James Madison University’s School of Nursing, part of the College of Health and Behavioral Studies in Harrisonburg, Virginia, offers two Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathways:
- MSN
- BSN-DNP (Post-Bachelor’s DNP, Advanced Practice)
Both are hybrid. Core courses run online, while AGPCNP specialty courses meet in person on Wednesdays in Harrisonburg. Applicants need an unrestricted Virginia or compact-state RN license. JMU’s post-master’s DNP is a fully online Healthcare Systems Leadership program and does not prepare students for AGPCNP certification.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $31,924 | 2 years full-time / 3 years part-time | 46 (up to 57 for ADN holders) |
| BSN-DNP | $53,438 | 3 years full-time (9 semesters) | 77 |
Tuition estimates multiply JMU’s 2026–2027 resident graduate rate ($590/credit, which includes a $56 comprehensive fee) plus the $104-per-credit nursing tuition differential by each program’s credit total. Non-resident estimates appear in the Tuition section.
What separates JMU from most AGPCNP programs is a weekly classroom. Specialty courses meet face to face every Wednesday with a small cohort, a dedicated program coordinator helps students obtain clinical placements, and JMU reports a 96% certification pass rate overall and 100% since 2020.
That structure limits who can enroll. Students must reach Harrisonburg every Wednesday and complete practicum hours on other days, so the program effectively serves nurses living within commuting distance. Once clinicals begin, a full-time job becomes hard to keep, and JMU states that full-time employment is not recommended during the BSN-DNP.
JMU offers in-person teaching and placement support in exchange for a weekly trip to Harrisonburg that most distance students cannot make.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | MSN, BSN-DNP |
| Format | Hybrid: core courses online; AGPCNP specialty courses in person |
| Campus Attendance | Weekly, on Wednesdays, in Harrisonburg, VA |
| Clinical Hours | 780 (MSN); 1,000 course-related practice hours (BSN-DNP) |
| Clinical Placement | Dedicated program coordinator assists; staff work to secure sites and preceptors |
| Licensure Required | Unrestricted Virginia or compact-state RN license |
| Start Terms | MSN: summer (full-time) or fall (part-time); BSN-DNP: January |
| Deadlines | MSN: January 6; BSN-DNP: November 1 |
| Certification Pass Rate | 96% overall; 100% since 2020 |
| Tuition | $694/credit resident; $1,442 (MSN) or $1,069 (DNP) non-resident |
| Accreditation | CCNE (MSN and DNP) |
MSN – Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The MSN AGPCNP concentration costs an estimated $31,924 for Virginia residents and $66,332 for non-residents. It requires 46 credits and takes two years full-time or three years part-time. It is JMU’s only AGPCNP option for nurses without a BSN: ADN holders with a bachelor’s degree in another field qualify after a transcript analysis that can add up to 11 credits.
MSN Curriculum
The curriculum splits into a 21-credit advanced practice and MSN core, delivered online, and a 25-credit AGPCNP specialty sequence taught face to face on Wednesdays.
Full-time students start in summer with nursing theory and role development, complete advanced assessment, pathophysiology, and pharmacology in their first fall, and begin NP Practicum I in their first spring. Practicum II is split into an optional 1-credit summer section and a larger fall section. The final semester pairs Coordinated Care of the Elderly with the 5-credit Practicum III, so gerontology content peaks just before graduation.
Part-time students start in fall with research and health policy and do not enter the specialty sequence until their second year. One distinctive course: female reproductive health gets its own 2-credit course rather than being folded into general adult care.
Advanced Practice and MSN Core (21 cr.)
- NSG 520 – Advanced Health Assessment (3 cr.)
- NSG 521 – Advanced Concepts in Pathophysiology (3 cr.)
- NSG 522 – Advanced Clinical Pharmacotherapeutics (3 cr.)
- NSG 611 – Research for the Advanced Health Professional (3 cr.)
- NSG 612 – Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing (3 cr.)
- NSG 690 – Epidemiology and Population Assessment (3 cr.)
- NSG 692 – Health Policy for Practice and Advocacy (3 cr.)
AGPCNP Specialty Sequence (25 cr.)
- NSG 630 – Care Delivery and Coordination I (3 cr.)
- NSG 631 – Care Delivery and Coordination II (3 cr.)
- NSG 632 – Coordinated Care of the Elderly (3 cr.)
- NSG 634 – Advanced Nursing Role Development (1 cr.)
- NSG 636 – Care Delivery and Coordination: Female Reproductive Health (2 cr.)
- NSG 671 – NP Practicum I (3 cr.)
- NSG 672 – NP Practicum II (5 cr., split across summer and fall)
- NSG 673 – NP Practicum III (5 cr.)
View the MSN curriculum and the program requirements in the Graduate Catalog.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total: 780 practicum hours across NSG 671, 672, and 673 (13 credits)
- Sequence (full-time): Practicum I in the first spring, Practicum II across the second summer and fall, Practicum III in the final spring
- Schedule: Practicum takes place on days other than the Wednesday class day
- Placement: A dedicated program coordinator assists all students with clinical placements. JMU does not state that placement is guaranteed.
- Clearance deadlines: Immunizations, drug testing, and background documentation are due July 1 (fall), December 1 (spring), and April 1 (summer). Students who miss the final deadline are administratively dropped from the practicum course.
- Background findings: A criminal record can prevent clinical placement and put program completion at risk
Coordinator support saves students the cold-calling that self-placement programs require. In practice, it works best for students in the region JMU already serves: placement help and a weekly Harrisonburg class day together point toward Virginia clinical sites. Students should plan for the Wednesday class plus practicum shifts each week once clinicals start.
MSN Admissions
- Bachelor’s degree in nursing or another field (ADN plus non-nursing bachelor’s requires a transcript analysis; up to 11 additional credits)
- Minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA; 3.0 preferred for AGPCNP
- Current, unrestricted Virginia or compact-state RN license
- One year of full-time-equivalent RN patient care experience before starting the program
- Undergraduate or graduate statistics course, grade of C or higher
- Two professional recommendations
- Personal statement of professional goals; resume or CV
- Official transcripts from every institution where college credit was earned
- Current CPR certification, health documentation, and technical standards
- Interview for top candidates, held in January
- Criminal background and sexual offender check before enrollment, at student expense
- Apply through the JMU Graduate School
- Deadline: January 6 (later applications considered as space allows)
- Start: summer (full-time) or fall (part-time)
A published conflict worth knowing about. The current MSN admission page lists a 2.8 minimum GPA with 3.0 preferred for AGPCNP. The 2025–2026 Graduate Catalog stated a 3.0 minimum for NP concentrations. This page uses the admission page because it is newer, but applicants below 3.0 should treat their odds as limited.
The experience rule applies at the start of the program, not at application. A nurse with less than a year of experience on January 6 may still qualify if the year is complete by the summer or fall start. JMU admits NP students once a year, so missing the January deadline usually means waiting a full cycle.
BSN-DNP – Post-Bachelor’s DNP, Advanced Practice (AGPCNP)
The Post-Bachelor’s Advanced Practice DNP with the AGPCNP concentration costs an estimated $53,438 for Virginia residents and $82,313 for non-residents. It requires 77 credits and takes three years (nine semesters) full-time, starting in January. Applicants need a BSN and a 3.2 GPA. The program awards a DNP only, with no MSN along the way.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The DNP FAQ and program page describe the Advanced Practice DNP as a full-time, three-year program. The graduate nursing handbook (AGPCNP plans revised March 2026) also includes a four-year part-time AGPCNP plan. This page treats full-time as the published option because the admissions pages offer only that plan.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
The BSN-DNP contains the full 46-credit MSN AGPCNP course set, including the same three NP practicum courses. It adds 19 credits of DNP coursework in organizational behavior, analytics, scholarly inquiry, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and project dissemination, plus 12 credits of DNP advanced practicum and faculty-approved AGPCNP cognate courses.
The full-time plan opens in spring with theory, health policy, and quality improvement. The NP sequence runs through the middle of the program and ends with Practicum III in the third spring. The final summer and fall focus on DNP practicum hours and the doctoral project. Students finish NP clinical training about six months before they graduate.
DNP Coursework Beyond the MSN Course Set
- NSG 650 – Organizational Behavior in Health Care (3 cr.)
- NSG 711 – Analytical Methods for Health Care (3 cr.)
- NSG 712 – Methods of Scholarly Inquiry (3 cr.)
- NSG 713 – Evidence-Based Practice: Clinical Prevention and Population Health Promotion (3 cr.)
- NSG 714 – Improving Health Outcomes Through Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (3 cr.)
- NSG 800 – Dissemination of Nursing Scholarship (3 cr.)
- NSG 801 – Doctoral Project Completion, Evaluation and Dissemination (1 cr.)
- NSG 771, 772, 773 – Advanced Practicum I–III (variable credit)
- AGPCNP cognate coursework, approved by the faculty advisor
View the DNP program requirements in the Graduate Catalog.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total: 1,000 course-related practice hours post-BSN
- NP practicum: NSG 671–673, the same sequence that totals 780 hours in the MSN
- DNP practicum: NSG 771–773, beginning in the second fall. JMU does not publish a separate hour split between NP clinical and DNP practice hours for this track.
- Placement: A dedicated program coordinator helps with placements, and staff work to secure clinical sites and preceptors for all clinical rotations
- Settings: Some practicum hours must be completed in healthcare organizations
- Clearance: Same documentation deadlines and background-check rules as the MSN
The DNP page’s placement language is the stronger of JMU’s two statements: staff work to secure sites and preceptors for every rotation. It still stops short of a guarantee. The clinical load is the reason JMU discourages full-time work, since NP practicum days stack on top of the weekly Wednesday class for roughly a year and a half.
BSN-DNP Admissions
- BSN from a nationally accredited institution (no ADN route)
- Minimum 3.2 undergraduate GPA
- Current, unrestricted Virginia or compact-state RN license
- Two references from the last two years: one academic, one current clinical supervisor
- Personal statement in APA format, 500 words or fewer, covering program choice, post-graduation plans, and relevant experience
- Resume or CV; official transcripts from all institutions
- CPR certification, health documentation, and technical standards
- Interview may be required
- Criminal background and sexual offender check before enrollment, at student expense
- Transfer, waiver, or substitution of credits reviewed individually
- JMU nursing alumni who meet minimum requirements and apply on time are guaranteed admission
- Apply through the JMU Graduate School; applications open June 1
- Deadline: November 1 | January start only
The current requirements page lists no minimum RN experience, unlike the MSN’s one-year rule. The required clinical-supervisor reference, however, assumes the applicant is working as a nurse. The alumni guarantee is a real advantage for JMU BSN graduates, who can plan around a known admission outcome.
Tuition
JMU’s 2026–2027 graduate rates set the per-credit cost. Every AGPCNP course carries the NSG prefix, so the nursing differential applies to the whole program.
- General graduate rate: $590/credit resident ($534 tuition + $56 comprehensive fee); $1,338/credit non-resident
- Nursing DNP special rate: $590/credit resident; $965/credit non-resident
- Nursing tuition differential: $104/credit on all nursing classes, MSN and DNP
- Effective MSN AGPCNP rate: $694 resident; $1,442 non-resident (the MSN special rates apply only to the Administrator and Clinical Nurse Leader concentrations)
- Effective DNP rate: $694 resident; $1,069 non-resident
Residency matters most in the MSN, where non-residents pay more than double. The DNP’s lower non-resident rate narrows that gap: a non-resident pays about $15,981 more for the BSN-DNP than for the MSN, despite 31 additional credits.
Estimated Total Tuition
| Pathway | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| MSN (46 credits) | $31,924 | $66,332 |
| MSN, ADN entry (up to 57 credits) | up to $39,558 | up to $82,194 |
| BSN-DNP (77 credits) | $53,438 | $82,313 |
Figures are calculated from JMU’s published 2026–2027 per-credit rates and program credit totals; JMU does not publish program totals.
Fees Beyond Tuition
- Criminal background and sexual offender checks, at student expense (amount not published)
- Drug testing and clinical record tracking through JMU’s compliance vendors (amount not published)
- Course fees set by individual departments (not itemized for AGPCNP courses)
See JMU’s official graduate tuition chart and cost and financial aid information.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: Virginia RNs within commuting distance of Harrisonburg who want weekly in-person instruction and help securing clinical placements.
Every Wednesday in Harrisonburg
The weekly class day is the program’s biggest strength and its biggest filter. Students get regular contact with faculty and a small cohort, which many online programs cannot match. The cost is a fixed weekday commitment for the full specialty sequence, plus practicum days on top of it. Nurses outside commuting range, or whose employers cannot release them every Wednesday, should rule JMU out early.
Coordinator Support Instead of a Preceptor Hunt
JMU assigns a program coordinator to help with placements, and its DNP page says staff work to secure sites and preceptors for all rotations. For applicants comparing JMU with online programs that require self-placement, this removes one of the most common causes of delayed graduation. Neither pathway publishes a placement guarantee.
MSN or BSN-DNP: One Extra Year and 31 Credits
Both pathways share the same NP courses and lead to the same certification exams. The BSN-DNP adds 31 credits, about one year, and roughly $21,514 for Virginia residents. It suits nurses who want a doctorate for leadership, quality improvement, or faculty roles. Nurses who mainly want to practice as AGPCNPs reach certification faster and cheaper through the MSN. The MSN also accepts ADN holders with a non-nursing bachelor’s and offers a part-time plan; the BSN-DNP does neither.
One Admission Window Per Pathway
The MSN deadline is January 6 for a summer or fall start. The BSN-DNP deadline is November 1 for a January start. With one cycle per year, an applicant who misses either date waits up to 12 months.
The Verdict
JMU is a strong fit for Virginia nurses near Harrisonburg who value in-person teaching, a small cohort, and placement help, and who can arrange a weekly Wednesday away from work. Virginia residents get a moderate price, especially in the MSN. Nurses outside commuting range, those needing a fully online format, and non-residents seeking the lowest-cost MSN should compare other options. Applicants who already hold an MSN cannot add AGPCNP certification here, since JMU’s post-master’s DNP is a leadership program.
Accreditation
JMU’s BSN, MSN, and DNP programs are accredited by CCNE. Graduates of the AGPCNP pathways are eligible for national certification through AANP or ANCC.
JMU states that the AGPCNP programs meet educational requirements for licensure in Virginia. Applicants who plan to practice elsewhere should check JMU’s Professional Licensure Program Status by Jurisdiction Index before applying.
Other AGPCNP Programs in Virginia
- No related programs found for state VA.