Nebraska Methodist College’s School of Nursing offers 2 AGPCNP-related DNP pathways:
- BSN-DNP (the only NMC route to AGPCNP certification)
- APRN-DNP (DNP completion for nurses already certified as APRNs; does not add the AGPCNP specialty)
Both pathways run online with live sessions scheduled in the late afternoon or evening, plus required summer weekend visits to the Omaha campus. NMC does not offer an AGPCNP MSN or post-graduate AGPCNP certificate, so RNs who want the specialty must enter through the doctorate.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP AGPCNP | $63,750 | 3 years full-time; 3.5–5 years part-time or spring start | 75 |
| APRN-DNP | $23,800–$28,900 | 24 months or less | 28–34 |
Tuition estimates multiply NMC’s Fall 2026–Summer 2027 doctoral rate ($850/credit, the same for residents and non-residents) by the published credit totals; the APRN-DNP range reflects 28 to 34 credits completed at NMC.
What sets NMC apart is a single $850-per-credit doctoral rate with no out-of-state surcharge, applied to a 75-credit BSN-to-DNP that carries 1,080 clinical hours. A nurse in Washington or Texas pays the same tuition as one in Omaha, and the clinical volume sits well above the 750 direct-care hours that current national NP education standards set as a floor.
The cost of that flexibility is self-placement. BSN-DNP students secure their own preceptors for every clinical hour, across five 180-hour practicum and residency courses, and still travel to Omaha three times. Applicants without a local network of internal medicine and geriatric providers carry the full placement burden themselves.
NMC offers a flat $850-per-credit AGPCNP doctorate open to students in any authorized state, but every one of its 1,080 clinical hours depends on preceptors the student finds.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | BSN-DNP (AGPCNP); APRN-DNP (degree completion) |
| Format | Online; live sessions late afternoon or evening |
| Campus Visits | BSN-DNP: 3 summer weekends; APRN-DNP: 2 summer weekends |
| Clinical Hours | BSN-DNP: 1,080; APRN-DNP: 540 new (plus 500 credited from the MSN) |
| Clinical Placement | BSN-DNP students secure their own preceptors |
| Clinical Settings | Internal medicine outpatient, geriatrics, specialty medicine, student-chosen residency |
| Start Terms | Fall and spring; rolling review |
| Tuition | $850/credit, all students |
| Class Size | 6–20 students |
| Accreditation | CCNE (DNP) |
BSN to DNP – Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The BSN-to-DNP AGPCNP requires 75 credits, for estimated tuition of $63,750. Full-time students finish in 36 months. Part-time plans run four to five years, and spring starts follow 3.5- or 4.5-year plans. It is open to BSN-prepared RNs, including new graduates who hold an RN license by June 30 of the start year.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The program page lists 18 clinical credits and 1,080 contact hours. NMC’s course portal shows each of the five AGPCNP clinical courses (Practicums I–IV and Residency) at 3 credits and 180 hours, which totals 15 credits and 900 hours. The remaining 3 credits and 180 hours are not itemized in the sources reviewed. This page uses the program page’s 1,080 hours because it is NMC’s program-level statement of the requirement.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
Of the 75 credits, 57 are didactic coursework delivered online and 18 are clinical practice. The curriculum divides into four blocks:
- APRN core: advanced health assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacology, theory, and APRN role development.
- Doctoral core: research, biostatistics, epidemiology, finance, policy, informatics and leadership, environmental health policy, and population health.
- AGPCNP specialty: three theory courses, each tied to a practicum, then a residency.
- DNP project: a four-course scholarly project sequence ending in a manuscript, not a dissertation.
The specialty sequence links theory to clinical work course by course. Adult Nursing Theory I is a corequisite of Practicum I. Adult Gerontology Nursing Theory pairs with Practicum II, which centers on older adults, functional decline, and end-of-life care. Adult Nursing Theory II is a prerequisite for Practicum III. The Summer Intensive (NRS 706) must be completed before the first practicum.
NMC’s current program page lists Environmental Health Policy (IDS 760) as a required course and names eight electives, but it no longer states how many electives students take. Earlier NMC materials required two. Confirm the elective count on the plan of study for your start term.
Key courses:
- NRS 700 – Program Orientation (on campus)
- NRS 706 – Summer Intensive
- NRS 712 – Advanced Health Assessment
- NRS 716 – Advanced Pathophysiology
- NRS 720 – Advanced Pharmacology
- NRS 802 – Adult Nursing Theory I
- NRS 812 – Adult Nursing Theory II
- NRS 814 – Adult Gerontology Nursing Theory
- NRS 800, 810, 820, 830 – AGNP Practicum I–IV (3 credits, 180 hours each)
- NRS 840 – Residency (3 credits, 180 hours)
- NRS 832 – Population Health (partly on campus)
- NRS 880, 882, 886, 890 – Doctoral Scholarly Project I–IV
- Electives: rural nursing, community health program planning, lifestyle medicine, teaching and curriculum, advanced public health, public health ethics, civic health
NMC publishes full-time, part-time, and spring-start plans of study on the official program page.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total: 1,080 preceptor-guided clinical hours (18 credits)
- Practicum I and III: internal medicine outpatient settings
- Practicum II: geriatric and internal medicine outpatient settings
- Practicum IV: internal medicine outpatient or specialty medicine
- Residency: final practicum in a clinical area the student selects to match career goals
- Placement: students secure their own preceptors so clinicals take place where they live or work
- Background check and drug screening required before clinicals
- Preceptor fee of $150 or $500 on certain courses applies only to students precepting at CHI facilities
- Three weekend campus visits in Omaha, held in summer semesters
Self-placement lets students train near home, which is what makes an Omaha program workable nationwide. It also means NMC publishes no placement guarantee and no fallback if a site falls through. With an outpatient internal medicine site needed in at least four separate terms and a geriatric focus in one, applicants should line up preceptors before committing, especially in markets where several NP programs compete for the same clinics.
BSN-DNP Admissions
- BSN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, NLNAC-, or NLN CNEA-accredited program
- BSN GPA of 3.0 or higher; 2.75–2.99 considered individually if the final BSN year reached 3.0
- Unencumbered RN license, obtained by June 30 of the start year
- RN experience encouraged, not required
- NursingCAS application, resume or CV, and official transcripts
- Two essays of 250–400 words in APA format: role aspirations, and the impact DNP graduates should have on healthcare
- Interview with two nursing faculty, scored with a standardized rubric
- No GRE
- Deadlines: Spring 2027, December 4, 2026; Fall 2027, June 1, 2027; applications reviewed on a rolling basis
- Applicants outside Nebraska must meet NMC’s state authorization requirements
Two rules widen eligibility. Students in their final BSN semester can apply because the RN license is due by June 30, not at application. And the GPA floor flexes for applicants whose grades improved late. NMC notes that earlier applicants face more open seats, since review is rolling.
APRN to DNP
The APRN-to-DNP lists 34 credits, for estimated tuition of $28,900, and can be completed in 24 months or less. It serves MSN-prepared nurses who hold APRN certification or are eligible for it. It awards a DNP but no new specialty, so it fits nurses already certified as AGPCNPs, not RNs seeking the AGPCNP role.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The APRN-to-DNP page says at least 28 of the 34 credits must be taken at NMC, while its FAQ and the BSN-to-DNP page say MSN-prepared students need at least 30 NMC credits. With transfer credit, tuition could fall to $23,800 (28 credits) or $25,500 (30 credits). This page reports the 28–34 credit range because NMC has not reconciled the two minimums.
APRN-DNP Curriculum
The plan drops all specialty and APRN core coursework. What remains is the doctoral core, two scholarly project courses, and one elective block. Prior graduate coursework is reviewed case by case, and NMC publishes a list of its own MSN courses accepted for transfer. Per-course credit values are not published on the program page.
- NRS 700 – Program Orientation (on campus)
- SSC 730 – Biostatistics
- IDS 734 – Epidemiology
- IDS 750 – Healthcare Finance
- IDS 754 – Healthcare Policy
- IDS 758 – Health Systems, Informatics and Leadership
- NRS 832 – Population Health (partly on campus)
- NRS 880 – Doctoral Scholarly Project I
- NRS 894 – Clinical Inquiry for the DNP
- Electives: same menu as the BSN-DNP, with Environmental Health Policy as an option rather than a requirement
Fall and spring two-year plans of study are posted on the official program page.
APRN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- 540 new clinical hours, completed through the scholarly project coursework
- 500 hours credited from the student’s MSN-APRN program
- Two weekend campus visits in Omaha, held in summer
- Placement policy for project hours is not clearly published for this track
These are DNP practice hours tied to the scholarly project, not supervised AGPCNP patient care. Applicants whose MSN program documented fewer than 500 clinical hours should confirm how NMC handles the shortfall before applying.
APRN-DNP Admissions
- MSN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, NLNAC-, or NLN CNEA-accredited program
- Current APRN certification, or eligibility for it
- MSN GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Unencumbered RN license at the time of application; APRN practice encouraged, not required
- NMC online application (not NursingCAS), resume or CV, and graduate transcripts
- Two essays of 250–400 words in APA format
- Interview with two nursing faculty
- No GRE
- Deadlines: Spring 2027, December 4, 2026; Fall 2027, June 1, 2027; applications reviewed on receipt
Certification eligibility, not certification itself, meets the entry bar. A recent MSN-APRN graduate who has not yet tested can start the DNP while preparing for boards.
Tuition
NMC charges a single doctoral rate of $850 per credit for Fall 2026 through Summer 2027. There is no resident or non-resident distinction, so out-of-state students pay the same tuition as Nebraskans.
Estimated Total Tuition
| Pathway | Credits | All Students |
|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP AGPCNP | 75 | $63,750 |
| APRN-DNP | 28–34 | $23,800–$28,900 |
Totals are calculated from NMC’s published per-credit rate and credit requirements; NMC does not publish program totals.
Fees Beyond Tuition
- Technology fee: $500 per fall or spring term, $250 per summer term
- Student resource fee: $50 per term
- Typhon clinical tracking: $105 (NRS 700)
- UpToDate subscription: $105 (AGNP courses)
- Preceptor fee: $150 or $500 on certain courses, only for students precepting at CHI
- One-time: background check $70, compliance tracker $38.85, ID card $15.75
- Student-paid: travel for campus visits and DNP project costs
Term fees add up because the DNP runs year-round. Enrolling in fall, spring, and summer costs $1,400 a year in technology and resource fees alone, or about $4,200 over a three-year full-time BSN-DNP (calculated from the published per-term fees).
The Nurse Faculty Loan Program can cover tuition, fees, and books, with up to 85% of the loan cancelled for graduates who work full time as nurse faculty.
See the official cost of attendance page and the tuition and fees schedule for full details.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: a BSN-prepared RN, in Nebraska or another authorized state, who wants the AGPCNP at the doctoral level, has preceptor contacts in adult and geriatric primary care, and can travel to Omaha three times.
One $850 Rate, Wherever You Live
Programs that bill non-residents a higher rate can cost out-of-state students thousands more. At NMC, location does not change tuition. For an out-of-state student, the $63,750 BSN-DNP total is the same number a Nebraska resident sees, which makes cost comparisons straightforward.
You Build the Clinical Network
Every BSN-DNP clinical hour depends on preceptors the student recruits. Nurses already embedded in a health system with internal medicine and geriatric clinics are well positioned. Those without contacts should weigh programs that arrange placements, because a lost site can stall progression through the linked theory-practicum sequence.
Doctorate Only, No MSN Exit
NMC offers no AGPCNP MSN or post-master’s certificate. RNs who only want to practice as AGPCNPs still commit to three to five years and 75 credits, including a four-course scholarly project. The trade is 1,080 clinical hours and a terminal degree; the cost is time and DNP coursework some practitioners will not need.
A Defined Geriatric Practicum
Practicum II focuses on older adults, including functional decline and end-of-life care, and pairs with a dedicated adult-gerontology theory course. Students who want structured geriatric exposure, not just incidental older patients in an adult clinic, get it built into the plan.
The Verdict
NMC is a strong fit for an out-of-state or Nebraska RN who wants a DNP-level AGPCNP at a flat rate and can secure their own adult primary care preceptors. Applicants who need school-arranged placements, want a faster MSN route, or are already MSN-prepared and seeking to add the AGPCNP specialty should compare other programs; NMC’s APRN-DNP serves only nurses who already hold their specialty.
Accreditation
NMC’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). NMC states that BSN-DNP graduates are eligible to sit for national AGPCNP certification.
NMC participates in NC-SARA, but professional licensure rules may limit clinical education in some states. NMC is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission to run practice experiences in Washington. Applicants outside Nebraska should check NMC’s state authorization page before applying.