The University of Louisville School of Nursing offers four Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- MSN – AGPCNP
- BSN-DNP – AGPCNP
- MSN-DNP – AGPCNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGPCNP | $36K resident | 2 years full-time minimum |
| BSN-DNP AGPCNP | $56K resident | 3 years full-time minimum |
| MSN-DNP AGPCNP | $33K resident | 2 years part-time minimum |
| Post-Graduate Certificate AGPCNP | $21K resident | Not clearly stated; spring start only |
All four tracks use the same AGPCNP specialty courses and share the same clinical structure, making UofL a strong choice for nurses who want a clear upward progression path.
The program uses a holistic admissions review and participates in NursingCAS. Prior to beginning clinicals, students must hold an RN license in Kentucky or a compact state.
MSN – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The MSN AGPCNP at the University of Louisville is estimated at approximately ~$36,000 for Kentucky residents or ~$47,472 for non-residents. The program requires a minimum of 2 years of full-time study. Fall start offers both full-time and part-time progressions.
Estimate based on 48 total credits (34 core + 14 specialty) at $750/$989 per credit.
MSN Curriculum
The MSN AGPCNP totals a minimum of 48 credit hours — 34 credits of nursing core and 14 credits of AGPCNP specialty coursework.
The core covers evidence-based practice, quality and safety, health promotion, advanced pharmacology, advanced pathophysiology, advanced physical assessment, healthcare business, professional role development, and four clinical practicum courses.
The AGPCNP specialty sequence builds through adolescent well-child theory, clinical reasoning, adult primary care diagnosis and management, procedures and diagnostics, women’s health, mental health in primary care, and older adult management.
MSN Core Courses (34 cr.):
- NURS 607 – Foundational Concepts of Evidence Based Practice (3 cr.)
- NURS 643 – Quality and Safety in Advanced Practice Nursing (2 cr.)
- NURS 657 – Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Culturally Diverse and Vulnerable Populations (3 cr.)
- NURS 740 – Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr.)
- NURS 741 – Advanced Pathophysiology (4 cr.)
- NURS 742 – Advanced Physical Assessment (3 cr.)
- NURS 749 – The Business of Healthcare (2 cr.)
- NURS 807 – The Professional Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse (3 cr.)
- NURS 726 – Clinical Practicum for the MSN NP I (168 clinical hrs) (2 cr.)
- NURS 727 – Clinical Practicum for the MSN NP II (168 clinical hrs) (2 cr.)
- NURS 728 – Clinical Practicum for the MSN NP III (168 clinical hrs) (2 cr.)
- NURS 729 – Clinical Practicum for the MSN NP IV (168 clinical hrs) (2 cr.)
- NURS 840 – Clinical Seminar I (1 cr.)
- NURS 841 – Clinical Seminar II (1 cr.)
- NURS 842 – Clinical Practicum in the Advanced Practice Role (84 professional hrs) (1 cr.)
AGPCNP Specialty Courses (14 cr.):
NURS 753 — Adolescent Well Child Theory (1 cr)
Introduces advanced practice nursing through the care of pediatric and adolescent clients. Emphasizes prevention, identification, and management of common health concerns.
NURS 754 — Clinical Reasoning in Advanced Practice Nursing (1 cr)
Develops clinical decision-making skills for advanced practice nursing. Focuses on applying multiple reasoning models to patient care.
NURS 755 — Diagnosis and Management of Adult Health in Primary Care (4 cr)
Covers primary care management of adolescent and adult patients. Emphasizes assessment, differential diagnosis, and treatment of common acute and chronic conditions in collaborative practice settings.
NURS 756 — Procedures & Diagnostics for Adult Health (1 cr)
Introduces advanced diagnostic and procedural skills used in primary care. Focuses on indications, techniques, complications, and hands-on laboratory practice.
NURS 757 — Diagnosis and Management of Women’s Health in Primary Care (2 cr)
Addresses primary care for girls and women across the lifespan. Emphasizes assessment, differential diagnosis, and management of common obstetric and gynecologic conditions.
NURS 758 — Diagnosis and Management of Mental Health in Primary Care (2 cr)
Focuses on mental health assessment and management across the lifespan. Covers common psychiatric conditions, treatment planning, and referral when needed.
NURS 759 — Diagnosis and Management of the Older Adult in Primary Care (3 cr)
Examines assessment and management of age-related functional and cognitive changes in older adults. Emphasizes collaborative care and evidence-based primary care practice.
View more curriculum details in the course catalog.
MSN Clinicals
MSN students complete a minimum of 672 direct patient care clinical hours across four clinical practicum courses (168 hours each), plus 84 professional role clinical hours. Students seeking initial APRN licensure in states requiring 750+ clinical hours may enroll in an additional clinical hour course at standard tuition rates.
- NURS 726–729 – Clinical Practicum I–IV (168 hrs each = 672 patient care hrs total)
- NURS 842 – Clinical Practicum in the Advanced Practice Role (84 professional role hrs)
- Total: 672 direct patient care hours + 84 professional role hours
- Clinical settings include internal medicine offices, health clinics, specialty offices, hospital rehab, hospice, long-term care, urgent care, and fast-track ER
- Prior to clinicals, RN license in Kentucky or a compact state is required
MSN Admissions
Admission uses a holistic review process considering career goals, GPA, work experience, and leadership. Applications are submitted through NursingCAS with a $40 supplemental fee to UofL Graduate Admissions.
- BSN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or NLN-accredited nursing program at a USDE-recognized institution
- Recommended 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Active, unencumbered RN license from a U.S. state board of nursing
- Two letters of recommendation (nursing supervisor, preceptor, clinical supervisor, or nursing faculty — colleague references must hold an advanced nursing degree)
- Current resume or CV
- Four NursingCAS essay questions addressing specialty choice, clinical experience, professional contributions, and personal readiness
- English proficiency documentation if English is not primary language
- Criminal background check through Castlebranch (required upon admission)
- International applicants: course-by-course transcript evaluation through WES or ECE required
- NursingCAS application fee + $40 supplemental fee to UofL Graduate Admissions
- Fall start: January 1–April 1 | Summer start: November 1–February 1 | Spring start: June 1–September 1
BSN-DNP – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The BSN-DNP AGPCNP at the University of Louisville is estimated at approximately ~$56,250 for Kentucky residents or ~$74,175 for non-residents.
Estimate based on 75 total credits (61 core + 14 specialty) at $750/$989 per credit.
The program requires a minimum of 3 years of full-time study. The last two years include a minimum of 1,000 clinical, professional, and project hours combined.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
The BSN-DNP AGPCNP totals a minimum of 75 credit hours — 61 credits of DNP core and 14 credits of AGPCNP specialty coursework (same specialty sequence as the MSN track).
The DNP core extends the MSN foundation with epidemiology, applied statistics, program development and evaluation, finance management, health policy, evidence synthesis, and a three-course DNP project sequence.
Three clinical practicum courses are embedded in the core along with the DNP project hours.
BSN-DNP Core Courses (61 cr.):
- NURS 560 – Wellness in the Advanced Nursing Role (1 cr.)
- NURS 607 – Foundational Concepts of Evidence Based Practice (3 cr.)
- NURS 643 – Quality and Safety in Advanced Practice Nursing (2 cr.)
- NURS 657 – Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Culturally Diverse and Vulnerable Populations (3 cr.)
- NURS 725 – Analysis of Leadership and Health Policy (3 cr.)
- NURS 740 – Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr.)
- NURS 741 – Advanced Pathophysiology (4 cr.)
- NURS 742 – Advanced Physical Assessment (3 cr.)
- NURS 743 – Epidemiology (3 cr.)
- NURS 744 – Synthesis and Evaluation of Evidence in Practice (3 cr.)
- NURS 746 – Program Development & Evaluation (3 cr.)
- NURS 747 – Finance Management (2 cr.)
- NURS 748 – Application of Leadership and Health Policy (1 cr.)
- NURS 749 – The Business of Healthcare (2 cr.)
- NURS 791 – Applied Statistics for Evidence Based Practice (3 cr.)
- NURS 843 – Legal and Professional Topics in the APRN Role (3 cr.)
- NURS 840 – Clinical Seminar I (1 cr.)
- NURS 841 – Clinical Seminar II (1 cr.)
- NURS 842 – Clinical Practicum in the Advanced Practice Role (84 hrs) (1 cr.)
- NURS 787 – Clinical Practicum for the DNP NP I (336 clinical hrs) (4 cr.)
- NURS 788 – Clinical Practicum for the DNP NP II (252 clinical hrs) (3 cr.)
- NURS 789 – Clinical Practicum for the DNP NP III (84 clinical hrs) (1 cr.)
- NURS 750 – DNP Project I: Project Inception (110 project hrs) (3 cr.)
- NURS 751 – DNP Project II: Project Implementation (110 project hrs) (2 cr.)
- NURS 752 – DNP Project III: Project Evaluation, Analysis and Dissemination (110 project hrs) (3 cr.)
AGPCNP Specialty Courses (14 cr.) — identical to MSN specialty sequence:
- NURS 753–759 (see MSN specialty list above)
View more curriculum details in the course catalog.
BSN-DNP Clinicals
BSN-DNP students complete a minimum of 1,000 total hours combining direct patient care clinical hours, professional role hours, and DNP project hours across the final two years of the program.
- NURS 787 – Clinical Practicum I (336 direct patient care hrs)
- NURS 788 – Clinical Practicum II (252 direct patient care hrs)
- NURS 789 – Clinical Practicum III (84 direct patient care hrs)
- NURS 842 – Professional Role Practicum (84 professional hrs)
- NURS 750–752 – DNP Project I–III (330 project hrs total)
- Total: minimum 1,000 hours combined
- Prior to clinicals, RN license in Kentucky or a compact state is required
BSN-DNP Admissions
Admissions requirements mirror the MSN track with the addition of a DNP-specific essay question. BSN-DNP only admits during fall terms.
- BSN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or NLN-accredited program at a USDE-recognized institution
- Recommended 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA
- Active, unencumbered RN license
- Two letters of recommendation (completed within the last year)
- Current resume or CV
- NursingCAS essay responses including DNP-specific prompt: Why are you choosing to pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree?
- Criminal background check through Castlebranch upon admission
- NursingCAS application fee + $40 supplemental fee
- Fall start only: January 1–April 1
MSN-DNP – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The MSN-DNP AGPCNP at the University of Louisville is estimated at approximately ~$33,000 for Kentucky residents or ~$43,516 for non-residents.
Estimate based on approximately 44 credits (30 DNP core + 14 AGPCNP specialty) at $750/$989 per credit.
This track requires a minimum of 2 years of part-time study. Students who lack documented clinical hours from their MSN may need to complete additional clinical coursework.
MSN-DNP Curriculum
The MSN-DNP totals a minimum of 30 core credit hours focused on leadership, health policy, epidemiology, evidence synthesis, finance, statistics, and the three-course DNP project sequence.
Students also complete the same 14-credit AGPCNP specialty sequence if they are seeking a new or additional specialty.
A minimum of 1,000 post-baccalaureate hours is required — students must provide documentation of prior clinical hours. Those with fewer than 670 documented clinical hours from their MSN will need to complete a clinical completion course.
MSN-DNP Core Courses (30 cr.):
- NURS 725 – Analysis of Leadership and Health Policy (3 cr.)
- NURS 743 – Epidemiology (3 cr.)
- NURS 744 – Synthesis and Evaluation of Evidence in Practice (3 cr.)
- NURS 746 – Program Development & Evaluation (3 cr.)
- NURS 747 – Finance Management (2 cr.)
- NURS 748 – Application of Leadership and Health Policy (1 cr.)
- NURS 791 – Applied Statistics for Evidence Based Practice (3 cr.)
- NURS 845 – Introduction to the DNP Project and Data Management (1 cr.)
- NURS 750 – DNP Project I: Project Inception (110 project hrs) (3 cr.)
- NURS 751 – DNP Project II: Project Implementation (110 project hrs) (2 cr.)
- NURS 752 – DNP Project III: Project Evaluation, Analysis and Dissemination (110 project hrs) (3 cr.)
- Elective (3 cr.)
AGPCNP Specialty Courses (14 cr.) — if seeking new or additional specialty, identical to MSN specialty sequence:
- NURS 753–759 (see MSN specialty list above)
View more curriculum details in the course catalog.
MSN-DNP Clinicals
MSN-DNP students must accumulate a minimum of 1,000 total post-baccalaureate hours combining prior MSN clinical hours and new DNP project hours. Students provide documentation of prior clinical hours; those with fewer than 670 must complete additional clinical coursework.
- NURS 750–752 – DNP Project I–III (330 project hrs total)
- Minimum 330 additional project/professional hours required in DNP coursework
- Prior MSN clinical hours documented toward the 1,000-hour total
- Students with <670 documented MSN clinical hours must complete a clinical completion course
- RN license in Kentucky or a compact state required prior to clinicals
MSN-DNP Admissions
Admission requires an MSN from an accredited nursing program. The MSN-DNP is part-time and admits for both fall and summer terms (summer start for MSN-DNP applicants only).
- MSN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or NLN-accredited nursing program at a USDE-recognized institution
- Recommended 3.0 cumulative graduate GPA
- Active, unencumbered RN license
- Two letters of recommendation (completed within the last year)
- Current resume or CV
- NursingCAS essay responses including DNP-specific prompt
- Criminal background check through Castlebranch upon admission
- NursingCAS application fee + $40 supplemental fee
- Fall start: January 1–April 1 | Summer start: November 1–February 1
Post-Graduate Certificate – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The Post-Graduate Certificate AGPCNP at the University of Louisville is estimated at approximately ~$21,000 for Kentucky residents if prerequisites are already completed, or up to ~$28,500 (38 credits × $750) if the three prerequisite courses are needed.
Non-residents add approximately $239/credit above the resident rate. Estimate is based on 28 specialty credits × $750/credit.
Certificate programs start in spring only.
Certificate Curriculum
The Post-Graduate Certificate totals a minimum of 28 specialty credit hours, plus up to 10 prerequisite credits if advanced pharmacology, advanced pathophysiology, and advanced physical assessment have not been previously completed.
A program of study is created individually based on a gap analysis of all official transcripts and professional credentials. The AGPCNP specialty sequence is identical to the MSN and DNP tracks.
Prerequisites (10 cr. — required if not previously completed with a B or better):
- NURS 740 – Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr.)
- NURS 741 – Advanced Pathophysiology (4 cr.)
- NURS 742 – Advanced Physical Assessment (3 cr.)
AGPCNP Specialty Courses (28 cr.):
- NURS 753 – Adolescent Well Child Theory (1 cr.)
- NURS 754 – Clinical Reasoning in Advanced Practice Nursing (1 cr.)
- NURS 755 – Diagnosis and Management of Adult Health in Primary Care (4 cr.)
- NURS 756 – Procedures & Diagnostics for Adult Health (1 cr.)
- NURS 757 – Diagnosis and Management of Women’s Health in Primary Care (2 cr.)
- NURS 758 – Diagnosis and Management of Mental Health in Primary Care (2 cr.)
- NURS 759 – Diagnosis and Management of the Older Adult in Primary Care (3 cr.)
- NURS 807 – The Professional Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse (3 cr.)
- NURS 726 – Clinical Practicum for the MSN NP I (168 clinical hrs) (2 cr.)
- NURS 727 – Clinical Practicum for the MSN NP II (168 clinical hrs) (2 cr.)
- NURS 728 – Clinical Practicum for the MSN NP III (168 clinical hrs) (2 cr.)
- NURS 729 – Clinical Practicum for the MSN NP IV (168 clinical hrs) (2 cr.)
- NURS 840 – Clinical Seminar I (1 cr.)
- NURS 841 – Clinical Seminar II (1 cr.)
- NURS 842 – Clinical Practicum in the Advanced Practice Role (84 professional hrs) (1 cr.)
View more curriculum details in the course catalog.
Certificate Clinicals
Certificate students seeking an additional APRN specialty complete a minimum of 504 population-specific clinical hours. All other certificate students complete a minimum of 672 direct patient care hours plus 84 professional role hours. A minimum 3.0 GPA in all coursework is required for graduation.
- NURS 726–729 – Clinical Practicum I–IV (up to 672 patient care hrs)
- NURS 842 – Professional Role Practicum (84 professional hrs)
- APRNs adding a second specialty: minimum 504 population-specific clinical hours
- Settings include internal medicine, health clinics, specialty offices, long-term care, urgent care, and hospice
- RN license in Kentucky or a compact state required prior to clinicals
Certificate Admissions
Admission requires an MSN or terminal degree in nursing. Certificate programs start in spring only — summer and fall terms are for prerequisite courses only.
- MSN or terminal degree (PhD, EdD, DNP) from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or NLN-accredited nursing program at a USDE-recognized institution
- Recommended 3.0 cumulative graduate GPA
- Active, unencumbered RN license
- Two letters of recommendation (completed within the last year)
- Current resume or CV including RN license number
- Goal statement: reasons for applying to the specialty, short- and long-term goals, motivation for specialty choice, and professional readiness
- English proficiency documentation if English is not primary language
- Criminal background check through Castlebranch upon admission
- International applicants: WES or ECE course-by-course transcript evaluation required
- NursingCAS application + UofL Graduate Admissions application with $40 supplemental fee
- Summer and fall terms for prerequisite courses only — certificate coursework begins spring term
- Spring start only: September 1 deadline
Tuition
Graduate nursing tuition at the University of Louisville is charged at a specialty rate separate from the standard graduate rate.
Here is how it breaks down:
- Kentucky residents: $750/credit (under 9 hrs) or $6,746/semester flat rate (9+ hrs)
- Non-residents: $989/credit (under 9 hrs) or $8,899/semester flat rate (9+ hrs)
- Active-duty military and qualifying Reserve/National Guard: $250/credit
The DNP program rate is also listed at $6,746/semester (resident) and $8,899/semester (non-resident). Online course students are assessed an additional $10/credit online course fee. A $40 supplemental application fee is required in addition to the NursingCAS application fee.