Purdue University’s School of Nursing in West Lafayette currently offers 1 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathway:
- BSN-DNP
The program uses a hybrid format: online courses plus required classroom sessions in West Lafayette. Purdue’s advanced practice admissions page requires an Indiana RN license. The MS in AGPCNP and the AGPCNP post-master’s certificate no longer appear among the programs Purdue lists as accepting applications. A legacy certificate page still describes the AGPCNP certificate, but the current admissions page lists certificates only in FNP, primary care PNP, and PMHNP.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP AGPCNP | $36,016 | 3 years full-time | 76 |
Tuition estimate applies Purdue’s 2026–2027 West Lafayette graduate rates to the AGPCNP plan of study: six fall/spring terms at the $4,996 full-time flat rate, two summers at the $2,498 summer flat rate (6–9 credits), and a final 3-credit summer at $347.85 per credit.
Few AGPCNP programs require primary care NP students to study healthcare engineering. Purdue’s BSN-DNP pairs the standard 630-hour adult-gerontology clinical sequence with Human Factors in Healthcare Engineering, Systems Approaches in Healthcare, epidemiology, biostatistics, and healthcare finance. Indiana residents pay roughly $36,000 in tuition for the full doctorate because Purdue charges a flat rate for full-time graduate enrollment.
The trade-off is commitment. With the MS and certificate no longer listed, the only AGPCNP route at Purdue is a 76-credit, three-year doctorate. The program is also built around Indiana: Indiana RN licensure, required classroom sessions in West Lafayette, and nonresident tuition that pushes the estimate past $100,000.
Purdue offers Indiana nurses a systems-heavy AGPCNP doctorate for about $36,000 in resident tuition, but it is now the only adult-gero route at the school and it fits best for nurses who can reach West Lafayette.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | BSN-DNP (MS and post-master’s certificate not currently listed) |
| Format | Hybrid: online, hybrid, and classroom courses |
| Campus Attendance | Six consecutive days on campus at the start of the first summer; hybrid and classroom courses throughout (frequency not published) |
| Clinical Hours | 630 NP clinical hours; 1,142–1,334 total clinical and residency hours (see conflict note) |
| Clinical Placement | Not clearly published for the AGPCNP track |
| Population Focus | Adult-gerontology primary care |
| Licensure Required | Indiana RN (DNP page also cites licensure in the state of practice) |
| Start Term / Deadline | Plan of study begins in fall; April 1 priority deadline, rolling review after |
| Tuition | $4,996/semester full-time resident; $14,397 nonresident (2026–2027) |
| Accreditation | CCNE |
BSN-DNP: Primary Care Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
The Post BSN-DNP in Primary Care Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner costs an estimated $36,016 for Indiana residents and $103,624 for nonresidents. It requires 76 credits over nine consecutive terms (three years, including summers). Applicants need a BSN from a CCNE- or NLN-accredited program. Nurses who already hold an MS are evaluated case by case.
A published conflict worth knowing about. Purdue’s AGPCNP plan of study lists clinical and residency hours that total 1,142. It lists NUR 68000 (DNP Cognate Residency) without hours, yet Purdue’s post-master’s DNP table assigns that course 192 residency hours. Counting it brings the total to 1,334. The DNP overview page states only that post-BSN students complete 1,000+ hours. This page reports 630 NP clinical hours as firm and the total as a range.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
The curriculum front-loads the doctoral content. The first three terms combine advanced practice foundations (theory, physiology, pharmacology, research) with the DNP systems block: epidemiology, evidence-based practice, human factors engineering, and systems approaches. Year 2 fall adds health policy, healthcare finance, and biostatistics.
NP clinical work does not start until spring of year 2, with Advanced Health Assessment. Health promotion practicums follow that summer. Year 3 carries the adult-gerontology specialty: acute illness in fall and chronic illness in spring, each with a 210-hour preceptorship running alongside a DNP residency or practice inquiry course. A zero-credit DNP Project Seminar (NUR 51700) runs every fall and spring for all three years.
The engineering and systems block is what sets this curriculum apart. Most AGPCNP DNP programs include quality and policy courses, but few require human factors engineering. The AGPCNP plan also uses a newer informatics course (NUR 58600, Applied Informatics and Emerging Technologies) in place of the NUR 52500 course on Purdue’s post-master’s DNP plan.
Advanced practice core:
- NUR 50000 – Theoretical Constructs in Nursing (3 credits)
- NUR 50200 – Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 credits)
- NUR 50500 – Sociocultural Influences on Health (2 credits)
- NUR 50700 – Physiologic Concepts for Advanced Practice Nursing (4 credits)
- NUR 51000 – Research and Evidence-Based Nursing Practice (3 credits)
- NUR 51200 – Clinical Applications in Pharmacotherapeutics (1 credit)
- NUR 58600 – Applied Informatics and Emerging Technologies in Healthcare (3 credits)
- NUR 67500 – Role Transition and Synthesis (2 credits)
DNP systems and leadership block:
- NUR 64000 – Human Factors in Healthcare Engineering (3 credits)
- NUR 64200 – Systems Approaches in Healthcare (3 credits)
- NUR 64100 – Principles of Epidemiology (3 credits)
- NUR 62400 – Evidence-Based Practice (3 credits)
- NUR 62600 – Applied Biostatistics for Outcome Evaluation (3 credits)
- NUR 63200 – Health Policy: Local to Global (3 credits)
- NUR 67800 – Healthcare Economics and Finance (3 credits)
- NUR 67400 – Quality Initiatives, Leadership and Advanced Practice Nursing (credit value not shown on the current plan)
AGPCNP specialty and clinical sequence:
- NUR 50300 – Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits, 45 clinical hours)
- NUR 51100 – Health Promotion for Advanced Practice in Nursing (3 credits, 45 clinical hours)
- NUR 51300 – Health Promotion in Special Populations (3 credits, 120 clinical hours)
- NUR 53200 – Acute Illness: Adult Health Practice (3 credits)
- NUR 53300 – Acute Illness: Adult Health Preceptorship (3 credits, 210 clinical hours)
- NUR 54200 – Chronic and Commonly Recurring Conditions: Adult Health Practice (3 credits)
- NUR 54300 – Chronic Illness: Adult Preceptorship (3 credits, 210 clinical hours)
DNP residencies and project:
- NUR 67300 – DNP Health Policy Residency (2 credits, 128 residency hours)
- NUR 68000 – DNP Cognate Residency: Direct Practice/Systems Management I (3 credits)
- NUR 68700 – DNP Practice Inquiry: Evidence-Based Practice I (3 credits, 192 residency hours)
- NUR 68900 – DNP Practice Inquiry: Evidence-Based Practice II (3 credits, 192 residency hours)
- NUR 51700 – Doctor of Nursing Project Seminar (0 credits, every fall and spring)
The AGPCNP plan omits credit values for NUR 50200, 67400, 68000, 68700, and 68900. Values shown come from Purdue’s post-master’s DNP table. The 76-credit total assumes 2 credits for NUR 67400, which no current Purdue page states.
View Purdue’s AGPCNP BSN-DNP plan of study.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- 630 NP clinical hours: 45 (health assessment), 45 and 120 (health promotion), 210 (acute illness preceptorship), 210 (chronic illness preceptorship)
- 512 DNP residency hours listed on the AGPCNP plan; 704 if NUR 68000’s 192 hours apply
- Total: 1,142–1,334 hours; Purdue’s DNP overview states 1,000+ for post-BSN students
- Heaviest load in year 3: each 210-hour preceptorship runs alongside a DNP residency or practice inquiry course
- Settings described: interdisciplinary teams serving underserved populations in rural and urban settings; leadership roles in nurse-managed clinics and regional facilities
- Placement responsibility: not clearly published for the AGPCNP track
- Geographic limits: not stated for AGPCNP; Purdue notes that many Indiana facilities bar students in fully online programs from precepting
The 630 NP clinical hours exceed the 500-hour minimum national certifying bodies set for NP programs. The DNP residency hours on top of that are systems and project work, not additional adult-gerontology patient care.
Placement is the biggest unknown. Purdue’s pediatric NP page says the School of Nursing holds contracts with precepting agencies in Tippecanoe and surrounding counties, but Purdue does not say the same policy covers the AGPCNP track. Combined with the Indiana RN requirement and the school’s own note about Indiana facilities, the reasonable reading is that this is an Indiana-based clinical program. Applicants who live far from West Lafayette should confirm how sites are assigned before committing.
BSN-DNP Admissions
- BSN from a CCNE- or NLN-accredited program; applicants with MS credit evaluated case by case
- Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA; conditional admission possible below 3.0
- B or better in all prior master’s coursework
- Indiana RN license (compact license may be accepted; may enroll conditionally if the license is in hand by the first day of class)
- Upper-division statistics course with a 3.0 or better within the past five years (STAT 30100, SOC 38200, SOC 58100, STAT 50100, STAT 51100, or approved equivalent), or completed in the first semester
- Two official transcripts from every school attended
- 300–500-word essay on reasons for the DNP, career goals, and practice interests
- Three recommendation letters (at least one from a nursing professor; a manager letter accepted if out of school more than five years)
- CV or resume and a copy of the RN license
- Personal interview by invitation
- Deadline: April 1 priority; rolling review after until the specialty fills
- Offers must be accepted within 14 days
- Full-time applicants receive priority; part-time study on a space-available basis with director approval
Licensure language differs between pages. The advanced practice admissions page and FAQ require an Indiana RN license. The DNP requirements page asks for licensure in the state where practice will occur and makes admission subject to authorization in the state where the RN lives and works. Out-of-state applicants should plan on holding an Indiana or compact license.
Part-time status carries a risk Purdue states directly: the school cannot guarantee required courses will be available in sequence once a student moves to part-time. Earlier application deadlines (October 15, January 15, April 15) no longer appear on Purdue’s admissions page.
Tuition
Purdue charges graduate students at West Lafayette a flat rate per term once they reach a credit threshold, and a per-credit rate below it. 2026–2027 rates:
- Fall/spring, 8+ credits: $4,996 resident; $14,397 nonresident
- Summer, 6–9 credits: $2,498 resident; $7,198.50 nonresident
- Per credit (fall/spring 1–7 credits; summer 1–5): $347.85 resident; $948.30 nonresident
The prior version of this profile implied a per-credit cost of roughly $480–$500. That figure was derived from the semester flat rate, not published by Purdue. The actual published per-credit rate is $347.85. Because the full-time plan of study carries 8–11 credits most terms, full-time students pay the flat rate and the effective cost per credit lands near $474.
Estimated Total Tuition
| Pathway | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP AGPCNP (full-time plan) | $36,016 | $103,624 |
| BSN-DNP AGPCNP (all terms below flat-rate threshold) | $26,437 | $72,071 |
Figures are calculated from Purdue’s published 2026–2027 rates, not published program totals. The second row multiplies 76 credits by the per-credit rate and applies only if every term stays under the flat-rate threshold.
Residency is the decisive cost factor. A nonresident pays nearly three times what an Indiana resident pays, about $67,600 more over the full-time plan. Part-time enrollment below the flat-rate threshold can lower the total, but it stretches the program past three years and Purdue does not guarantee course sequencing for part-time students.
Fees Beyond Tuition
- Student fitness and wellness and student activity fees are included in the flat rates above
- No nursing-specific differential, lab, or clinical fee appears in Purdue’s 2026–2027 graduate rate tables
- Travel for the summer on-campus week and classroom sessions is student-borne
See Purdue’s official 2026–2027 graduate tuition and fees.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: BSN-prepared Indiana nurses who want an AGPCNP doctorate with real systems and engineering training, at in-state public tuition, and can reach West Lafayette for classroom sessions.
The DNP Is Now the Only Adult-Gero Route
Purdue no longer lists the MS or the post-master’s certificate in AGPCNP among programs accepting applications. A nurse who wants the fastest path to AGPCNP certification now faces a three-year, 76-credit doctorate here. The NP clinical content (630 hours) matches what the MS delivered; the extra year is DNP systems coursework and residency. Applicants who want only the NP credential will find shorter MSN programs elsewhere.
Nurses who already hold AGPCNP certification can pursue Purdue’s 40-credit post-master’s DNP for APRNs, but that program completes a doctorate rather than preparing a new adult-gerontology NP.
Doctoral Tuition at Close to MSN Prices for Indiana Residents
At about $36,000 in resident tuition, Purdue’s full BSN-DNP costs less than many private MSN programs. The flat-rate structure rewards full-time study. For nonresidents, the estimate climbs above $103,000, which erases that advantage.
Human Factors Engineering Inside a Primary Care Degree
Human Factors in Healthcare Engineering and Systems Approaches in Healthcare are required, not elective. Purdue also describes cognate options in rural health, quality improvement, and practice design and management. This suits nurses who expect to lead clinic operations or quality work. Nurses focused only on direct patient care may see the roughly 23 credits of systems coursework as time away from clinical training.
An Indiana-Anchored Clinical Model with Unclear Placement Rules
Purdue requires Indiana RN licensure, classroom sessions in West Lafayette, and does not publish who arranges AGPCNP preceptors. Its blended format exists partly because many Indiana facilities refuse students from fully online programs. Nurses living and working within driving distance of West Lafayette carry the least risk.
The Verdict
The strongest case for Purdue belongs to an Indiana resident with a BSN who wants a doctorate, values systems and quality training, and can study full-time near West Lafayette. That student gets a CCNE-accredited AGPCNP DNP with 630 NP clinical hours for roughly $36,000 in tuition.
Nonresidents, nurses who want an MSN or post-master’s certificate, and anyone needing a fully online program or published placement support should compare other options.
Accreditation
Purdue’s DNP program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Purdue’s current pages do not explicitly state AGPCNP certification eligibility, though the 630 NP clinical hours exceed the national 500-hour minimum.
Admission is subject to authorization from the state where the applicant lives and practices, and Purdue’s advanced practice admissions page requires an Indiana RN license. Applicants outside Indiana should review the DNP admission requirements before applying.
More AGPCNP Programs in Indiana
- Purdue Global - West Lafayette
- The University of Indianapolis - Indianapolis