Misericordia University’s graduate nursing program in Dallas, Pennsylvania, currently offers 1 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathway:
- MSN (online, for BSN-prepared RNs)
The MSN is delivered online and requires a current, unencumbered RN license.
The BSN-to-DNP AGPCNP pathway and the AGPCNP post-master’s certificate no longer appear among Misericordia’s current graduate nursing programs. Misericordia’s only doctoral option is now a general MSN-to-DNP with no AGPCNP specialty.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN – AGPCNP | $33,930–$39,150 | 2–3 years | 39–45 |
Tuition estimates multiply Misericordia’s 2025-2026 graduate nursing rate ($870/credit, the same for all students regardless of residency) by the 39- and 45-credit totals on the university’s two current curriculum pages; the $40-per-credit general fee adds $1,560–$1,800.
Misericordia stands apart from many online AGPCNP programs because it arranges clinical placements for students. Clinical placement services are included in tuition, and a dedicated graduate clinical placement coordinator sets up sites for students near campus and at a distance. Applicants who have struggled to find their own preceptors elsewhere avoid the most common bottleneck in online NP education.
The cost of that simplicity is a thin public record. Misericordia does not clearly publish the current credit total, clinical hours, start terms, or deadlines for the AGPCNP MSN, and its own curriculum pages disagree with each other. Applicants also have one way in: there is no longer a BSN-to-DNP or post-master’s certificate route into AGPCNP practice here.
Misericordia arranges AGPCNP clinical placements as part of tuition, but applicants must confirm the credit total, clinical hours, and start dates directly because the university’s published curriculum is inconsistent.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | MSN only |
| Format | Online; no on-campus attendance requirement published |
| Clinical Placement | Placement services included in tuition; coordinator arranges sites |
| Clinical Hours | Not clearly published |
| Population Focus | Adolescents through older adults |
| Distinctive Coursework | Women’s health didactic and clinical courses; 6 DNP credits built into the MSN |
| Licensure Required | Unencumbered RN license |
| Entrance Exams | None; no application fee |
| Tuition | $870 per credit plus $40 per credit general fee (2025-2026) |
| Accreditation | CCNE |
MSN – Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The online MSN AGPCNP costs an estimated $33,930–$39,150 in tuition for 39–45 credits and takes about 2–3 years. It is open to RNs with a BSN. It is now Misericordia’s only route to AGPCNP certification eligibility.
A published conflict worth knowing about. Misericordia’s MSN curriculum page lays out 39 credits over two years (six semesters). A separate AGPCNP page on the university site describes the same two years (20 and 19 credits) plus a 6-credit third-year capstone, for 45 credits over three years. The admission requirements page adds a third version: its provisional-admission rules name NSG 540, DNP 700, and DNP 701, courses that do not appear on either curriculum list. That suggests the course sequence has been revised and the curriculum page may be out of date. The current 2026-2027 catalog could not be verified, so this page reports the 39–45 credit range rather than choosing one figure.
MSN Curriculum
As published on the curriculum page, the first year covers the advanced practice core (pathophysiology, physical exam and diagnostic reasoning, pharmacology) alongside two DNP-numbered courses in evidence-based practice and ethics and policy. Those courses are the “6 DNP credits built into master’s coursework” Misericordia advertises as a head start toward its MSN-to-DNP.
The second year shifts to the adult-gerontology specialty: acute episodic and chronic care of adults and older adults, each paired with a clinical management course. Clinical work starts early, with a 1-credit outpatient primary care clinical in year one and a 4-credit health promotion clinical management course.
The women’s health sequence is unusual for an adult-gerontology program. It includes a 3-credit didactic course and a 2-credit clinical management course, giving graduates structured women’s health exposure rather than leaving it to general primary care rotations.
Year One (20 credits):
- NSG 527 – Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology (3 credits)
- NSG 528 – Advanced Physical Exam and Diagnostic Reasoning (3 credits)
- NSG 526 – Advanced Pharmacology for Primary Care (3 credits)
- DNP 800 – Evidence-Based Practice Theory and Role (3 credits)
- DNP 802 – Advanced Biomedical Ethics and Healthcare Policy (3 credits)
- NSG 690 – Primary Care Outpatient Clinical I (1 credit)
- NSG 529 – Introduction to Clinical Management of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (4 credits)
Year Two (19 credits):
- NSG 613 – Acute Episodic Health Needs of Adults and Older Adults (3 credits)
- NSG 614 – Chronic Health Needs of Adults and Older Adults (3 credits)
- NSG 615 – Clinical Management of Acute and Chronic Health Needs (4 credits)
- NSG 616 – Evidence-Based Research Utilization for Advanced Practice (3 credits)
- NSG 691 – Primary Care Outpatient Clinical II (1 credit)
- NSG 617 – Women’s Health (3 credits)
- NSG 618 – Clinical Management of Women’s Health (2 credits)
The 45-credit version adds a 6-credit third-year capstone. Course titles for that year are not listed on the current university pages.
View the AGPCNP MSN in the Misericordia catalog.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total clinical hours: not clearly published on current program or curriculum pages
- Placement responsibility: Misericordia provides clinical placement services, included in tuition
- Coordinator: a dedicated graduate clinical placement coordinator arranges sites, per an October 2025 university announcement
- Geography: the university describes placing students both near campus and at a distance; no geographic limit is published
- Clinical sequence: outpatient primary care clinicals in years one and two, plus clinical management courses in health promotion, acute and chronic care, and women’s health
- Simulation: clinical workshops and advanced simulations are included; their location and frequency are not published
- Placement guarantee: not stated
University-arranged placement is the strongest practical reason to consider Misericordia. In self-placement programs, a student who cannot secure a preceptor can fall behind the plan of study. Misericordia does not say whether placement is guaranteed, whether students may propose their own preceptors, or what happens if a site falls through. Ask about all three before committing.
The missing clinical-hour total also matters. Applicants comparing clinical volume across schools cannot do so here from published material and should ask for the hour count by course.
MSN Admissions
- BSN degree
- Undergraduate/graduate GPA of 3.00 or higher for full admission
- GPA of 2.75–2.99: provisional admission; GPA below 2.75: denied
- Copy of an unencumbered RN license
- Two letters of reference: one from a current or recent employer, one from a former faculty member
- Resume or CV
- Typed 500-word statement of personal and professional goals
- Official transcripts from all college work
- TOEFL minimum of 22 on each subsection, if applicable
- No entrance exams and no application fee
- Start terms and application deadlines: not clearly published
Provisionally admitted students must earn a B or higher in NSG 540 (Advanced Pathophysiology for the APRN), DNP 700 (Navigating Graduate Studies in Nursing), and DNP 701 (Fundamental Knowledge and Role Concepts). The university does not state the consequence of a lower grade, but applicants with a GPA between 2.75 and 2.99 should treat those first courses as a probationary test.
The admissions page still lists BSN-to-DNP requirements (3.25 GPA for full admission). That pathway no longer appears among the university’s current DNP programs, which list only MSN-to-DNP.
Tuition
Misericordia’s most recent published graduate nursing rate is $870 per credit for 2025-2026, plus a $40-per-credit general fee ($910 per credit combined). As a private university, it charges the same rate to Pennsylvania residents and out-of-state students. A 2026-2027 graduate rate was not published at the time of this update.
| Credit Total | Tuition | General Fee | Tuition + General Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39 credits (2-year curriculum page) | $33,930 | $1,560 | $35,490 |
| 45 credits (3-year structure) | $39,150 | $1,800 | $40,950 |
Figures are calculated from Misericordia’s published per-credit rates and credit totals, not published by the university as program totals.
Fees beyond tuition:
- Program and course fees may apply; amounts for graduate nursing are not itemized
- No application fee
- Clinical placement services are included in tuition
Misericordia offers tuition discounts to employees of select healthcare partners. The partner list and discount amount are not published, so applicants should ask their employer whether it participates.
See Misericordia’s official tuition and fees page.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: BSN-prepared RNs who want an online AGPCNP MSN with school-arranged clinical placements and are willing to verify curriculum details directly before enrolling.
Placement Support Built Into Tuition
Misericordia arranges clinical sites through a dedicated coordinator at no separate charge. For distance students without a professional network that includes nurse practitioners or physicians willing to precept, this removes the biggest risk in online NP programs. Its value depends on details the university does not publish: whether placement is guaranteed and how far students may need to travel.
One Rate for Every State
The estimated total is $35,490–$40,950 including the general fee. Out-of-state students pay the same per-credit rate as Pennsylvania residents, which matters most when comparing against public universities that charge non-residents a premium. Partner-employer discounts can lower the cost further for eligible nurses.
One Entry Point Now
With the BSN-to-DNP AGPCNP track and the post-master’s certificate gone from current listings, the MSN is the only option. Nurses who already hold an MSN in another specialty and want to add AGPCNP certification need a post-graduate certificate elsewhere. BSN-prepared students who want a doctorate can continue into the 36-credit online MSN-to-DNP (18–24 months, part-time) after finishing the MSN.
Inconsistent Published Curriculum
The university’s pages disagree on the credit total and length, and the admissions page references courses missing from the curriculum page. Clinical hours, start terms, and deadlines are not clearly published. Applicants who want to compare clinical volume or plan their timeline should request the current plan of study in writing before enrolling.
The Verdict
Misericordia is a strong option for BSN-prepared RNs, especially outside Pennsylvania or without preceptor connections, who value school-arranged clinical placement at a single rate for all students. Applicants who already hold an MSN, want a BSN-to-DNP AGPCNP path, or need published clinical-hour totals to compare programs should look at other schools.
Accreditation
Misericordia’s graduate nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Graduates of the MSN AGPCNP are eligible to sit for the adult-gerontology primary care NP certification exams from the AANP and the ANCC.
Misericordia’s professional licensure disclosures state that the NP curriculum meets licensure requirements in Pennsylvania but does not meet California’s, and list many states as undetermined. The disclosure was last updated in February 2022, so applicants outside Pennsylvania should confirm their state’s status before applying.
Other AGPCNP Programs in Pennsylvania
- Drexel University - Philadelphia
- La Salle University - Philadelphia
- Moravian University - Bethlehem
- University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia
- Wilkes University - Wilkes-Barre
- York College - York