Kent State University’s College of Nursing offers 2 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathways:
- MSN
- Post-Master’s Graduate Certificate
Both pathways share the same 29-credit AGPCNP specialty sequence and the same four practicum courses. Kent State classifies both as mostly online, with Kent Campus as the home location. Every student needs an active, unrestricted RN license in the state where practicum hours are completed.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN AGPCNP | $25,871 | 4–5 semesters full-time; 3–4 years part-time | 41 |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | $12,620–$18,299 | Not published | 20–29 |
Tuition estimates multiply Kent State’s 2026–2027 Kent Campus graduate rate ($631.00/credit resident, $1,176.05/credit non-resident) by catalog credit totals; the certificate range reflects waiving up to three 3-credit APRN core courses.
What puts Kent State on a short list is price relative to clinical volume. A resident completes the full 41-credit MSN for an estimated $25,871 while logging 525 catalog-specified practicum hours. Nurses who already hold graduate pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment can cut the certificate to 20 credits, about $12,620.
The catch is who finds the clinical sites. Kent State’s MSN handbook makes students responsible for identifying qualified preceptors, with coordinator help in the semester before the first practicum. Out-of-state applicants face a second hurdle: Kent State says it has not determined whether its graduates meet APRN licensure requirements in states other than Ohio.
Kent State delivers 525 primary care practicum hours at a resident MSN cost near $26,000, but students identify their own preceptors and non-Ohio applicants must verify licensure on their own.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | MSN; Post-Master’s Graduate Certificate |
| Format | Mostly online (Kent State defines this as at least 50% online, with some courses requiring campus visits) |
| Campus Visits | Frequency not clearly published for AGPCNP |
| Clinical Hours | 525 practicum hours across four courses |
| Clinical Placement | Students identify preceptors; sites need a College of Nursing affiliation agreement |
| Licensure Required | Active, unrestricted RN license in the state where practicum is completed |
| Start Terms | Fall and spring (catalog also lists a summer deadline) |
| Priority Deadlines | March 1 (fall, summer); October 1 (spring) |
| Tuition | $631.00/credit Ohio resident; $1,176.05/credit non-resident (2026–2027) |
| Accreditation | CCNE |
Master of Science in Nursing – AGPCNP
The MSN AGPCNP concentration requires 41 credit hours: a 12-credit MSN core plus the 29-credit AGPCNP concentration. Estimated tuition is $25,871 for Ohio residents and $48,218 for non-residents. Kent State says full-time MSN students finish in four to five semesters and part-time students typically take three to four years. Applicants need a nursing bachelor’s or graduate degree; RNs with a non-nursing bachelor’s are reviewed by portfolio.
A published credit figure worth reading carefully. Kent State’s program pages state a “minimum of 29 credit hours.” That is the concentration only. The graduate catalog adds four required 3-credit MSN core courses, bringing the degree to 41 credits. This page uses 41 for the MSN estimate.
MSN Curriculum
The curriculum divides into three blocks. The 12-credit MSN core covers theory, research methods, informatics, and health policy. The APRN core (“3 Ps” plus diagnostics) follows. The specialty sequence then pairs each primary care lecture with a practicum as a corequisite.
That pairing drives the schedule. Each practicum is a prerequisite for the next: Primary Care I, then the role practicum, then chronically ill adults, then comprehensive primary care. Clinical work therefore spans at least four consecutive terms once it starts. The sequence also includes a dedicated role course and practicum shared with the family NP track, an unusual 2-credit block focused on NP role and procedures.
One published oddity: the catalog lists NURS 60126, a course outside the AGPCNP plan, as a prerequisite for Primary Care II and its practicum, while the AGPCNP plan itself includes NURS 60125. Kent State does not explain the difference.
MSN core (12 credits)
- NURS 60101 – Theoretical Basis for Nursing Practice (3)
- NURS 60403 – Methods of Inquiry (3)
- NURS 60010 – Advanced Nursing Informatics (3)
- NURS 60025 – Health Policy and Advanced Nursing Practice, or NURS 50089 – International Health Care Policies (3)
APRN core and diagnostics
- NURS 60015 – Advanced Health Assessment (3)
- NURS 60045 – Pathophysiology for the APRN (3)
- NURS 60441 – Pharmacology for the APRN (3)
- NURS 60506 – Clinical Diagnostics for Advanced Practice Nurses (3)
AGPCNP specialty and practicum sequence
- NURS 60120 – Adult Gerontology Primary Care I (3) with NURS 61292 Practicum (2)
- NURS 60125 – Family and Adult Gerontology NP Role (1) with NURS 61892 Role Practicum (1)
- NURS 60220 – Primary Care II: Chronically Ill Adults (3) with NURS 62292 Practicum (2)
- NURS 60320 – Adult Gerontology Primary Care III (3) with NURS 63692 Comprehensive Practicum (2)
View the MSN AGPCNP requirements in the Kent State catalog
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 525 practicum hours, per catalog course descriptions: 150 (Primary Care I), 75 (Role Practicum), 150 (Chronically Ill Adults), 150 (Comprehensive Primary Care III)
- Placement responsibility: students identify qualified preceptors; the concentration coordinator helps entering students during the semester before their first practicum
- Sites must hold a current affiliation agreement with the College of Nursing, which the College, not the student, negotiates
- Settings named by Kent State: internal medicine and family practice offices, managed care offices, emergency departments, free clinics, long-term care, and occupational health
- RN license must be active and unrestricted in the practicum state; Ohio licensure applies to Ohio-based practica
- Clinical compliance (CPR, background checks, health insurance, immunizations, physical exam) must be complete before the first practicum
- Placement guarantee: none published; consequences of not securing a site are not clearly published
At 525 hours, Kent State exceeds the common 500-hour floor for NP programs, though not by much. The bigger planning issue is sourcing. Because each practicum unlocks the next, a missed placement in one term can push every later clinical course back. Applicants should line up likely preceptors before admission, especially outside Northeast Ohio, where the College’s existing affiliation agreements are less likely to cover a site.
MSN Admissions
- Bachelor’s and/or graduate degree from an accredited RN program (non-nursing bachelor’s with RN license reviewed by portfolio)
- Minimum 2.750 undergraduate or graduate GPA
- Active, unrestricted RN license in the state where clinical coursework will be completed
- Curriculum vitae (certifications, professional organizations, PI/QI projects, research, publications, military experience)
- Admission essay: two double-spaced pages (about 500 words) on post-MSN contributions, readiness, and work with underserved or vulnerable populations
- Three professional references from healthcare professionals, such as a supervisor or APRN
- Interview video may be required; admission is competitive
- International applicants: TOEFL iBT 83, IELTS 6.5, PTE 55, or DET 110
- Priority deadlines: March 1 (fall and summer), October 1 (spring)
The 2.750 GPA minimum is lower than many NP programs, and Kent State no longer lists a statistics prerequisite. No minimum RN work experience is published.
Post-Master’s Graduate Certificate – AGPCNP
The AGPCNP Graduate Certificate requires 29 credit hours, or as few as 20 if all three APRN core courses are waived. Estimated resident tuition is $12,620–$18,299. Kent State does not publish a completion time. Applicants must already hold an MSN or DNP; APRN certification is not required.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is the MSN concentration without the 12-credit MSN core: the same specialty lectures, the same 525-hour practicum chain, and the same role course. Three courses can be waived or transferred if completed with a B or better: Advanced Health Assessment, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology. Kent State evaluates these through a gap analysis based on submitted syllabi.
Because the four practicum courses run sequentially, the certificate cannot be compressed below roughly four terms of clinical work, even with waivers. This is an inference from the published prerequisites, not a Kent State duration statement.
- NURS 60015 – Advanced Health Assessment (3)*
- NURS 60045 – Pathophysiology for the APRN (3)*
- NURS 60441 – Pharmacology for the APRN (3)*
- NURS 60506 – Clinical Diagnostics for Advanced Practice Nurses (3)
- NURS 60120, 60220, 60320 – Adult Gerontology Primary Care I–III (3 each)
- NURS 60125 – Family and Adult Gerontology NP Role (1)
- NURS 61292, 61892, 62292, 63692 – Practicum sequence (2, 1, 2, 2)
*Eligible for waiver or transfer with a grade of B or better.
View the certificate requirements in the Kent State catalog
Certificate Clinical Requirements
Clinical requirements match the MSN: 525 practicum hours across the same four courses, student-identified preceptors at affiliated sites, and an RN license in the practicum state. For non-Ohio practica, the license must come from the student’s state of residence and practice.
Kent State’s stop-out rule matters most here. Students who leave the clinical sequence must repeat any practicum and its paired lecture once they are three or more years old.
Certificate Admissions
- Master’s in nursing or DNP from an accredited program
- Minimum 3.000 graduate GPA
- Official transcripts of all graduate coursework
- Active, unrestricted RN license in the practicum state
- CV and 500-word admission essay (same prompts as the MSN)
- Syllabi for any course submitted for gap analysis
- Three professional references (supervisor and/or APRN)
- International applicants: TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS 6.5, PTE 58, or DET 110
- Priority deadlines: March 1 (fall and summer), October 1 (spring)
The recency rule can decide eligibility for waivers. Applicants who have not practiced as an APRN in the past two years must have completed graduate pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment within five years of their first certificate term. A non-practicing MSN holder with older coursework should budget for the full 29 credits. Kent State’s graduate transfer credit policy governs what else may apply.
Tuition
Kent State’s 2026–2027 fee register sets Kent Campus graduate tuition at $631.00 per credit for Ohio residents. Non-residents add a $545.05 surcharge, for $1,176.05 per credit. Students taking 11–18 credits in fall or spring pay a flat $6,926.09 (resident) or $12,922.06 (non-resident) per semester.
The register charges non-residents in fully online programs only a $10 per-credit surcharge. Kent State classifies the AGPCNP as mostly online, so this page applies the standard $545.05 surcharge. That gap is worth about $15,500 on the 29-credit concentration alone, so non-Ohio applicants should confirm their classification before budgeting.
A published figure that runs low. Kent State Online lists approximate MSN tuition of $20,800–$25,000 without naming a concentration or year. At the 2026–2027 resident rate, the 41-credit AGPCNP MSN calculates to $25,871. The prior version of this page used a $564.13 resident rate, which is no longer current.
Estimated Total Tuition
| Pathway | Ohio Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| MSN (41 credits) | $25,871 | $48,218 |
| Certificate (29 credits) | $18,299 | $34,105 |
| Certificate with all three waivers (20 credits) | $12,620 | $23,521 |
Calculated by AGPCNPonline.com from the 2026–2027 per-credit rates; not figures published by Kent State.
Fees Beyond Tuition
- College of Nursing program fee: $75 per semester
- Practicum fee: actual cost basis, per semester
- Program admission fee: actual cost basis, one time
- Distance learning course fee: $15 per credit on courses Kent State designates as distance learning
- Clinical compliance costs (background checks, immunizations, physical exam, health insurance) are student-borne
See Kent State’s official tuition page for current rates.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: Ohio RNs who can line up their own primary care preceptors and want a low-cost, mostly online path to AGPCNP certification.
Resident Cost That Undercuts Many Public Programs
At $25,871 for the full MSN, an Ohio resident pays about what some programs charge for a certificate. Non-residents lose most of that advantage: the same degree estimates at $48,218.
You Find the Preceptor, Kent State Signs the Agreement
Students identify preceptors, and sites must have a College of Nursing affiliation agreement. Coordinator help arrives the semester before the first practicum. Nurses with an existing network in primary care or internal medicine will move through this smoothly. Those without one carry the most risk, because a missed site stalls the whole practicum chain.
A Certificate Built for Recent MSN Graduates
The certificate’s 20-credit floor rewards MSN holders with recent APRN core coursework or current APRN practice. Clinical educators, nurse administrators, or CNSs with older coursework face the full 29 credits. Either way, the 525 clinical hours do not shrink.
Licensure Outside Ohio Is Unresolved
Kent State states that its MSN and APRN programs lead to Ohio APRN licensure but that it has not determined whether graduates meet other states’ requirements. For an applicant planning to practice elsewhere, that shifts verification work onto the student.
The Verdict
Ohio residents with a preceptor network have the strongest reason to choose Kent State: low resident tuition, a lenient 2.750 MSN GPA floor, and above-minimum clinical hours. Applicants outside Ohio, and nurses who need a school to arrange placements, should compare programs with guaranteed placement or published multistate licensure approval.
Accreditation
Kent State’s MSN, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Kent State states that certificate graduates meet educational eligibility for either the ANCC or AANP AGPCNP certification exam.
Kent State says its programs prepare graduates for Ohio licensure and that it has not determined whether they meet licensure requirements in other states. The AGPCNP does not appear on the College’s approved-states list for online programs. Non-Ohio applicants should review Kent State’s professional licensure disclosures before applying.
Other AGPCNP Programs in Ohio
- Case Western Reserve University - Cleveland
- Ohio State University - Columbus
- University of Cincinnati - Cincinnati
- Ursuline College - Pepper Pike