Stony Brook University’s School of Nursing offers 2 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathways:
- MS
- Advanced Certificate (post-master’s or post-doctoral)
Both pathways require a current, unrestricted New York State RN license. Both admit for a summer start, with a November 5, 2026 deadline for Summer 2027. SUNY Online lists the MS as fully online with live classes. Clinical rotations take place in person at sites with a Stony Brook affiliation agreement.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS AGPCNP | $21,195 | Not published; clinicals begin after year one | 45 |
| Advanced Certificate AGPCNP | $8,949–$16,956 | Not published; varies with gap analysis | 19–36 |
Tuition estimates multiply Stony Brook’s Fall 2026 New York resident graduate rate ($471/credit) by the published credit total. Mandatory fees of $183.80/credit are covered in the Tuition section.
- Why choose it: New York residents pay about $21,195 for the 45-credit MS, remote non-residents may qualify for a $565 online rate, and the certificate can be as short as 19 credits.
- Trade-off: Students find their own preceptor every clinical semester, paid placements are not approved, a New York RN license is required, and clinical hours and program length are not published.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | MS (45 credits); Advanced Certificate (19–36 credits) |
| Format | Online coursework with live classes (per SUNY Online); in-person clinicals |
| Campus Attendance | SUNY Online lists no campus attendance requirement for the MS |
| Clinical Hours | Not clearly published; 19 credits across four clinical courses |
| Clinical Placement | Student finds the preceptor each clinical semester; paid placements prohibited |
| Licensure Required | Unrestricted New York State RN license |
| Start Term | Summer (deadline November 5, 2026 for Summer 2027) |
| Tuition | $471/credit NY resident; $1,158 non-resident; $565 online out-of-state rate (Fall 2026) |
| Certification | AANPCB or ANCC AGPCNP; New York State NP certification |
| Accreditation | CCNE |
Master of Science, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The MS AGPCNP requires 45 credits and costs an estimated $21,195 in resident tuition. Stony Brook does not publish a program length. Clinical rotations begin one year after entry. Applicants need a BSN and an unrestricted New York RN license.
MS Curriculum
The 45 credits divide into four blocks: an 8-credit leadership, quality, and policy core; 6 credits of research and evidence-based practice; the 9-credit advanced practice trio of pharmacology, health assessment, and pathophysiology; and a 19-credit clinical sequence. Three elective credits complete the plan.
The clinical sequence is the core of the degree, at 42% of total credits. It moves from two adult-gerontology “Across the Continuum” courses into two primary care courses. Clinical work starts in the second year, after the first year’s didactic coursework.
Advanced practice core
- HNG 540 Clinical Pharmacology (3)
- HNG 515 Advanced Health Assessment (3)
- HNG 588 Clinical Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (3)
Clinical sequence
- HNG 519 Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Adult-Gerontology Across the Continuum I (4)
- HNG 529 Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Adult-Gerontology Across the Continuum II (5)
- HNG 539 Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Primary Care Adult-Gerontology Nursing I (5)
- HNG 549 Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Primary Care Adult-Gerontology Nursing II (5)
Professional core and research
- HNH 503 Organizational Leadership and Role Transformation (3)
- HNH 504 Quality Improvement, Safety, and Health Care Technologies (3)
- HNH 505 Health Care Policy and Advocacy (2)
- HNG 541 and HNG 543 Nursing Research & Evidence-Based Practice I and II (3 each)
- Elective (3)
More curriculum details are available here.
MS Clinical Requirements
- Clinical hours: not clearly published; clinical work sits in four courses totaling 19 credits
- Timing: APRN master’s students begin clinical rotations one year after program entry
- Placement responsibility: students identify and secure their own preceptor for each clinical semester
- Site search: students start from the school’s approved clinical site list, within or near their preferred area
- New sites: students may request a new affiliation agreement; approval can be lengthy and is not guaranteed in time for the intended term
- School backup: the clinical resources page states the school can secure a preceptor for students unable to find one; it does not describe this as a guarantee
- Paid placements: the school will not approve any placement requiring payment by the school, student, or a third party
- Preceptors: must hold a master’s or doctorate and practice in the student’s specialty area
The no-payment rule matters more than it looks. In markets where preceptors charge stipends or students use paid placement services, Stony Brook students cannot use those routes. They need unpaid preceptors willing to sign onto a Stony Brook affiliation agreement. New agreements take time, so students should start their search well before the second year.
Out-of-state placements are not addressed on the clinical resources page. Combined with the New York RN license requirement, the model works most smoothly for nurses already working in New York health systems.
MS Admissions
- Bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited program
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Current, unencumbered New York State RN license
- Three-credit undergraduate health assessment course
- Three-credit undergraduate statistics course
- One year of recent relevant experience (preferred, not required)
- Three letters of recommendation, CV or resume, and a written statement
- Unofficial transcripts; international transcripts need a NACES-member course-by-course evaluation
- No GRE or other admission exam
- After admission: BLS with AED, health requirements, health and malpractice insurance, and a DISA Healthcare/CastleBranch account (one-time fee)
- Deadline: November 5, 2026 for a Summer 2027 start
The New York RN license is the gating requirement for out-of-state applicants. A nurse licensed elsewhere must obtain New York licensure before applying. With one summer start per year, missing the November deadline costs a full year.
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Advanced Certificate
The AGPCNP Advanced Certificate requires at least 19 credits and up to 36, set by gap analysis. Estimated resident tuition runs $8,949 to $16,956. Length is not published. Applicants need an advanced-level nursing master’s or doctorate; APRN certification is not required.
Certificate Curriculum
Every certificate student takes the same 19-credit clinical sequence as MS students. Faculty then review prior graduate coursework and may add up to six more courses. A nurse practitioner certified in another population likely already has the advanced practice core. A nurse educator or leader with a non-clinical master’s may need most or all of it.
The 36-credit ceiling is this page’s sum of the published gap-analysis courses. The university does not state a maximum.
Required clinical sequence (19 credits)
- HNG 519 Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Adult-Gerontology Across the Continuum I (4)
- HNG 529 Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Adult-Gerontology Across the Continuum II (5)
- HNG 539 Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Primary Care Adult-Gerontology Nursing I (5)
- HNG 549 Advanced Theory & Clinical Practice in Primary Care Adult-Gerontology Nursing II (5)
Possible gap-analysis courses (up to 17 credits)
- HNG 515 Advanced Health Assessment (3)
- HNG 540 Clinical Pharmacology (3)
- HNG 588 Clinical Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (3)
- HNH 503 Organizational Leadership and Role Transformation (3)
- HNH 504 Quality Improvement, Safety, and Health Care Technologies (3)
- HNH 505 Health Care Policy and Advocacy (2)
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Clinical hours: not clearly published; same four clinical courses (19 credits) as the MS
- Placement responsibility: student identifies and secures the preceptor each clinical semester
- Paid placements: prohibited, as in the MS
- Clinical start: not separately published for certificate students
Because the clinical sequence is the certificate’s entire minimum, preceptor availability decides how fast a certificate student finishes. A working NP with established clinical contacts has an advantage here.
Certificate Admissions
- Bachelor’s degree with an upper-division nursing major from an accredited program
- Advanced-level nursing master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited program
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Current, unrestricted New York State RN license
- Three-credit undergraduate health assessment and statistics courses
- One year of recent relevant experience (preferred)
- Three letters of recommendation, CV or resume, and a written statement
- After admission: BLS with AED, health and RN/NP malpractice insurance, and a DISA Healthcare/CastleBranch account
- Deadline: November 5, 2026 for a Summer 2027 start
The certificate does not require existing APRN certification. That opens it to nurses with master’s degrees in education, leadership, or other non-NP fields, though their gap analysis will be longer and costlier.
Tuition
Stony Brook’s Fall 2026 graduate tuition is $471 per credit for New York residents and $1,158 per credit for non-residents. Non-residents with no permanent or local presence in New York may qualify for the online out-of-state rate of $565 per credit, 1.2 times the resident rate. Stony Brook’s tuition page lists the AGPCNP plan codes among programs approved for that rate.
The online rate changes the math for distance applicants. For the MS, it saves about $26,685 against the standard non-resident rate. Applicants should confirm their eligibility with the bursar, since the rate depends on residency status and remote study.
Estimated Total Tuition
| Pathway | NY Resident | Online Out-of-State | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS (45 credits) | $21,195 | $25,425 | $52,110 |
| Advanced Certificate (19–36 credits) | $8,949–$16,956 | $10,735–$20,340 | $22,002–$41,688 |
Figures are calculated from Stony Brook’s Fall 2026 per-credit rates and published credit totals. They are not university-published program totals.
Fees Beyond Tuition
- Mandatory fees: $183.80 per credit (activity, college, academic excellence, counseling and health, technology, transportation, and career development fees), about $8,271 across the 45-credit MS
- Full-time fee billing: graduate students taking 9 credits are billed fees at the 12-credit full-time rate, except the college and academic excellence fees
- Required student health insurance: $2,162.12 for Fall 2026, included in the full-time flat rate
- Compliance tracking: one-time DISA Healthcare/CastleBranch fee
- Malpractice insurance: student-purchased
See the official tuition page for more details.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: New York-licensed RNs with local primary care contacts who want public-university tuition and online coursework.
SUNY Tuition That Extends to Some Distance Students
At $471 per credit, the MS costs about $21,195 in resident tuition, or roughly $29,466 with per-credit fees. The $565 online out-of-state rate keeps the price close for qualifying non-residents. Without it, non-resident tuition more than doubles to $52,110.
Self-Sourced Preceptors Under a No-Payment Rule
Students find their own preceptors each clinical semester and cannot pay for placements. The school says it can step in for students who cannot find one but does not frame that as a guarantee. Nurses with established ties to New York primary care practices carry the least risk here.
A Certificate Built Around the Clinical Sequence
An NP adding the AGPCNP population can finish with 19 credits, about $8,949 in resident tuition. Because APRN certification is not required, nurses with non-NP master’s degrees can also enter, at up to 36 credits.
Thin Published Detail on Hours and Length
Stony Brook does not publish total clinical hours, program length, or a part-time plan for either pathway. Applicants who weigh clinical volume or completion time should get these figures during the application process before committing.
The Verdict
Stony Brook is a strong cost choice for New York RNs, and for qualifying non-residents on the online rate, who can line up unpaid primary care preceptors themselves. Applicants who need school-arranged placements, are not licensed in New York, or want published clinical hours and timelines should compare other options.
Accreditation
Stony Brook’s master’s and advanced certificate nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Graduates of both pathways are eligible for New York State NP certification and for national AGPCNP certification through AANPCB or ANCC.
Stony Brook’s licensing disclosures confirm the programs meet educational requirements for licensure in New York only. Applicants planning to practice in another state should check with that state’s board before applying.
Additional AGPCNP Programs for New York Students
- Adelphi University - Garden City
- Hunter College - New York
- Keuka College - Keuka Park
- NYU - New York
- St. John Fisher University - Rochester
- St. Joseph's University - Brooklyn
- SUNY Brockport - Brockport