The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Nursing and Health Studies offers 3 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathways:
- MSN
- DNP (entry degree published inconsistently; see below)
- Post-Master’s Certificate
Coursework in all three is online, with 2–3 day intensives on the Kansas City campus once per semester during clinical courses. Clinicals take place in precepted community or outpatient settings, and applicants need an unencumbered RN license in the state where they complete clinicals. UMKC charges one per-credit rate to students in every state where the program is authorized; some states are not authorized at all.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $44,709 | 2 years full-time / 3 years part-time | 47 |
| DNP | $70,393–$71,344 | About 2 years full-time / 3 years part-time | 74–75 |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | $18,074–$28,538 | 12 months to 2 years (sources differ) | 19–30 |
Tuition estimates multiply UMKC’s 2026-2027 online graduate rate of $951.25 per credit ($803.00 tuition, $88.00 simulation lab fee, $60.25 online course fee) by each pathway’s credit total. UMKC applies this rate to students in all authorized states.
What separates UMKC from most public AGPCNP programs is that out-of-state students pay the same rate as Missourians. A nurse in any authorized state pays about $44,700 for the 47-credit MSN, with no non-resident premium. The clinical sequence is also substantial: UMKC’s plans of study list 783.75 precepted hours across three courses.
The catch is uncertainty in what UMKC publishes. Its online program pages and School of Nursing pages disagree on the MSN credit total, the certificate length, and whether the DNP admits BSN or MSN graduates. UMKC also does not say who secures clinical sites and preceptors, and every clinical semester brings a trip to Kansas City.
UMKC offers in-state pricing nationwide and 783.75 clinical hours, but applicants must budget for Kansas City intensives and verify placement support, credit totals, and DNP entry rules themselves.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | MSN, DNP, Post-Master’s Certificate |
| Format | Online coursework; in-person clinicals in the student’s area; campus intensives |
| Campus Attendance | One 2–3 day Kansas City intensive per clinical semester (3–4 total for the MSN); DNP adds a mandatory summer residency |
| Clinical Hours | 783.75 (MSN and certificate); DNP total not published |
| Clinical Placement | Precepted community or outpatient settings; responsibility for finding preceptors not published |
| Licensure Required | Unencumbered RN license in Missouri or in the state where clinicals are completed |
| Start Terms | Spring and summer (MSN, DNP); spring, summer, and fall (certificate) |
| Tuition | $951.25 per credit, 2026-2027, all authorized states |
| Accreditation | CCNE |
MSN Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
The MSN Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner costs an estimated $44,709 (47 credits × $951.25). Full-time students start in summer and finish in two years; part-time students finish in three. It is the entry route for BSN-prepared RNs.
A published conflict worth knowing about. UMKC Online lists 46 credits and a $43,757.50 total, showing Primary Care of Adult-Gerontology II (NURSE 5566A) at 5 credits. The School of Nursing’s MSN page, its sample plans of study, and the UMKC course catalog list NURSE 5566A at 6 credits and the MSN at 47. This page uses 47 because the catalog is UMKC’s authoritative statement of course credit. The difference is $951.25.
MSN Curriculum
The degree splits into a 15-credit MSN core and 32 credits of advanced practice and AGNP coursework. The core covers theory, research, health policy, cultural diversity, and health promotion.
The advanced practice block teaches the three foundational sciences as separate courses: pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment. Health assessment and diagnostic reasoning each carry 45 lab hours. A 1-credit pharmacokinetics course sits ahead of the main pharmacology course, and ethics is a required 3-credit course rather than a core elective.
UMKC’s sample plans put didactic courses first. Clinical work begins in the second fall and runs through the final three semesters, ending with a 5-credit synthesis practicum.
MSN core (15 credits):
- NURSE 5526 – Health Promotion Across the Lifespan (3 cr)
- NURSE 5527 – Cultural Diversity & Values (3 cr)
- NURSE 5528 – Healthcare Policy & Advocacy (3 cr)
- NURSE 5550 – Theoretical Foundations in Nursing (3 cr)
- NURSE 5555 – Nursing Research (3 cr)
Advanced practice and AGNP courses (32 credits):
- NURSE 5529 – Ethics in Advanced Practice & Research (3 cr)
- NURSE 5544 – Advanced Health Assessment Skills (2 cr)
- NURSE 5547A – Diagnostic Reasoning/Advanced Assessment (3 cr)
- NURSE 5548 – Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (3 cr)
- NURSE 5549R – Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics (1 cr)
- NURSE 5549 – Pharmacology Across the Life Span for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 cr)
- NURSE 5564A – Primary Care of Adult-Gerontology I (5 cr)
- NURSE 5566A – Primary Care of Adult-Gerontology II (6 cr)
- NURSE 5572 – Advanced Nursing Practice: Synthesis Practicum (5 cr)
- NURSE 5601 – Clinical Institute I (1 cr)
View the MSN AGNP curriculum on UMKC Online.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 783.75 clinical hours in UMKC’s sample plans: 206.25 in NURSE 5564A, 247.5 in NURSE 5566A, and 330 in NURSE 5572
- 90 additional lab hours in health assessment and diagnostic reasoning
- Settings: precepted community or outpatient primary care
- Placement responsibility: not clearly published
- Location: clinicals completed in the student’s area, under an RN license valid in that state
- Campus: one 2–3 day intensive per clinical semester; the School of Nursing MSN page puts the total at 3–4
- Clinical Institutes: UMKC Online calls them on-campus; the School of Nursing’s AGNP track page lists 2026 Clinical Institutes as Zoom sessions
- Nursing clinical fees may apply; UMKC does not itemize them
The hour load rises each clinical term, peaking at 330 hours in the final practicum. Because UMKC does not state whether it arranges preceptors, distance students should treat site and preceptor access in their own area as a question to settle before applying. A missing preceptor in the last term would delay graduation.
MSN Admissions
- BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program
- Minimum 3.2 GPA, calculated on the last 60 hours of the BSN
- Current, unencumbered RN license in Missouri or the state where clinicals are completed
- Graduate-level statistics and a free-standing undergraduate health assessment course, grade B or higher (may be completed in the first semester; UMKC strongly recommends finishing them first)
- Three evaluations: immediate supervisor, a faculty member from the last year of the BSN, and a professional reference (co-workers, patients, friends, and family not accepted)
- Résumé of all RN experience, proof of licensure, and a one-page personal statement
- Personal interview
- Two-step application: UMKC application with transcripts, then NursingCAS
- Application fee: $45 domestic / $75 international
- Deadlines on UMKC Online: October 18 (spring start), March 7 (summer start)
- Up to 6 credits may be taken as a nondegree student before admission
The reference rule is stricter than at many programs. A faculty evaluation from the final BSN year can be hard to obtain for nurses who graduated years ago. The prerequisite also requires a stand-alone health assessment course, so an assessment unit embedded in another BSN course may not satisfy it. Start terms also differ by source: UMKC Online lists spring and summer, while the School of Nursing MSN page lists summer.
Doctor of Nursing Practice: Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
The DNP Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner costs an estimated $70,393 (74 credits × $951.25), matching UMKC Online’s published total. Full-time students take three courses per semester and finish in about two years; part-time students finish in about three. It combines full AGNP preparation with DNP leadership and evidence-based practice coursework.
Two published conflicts worth knowing about. First, UMKC Online describes this as a post-master’s DNP requiring an MSN. The School of Nursing DNP page lists AGNP as a BSN-DNP specialty and says updated plans of study are being finalized, with applications expected to open for 2027 enrollment. The same page lists an October 16, 2026 spring deadline for AGNP. The curriculum includes the full MSN core and NP foundation courses, which fits BSN entry. Second, UMKC Online counts NURSE 5566A at 5 credits. At the catalog’s 6 credits, the total becomes 75 credits and about $71,344.
MSN-prepared nurses who are not NPs have a separate published route. The School of Nursing’s MSN-to-DNP page directs them to complete the Post-MSN AGNP Certificate first, then the MSN-DNP completion program.
DNP Curriculum
The 55-credit core contains every MSN core and advanced practice course listed above, plus six doctoral courses in systems leadership, theory, economics, evidence-based practice, and epidemiology. The 19-credit AGNP block replaces the MSN’s single synthesis practicum with a 4-credit Clinical III and a separate 5-credit DNP synthesis practicum.
UMKC Online lists both NURSE 5617 and NURSE 5617B, each titled Application of Evidence-Based Practice II, and counts both toward the 74 credits. The page does not explain the difference.
DNP-specific courses:
- NURSE 5602 – Healthcare Systems & Leadership (3 cr)
- NURSE 5608 – Theory Development I (3 cr)
- NURSE 5611 – Healthcare Economics & Quality (3 cr)
- NURSE 5613 – Application of Evidence-Based Practice I (3 cr)
- NURSE 5617 / 5617B – Application of Evidence-Based Practice II (3 cr each)
- NURSE 5629 – Clinical Institute III (3 cr)
- NURSE 5637 – Healthcare Outcomes and Epidemiology (3 cr)
AGNP clinical courses (19 credits as published):
- NURSE 5564A – Primary Care of Adult-Gerontology I (5 cr)
- NURSE 5566A – Primary Care of Adult-Gerontology II (5 cr on UMKC Online; 6 cr in the catalog)
- NURSE 5621A – Clinical III (4 cr)
- NURSE 5623A – Advanced Nursing Practice: Synthesis Practicum (5 cr)
View the DNP AGNP curriculum on UMKC Online.
DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total clinical and practice hours: not clearly published
- The catalog lists 206.25 hours for NURSE 5564A and 247.5 for NURSE 5566A; it gives no clock hours for Clinical III or the DNP synthesis practicum
- Settings: precepted community or outpatient settings
- Location: UMKC says rotations “can be arranged near your physical location”; it does not say who arranges them
- Campus: a mandatory summer residency in Kansas City, plus residencies each semester with a clinical course
- Clinical Institute III carries 1 clinical credit
The DNP adds two clinical courses beyond the first two primary care courses, so its total hours should exceed the MSN’s. UMKC does not publish the figure, which makes direct comparison with other BSN-DNP programs difficult.
DNP Admissions
- UMKC Online: MSN from a CCNE- or AACN-recognized program; School of Nursing DNP page: BSN from an ACEN-, CCNE-, or NLN CNEA-accredited program
- Minimum 3.2 GPA (last 60 BSN hours for BSN entry)
- Unencumbered RN license in Missouri or the state of clinical completion
- Graduate statistics with a B or higher (may be taken in the first semester); MSN entrants also need MSN theory and research
- Three evaluations (supervisor, faculty member, professional reference), résumé, licensure proof, one-page personal statement
- Personal interview
- Two-step application: UMKC application, then NursingCAS
- Deadlines on the School of Nursing DNP page: October 16, 2026 (spring); March 5, 2027 (summer). UMKC Online lists October 18 and March 7
Given the entry-degree conflict and the pending plan revision, the DNP carries more application risk than UMKC’s other two pathways. Applicants should rely on the earlier School of Nursing deadlines, which are the newer dates.
Post-Master’s Certificate: Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
The Post-Master’s Certificate in Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner costs an estimated $18,074 for the 19-credit core and up to $28,538 if all 11 credits of conditional coursework apply. It admits nurses with an MSN or DNP. UMKC does not list APRN certification as a requirement, so it serves both practicing NPs adding a population and MSN-prepared nurses in non-NP roles.
Published conflicts worth knowing about. UMKC Online lists 18 credits and a $17,122.50 total. The catalog and the School of Nursing’s plan of study list 19, because NURSE 5566A carries 6 credits. This page uses 19. Length is published three ways: 12 months (UMKC Online Quick Facts), 18 months to two years (UMKC Online program structure), and 14 months (catalog).
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is the AGNP clinical sequence plus pharmacology. Students without documented graduate coursework in health promotion, health assessment, diagnostic reasoning, or pathophysiology take those courses too. UMKC describes the plan as a direct transition into the DNP, which is the school’s stated route for non-NP master’s holders seeking a doctorate.
Required courses (19 credits):
- NURSE 5549 – Pharmacology Across the Life Span for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 cr)
- NURSE 5564A – Primary Care of Adult-Gerontology I (5 cr)
- NURSE 5566A – Primary Care of Adult-Gerontology II (6 cr)
- NURSE 5572 – Advanced Nursing Practice: Synthesis Practicum (5 cr)
Courses that may be required based on prior coursework (up to 11 credits):
- NURSE 5526 – Health Promotion Across the Lifespan (3 cr)
- NURSE 5544 – Advanced Health Assessment Skills (2 cr)
- NURSE 5547 – Diagnostic Reasoning/Advanced Assessment (3 cr)
- NURSE 5548 – Advanced Lifespan Pathophysiology (3 cr)
View the certificate curriculum on UMKC Online.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 783.75 clinical hours minimum: 206.25 (NURSE 5564A), 247.5 (NURSE 5566A), 330 (NURSE 5572)
- Settings: precepted community or outpatient settings
- Placement responsibility: not clearly published
- Campus: residencies during clinical coursework, with details provided by faculty in advance
The certificate carries the same clinical load as the MSN. Practicing NPs adding the adult-gero population still complete all 783.75 hours; UMKC publishes no reduction for prior NP clinical experience.
Certificate Admissions
- MSN or DNP from a CCNE- or AACN-recognized program
- APRN certification: not listed as a requirement
- Minimum 3.2 GPA
- Unencumbered RN license in Missouri or the state of clinical completion
- Graduate coursework in pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment, diagnostic reasoning, and health promotion (from a prior degree or completed at UMKC)
- Three evaluations, résumé, licensure proof, one-page personal statement, and interview
- Deadlines: October 18 (spring); March 7 (summer and fall)
Tuition
UMKC Online publishes a 2026-2027 rate of $951.25 per credit: $803.00 tuition, an $88.00 simulation lab fee, and a $60.25 online course fee. The prior profile used the 2025-2026 rate of $922.75. The online program pages state that in-state tuition applies in every state where the program is authorized.
UMKC’s general graduate cost estimate page shows a large non-resident premium, but it covers 2025-2026 campus rates for six credits per semester. For these online programs, the per-credit rate on the program pages is the relevant figure.
Estimated Total Tuition
| Pathway | Credits | Est. Total (All Authorized States) |
|---|---|---|
| MSN | 47 | $44,709 |
| DNP | 74–75 | $70,393–$71,344 |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 19–30 | $18,074–$28,538 |
Figures are calculated from UMKC’s published per-credit rate and credit totals, not published by UMKC as program totals (except the DNP’s $70,392.50).
Fees Beyond Tuition
- Nursing clinical fees: “may apply,” not itemized; UMKC refers students to UMKC Cashiers
- Application fee: $45 domestic / $75 international (waived for prior UMKC degree-seeking students)
- Travel to Kansas City for each clinical-semester intensive and the DNP summer residency: not priced by UMKC
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: BSN-prepared RNs in an authorized state outside Missouri who want an AGPCNP MSN at in-state cost and can travel to Kansas City once per clinical semester.
One Rate for Every Authorized State
Many public universities charge distance students far more than residents. UMKC’s online pages apply the same $951.25 per credit everywhere it is authorized. A nurse in any other authorized state pays the same estimated $44,709 for the MSN that a Kansas City resident pays.
783.75 Clinical Hours With No Published Placement Policy
UMKC’s plans of study assign 783.75 hours across three clinical courses, with 330 in the final practicum. The school does not say whether it secures preceptors. Applicants in areas with limited adult primary care sites should confirm placement support during the interview rather than assume it.
Kansas City Trips Each Clinical Semester
The program is online between intensives, but MSN students make 3–4 trips of 2–3 days each, and DNP students add a summer residency. That is manageable from neighboring states and costlier from the coasts.
Published Details That Do Not Agree
UMKC’s two websites disagree on MSN and certificate credits, certificate length, application deadlines, MSN start terms, and DNP entry requirements. None of the gaps is large in dollars, but the DNP entry question could decide whether an applicant is eligible at all.
The Verdict
UMKC makes the strongest case for out-of-state BSN-prepared RNs who want an MSN at an in-state price, and for MSN-prepared nurses who want a 19-credit certificate with a stated route into the DNP. Applicants who need guaranteed placement, minimal travel, or a clearly defined BSN-DNP admission path today should compare other programs.
Accreditation
UMKC’s MSN, DNP, and post-master’s certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The UMKC catalog’s licensure disclosure states that graduates of the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner certificate, MSN, and DNP meet the educational requirements for the AGNP national certification exam through ANCC or AANP. It also states that the curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure in all U.S. states and territories.
Meeting licensure requirements is separate from being allowed to enroll. UMKC participates in SARA, but some states are not authorized for these programs and others are authorized with stipulations. Applicants should check the state authorization link on the UMKC Online program page before applying.
UMKC to Other Missouri AGPCNP Programs
- Barnes-Jewish College - St. Louis
- University of Missouri-St. Louis - St. Louis