The Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing offers two Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathways:
- MSN – AGPCNP
- DNP – AGPCNP
Both programs are delivered in a hybrid format combining flexible online coursework with focused on-campus intensives and guided clinical practice with expert preceptors. MUSC’s position as an integrated academic health sciences center means clinical partnerships are deeply embedded in the curriculum.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Direct Costs) | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGPCNP (Full-Time) | ~$64,616 in-state | 2 years (6 semesters) |
| MSN AGPCNP (Part-Time) | ~$72,774 in-state | 3 years (9 semesters) |
| DNP AGPCNP | ~$87,508 in-state | 3 years |
These programs best suit nurses who want rigorous, clinically rich AGPCNP preparation within a nationally recognized academic medical institution.
Program Tracks Overview
MSN – AGPCNP
The MSN AGPCNP at MUSC College of Nursing is estimated at approximately ~$64,616 in-state direct costs or ~$81,068 out-of-state direct costs for full-time students over 2 years.
Direct costs include tuition, health insurance, and fees — but do not include living expenses, transportation, or books. Part-time students pay approximately ~$72,774 in-state or ~$88,164 out-of-state in direct costs over 3 years.
Per-semester tuition rates break down as follows:
- Full-time — in-state: $8,116/semester + $560 program fee/semester
- Full-time — out-of-state: $10,858/semester + $560 program fee/semester
- Part-time — in-state: $835/credit + $861 student fee/semester + $285 program fee/semester
- Part-time — out-of-state: $1,120/credit + $861 student fee/semester + $285 program fee/semester
Additional per-course and per-credit fees apply — see the Tuition section below for a full breakdown.
MSN Curriculum
The MSN AGPCNP totals 60 credit hours organized across two years full-time (6 semesters) or three years part-time (9 semesters). The curriculum is organized in two phases:
- Foundation phase (Years 1–2, semesters 1–5): Builds through advanced pathophysiology, advanced clinical assessment and reasoning (two-course sequence), applied epidemiology and biostatistics, advanced pharmacotherapeutics, leadership frameworks, applied health care economics and finance, informatics in health care delivery, advanced health policy and advocacy, and three sequential Advanced Care Management courses paired with capstone coursework.
- Clinical synthesis phase (final summer): A 7-credit Role Practicum course that integrates all prior learning in a supervised clinical setting.
Full-Time Curriculum:
Year 1, Fall (10 cr.):
- NRDNP838 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr.)
- NRDNP856A – Advanced Clinical Assessment & Reasoning A (3 cr.)
- NRDNP860 – Applied Epidemiology & Biostatistics (4 cr.)
Year 1, Spring (10 cr.):
- NRDNP856B – Advanced Clinical Assessment & Reasoning B (3 cr.)
- NRDNP842 – Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics (4 cr.)
- NRDNP846 – Frameworks for Leadership (3 cr.)
Year 1, Summer (9 cr.):
- NRDNP864 – Advanced Care Management I (6 cr.)
- NRDNP830 – Applied Health Care Economics & Finance (3 cr.)
Year 2, Fall (12 cr.):
- NRDNP865 – Advanced Care Management II (6 cr.)
- NURSM820 – Capstone I (3 cr.)
- NRDNP836 – Informatics in Health Care Delivery (3 cr.)
Year 2, Spring (12 cr.):
- NRDNP866 – Advanced Care Management III (6 cr.)
- NURSM821 – Capstone II (3 cr.)
- NRPHD708 – Advanced Health Policy & Advocacy (3 cr.)
Year 2, Summer (7 cr.):
- NRDNP848B – Role Practicum (7 cr.)
The part-time plan covers the same 60 credits across 9 semesters over 3 years, with a lighter per-semester load. Contact the program for the part-time semester-by-semester sequence.
View more curriculum details on the official program page.
MSN Clinicals
Clinical experience is embedded across three Advanced Care Management courses and the final Role Practicum. MUSC’s clinical partnerships across South Carolina and its position as an integrated academic health system provide access to complex clinical environments. Specific total clinical hour requirements are not published in the available source materials — contact the program for details.
- NRDNP864 – Advanced Care Management I (6 cr.) — clinical components embedded
- NRDNP865 – Advanced Care Management II (6 cr.) — clinical components embedded
- NRDNP866 – Advanced Care Management III (6 cr.) — clinical components embedded
- NRDNP848B – Role Practicum (7 cr.) — supervised clinical synthesis
- Clinical course fee: $250 per clinical course
- Expert preceptors provided through MUSC’s clinical partnerships
- Select on-campus intensives required at specific program points
- Total supervised clinical hours not explicitly published — contact the program for specifics
MSN Admissions
Admission is selective and reviewed holistically. Two separate applications are required — NursingCAS and the MUSC supplemental application. Selected applicants are contacted for an interview. Application fee: $50; matriculation fee: $485 upon acceptance.
- BSN from a nationally accredited program (required by initial date of enrollment)
- Unencumbered, active RN license in the state where practicums will be conducted
- Undergraduate statistics coursework completed
- Preferred 3.0 GPA (nursing and cumulative on a 4.0 scale)
- Three letters of recommendation — one must be an academic reference
- Personal essay
- Resume detailing relevant academic and professional experience (healthcare work or volunteer experience highly recommended)
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended (sent to NursingCAS)
- Supplemental materials provided by email after application submission
- Immunization records required upon admission and matriculation
- TOEFL minimum 80 required for non-native English speakers
- Interview for selected applicants
- NursingCAS application + MUSC supplemental application — two separate applications required
- Fall 2026 deadline: May 31, 2026 | Spring 2027 deadline: October 15, 2026
DNP – AGPCNP
The DNP AGPCNP at MUSC College of Nursing is estimated at approximately ~$87,508 in-state direct costs or ~$109,444 out-of-state direct costs over 3 years, based on published Cost of Attendance figures.
Direct costs include tuition, health insurance, and fees. The program follows the same hybrid format as the MSN — primarily online with select on-campus intensives and guided clinical practice with expert preceptors.
DNP Curriculum
The post-master’s DNP AGPCNP totals a minimum of 38 credit hours across 5 terms (approximately 2 years). The curriculum is organized in two phases:
- Doctoral foundation (Terms 1–3, 22 cr.): Builds through organizational theory and healthcare management, applied epidemiology and biostatistics, scientific underpinnings, evidence-based practice/quality/safety, leadership frameworks, practice inquiry and IRB, and applied healthcare economics and finance.
- Residency and synthesis (Terms 4–5, 16 cr.): Two residency courses (NRDNP890) provide immersive advanced practice experience, paired with informatics in healthcare delivery and advanced health policy and advocacy.
Year 1, Fall B (10 cr.):
- NRDNP850 – Organizational Theory & Healthcare Management (3 cr.)
- NRDNP860 – Applied Epidemiology & Biostatistics (4 cr.)
- NRDNP873 – Scientific Underpinnings IV (3 cr.)
Year 1, Spring (6 cr.):
- NRDNP858 – Evidence-Based Practice, Quality & Safety (3 cr.)
- NRDNP846 – Frameworks for Leadership (3 cr.)
Year 1, Summer (6 cr.):
- NRDNP862 – Practice Inquiry & IRB (3 cr.)
- NRDNP830 – Applied Healthcare Economics & Finance (3 cr.)
Year 2, Fall B (8 cr.):
- NRDNP890 – Residency (5 cr.)
- NRDNP836 – Informatics in Healthcare Delivery (3 cr.)
Year 2, Spring (8 cr.):
- NRDNP890 – Residency (5 cr.)
- NRDNP708 – Advanced Health Policy & Advocacy (3 cr.)
View more curriculum details on the official program page.
DNP Clinicals
The DNP AGPCNP prepares graduates to sit for the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner national certification exam. Clinical training is embedded in the curriculum through MUSC’s clinical partnerships across South Carolina. Total clinical hours are not published in available source materials — contact the program for specifics.
- Clinical preceptors provided through MUSC’s clinical network and academic health system partnerships
- Clinical course fee: $250 per clinical course
DNP Admissions
DNP admissions requirements mirror the MSN track. The same two-application process (NursingCAS + MUSC supplemental) applies. The same state restrictions apply.
- BSN from a nationally accredited program (required by initial date of enrollment)
- Unencumbered, active RN license in the state where practicums will be conducted
- Undergraduate statistics coursework completed
- Preferred 3.0 GPA (nursing and cumulative)
- Three letters of recommendation — one academic reference required
- Personal essay
- Resume
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended (NursingCAS)
- Supplemental materials provided by email after submission
- Immunization records required upon admission and matriculation
- TOEFL minimum 80 for non-native English speakers
- Interview for selected applicants
- NursingCAS application + MUSC supplemental application — two separate applications required
- Fall 2026 deadline: May 31, 2026
Tuition
MUSC charges tuition on a per-semester (full-time) or per-credit (part-time) basis.
Rates below are for 2025–2026 and are per semester unless otherwise noted:
- Full-time — in-state tuition: $8,116/semester
- Full-time — out-of-state tuition: $10,858/semester
- Full-time program fee: $560/semester
- Part-time — in-state tuition: $835/credit
- Part-time — out-of-state tuition: $1,120/credit
- Part-time student fee: $861/semester
- Part-time program fee: $285/semester
Effective per-credit rates for 2025–2026 — including base tuition, the $70/credit online fee, and program fee allocation — are approximately:
- Full-time in-state: ~$938/credit effective
- Full-time out-of-state: ~$1,212/credit effective
- Part-time in-state: ~$905/credit effective ($835 base + $70 online fee)
- Part-time out-of-state: ~$1,190/credit effective ($1,120 base + $70 online fee)
Additional fees that apply across both programs:
- Application fee: $50 (per application)
- Matriculation fee: $485 (upon acceptance, one-time)
- Clinical course fee: $250 per clinical course
- Online program fee: $70 per credit hour
- NRDNP890 course fee: $233 (when applicable)
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
The DNP and MSN programs at MUSC College of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) of the AACN. MUSC is the only academic health science center in South Carolina and is widely recognized for its low student-to-faculty ratio, expert faculty and preceptors, and complex clinical settings.
Graduates of the AGPCNP area of study are prepared to sit for the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner national certification examination. Passing the certification exam meets professional licensure requirements in South Carolina — other states may have additional requirements.