lifespan (2)
- NRS 6637 Advanced Nursing Care: Acute Health Conditions (6)
- NRS 6647 Advanced Nursing Care of Chronic Health Conditions (6)
- NRS 6667 Advanced Nursing Care of Aging Adults (6)
- Core and foundation courses from the MSN plan as the gap analysis requires
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Each assigned clinical course carries the same 210 direct patient contact hours as in the MSN
- Total certificate clinical hours depend on the gap analysis; no fixed total is published
- Same placement model as the MSN: student-sourced sites encouraged, School of Nursing facilitates, NP preceptors preferred, leadership approval required
Certificate students who already practice as NPs often have the strongest preceptor networks, which suits Oakland’s self-placement emphasis.
Certificate Admissions
- Master’s degree in nursing (prior MSN coursework is the basis of the gap analysis)
- Unrestricted U.S. and Michigan RN licenses, per the AGPCNP admission page the certificate page links to
- Transcripts, two recommendations, professional statement, and faculty interview as for the MSN
- APRN certification: not stated as required
- Gap analysis determines the plan of study after admission
- Deadline and start term: not published for the certificate
Oakland’s application routing is inconsistent. The AGPCNP admission page says to apply through NursingCAS and not the OU Graduate Application, while the certificate page’s Apply button links to the OU graduate application portal. Applicants should confirm the correct route before submitting.
Tuition
For 2026–2027, Oakland charges graduate students $951.50 per credit as Michigan residents and $1,078.25 per credit as non-residents. The same rates apply to both AGPCNP pathways. Oakland states it has no hidden fees and lists no mandatory per-semester fees for these programs, so the per-credit rate is close to the full tuition bill.
Residency adds about $5,957 to the MSN. That gap is modest for a public university, partly because the non-resident rate is only 13% higher than the resident rate. Oakland notes that veterans qualify for in-state rates and that the Board of Trustees resets rates each summer.
Estimated Total Tuition
| Pathway | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| MSN (47 credits) | $44,721 | $50,678 |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | Varies by gap analysis | Varies by gap analysis |
| One 6-credit clinical course | $5,709 | $6,470 |
Figures are calculated from Oakland’s published per-credit rates and plan-of-study credits, not totals published by the university.
Fees Beyond Tuition
- Annual ACEMAPP fee for rotations at health systems using ACEMAPP (amount not published by Oakland)
- No program-specific lab, practicum, or distance fees listed
See Oakland’s current tuition rates and graduate financial assistance.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: Michigan-licensed BSN nurses in the Detroit metro area who can identify primary care NP preceptors and want a structured two-year MSN with substantial clinical volume.
756 Hours Organized by Condition Type
The catalog’s 756-hour minimum is 256 hours beyond the 500-hour certification floor, spread across three practicums. Each rotation targets one category of primary care work: acute, chronic, and aging-related conditions. The dedicated aging-adults rotation, paired with a first-year gerontology course, gives the “gerontology” side of the specialty real weight.
Preceptor Sourcing Falls Largely on the Student
Oakland facilitates placement but tells students to find their own sites first, and prefers NP preceptors. Nurses already working in a Southeast Michigan health system have the easiest path. Applicants without clinical connections should weigh this against programs that assign placements.
Predictable Public-University Pricing
At about $44,700 for residents with no listed mandatory fees, the MSN total is easy to forecast. The small non-resident premium helps Michigan-licensed nurses living across the state line, such as in Ohio, but only if they can manage hybrid coursework and clinicals.
A Lockstep, Fall-Only Sequence
The full-time plan runs year-round with required course order and one clinical course per term in Year 2. That keeps the program to two years but leaves little room to absorb a delayed placement or a semester off. A part-time plan exists, but its length is not published.
The Verdict
Oakland is a strong fit for Michigan RNs near Rochester who want an MSN, can line up primary care NP preceptors, and value 756 clinical hours at a transparent public rate. Nurses without a Michigan license, applicants who need guaranteed placement, and those seeking a DNP should compare other programs. MSN-prepared nurses may find the certificate efficient, but should expect to confirm credits and cost through the gap analysis, since Oakland publishes neither.
Accreditation
Oakland University’s School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Oakland states that MSN and certificate graduates are prepared for AGPCNP certification through ANCC or AANP.
Both pathways require a Michigan RN license, and Oakland does not publish which states are approved for clinical rotations. Applicants outside Michigan should review Oakland’s licensure requirements page before applying.
More AGPCNP Programs in Michigan
- Madonna University - Livonia
- Michigan State University - East Lansing
- Spring Arbor University - Spring Arbor
- University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
- University of Michigan-Flint - Flint