Nebraska Methodist College offers 2 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- BSN-DNP AGPCNP
- Post-APRN DNP (for credentialed APRNs seeking a terminal degree)
Both tracks are delivered online using synchronous and asynchronous components, with synchronous sessions scheduled for late afternoon and evening hours to accommodate working nurses.
Students in both tracks secure their own clinical preceptors, with clinicals completed near where they live or work.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP AGPCNP | $64K | 3 years (full-time) / 4–5 years (part-time) |
| Post-APRN DNP | $26K+ (variable) | Variable |
At $850 per credit with only three campus visits required, Nebraska Methodist College’s AGPCNP DNP is among the most affordable in the country — and uniquely backs it up with a dedicated writing coach, on-staff statistician, and student counseling director built specifically for online doctoral students.
BSN-DNP AGPCNP
The estimated cost for the BSN-to-DNP Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner at Nebraska Methodist College is approximately $64,000 (75 credits × $850/credit).
The program takes 3 years to complete on a full-time basis or 4–5 years part-time.
DNP Curriculum
The BSN-DNP AGPCNP requires 75 total credits, including 57 credits of online didactic coursework, 18 credits of clinical practice (1,080 contact hours), and 6 elective credits.
The program opens with APRN foundational sciences — advanced health assessment, pathophysiology, and pharmacology — alongside theory, research, role development, and core doctoral content in healthcare finance, policy, informatics, biostatistics, and epidemiology.
The specialty layer introduces adult nursing theory in two courses followed by adult gerontology nursing theory, each paired with a corresponding AGNP practicum course.
The program concludes with a four-course doctoral scholarly project sequence (8 credits total) and a residency course.
Two electives are required from a menu covering rural nursing, community health, lifestyle medicine, teaching and curriculum, public health ethics, and environmental health policy — a range that allows students to tailor the terminal degree to their practice context.
Foundational and core courses:
- NRS 700 – Program Orientation (0 cr)
- NRS 706 – Summer Intensive (1 cr)
- NRS 712 – Advanced Health Assessment (3 cr)
- NRS 716 – Advanced Pathophysiology (4 cr)
- NRS 720 – Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr)
- NRS 738 – Theory Foundation (3 cr)
- IDS 742 – Research (3 cr)
- NRS 746 – Role Development of APRN (2 cr)
- IDS 750 – Healthcare Finance (3 cr)
- IDS 754 – Healthcare Policy (3 cr)
- IDS 758 – Health Systems, Informatics and Leadership (3 cr)
- SSC 730 – Biostatistics (3 cr)
- IDS 734 – Epidemiology (3 cr)
- NRS 832 – Population Health (3 cr)
AGPCNP specialty theory courses:
- NRS 802 – Adult Nursing Theory I (3 cr)
- NRS 812 – Adult Nursing Theory II (3 cr)
- NRS 814 – Adult Gerontology Nursing Theory (3 cr)
Clinical practicum and residency courses (18 credits / 1,080 hours):
- NRS 800 – AGNP Practicum I (3 cr)
- NRS 810 – AGNP Practicum II (3 cr)
- NRS 820 – AGNP Practicum III (3 cr)
- NRS 830 – AGNP Practicum IV (3 cr)
- NRS 840 – Residency (3 cr)
Doctoral scholarly project sequence (8 credits):
- NRS 880 – Doctoral Scholarly Project I (1 cr)
- NRS 882 – Doctoral Scholarly Project II (3 cr)
- NRS 886 – Doctoral Scholarly Project III (3 cr)
- NRS 890 – Doctoral Scholarly Project IV (1 cr)
Required electives (choose 2, 6 credits total):
- HPM 660 – Lifestyle Medicine and Health Behavior Theories
- NRS 686 – Rural Nursing
- NRS 690 – Community Health Program Planning
- EDD 694 – Teaching, Learning and Instructional Methods
- EDD 698 – Curriculum Planning and Evaluation
- IDS 760 – Environmental Health Policy
- IDS 780 – Advanced Public Health
- IDS 784 – Public Health Ethics
- IDS 788 – Civic Health
DNP Clinicals
The BSN-DNP AGPCNP requires 1,080 preceptor-guided clinical hours (18 credit hours) completed across four practicum courses and a residency. Students are responsible for securing their own preceptors so clinical hours can be completed near where they live or work. Campus visits are required three times during the program — on weekends during the summer semester.
- Total clinical hours: 1,080 (18 credit hours)
- NRS 800 – AGNP Practicum I (3 cr)
- NRS 810 – AGNP Practicum II (3 cr)
- NRS 820 – AGNP Practicum III (3 cr)
- NRS 830 – AGNP Practicum IV (3 cr)
- NRS 840 – Residency (3 cr)
- Clinical settings: outpatient/ambulatory primary care in urban and rural settings for patients across the adult lifespan
- Note: Students secure their own preceptors — NMC does not arrange clinical placements
- Drug testing and background check required before clinical participation
- Three required weekend campus visits (summer semesters) over the full program
- Washington State residents are approved for in-state clinical experiences
DNP Admissions
The BSN-DNP AGPCNP requires a BSN from an accredited nursing program; no GRE is required and rolling admission is available for fall and spring starts.
- BSN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, NLNAC-, or NLN CNEA-accredited nursing program required
- Minimum GPA: 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the BSN program; individual consideration for applicants with a GPA of 2.75–2.99 if the last academic year of the BSN achieved a 3.0 or higher
- Current unencumbered RN license (must be obtained by June 30 of the program start year)
- RN practice encouraged but not required for admission
- NursingCAS application
- Resume or CV
- Application essay: two prompts (250–400 words each, APA format) addressing role aspirations and the impact of DNP graduates on healthcare delivery
- Official transcripts from all graduating institutions
- Interview with two NMC nursing faculty using a standardized scoring method
- Health and safety requirements (background check and drug screening before clinical)
- No GRE required
- Rolling admissions; fall and spring starts available
- Fall 2026 standard deadline: July 10, 2026
- Spring 2027 standard deadline: December 4, 2026
- Non-Nebraska residents must verify State Authorization requirements for their state
Post-APRN DNP
The estimated cost for the Post-APRN Doctor of Nursing Practice at Nebraska Methodist College begins at approximately $26,000 (minimum 30 credits × $850/credit) and varies based on individual credit evaluation. Program length is variable.
Post-APRN DNP Curriculum
The post-APRN DNP is designed for credentialed APRNs who want to earn a terminal practice degree without repeating specialty coursework completed in their master’s program.
Credit for previously completed graduate courses is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. All students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours at Nebraska Methodist College to graduate.
The curriculum focuses on DNP-level competencies including translational research, leadership, and the doctoral scholarly project sequence.
- Minimum 30 credits required at NMC
- Prior graduate coursework evaluated individually for credit transfer
- Note: Specific plan of study is determined at admission — contact the program directly for a preliminary estimate based on your MSN coursework
- Two required weekend campus visits over the program
- Doctoral scholarly project required (translational research focused)
Post-APRN DNP Clinicals
Post-APRN students complete 540 new clinical hours through the doctoral scholarly project coursework; 500 clinical hours from the prior MSN-APRN program are credited toward the overall requirement.
- New clinical hours required: 540
- Hours credited from prior MSN-APRN program: 500
- Clinical hours completed through doctoral scholarly project coursework
- Note: Students secure their own clinical experiences
Post-APRN DNP Admissions
The post-APRN DNP requires current APRN certification; admissions requirements differ slightly from the BSN-DNP track.
- Current unencumbered RN license required at time of application
- APRN certification in a clinical specialty required
- Online application (not NursingCAS)
- Resume or CV
- Written statement
- Official transcripts from all graduating institutions and graduate-level coursework
- Interview with two NMC nursing faculty using a standardized scoring method
- Rolling admissions; fall and spring starts available
- No GRE required
Tuition
Nebraska Methodist College charges $850 per credit hour for the DNP program, with no resident/non-resident distinction. At 75 credits, the BSN-DNP AGPCNP totals approximately $63,750 in tuition before fees.
Financial aid options include Federal Student Loans, the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (which can cancel up to 85% of the loan for graduates who work as full-time nurse faculty for a prescribed period), employer education benefits for Methodist Health System employees, and external scholarships.
See the official cost of attendance page for full tuition and fee details.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Nebraska Methodist College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Nebraska Methodist College is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission to conduct practice experiences in Washington for the BSN-to-DNP AGPCNP program.
Graduates are eligible to sit for certification as an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner through the AANPCB or ANCC.