Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing in St. Louis offers 3 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathways:
- MSN
- BSN-DNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate
All three are hybrid. Theory courses run online; labs and clinical experiences are in person, and the catalog places clinicals in the St. Louis area. Every pathway requires a Missouri RN license or a multistate compact license, requires a minimum of 750 direct patient contact hours, and expects 20 to 30 hours of work per week on a year-round, three-term calendar.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | ~$37,900 | 7 terms (about 2.3 years) | 42 |
| BSN-DNP | ~$53,500 | 9 terms (3 years) | 60 |
| Post-Graduate Certificate | ~$19,100–$31,700 | 3 terms minimum | 21–36 |
Tuition estimates multiply Goldfarb’s 2026-2027 rate of $834 per credit by the catalog credit total, then add the AGPCNP per-track fee and the per-term fee for each term in the published plan of study. Goldfarb charges the same rate regardless of state residency.
What sets Goldfarb apart from most AGPCNP programs is a published preceptorship guarantee for doctoral students. Goldfarb’s doctoral program page states that its preceptorships are guaranteed, which removes the single most common reason NP students stall: an unfilled clinical rotation. All three pathways also require 750 direct patient contact hours, delivered through in-person clinicals rather than self-arranged placements scattered across the country.
The cost of that model is geography. The catalog locates clinicals in the St. Louis area, labs are in person, and admission requires a Missouri or compact RN license. This is a regional program for nurses who live within commuting distance of St. Louis, not a national online option. The guarantee is also limited: Goldfarb does not publish a matching placement commitment for the MSN or the certificate.
Goldfarb guarantees doctoral preceptorships and requires 750 in-person clinical hours, but the model only works for nurses who can train in the St. Louis area.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | MSN, BSN-DNP, Post-Graduate Certificate |
| Format | Hybrid: online theory, in-person labs and clinicals |
| Campus Attendance | In-person labs; visit frequency not published |
| Clinical Hours | 750 direct patient contact hours minimum (all pathways) |
| Clinical Placement | Preceptorships guaranteed for doctoral students; MSN and certificate policy not published |
| Clinical Locations | Clinics, physician offices, and primary care settings in the St. Louis area |
| Licensure Required | Missouri RN or multistate compact RN license |
| Start Terms | MSN and DNP: Spring, Fall. Certificate: Summer, Fall |
| Time Commitment | 20–30 hours per week |
| Tuition | $834 per credit (2026-2027), plus track and per-term fees |
| Accreditation | CCNE (master’s, DNP, post-graduate APRN certificate) |
MSN Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The MSN AGPCNP costs an estimated $37,863 for 42 credits over seven year-round terms, or about 2.3 years. It is open to BSN-prepared RNs only and is the lowest-cost route to AGPCNP certification at Goldfarb.
MSN Curriculum
The 42-credit plan runs in two-course blocks. Terms 1 and 2 cover graduate foundations: population health, scholarly writing and evidence-based practice, health policy, and the professional APRN role. Terms 3 and 4 deliver the advanced practice core (pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment) plus a skills and procedures course before any clinical rotation begins.
The final three terms are the specialty sequence. Primary Care I and II each pair a didactic course with a clinical course, and Term 7 is a single 5-credit clinical. Clinical credit escalates from 3 to 4 to 5 credits, so the heaviest patient load comes at the end of the program.
Unlike the DNP, the current MSN plan contains no DNP project, leadership, informatics, or biostatistics courses. Those 18 credits are the main curricular difference between the two degrees.
- NURS 6420 Health Promotion Theory and Population Health (3)
- NURS 6523 Foundations of Scholarly Writing and Evidence-Based Practice (3)
- NURS 6327 Health Systems Policy (3)
- NURS 6328 Professional Aspects of Advanced Practice Nursing (3)
- NURS 5101 Advanced Pathophysiology for Primary Care (3)
- NURS 5110 Pharmacotherapeutics (3)
- NURS 5121 Advanced Health Assessment (3)
- NURS 6122 Skills and Procedures for the Primary Care NP (3)
- NURS 5805 Primary Care I (3) and NURS 5808 Adult Gero Primary Care I Clinical (3)
- NURS 5965 Primary Care II (3) and NURS 5968 Adult Gero Primary Care II Clinical (4)
- NURS 5970 Adult Gero Primary Care III Clinical (5)
View the MSN AGPCNP plan of study in the 2026-2027 catalog
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Minimum of 750 direct patient contact hours
- 12 clinical credits across three courses (3, 4, and 5 credits); hours per course are not published
- Settings: clinics, physician offices, and other primary care settings in the St. Louis area
- Clinicals and labs are in person
- Placement responsibility: not clearly published for the MSN
- Enrollment requires a resolved criminal background check and urine drug screen
The 750-hour minimum matches the current national NP education standard. The previous version of this page listed 540 hours; the current catalog supersedes that figure. Because Goldfarb’s preceptorship guarantee is published only for doctoral students, MSN applicants should not assume the same commitment applies to them.
MSN Admissions
- BSN from a regionally accredited institution
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in all undergraduate coursework
- Current, unencumbered Missouri RN license or multistate compact license
- Current BLS certification
- Official transcripts, CV or resume
- Two letters of reference addressing academic and clinical potential
- Personal statement on specialization, personal attributes, and career goals
- No GRE, interview, or minimum work experience listed
- Start terms: Spring and Fall
- Published deadlines: Spring, November 30; Summer, April 12
Deadlines do not match start terms. The program page lists Spring and Fall starts but publishes Spring and Summer deadlines. No Fall deadline is currently posted. Fall applicants should treat April 12 as the safest target until Goldfarb clarifies.
BSN-DNP Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The BSN-DNP AGPCNP costs an estimated $53,465 for 60 credits over nine terms (three years). Admission requires a BSN. It is the only Goldfarb AGPCNP pathway with a published preceptorship guarantee.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The catalog description calls the track suitable for “BSN/MSN-prepared” nurses, but both the catalog and the program page list a BSN as the admission requirement, and the 60-credit plan has no reduced MSN-entry version. This page treats the track as BSN entry only. The MSN-to-DNP AGPCNP pathway listed on the previous version of this profile is not supported by current sources and has been removed.
DNP Curriculum
The DNP shares the MSN foundation and specialty sequence, then adds 18 credits of doctoral content: NURS 6500 Leadership and Collaboration, NURS 6325 Healthcare Informatics and Economics, NURS 6200 Biostatistics and Epidemiology, and a three-course DNP project series.
The sequencing differs from the MSN. Clinical work starts in Term 6 rather than Term 5, and the project courses run in parallel with the clinical sequence from Term 6 onward. The skills and procedures course moves to Term 8, after Primary Care I and II, instead of preceding the first rotation. Term 9 pairs the 5-credit final clinical with DNP Project III, making it the most demanding term in the plan.
- Foundations: NURS 6420, 6523, 6327, 6328 (3 credits each)
- NURS 6500 Leadership and Collaboration for Quality and Safety (3)
- NURS 6325 Healthcare Informatics, Economics, and Financial Principles (3)
- NURS 6200 Biostatistics and Epidemiology (3)
- Advanced practice core: NURS 5101, 5110, 5121 (3 credits each)
- NURS 6122 Skills and Procedures for the Primary Care NP (3)
- Specialty sequence: NURS 5805, 5808, 5965, 5968, 5970 (same as the MSN)
- NURS 6240, 6245, 6250 Systems-Based Practice and DNP Project I–III (3 each)
Goldfarb’s program page lists “DNP Project II” in both Terms 8 and 9. The catalog lists Project II in Term 8 and Project III in Term 9; this page follows the catalog. View the DNP AGPCNP plan of study in the catalog
DNP Clinical Requirements
- Minimum of 750 direct patient contact hours
- Separate DNP practice or project hours: not clearly published
- Clinicals and labs in person; theory online
- Settings: primary care settings (catalog does not name locations for this track)
- Placement: Goldfarb states that doctoral preceptorships are guaranteed (Doctoral Degree page)
- Enrollment requires a resolved criminal background check and urine drug screen
A guaranteed preceptorship is a real advantage. Students at programs without one often lose a term or pay a placement service when a site falls through. The guarantee covers preceptors, not location, so DNP students should still plan for in-person clinicals in the St. Louis region.
DNP Admissions
- BSN from a regionally accredited institution
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA
- Current, unencumbered Missouri RN license or multistate compact license
- Current BLS certification
- Official transcripts, CV or resume
- Two letters of reference
- Personal statement on specialization, personal attributes, and career goals
- Start terms: Spring and Fall
- Published deadlines: Spring, November 30; Summer, April 12 (no Fall deadline posted)
Post-Graduate Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate
The Post-Graduate AGPCNP Certificate costs an estimated $19,149 to $31,659, depending on how much coursework a gap analysis waives. The plan totals 36 credits, of which 21 are required of everyone. The core sequence takes three terms. Applicants need an MSN, DNP, or PhD in Nursing; APRN certification is not required.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is the MSN specialty sequence delivered on its own. Term 1 combines Primary Care I, its clinical, and the skills and procedures course (9 credits). Term 2 adds Primary Care II and its clinical (7 credits). Term 3 is the 5-credit final clinical.
Five 3-credit courses (15 credits) are required unless prior graduate coursework covers them. Applicants submit syllabi, and Goldfarb builds an individualized plan from the gap analysis. A nurse leader or educator with an MSN will likely need most of these courses. An FNP or other APRN with the three Ps (pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment) completed may need only the 21-credit core.
- Core: NURS 5805 Primary Care I (3), NURS 5808 Clinical I (3), NURS 6122 Skills and Procedures (3)
- Core: NURS 5965 Primary Care II (3), NURS 5968 Clinical II (4)
- Core: NURS 5970 Adult Gero Primary Care III Clinical (5)
- Gap-analysis courses: NURS 5101 Advanced Pathophysiology, NURS 5110 Pharmacotherapeutics, NURS 5121 Advanced Health Assessment, NURS 6328 Professional Aspects of APN, NURS 6420 Health Promotion Theory (3 each)
The program page adds that graduate physiology must be completed before taking “NURS 6004 Advanced Pathophysiology.” The catalog numbers that course NURS 5101, and the discrepancy is unexplained. View the certificate plan of study in the catalog
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Minimum of 750 direct patient contact hours
- Settings: clinics, physician offices, and primary care settings in the St. Louis area
- Clinicals face to face; theory online
- Placement responsibility: not clearly published
- All clinical compliance documentation required before clinical courses
All 750 hours fall inside three terms, the same clinical volume the MSN spreads across its final three terms. Certificate students should expect a heavy clinical schedule from the first term.
Certificate Admissions
- MSN, DNP, or PhD in Nursing from a regionally accredited institution
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in all graduate coursework
- Current, unencumbered Missouri RN license or multistate compact license
- Current BLS certification
- Official transcripts, CV or resume, two references, personal statement
- Course syllabi for any course submitted for gap analysis
- Start terms: Summer and Fall
- Published deadlines: Spring, November 30; Summer, April 12
The certificate page lists a Spring deadline but no Spring start, and no Fall deadline. The three-year completion limit cited on the previous version of this page no longer appears in current sources.
Tuition
Goldfarb charges $834 per credit for MSN, DNP, and post-graduate certificate coursework in 2026-2027. As a private college, it charges the same rate to Missouri and out-of-state students.
The tuition schedule also lists a $116-per-credit DNP course surcharge. Its footnote ties the surcharge to NURS 5602, 5603, 5605, 5612, 5613, 5619, and 6615, none of which appear in the AGPCNP plan. This page therefore excludes it from the DNP estimate. If Goldfarb applied it to all 60 DNP credits, the estimate would rise by $6,960, to $60,425. The previous version of this profile applied it to every credit.
| Pathway | Tuition | Track Fee | Per-Term Fees | Est. Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSN (42 credits) | $35,028 | $210 | $2,625 (7 × $375) | $37,863 |
| BSN-DNP (60 credits) | $50,040 | $230 | $3,195 (9 × $355) | $53,465 |
| Certificate (21 credits) | $17,514 | $150 | $1,485 (3 × $495) | $19,149 |
| Certificate (36 credits) | $30,024 | $150 | $1,485+ (3 × $495) | $31,659+ |
Totals are calculated from Goldfarb’s published rates and are not university-published figures. The 36-credit certificate total counts three terms of fees; extra terms for gap-analysis courses add $495 each.
Fees Beyond Tuition
- One-time track fee at the start of the first term ($210 MSN, $230 DNP, $150 certificate)
- Recurring per-term fee ($375 MSN, $355 DNP, $495 certificate)
- Transportation to clinical sites, parking, and health and liability insurance (student-paid)
- Textbooks, plus a student-owned otoscope/ophthalmoscope and professional-quality stethoscope
Goldfarb links a BJC employee tuition reimbursement procedure from its tuition page but does not publish benefit amounts there. See the official tuition and fees page for more details.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: St. Louis-area RNs who want in-person clinical training and, for DNP students, a guaranteed preceptorship.
A Preceptor Guarantee That Covers Only Doctoral Students
Goldfarb publishes a preceptorship guarantee for its doctoral programs. Few AGPCNP programs commit to this in writing. MSN and certificate students have no equivalent published commitment, so the guarantee is a reason to choose the DNP specifically, not Goldfarb generally.
Built for St. Louis, Not for Distance Students
Clinicals are placed in the St. Louis area, labs are in person, and admission requires a Missouri or compact RN license. Nurses in non-compact states cannot apply without a Missouri license, and anyone outside commuting range faces recurring travel for labs and 750 clinical hours. Goldfarb does not publish how often students must come to campus.
MSN or DNP: Roughly $15,600 and Two Extra Terms
The DNP costs about $15,600 more than the MSN and takes two additional terms. In exchange, students get the doctoral credential, 18 credits of leadership, informatics, biostatistics, and project work, and the published preceptorship guarantee. Clinical hours are the same 750 in both degrees.
A Certificate That Scales to Prior Coursework
Certificate cost ranges from about $19,100 to $31,700. An APRN who already has the three Ps sits at the low end, which is a modest price for a second population focus. An MSN-prepared nurse without advanced practice coursework pays near the top and needs more than three terms.
The Verdict
Goldfarb is a strong choice for BSN-prepared RNs in the St. Louis region who want a DNP with a guaranteed preceptorship, and for local APRNs adding AGPCNP certification through a short certificate. Nurses outside the St. Louis area, those without a Missouri or compact license, and MSN applicants who need placement support in writing should compare other programs.
Accreditation
Goldfarb’s master’s, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Barnes-Jewish College holds institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission and full approval from the Missouri State Board of Nursing. The catalog states that graduates of all three AGPCNP pathways are prepared to sit for the ANCC and AANP certification exams.
Goldfarb does not publish state authorization details on its accreditation page. Because clinicals sit in the St. Louis area and admission requires a Missouri or compact license, Missouri licensure rules matter more for applicants than any out-of-state authorization list.
Review Other AGPCNP Programs in Missouri
- University of Missouri-Kansas City - Kansas City
- University of Missouri-St. Louis - St. Louis