Concordia University Wisconsin’s School of Nursing offers 3 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathways:
- MSN (41 credits, for BSN-prepared RNs)
- BSN-DNP (70 credits, fall start only)
- CAGE Certificate (35 credits before transfer, for MSN- or DNP-prepared nurses)
All three are delivered online with a short on-campus requirement in Mequon, Wisconsin. Every pathway requires a current, unencumbered U.S. RN license, and students in every pathway find their own preceptors. Availability depends on the applicant’s state, and F-1 visa holders are not eligible.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN AGPCNP | $33,825 | 3–4 years | 41 |
| BSN-DNP AGPCNP | $57,750 | 3–4 years | 70 |
| CAGE Certificate AGPCNP | Up to $28,875 | About 2–3.5 years | 35 (less transfer credit) |
Tuition estimates multiply CUW’s 2026-2027 graduate nursing rate ($825/credit, the same for all students regardless of state) by the catalog credit total. The $673 nursing clinical fee is excluded because CUW does not state how often it is billed.
Two numbers set Concordia apart from most AGPCNP programs: a flat $825 per credit for every student in every state, and a 100% first-time pass rate on both the AANP and ANCC exams in 2021, 2022, and 2023, as reported on CUW’s AGPCNP MSN page. The MSN and certificate also front-load all didactic coursework and finish with three 250-hour clinical courses.
That clinical design is also the main planning risk. Each 250-hour course runs 8 weeks, which works out to roughly 31 clinical hours per week (our calculation), and students must secure every site and preceptor themselves. Nurses who cannot reduce work hours or who lack primary care contacts should plan placements well before the clinical year.
CUW pairs a flat $825-per-credit rate and three straight years of 100% first-time board pass rates with a demanding clinical finish: three 8-week, 250-hour courses with preceptors students find on their own.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | MSN, BSN-DNP, post-graduate certificate (CAGE) |
| Format | Online coursework in 8- and 16-week sessions, plus required campus visits |
| Campus Attendance | MSN and CAGE: 2–3 day health assessment intensive. BSN-DNP: on-campus residency (published as four days) plus a final on-campus cohort meeting at graduation |
| Clinical Hours | 750 minimum (MSN, CAGE). 1,008 total for BSN-DNP (750 clinical + 258 leadership) |
| Clinical Placement | Student-arranged; faculty approve sites; Graduate Clinical Coordinator assists |
| Start Terms | MSN and CAGE: fall (July 1) or spring (November 1). BSN-DNP: fall only (July 1) |
| GRE | Not required |
| Tuition | $825 per credit (2026-2027), no residency differential |
| Board Pass Rate | 100% first-time AANP and ANCC, 2021–2023 (CUW-reported) |
| Accreditation | CCNE (MSN, DNP, post-graduate APRN certificate) |
MSN AGPCNP
The MSN Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner costs an estimated $33,825 (41 credits at $825). CUW publishes 3-year, 3.5-year, and 4-year part-time progression plans. It is the entry point for BSN-prepared RNs who want NP certification without DNP coursework.
A published change worth knowing about. Earlier descriptions put the MSN at about 2.5 years. CUW’s current program page and progression plans show 3 to 4 years, and the catalog caps completion at five years from the first course. This page uses the current 3–4 year range.
MSN Curriculum
The curriculum splits into a 26-credit advanced practice core, a 3-credit elective, and a 12-credit AGPCNP specialization. The core and elective are shared with CUW’s FNP track. Only the three clinical courses are AGPCNP-specific.
There are no stand-alone AGPCNP didactic courses. Diagnosis and management content for adults and older adults is taught inside the three 4-credit clinical courses, which move from episodic and chronic adult conditions to lifespan primary care to an older adult outpatient focus. The 3-year plan places all core coursework, including health assessment and pharmacology, before the first clinical course.
The elective list is the main place to customize the degree. NURS 7013 Diagnostic Skills for APRN is the most clinically relevant option; the others lean toward global health, nursing education, and business communication.
Advanced practice core (26 credits):
- NURS 6036 Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (3 cr)
- NURS 6042 Pharmacotherapeutics (3 cr)
- NURS 6038 Advanced Health Assessment Across the Lifespan (3 cr, includes on-campus intensive)
- NURS 5050 Genetics, Immunology, & Microbiology for Advanced Nursing (3 cr)
- NURS 5040 Evidence Based Nursing Practice (3 cr)
- NURS 6045 Role Transition for the APN (2 cr)
- Plus policy (NURS 5030), theory (NURS 5034), and informatics (NURS 5060), 3 cr each
AGPCNP specialization (12 credits):
- NURS 7265 Advanced Primary Care Clinical I: AGPCNP (4 cr, 250 clinical hours)
- NURS 7266 Advanced Primary Care Clinical II: AGPCNP (4 cr, 250 clinical hours)
- NURS 7267 Advanced Primary Care Clinical III: AGPCNP (4 cr, 250 clinical hours)
Elective (3 credits, choose one): NURS 7013 Diagnostic Skills for APRN, NURS 6092 Global Perspectives/Primary Care, NURS 6377 Evaluation and Testing in Nursing Education, or one of three business courses.
See the full plan of study in the CUW graduate catalog.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total: 750 clinical hours minimum
- Distribution: 250 hours in each of NURS 7265, 7266, and 7267, each an 8-week course
- Settings: approved adult or gerontology primary care sites in health systems or clinics
- Placement: students identify their own preceptors and sites; graduate faculty review and approve each one
- Support: a Graduate Clinical Coordinator is available to assist
- Students must meet each site’s vaccination requirements
- Placement guarantee: none published
Compressing 250 hours into 8 weeks means about 31 hours per week in clinic (our calculation). For most working RNs, that requires cutting hours or using PTO during each clinical course. In the 3-year plan, Clinical II and III run in back-to-back terms, so a student may need two consecutive preceptor arrangements with little gap between them.
MSN Admissions
- BSN from an accredited nursing school
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA; science GPA also reviewed
- Current, unencumbered U.S. RN license and active nursing practice; two or more years of experience preferred
- Undergraduate statistics (3 credits, grade B or higher), completed before NURS 5040
- Current CPR certification
- Essay, resume, official transcripts, and government-issued ID
- Two recommendations, one from a master’s-prepared professional who has worked with the applicant
- Recorded video introduction through the Future Falcon portal
- Pre-admission phone interview may be required; no GRE
- Transfer: up to 6 graduate credits; pathophysiology and pharmacotherapeutics cannot transfer
- Deadlines: July 1 (fall), November 1 (spring)
CUW lists both fall and spring deadlines, but every published MSN progression plan is a fall start. Spring applicants should ask how their sequence differs. The required master’s-prepared recommender can be a hurdle for nurses whose supervisors hold only a BSN.
Post BSN-DNP: AGPCNP
The Post BSN to DNP with an AGPCNP specialization costs an estimated $57,750 (70 credits at $825). CUW publishes 3-year and 4-year fall-start plans across eight semesters. It suits BSN-prepared RNs who want the doctorate and NP preparation in one admission.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The DNP program page describes a mandatory four-day on-campus residency. The catalog instead describes a 2–3 day on-campus experience in NURS 6038 plus a mandatory final cohort meeting on campus at graduation, where DNP projects are presented. This page treats both as required visits; applicants should budget for at least two trips to Mequon.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
The 70 credits divide into a 36-credit core, a 23-credit AGPCNP specialization, and 11 credits of DNP project and leadership coursework.
The specialty sequence differs from the MSN. Instead of folding management content into clinical courses, the DNP uses four separate 3-credit AGPCNP didactic courses, including a required diagnostics course and a women’s health and older adult course. Clinical residencies then step up from 1 to 5 to 5 credits. The doctoral layer adds biostatistics, advanced evidence-based practice, business management, and a two-course DNP project with three practicum immersions.
AGPCNP specialization (23 credits):
- NURS 7013 Diagnostic Skills for APRN (3 cr)
- NURS 7220 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Primary Care for the AGNP (3 cr)
- NURS 7221 Adult Chronic and Acute Disease Management: AGPCNP (3 cr)
- NURS 7222 Women’s Health and the Older Adult: AGPCNP (3 cr)
- NURS 8226 / 8227 / 8228 AGPCNP Primary Care Clinical Residency I, II, III (1, 5, and 5 cr)
DNP and leadership coursework:
- NURS 8003 Biostatistics & Epidemiology (4 cr)
- NURS 8015 Advanced Evidence-Based Practice (3 cr)
- NURS 8010 Business Management for the DNP (3 cr)
- NURS 8021 Healthcare Informatics (3 cr)
- NURS 9040 / 9041 DNP Project I and II (4 cr each)
- NURS 9030 / 9031 / 9032 DNP Project Practicum Immersion I–III (1 cr each)
The remaining core matches the MSN: pathophysiology, pharmacotherapeutics, health assessment, genetics, evidence-based practice, policy, theory, and role transition. See the BSN-DNP catalog page for the full plan.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total: 1,008 hours (750 clinical practicum + 258 leadership)
- Clinical hours: completed in Clinical Residency I–III; per-course hours are not clearly published
- Leadership hours: completed through the DNP Project Practicum Immersions
- Settings: health systems or clinics; site vaccination requirements apply
- Placement: the DNP pages do not restate the policy; CUW’s NP programs otherwise place responsibility for finding preceptors on students, with faculty approval
The DNP adds no direct patient care hours over the MSN. Both require 750. The extra 258 hours are project and leadership work, so applicants choosing the doctorate for more clinical training will not get it here.
BSN-DNP Admissions
- BSN from a regionally accredited nursing school
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA; 3.0 in science and nursing coursework strongly encouraged
- Current, unencumbered U.S. RN license and active practice; two or more years of experience preferred
- Statistics (3 credits, grade B or higher) completed within five years of admission
- Current CPR certification
- Essay, professional resume, official transcripts, two recommendations, video introduction, and government-issued ID
- Pre-admission phone interview required; no GRE
- Castle Branch background check after acceptance
- Transfer: up to 6 graduate credits; pathophysiology and pharmacotherapeutics cannot transfer
- Deadline: July 1 (fall start only)
The five-year statistics window matters for nurses who finished their BSN long ago. An older course means retaking statistics before enrolling. Missing the July 1 deadline delays the start by a full year.
Certificate After Graduate Education (CAGE): AGPCNP
The Certificate After Graduate Education in Nursing (CAGE) AGPCNP option costs up to an estimated $28,875 (35 credits at $825) before transfer credit. Published plans run 3 to 3.5 years, or about 2 years with maximum transfer. It is open to nurses who already hold an MSN or DNP; CUW does not state that APRN certification is required.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The CAGE program page says qualified NPs or APNs can transfer a maximum of 20 credits. The catalog allows transfer of up to 50% of the certificate’s credits (17.5 of 35), with more possible on Dean approval. This page treats the catalog as the governing rule; either way, an experienced APRN could cut the certificate roughly in half.
CAGE Curriculum
The certificate is the MSN without three courses: evidence-based practice and the elective drop out, leaving a 23-credit core and the same 12-credit AGPCNP clinical sequence. Final credit totals depend on a transcript review of prior graduate coursework.
Because pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment sit in the core, a nurse with an MSN in education or leadership will likely take most of the 35 credits. A practicing NP in another population focus is the applicant most likely to benefit from transfer credit.
- Core (23 cr): pathophysiology, pharmacotherapeutics, health assessment (with on-campus intensive), genetics/immunology/microbiology, policy, theory, informatics, APN role transition
- NURS 7265 / 7266 / 7267 Advanced Primary Care Clinical I–III: AGPCNP (4 cr each)
See the CAGE catalog page for course details.
CAGE Clinical Requirements
- Minimum: 750 clinical hours across NURS 7265–7267
- Prior advanced practice hours may count case by case, subject to program approval and regulatory standards
- Applicants submit documentation of faculty-supervised clinical hours from their MSN or DNP
- Settings: health systems or clinics; site vaccination requirements apply
- Placement: student-arranged preceptors with faculty approval, as in the MSN
CAGE Admissions
- MSN and/or DNP from an accredited nursing school
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA; science GPA reviewed
- Current, unencumbered U.S. RN license and current practice
- Current CPR certification
- Essay, resume, undergraduate and graduate transcripts, two recommendations, video introduction, and government-issued ID
- Documentation of clinical hours earned in the prior graduate program
- Phone interview may be required; no GRE
- Castle Branch background check after acceptance
- Apply under the Non-degree option; deadlines July 1 (fall) and November 1 (spring)
Tuition
CUW’s 2026-2027 tuition table lists $825 per credit for both the MSN and the DNP. As a private university, CUW charges the same rate to Wisconsin residents and out-of-state students.
The CAGE program page still lists $800 per credit, and the tuition table has no separate certificate line. This page uses the newer $825 rate, which raises a full 35-credit certificate from $28,000 to $28,875. The BSN-DNP estimate also changed: this profile previously used $895 per credit, which put the 70-credit DNP near $62,650. At $825, the estimate falls to $57,750.
| Pathway | Credits | Est. Tuition (All Students) |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGPCNP | 41 | $33,825 |
| BSN-DNP AGPCNP | 70 | $57,750 |
| CAGE AGPCNP (no transfer) | 35 | $28,875 |
| CAGE AGPCNP (17.5-credit catalog transfer) | 17.5 | $14,438 |
Totals are calculated from CUW’s published per-credit rate and catalog credit totals. CUW does not publish program totals.
Fees beyond tuition:
- Nursing clinical fee: $673, listed under the MSN; billing frequency not clearly published
- Consolidated graduate fee: $76 per semester; CUW does not state whether it applies to online nursing students
- Castle Branch background check (BSN-DNP, CAGE), CPR certification, and travel to Mequon for required campus visits
CUW advertises scholarships for adult and post-traditional learners but does not publish AGPCNP-specific awards or amounts. See CUW’s official tuition and fees page.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: Out-of-state RNs who want a low-cost private AGPCNP program with minimal campus travel and who can arrange their own primary care preceptors and clear time for intensive 8-week clinical blocks.
A Flat Rate That Favors Non-Wisconsin Students
At $825 per credit with no residency differential, the 41-credit MSN comes to about $33,825 for everyone. Public universities often charge distance students non-resident rates well above their in-state price, so CUW’s flat rate is most valuable to applicants who would otherwise pay out-of-state tuition elsewhere. Wisconsin residents should still compare it against in-state public options.
Self-Arranged Preceptors in Compressed Clinical Blocks
CUW does not place students. Faculty approve sites and a coordinator assists, but the search is the student’s job. Combined with 250-hour, 8-week clinical courses, this model rewards nurses with existing primary care contacts and flexible schedules. Applicants in areas with heavy NP-student competition for preceptors face the most risk of delay.
Strong Reported Board Outcomes
CUW reports 100% first-time pass rates on both the AANP and ANCC exams for 2021 through 2023, against 2023 national averages of 80.34% (AANP) and 92.2% (ANCC). CUW does not publish cohort sizes, so small cohorts may make these figures less predictive, but they are a meaningful signal of preparation.
The DNP Adds Credits, Not Clinical Hours
The BSN-DNP costs about $23,925 more than the MSN (our calculation) and adds 29 credits, but both require the same 750 direct care hours. The DNP does add separate AGPCNP didactic courses and 258 leadership hours. It makes sense for nurses who want a doctorate for leadership, faculty, or system roles; nurses focused only on clinical practice get the same hour total from the MSN.
The Verdict
CUW is a strong option for out-of-state RNs who want a mostly online AGPCNP with a flat, moderate price and reported 100% first-time board pass rates, and who can secure their own preceptors. Experienced NPs adding the adult-gerontology focus also benefit from the certificate’s generous transfer allowance. Nurses who need school-arranged placements, cannot take time away from work for 31-hour clinical weeks, or want a faster full-time MSN should compare other programs.
Accreditation
The MSN, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). CUW is also approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission to conduct AGPCNP practice experiences in Washington.
Whether CUW’s online NP education meets licensure requirements varies by state. Applicants should check CUW’s Distance Education Disclosure page for their state before applying.
Review Other AGPCNP Programs in Wisconsin
- Edgewood University - Madison
- Marquette University - Milwaukee