Edgewood University AGPCNP Programs (Adult Gerontology)

Edgewood University’s School of Nursing, part of the Henry Predolin College of Health Sciences in Madison, Wisconsin, offers 3 AGPCNP pathways:

MSN
MSN + DNP (Executive Leadership pathway)
Post-Master’s Certificate

Didactic courses run online in 8-week sessions. All three pathways share the same three clinical courses, a required one-day, in-person APRN Clinical Bootcamp before clinicals, and a rule that students hold an RN license in the state where they complete clinical hours. Edgewood’s graduate nursing licensure disclosure confirms only eight states.

Program Tracks Overview

Program	Est. Tuition (Resident)	Est. Duration	Credit Hours
MSN	$52,416	3 years full-time; part-time available	48
MSN + DNP (Executive Leadership)	$75,348	5 years full-time; part-time available	69
Post-Master’s Certificate	$16,380–$29,484	15 months–2 years	15–27

Tuition estimates multiply Edgewood’s 2026-2027 graduate nursing rate of $1,092 per credit, which applies to all students regardless of residency, by each pathway’s published credit total.

Edgewood’s most unusual option is the MSN + DNP pathway. A BSN-prepared nurse enters once, completes the full 48-credit AGPCNP curriculum in three years, and can pursue AGPCNP certification before finishing 21 more credits of DNP coursework. That DNP is in executive leadership, not clinical practice, so the extra two years build management and quality-improvement skills rather than more patient care.

The catch is reach. The program is marketed as fully online, but students must attend an in-person bootcamp, find their own preceptors at least 180 days before each clinical course, and live in a state where Edgewood’s graduate nursing programs lead to licensure. The university confirms that for only Wisconsin, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Kentucky, and Florida.

Edgewood lets BSN nurses certify as AGPCNPs after three years and keep going to a leadership DNP, but self-arranged preceptors and an eight-state licensure list limit who can realistically enroll.

Quick Facts

Program Types	MSN, MSN + DNP (Executive Leadership), Post-Master’s Certificate
Format	Online didactic courses in 8-week sessions; clinical courses include face-to-face meetings and in-practice hours
Campus Attendance	One-day, in-person APRN Clinical Bootcamp, held each June before clinical coursework
Clinical Hours	Minimum 250 per clinical course x 3 courses = 750 (calculated); DNP adds residency toward 1,000 post-baccalaureate hours
Clinical Placement	Students identify preceptors and sites; faculty and the Clinical Coordination Team assist as needed
Licensure States	Meets requirements: WI, CO, IA, IL, MA, MN, KY, FL. Does not meet: NY, LA, CA. Others not determined
Population Focus	Young adults, adults, older adults, and elderly in primary care
Start Terms	Fall, spring, summer (deadlines August 1, January 1, May 1)
Tuition	$1,092 per credit (2026-2027), same for all students
Accreditation	CCNE (master’s and DNP); Wisconsin Board of Nursing approval

MSN Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

The MSN Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner costs an estimated $52,416 for 48 credits and takes three years at the full-time pace. It is the entry point for BSN-prepared RNs who want the AGPCNP credential without committing to a doctorate.

A published conflict worth knowing about. The program page lists the MSN as “completed in 3 years (full time),” while its tuition section says part-time students typically finish in 2 to 3 years. A part-time plan cannot be shorter than the full-time one. Edgewood’s sample schedule spreads 48 credits over three years at 6 credits per term, so this page uses 3 years as the standard full-time length. A part-time timeline is not clearly published.

MSN Curriculum

The plan runs in three distinct phases. Year one is almost entirely non-clinical: prevention, health policy, statistics, evidence-based practice, and role theory, closing with advanced pathophysiology. Year two carries the clinical foundation: physical assessment, pharmacology, adult and older adult care, and differential diagnosis, plus leadership and informatics. Year three is clinical, with three practicum courses and two 1.5-credit seminars.

Two features stand out. First, only 9 of 48 credits are clinical, while 12 credits go to leadership, policy, informatics, and role development (NRS 612, 625, 645, 830). That tilt reflects the school’s leadership-oriented graduate core. Second, clinical entry is gated: students need a 3.0 cumulative GPA across NRS 701, 702, 703, and 680 and at least 80% on both parts of a Clinical Competency Examination (head-to-toe and focused exams) before starting rotations.

Graduate core (18 credits):

NRS 600: Clinical Prevention: Assessment and Planning (3)
NRS 612: Theoretical Foundations of Role Development for the Nurse Leader (3)
NRS 625: Healthcare Systems and Policy (3)
NRS 645: Advanced Leadership Roles in the Healthcare System (3)
NRS 665: Applied Statistics (3)
NRS 670: Evidence-Based Practice (3)

AGPCNP concentration (30 credits):

NRS 701: Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
NRS 702: Advanced Physical Assessment (3)
NRS 703: Advanced Pharmacology (3)
NRS 680: Differential Diagnosis (3)
NRS 690: Caring for the Adult and Older Adult (3)
NRS 830: Health Systems Informatics (3)
NRS 696A: Equity and Management of Diverse Populations for the Nurse Practitioner (1.5)
NRS 696D: Transition to Practice for the Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (1.5)
NRS 720, 721, 722: AGPCNP Advanced Practice Clinical I, II, III (3 each)

See the AGPCNP sample schedule and the 2025-2026 MSN Student Handbook for term-by-term sequencing and course descriptions.

MSN Clinical Requirements

Hours: minimum 250 hours in each of NRS 720, 721, and 722. The handbook does not publish a program total; 750 hours is a calculation from the per-course minimums.
Schedule: NRS 720 (fall, 16 weeks), NRS 721 (spring, 16 weeks), NRS 722 (summer, 12 weeks), all in year three
Encounters: students document more than 250 clinical encounters per course
Settings: adult and geriatric patients in a variety of clinical sites
Placement responsibility: students identify and initiate agreements with preceptors and sites; faculty and the Clinical Coordination Team assist as necessary
Deadline: preceptor and site must be submitted at least 180 days before the clinical course; missing site requirements puts the next clinical course at risk
Preceptors: ideally NPs or CNSs certified by ANCC, AACN, or AANP; physicians, DOs, and PAs considered case by case; preceptors are unpaid
In person: one-day APRN Clinical Bootcamp each June, required for all students entering clinicals; clinical courses also include face-to-face meetings. Bootcamp location is not clearly published.
Licensure: unrestricted RN license in the state or country of the practicum, plus a health form and criminal background check
Placement guarantee: none published

The 180-day rule means the preceptor search for NRS 720 must be finished around the start of year two’s spring term, while students are still in pharmacology. Students in areas with few adult primary care NPs should start networking in year one.

The summer course is the heaviest. Fitting 250 hours into NRS 722’s 12 weeks works out to roughly 21 hours per week (calculated), compared with about 16 hours per week in the 16-week fall and spring courses. Working RNs should plan reduced work hours for that term.

MSN Admissions

Bachelor’s or higher in nursing from a nationally accredited program
Cumulative GPA of 3.0, computed on the highest degree held
Current RN license
Graduate application and official transcripts
Two recommendations from nursing supervisors or colleagues
Statement of 500 words or fewer on goals and relevant experience
Deadlines: August 1 (fall), January 1 (spring), May 1 (summer)
Guaranteed admission for Edgewood BSN graduates from the past three years with a 3.0 GPA and an RN license, with no further materials

The MSN page lists no minimum RN work experience, unlike the certificate. The admission requirements do not mention state of residence, but the licensure disclosure covered under Accreditation effectively limits where graduates can be confident of licensure.

MSN-AGPCNP + DNP Executive Leadership

The MSN-AGPCNP + DNP Executive Leadership pathway costs an estimated $75,348 for 69 credits and takes five years full-time. It uses the MSN admission route, so BSN-prepared RNs can apply directly. Per the program page, students can pursue AGPCNP certification after the MSN and then continue into DNP coursework.

A detail the sources leave open. The program page says graduates can seek certification after the MSN, but the pathway sample schedule places its “AGPCNP Degree Conferred” heading after the year-five table without naming a term. The exact point at which the MSN is awarded is not clearly published.

MSN + DNP Curriculum

Years one through three match the MSN with two swaps: NRS 810 (Population Health and Health Policy) replaces NRS 600, and NRS 820 (Healthcare Service and Clinical Quality) replaces NRS 625. Both are doctoral-level courses taken in year one, which is how the pathway saves credits against completing a separate 30-credit post-master’s DNP.

Years four and five add 21 credits focused on research methods, finance and regulation, residency, and a two-semester leadership capstone. The DNP project must be a quality initiative written as a five-chapter paper, with an oral proposal defense and a final oral defense. There is no additional AGPCNP clinical content in the DNP phase.

DNP-phase courses (21 credits, years 4-5):

NRS 800A, 800B: Applied Research Methods and Evidence-Based Practice I, II (2 each)
NRS 802A, 802B: Introduction to the DNP: Role, Residency, and Project I (2), II (3)
NRS 805: Healthcare Finance and Regulatory Environments (2)
NRS 803A, 803B: DNP Residency I, II (2 each)
NRS 845, 850: Leadership Capstone I, II (3 each)

See the AGPCNP with DNP pathway sample schedule and the 2025-2026 DNP Student Handbook.

MSN + DNP Clinical Requirements

AGPCNP clinicals: identical to the MSN (NRS 720, 721, 722; minimum 250 hours each)
DNP total: 1,000 post-baccalaureate residency hours, accumulated through NRS 803A and 803B
Credit for MSN hours: up to 500 hours from APRN clinical rotations may be approved toward the 1,000; at least 500 must be earned during the DNP program
Precepted hours: 100 required within the DNP residency; non-precepted hours count only with advance approval
Placement responsibility: students identify residency preceptors, notify the Graduate Clinical Placement Coordinator at least 90 days ahead, and need instructor approval; family members and close friends cannot serve
In person: residency courses include face-to-face meetings and in-practice hours

The DNP Executive Leadership page describes the practicum as 500 to 1,000 hours depending on prior master’s practicum experience, which is consistent with the handbook’s 500-hour credit cap. Approval of MSN hours is not automatic; the handbook routes it through the Associate Dean and the Graduate Assessment Committee. If the full 500 is approved, a student would need 500 residency hours across years four and five.

MSN + DNP Admissions

Same requirements and deadlines as the MSN (BSN, 3.0 GPA, RN license, two recommendations, 500-word statement)
Pathway chosen at entry so the NRS 810 and 820 substitutions are scheduled in year one

The standalone DNP in Executive Leadership requires a 3.3 master’s GPA and guarantees admission to Edgewood MSN graduates at 3.3 or higher. Whether pathway students must reach 3.3 in the MSN phase to continue is not clearly published. Applicants on the 3.0 margin should weigh that uncertainty.

Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate

The AGPCNP Post-Master’s Certificate costs an estimated $16,380 to $29,484 for 15 to 27 credits. The MSN handbook says it can be finished in as little as 15 months depending on transfer credit, and lists the sequence as two years. It is open to MSN or DNP holders with at least two years of RN experience. APRN certification is not required.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate is the MSN’s AGPCNP concentration minus the graduate core and informatics. Its credit total depends on one question: whether the student already has advanced pathophysiology, physical assessment, pharmacology, and differential diagnosis. Applicants holding APN certification are evaluated for waivers of NRS 680, 701, 702, and 703 (12 credits), and syllabi may be required. Full waivers bring the certificate to 15 credits.

NRS 701: Advanced Pathophysiology (3), waivable
NRS 702: Advanced Physical Assessment (3), waivable
NRS 703: Advanced Pharmacology (3), waivable
NRS 680: Differential Diagnosis (3), waivable
NRS 690: Caring for the Adult and Older Adult (3)
NRS 696A: Equity and Management of Diverse Populations for the Nurse Practitioner (1.5)
NRS 696D: Transition to Practice for the Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (1.5)
NRS 720, 721, 722: AGPCNP Advanced Practice Clinical I, II, III (3 each)

Certificate Clinical Requirements

Same three clinical courses as the MSN, minimum 250 hours each
Same self-arranged placement model and 180-day notice
Same in-person APRN Clinical Bootcamp before clinicals
RN license in the practicum state, health form, and background check

No published policy lets prior NP clinical hours replace any of the three clinical courses. A certified FNP or acute care NP adding AGPCNP still completes all three.

Certificate Admissions

MSN or DNP from a nationally accredited nursing program
Two years of RN experience
Current RN license
CV, two recommendations from nursing supervisors or colleagues, and a statement of 500 words or fewer
Official transcripts; syllabi for any course submitted for waiver
Deadlines: the certificate page lists only the next start date; Edgewood’s MSN fact sheet gives August 1, January 1, and May 1 for all programs

The two-year RN experience and CV requirements apply only to the certificate. Waivers depend on standalone patho, assessment, and pharmacology courses, so non-APRN master’s holders, such as nurse educators or leaders, should budget for the full 27 credits.

Tuition

Edgewood charges $1,092 per credit for 2026-2027 for the MSN, the DNP, and the AGPCNP Post-Graduate Certificate. The rate is the same for Wisconsin residents and out-of-state students, and it is unchanged from 2025-2026.

Pathway	Credits	Est. Tuition (All Students)
MSN	48	$52,416
MSN + DNP	69	$75,348
Post-Master’s Certificate	15–27	$16,380–$29,484

Totals are calculated from the published per-credit rate and credit totals, not published by Edgewood.

For a BSN nurse, the DNP phase adds about $22,932 (21 credits, calculated) on top of the MSN.

Fees and other costs:

Mandatory and program fees are not listed on the tuition page and are not clearly published
Students arrange travel to the in-person APRN Clinical Bootcamp
Health form and criminal background check are required before clinicals

Edgewood lists Federal Stafford Loans, employer tuition reimbursement support, corporate partner discounts, third-party billing, monthly payment plans, and veteran aid. See the official tuition and fees page for current rates.

Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?

Best suited for: RNs in Wisconsin or one of the seven other confirmed licensure states who can line up their own adult primary care preceptors and want the option of a leadership DNP without a separate application.

A Leadership Doctorate, Not a Clinical One

The DNP phase trains administrators and quality leaders. It adds residency and a quality-improvement project but no further AGPCNP clinical coursework. Nurses who want a DNP to deepen clinical practice get no additional primary care training from it. Nurses aiming for clinic director or quality roles gain a doctorate for 21 more credits.

Eight Confirmed States Set the Real Boundary

Edgewood participates in NC-SARA, but its licensure disclosure confirms the graduate nursing programs meet requirements in only WI, CO, IA, IL, MA, MN, KY, and FL. NY, LA, and CA are listed as not meeting requirements. The handbook warns that moving to an unapproved state mid-program can jeopardize completion. “Fully online” does not mean available nationwide.

Preceptors Are Your Job, Six Months Ahead

Students find their own preceptors, with faculty and Clinical Coordination Team support as needed, and must confirm them 180 days before each clinical course. No placement guarantee is published. Applicants with an existing NP network or employer-based clinic sites carry far less risk than those starting cold.

One Flat Rate Removes the Out-of-State Penalty

At $1,092 per credit for every student, a private-school MSN totals about $52,400 whether the student lives in Madison or Miami. Residents of eligible states pay no premium for studying across state lines.

The Verdict

Edgewood makes the most sense for BSN-prepared RNs in its eight confirmed states who want a leadership DNP built into their NP plan, and for Edgewood BSN alumni who qualify for guaranteed admission. Applicants outside those states, nurses who want the school to arrange clinical placements, and those seeking a clinically focused DNP should compare other AGPCNP programs.

Accreditation

Edgewood’s master’s and DNP nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Wisconsin Board of Nursing. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The accreditation page does not name the post-graduate certificates in its CCNE statement.

The MSN and certificate pages state that graduates are eligible to sit for the AGPCNP certification exam; the certifying body is not named. Edgewood’s MSN fact sheet also mentions FNP exam eligibility in its AGPCNP description, which the AGPCNP program pages do not support.

Edgewood participates in NC-SARA, but its graduate nursing licensure disclosure confirms only eight states and leaves most undetermined. Applicants should check their state on Edgewood’s accreditation and licensure disclosure page before applying.

Compare With More AGPCNP Programs in Wisconsin

Concordia University Wisconsin - Mequon
Marquette University - Milwaukee