The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing offers 1 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathway:
- BSN-DNP (full-time, online with three onsite immersions)
Coursework is online, with required immersions in Baltimore during three semesters. Students complete clinical rotations near home, but clinical activity is not permitted in Louisiana or New York. Johns Hopkins does not offer an AGPCNP MSN or a post-master’s AGPCNP certificate.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP AGPCNP | $139,517 | 3 years | 66.5 |
Tuition estimate multiplies the 2026-2027 DNP Advanced Practice rate ($2,098 per credit, charged to all students regardless of state residency) by the program’s published 66.5-credit total.
Johns Hopkins treats adult-gerontology primary care as a doctoral specialty only. A BSN-prepared nurse enters directly into a 66.5-credit DNP that combines 760 AGPCNP clinical hours with 240 DNP project practicum hours, finishing in three years with three required onsite immersions in Baltimore. A school Clinical Placement Team works with each student to request sites and preceptors near home.
The trade-off is cost and commitment. Tuition runs about $139,500 with no residency discount, and there is no shorter MSN option, no part-time plan, and no certificate for nurses who already hold a graduate degree. Applicants who only want the NP license pay for doctoral coursework they may not need.
Hopkins offers a mostly online, school-supported path to an AGPCNP doctorate, but only as a full-time, three-year DNP costing about $139,500 in tuition.
Quick Facts
| Program Type | BSN-DNP only |
| Format | Online coursework with onsite immersions |
| Campus Immersions | 3 (Spring Year 1, Fall Year 2, Fall Year 3) in Baltimore |
| Clinical Hours | 760 AGPCNP clinical + 240 DNP project practicum = 1,000 |
| Clinical Placement | Shared: student, Track Director, and Clinical Placement Team identify sites and preceptors |
| Clinical Restrictions | No clinical activity in Louisiana or New York |
| Enrollment | Full-time only |
| Start Term | Fall |
| Tuition | $2,098 per credit (2026–2027), same for all students |
| Accreditation | CCNE |
DNP: Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The DNP Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner requires 66.5 credits and takes 3 years of full-time study. Estimated tuition is $139,517. Applicants need a BSN or an entry-level nursing master’s degree and an RN license. Practicing NPs seeking a second specialty have no AGPCNP certificate option at Hopkins.
A published inconsistency worth knowing about. The program page heads the Spring Year 3 term as 9.5 credits, but the courses listed under it total 6 credits. The individual course credits across all eight terms sum to 66.5, matching the program’s stated total, so this page uses 66.5. The DNP Advanced Practice page also mentions three- and four-year plan options, while the AGPCNP page publishes only a 3-year plan; the 4-year plan it links applies to students admitted Fall 2023 and earlier.
DNP Curriculum
The plan runs eight consecutive terms, including two summers. It braids three threads together from the first year:
- Advanced practice core: pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment, split into Part I and Part II courses across Year 1.
- AGPCNP specialty sequence: four Diagnostic Reasoning courses paired with five Clinical Management practicums.
- DNP core and project: policy, finance, leadership, data management, and four paired project courses with practicum hours.
Clinical work starts early. Clinical Management I begins in the first summer, after only two semesters of didactic study. From then on, every term except Summer Year 2 includes an AGPCNP practicum. The DNP project starts in Spring Year 2 and runs through graduation, so students carry a clinical rotation and project work at the same time for most of the final two years.
The Diagnostic Reasoning sequence moves from wellness and common acute problems to chronic, complex, multi-system illness. Diagnostic Reasoning III is devoted to reproductive and mental health in adult primary care. The current plan contains no electives.
Advanced practice core:
- Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology Parts I and II (2 cr each)
- Pharmacology for Advanced Practice Parts I and II (2 cr each)
- Advanced Health Assessment and Measurement for Advanced Practice Nurses (3 cr, immersion term)
- Diagnostic Skills and Procedures for Advanced Practice Nursing (1 cr)
- Health Promotion and Disease Across the Lifespan (2 cr)
AGPCNP specialty sequence:
- Diagnostic Reasoning I: Wellness in Primary Care and Common Acute Health Conditions in Adult Primary Care (3 cr)
- Diagnostic Reasoning II: Common Acute and Chronic Health Conditions in Adult Primary Care (3 cr)
- Diagnostic Reasoning III: Reproductive and Mental Health in Adult Primary Care (3 cr)
- Diagnostic Reasoning IV: Chronic, Complex and Multi-System Illnesses and Conditions in Adult Primary Care (3 cr)
- Clinical Management I–IV: Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (2 cr and 160 clinical hours each)
- Clinical Management V: Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (1.5 cr, 120 clinical hours)
DNP core and project:
- Application of Biostatistical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice (2 cr)
- Application of the Research Process to Evidence-Based Practice (2 cr)
- Translation of Evidence for Advanced Nursing Practice (1 cr)
- Inquiry for Scholarly Practice (3 cr)
- Advanced Health Policy; Healthcare Finance; Organizational and Systems Leadership for Quality Healthcare (2 cr each)
- Advanced Clinical Data Management; Clinical Data Management and Analyses; Advanced Applications of Information Technology (2 cr each)
- Scholarly Project Discovery and Foundations of Nursing Leadership, with practicum (2.5 + 0.5 cr, 40 hours)
- Evidence-Based Practice and Research Translation in Healthcare, with practicum (2.5 + 0.5 cr, 40 hours)
- Health Policy, Advocacy, and Legislation Transformation in Healthcare, with practicum (1.5 + 1 cr, 80 hours)
- Quality, Safety, and Systems Improvement and Dissemination in Healthcare, with practicum (1.5 + 1 cr, 80 hours)
View the full plan of study on the Johns Hopkins program page.
DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total practice hours: 1,000 (the DNP program’s stated minimum)
- AGPCNP clinical hours: 760, across Clinical Management I–V
- DNP project practicum hours: 240
- Clinical hour distribution: 160 hours in Summer Year 1, Fall Year 2, Spring Year 2, and Fall Year 3; 120 hours in Spring Year 3
- Placement responsibility: shared. The student works with the Track Director and the Clinical Placement Team to request sites and identify preceptors; the Track Director gives final approval
- Students are expected to build a list of possible sites and preceptors, including through employers and professional networks, and to manage requests and compliance documents in the school’s placement software
- The school targets placements within 100 miles of the student’s preferred address; requests farther away or outside the student’s home state may be delayed and add travel cost
- Site contracts typically take 4 to 6 months or longer
- Placement is not guaranteed; if no suitable site is found, the coordinator and Track Director meet with the student to discuss options
- Each clinical course’s hours must be finished before the next clinical course begins
- No clinical activity is permitted in Louisiana or New York; Washington residents may complete practice experiences in Washington
The Hopkins model sits between full placement and self-placement. Students get institutional help with contracts and site requests, but they are still expected to bring leads. Applicants with a strong local network of primary care clinicians will move through the process more easily than those starting from nothing.
Timing is the real planning issue. Clinical Management I starts in the first summer, and contracts can take six months or more. Because each rotation must be completed before the next begins, a delayed site can stall progression. Students should start identifying preceptors during their first fall term. Read the school’s clinical placement expectations before applying.
The three immersions fall in Spring Year 1, Fall Year 2, and Fall Year 3. The DNP Advanced Practice page schedules the Spring health assessment immersion in week 8 of the term. Johns Hopkins does not clearly publish how many days each AGPCNP immersion lasts.
DNP Admissions
- BSN or entry-level nursing master’s from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program
- GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
- Current RN license; online students must be licensed in an authorized state
- One year of full-time RN experience preferred, not required
- Undergraduate statistics with a grade of B or better (B- not accepted)
- Three letters of recommendation
- Official transcripts, current resume or CV, and goal statement
- GRE optional
- Faculty interview if advanced by the admissions committee
- TOEFL or IELTS for non-native English speakers
- Transfer credit: up to 6 credits from outside the School of Nursing
- Deadlines: November 1 and January 15 for Fall entry
- Not eligible for F-1 or J-1 student visa sponsorship
With Fall-only entry and two deadlines, missing January 15 costs a full year. The 6-credit transfer cap means prior graduate coursework will barely shorten the plan. Applicants living in Louisiana or New York would need to complete every rotation in another state, which makes the program impractical for most of them.
Tuition
The 2026–2027 rate for the DNP Advanced Practice program is $2,098 per credit. Johns Hopkins is private, so in-state and out-of-state students pay the same rate. The school’s tuition page tells students to plan for 2–3% increases each year, and the 2026–2027 cost sheet already projects a 2% increase for Summer 2027.
The 2026–2027 cost sheet budgets full-time terms at 9 credits ($18,882 per fall or spring term) and notes that tuition is billed at the per-credit rate up to 9 credits. The school does not clearly explain how terms above 9 credits are billed. The AGPCNP plan includes three terms above 9 credits, so actual billed tuition could fall slightly below the per-credit estimate.
| Pathway | Credits | Est. Total Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP AGPCNP | 66.5 | $139,517 |
Calculated by AGPCNPonline.com from the published per-credit rate and credit total; not a university-published total.
Fees Beyond Tuition
- Matriculation fee: $500, one time, first-time JHU students
- Enrollment deposit: $500
- Health services fee: $950 per year in the 2026–2027 cost sheet (the general tuition page still lists $900)
- Student health insurance: $3,293 per year, optional
- Travel to three Baltimore immersions and to clinical sites, paid by the student
Johns Hopkins does not publish scholarships specific to AGPCNP students on its tuition pages. See the 2026–2027 DNP Advanced Practice cost of attendance and the official tuition and fees page.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: BSN-prepared RNs outside Louisiana and New York who want a DNP rather than an MSN, can study full time for three years, and can absorb about $140,000 in tuition.
Doctorate Is the Only Door
Hopkins has no AGPCNP MSN and no post-master’s AGPCNP certificate. Every student completes 66.5 credits, including 31 credits of DNP core and project coursework, nearly half the plan. That suits nurses aiming for leadership, quality improvement, or faculty roles. Nurses who only want primary care practice can reach certification eligibility through a shorter, cheaper MSN elsewhere.
Placement Help Without a Guarantee
A dedicated Clinical Placement Team handles contracts and site requests nationally, targeting sites within 100 miles of home. That is real support compared with programs that leave distance students on their own. But students are still expected to supply leads, contracts take months, and placement is not guaranteed.
Three Campus Trips, Full-Time Pace
Three immersions over three years is a light travel load for a distance student. The pace is not light. Terms run 6 to 11 credits with no part-time plan, and from Spring Year 2 onward students carry a rotation and DNP project work together. Working full time as an RN alongside this plan will be difficult.
Price Without Residency Breaks
Estimated tuition of $139,517 applies to every student. Maryland residents get no discount, and out-of-state students pay no premium. Applicants with access to an in-state public AGPCNP program should compare totals carefully.
The Verdict
The strongest case for Hopkins belongs to BSN nurses who want a DNP from the start, value institutional placement support, and want to stay in their home community with minimal campus travel. Nurses who want the fastest or cheapest route to AGPCNP certification, need part-time study, already hold an APRN credential, or live in Louisiana or New York should compare other programs.
Accreditation
The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing DNP program is accredited by CCNE. Johns Hopkins University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Graduates are prepared for the AGPCNP certification exam through ANCC or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Johns Hopkins participates in NC-SARA and states that the program meets licensure requirements in all states, but it currently prohibits clinical activity in Louisiana and New York. Applicants should check the AGPCNP licensure disclosure and the program page before applying, since restrictions can change.
Consider Other Maryland AGPCNP Programs
- George Washington University - Washington
- Notre Dame of Maryland University - Baltimore
- University of Maryland, Baltimore - Baltimore