Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) School of Nursing offers one AGPCNP pathway:
- MSN (NDMU calls the track A-GNP)
The program is delivered in person at NDMU’s Baltimore campus. Applicants need an active Maryland or compact-state RN license and must currently work as RNs. Cohorts start in the fall only.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $43,240 | Not published | 47 |
Tuition estimate multiplies NDMU’s 2026-2027 nurse practitioner rate ($920 per credit) by the catalog’s 47-credit total. NDMU is private and charges the same rate to all students regardless of residency.
Few AGPCNP programs still ask students to sit in a classroom, and that is NDMU’s clearest point of difference. The A-GNP track is listed as in-person, runs as a fall-start cohort, and admits only RNs who are currently working. It pairs 780 practicum hours with a curriculum built around caring science and wellness coaching for lifestyle-related chronic disease.
The trade-off is reach and transparency. The in-person format limits the program to nurses who can commute to Baltimore. NDMU also does not publish program length, class schedule, or who arranges clinical placements. And the program page lists 36 credits while the catalog lists 47, a $10,120 tuition difference.
NDMU fits Baltimore-area working RNs who want a classroom-based, cohort AGPCNP program with 780 practicum hours, provided they can budget about $43,240 in tuition without a published schedule or placement policy.
Quick Facts
| Program Type | MSN only (no DNP or post-master’s AGPCNP certificate) |
| Format | In-person, Baltimore campus |
| Start Term | Fall only; applications accepted on a rolling basis |
| Credits | 47 (academic catalog) |
| Clinical Hours | 780 across four practicum courses |
| Clinical Placement | Responsibility not clearly published |
| Population Focus | Adolescents through older adults in primary care |
| Licensure Required | Active, unencumbered Maryland or compact-state RN license |
| Tuition | $920 per credit (2026–2027) |
| Accreditation | CCNE (MSN); MSCHE (institutional) |
MSN: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The MSN: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner costs an estimated $43,240 in tuition for 47 credits. NDMU does not publish a completion time. Only BSN-prepared RNs who are currently working in nursing are eligible. NDMU offers no post-master’s or DNP entry point into the specialty.
A published conflict worth knowing about. NDMU’s A-GNP program page states 36 credits. The academic catalog states 47, and its block subtotals (11 + 16 + 8 + 12) reconcile to 47. The courses listed on the program page itself also add up to 47, and NDMU’s FNP page, which shares nearly every course, states 47. This page uses 47. At $920 per credit, the gap is $10,120.
MSN Curriculum
The curriculum has four blocks: an 11-credit MSN core, a 16-credit advanced practice core, an 8-credit AGPCNP specialty sequence, and 12 credits of practicum. The MSN core leans on caring science, with two courses built around scholarly caring inquiry. Family Theory and Dynamics sits in the advanced practice core, an unusual inclusion for an adult-gerontology track.
Practicum hours climb across four courses, from 130 to 260. The final practicum requires every prior core, specialty, and practicum course, with the leadership course taken alongside it. NDMU’s program description also emphasizes wellness coaching to reduce lifestyle-related chronic disease.
A-GNP and FNP students take every course together except one. AGPCNP students take NUR-634 Advanced Primary Care of the Frail Elderly; FNP students take NUR-633 Advanced Primary Care of Infants and Children. Practicum courses are shared, but sites and patient populations differ by track. In practice, the AGPCNP specialty content beyond the shared primary care courses is a single 2-credit course.
Core Courses (11 credits)
- NUR-500 Introduction to Scholarly Caring Inquiry (3)
- NUR-501 Theoretical Foundations of Nursing (3)
- NUR-510 Contemporary Leadership in Nursing (2)
- NUR-542 Advancing Caring Science through Scholarly Inquiry (3)
Core Advanced Practice Courses (16 credits)
- NUR-545 Family Theory and Dynamics (2)
- NUR-546 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning (3)
- NUR-547 Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice (3)
- NUR-548 Advanced Clinical Pharmacology (3)
- NUR-549 Population Health for Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
- NUR-632 Transition for the Advanced Practice Nurse (2)
AGPCNP Specialty Courses (8 credits)
- NUR-630 Primary Care I: Adults in the Community (3)
- NUR-631 Primary Care II: Adolescents to Adult Gerontology (3)
- NUR-634 Advanced Primary Care of the Frail Elderly (2)
Practicum Courses (12 credits)
- NUR-635 Advanced Primary Care Practicum I (2)
- NUR-636 Advanced Primary Care Practicum II (3)
- NUR-637 Advanced Primary Care Practicum III (3)
- NUR-638 Advanced Primary Care Practicum IV (4)
See the full curriculum in NDMU’s academic catalog.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 780 practicum hours in total, summed from the four practicum courses (NDMU does not state a program total)
- NUR-635 Practicum I: 130 hours
- NUR-636 Practicum II: 195 hours
- NUR-637 Practicum III: 195 hours
- NUR-638 Practicum IV: 260 hours, described by the catalog as supervised clinical practice, simulation, and clinical conference
- A separate direct patient care hour total is not published
- Settings: primary care, with patients from adolescence through older adulthood
- Practicum sites differ from those used by FNP students
- Placement responsibility: not clearly published
- Geographic limits on clinical sites: not published
The 780-hour total comes from NDMU’s per-course figures. Because the catalog folds simulation and clinical conference into practicum hours, the share spent in direct patient care may be lower.
The missing placement policy is the largest planning gap. For a working nurse, whether the school arranges preceptors decides whether rotations fit around a job or require months of finding sites. The 260-hour final practicum also lands on top of a leadership course, making the last term the heaviest.
MSN Admissions
- BSN from an accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- College-level statistics with a grade of C (70%) or higher, or an equivalent approved by the Program Director
- Active, unencumbered RN license from Maryland or a compact state
- Current employment as a practicing RN; non-practicing nurses are not considered
- Current CV or résumé listing education, work experience, and certifications
- Official transcripts from all prior colleges; course-by-course WES evaluation for degrees earned outside the U.S.
- 500–700 word essay on advancing NDMU’s mission from the AGPCNP perspective (APA format preferred)
- No GRE, interview, or reference letters listed
- Rolling admission; fall-only cohort start; no deadline published
- Materials go to NDMU Admissions Processing or processing@ndm.edu
The employment rule disqualifies RNs between jobs or on leave at application time. The license rule excludes nurses licensed only in a non-compact state.
Track choice is close to binding. A student who wants to switch between A-GNP and FNP must notify the advisor and graduate director, then re-apply and be accepted. The switch must be complete before NUR-637 and the population-specific course. With a fall-only start, a missed cycle also costs a full year.
Tuition
NDMU’s 2026–2027 rate for the FNP and AGPCNP tracks is $920 per credit. As a private university, NDMU charges the same rate to Maryland and out-of-state students.
The credit conflict drives the total. At 36 credits, as the program page states, tuition would be $33,120. At the catalog’s 47 credits, it is $43,240, or $10,120 more. Applicants should budget from the higher figure, since both NDMU’s course list and its FNP page support 47.
Estimated Total Tuition
| Pathway | Credits | Rate | Est. Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN (A-GNP) | 47 | $920 | $43,240 |
Calculated by AGPCNPonline.com from NDMU’s published rate and catalog credit total; NDMU does not publish a program tuition total.
Fees Beyond Tuition
- Registration/Technology Fee: $199 per term, non-refundable (number of terms not published)
- Nurse practitioner resource fees: vary by semester; amounts not published
- Graduation fee: $395 per degree
See NDMU’s official tuition and fees page.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: working RNs in the Baltimore area, licensed in Maryland or a compact state, who want an in-person, cohort-based AGPCNP program.
A Classroom Program Limited to Commuters
NDMU lists the A-GNP track as in-person. That suits nurses who learn better face to face or want a local cohort. It rules out anyone who cannot reach the Baltimore campus regularly, and NDMU does not publish how often classes meet.
Budget for 47 Credits, Not 36
The catalog figure puts tuition at about $43,240 before fees. Anyone comparing NDMU against other programs using the 36-credit figure is understating its cost by $10,120.
780 Practicum Hours, Placement Policy Unstated
Four escalating practicums add up to 780 hours, including simulation and clinical conference. The volume is substantial. The unknown is whether NDMU or the student secures the sites, which matters more to a working nurse than the hour count.
Decide Between A-GNP and FNP Up Front
The two tracks differ by one 2-credit course and their practicum sites. Switching requires re-applying. Nurses who may later want to see children should weigh NDMU’s FNP track, which costs the same per credit and carries the same 47-credit total.
The Verdict
NDMU makes the most sense for an employed, Baltimore-area RN who wants classroom instruction, a fall cohort, and a high practicum hour count. Nurses outside commuting range, those not currently working as RNs, and anyone who needs a published schedule or guaranteed placement support should compare other Maryland and online AGPCNP options.
Accreditation
NDMU’s MSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The university is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. NDMU’s A-GNP pages do not explicitly address certification exam eligibility.
NDMU states that its licensure programs are designed to meet Maryland requirements and that, except where specifically identified, it has not determined whether they meet other states’ requirements. Nurses planning to practice outside Maryland should review NDMU’s professional licensure disclosures.
Research More AG-PCNP Programs in Maryland
- George Washington University - Washington
- Johns Hopkins University - Baltimore
- University of Maryland, Baltimore - Baltimore