UMass Dartmouth’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences offers three Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathways:
- BS-DNP
- Post-MS DNP (for nurses who already hold NP certification)
- CAGS (post-graduate certificate)
All three are delivered online, mostly asynchronously. Every pathway is limited to nurses licensed in, living in, and completing clinical hours in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, or Maine.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BS-DNP | $48,107 | 4 years (5-year plan available) | 64 |
| Post-MS DNP | $21,047–$23,302 | 2 years | 28–31 |
| CAGS AGPCNP | $11,275–$18,040 | 3 years (shorter for licensed APRNs) | 15–24 |
Tuition estimates multiply UMass Dartmouth Online’s 2026-2027 graduate online rate of $751.67/credit ($617 tuition, $50 technology fee, $6 library fee, $78.67 nursing college fee) by each plan’s published credit total. The online rate does not vary by state of residence.
What sets UMass Dartmouth apart from most public AGPCNP programs is its pricing for New England nurses outside Massachusetts. Online students pay one flat per-credit rate, so a nurse in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, or Rhode Island pays the same as a Massachusetts resident. The full BS-DNP comes in near $48,000 for anyone eligible.
The catch is eligibility itself. RN licensure, permanent residence, and every clinical hour must sit in one of five states, and the university does not publish who arranges clinical sites or preceptors. The post-graduate certificate is also still pursuing initial CCNE accreditation.
A flat online rate makes this one of the more predictable AGPCNP prices in New England, but only for nurses who live, hold licensure, and train within five states.
Quick Facts
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Program Types | BS-DNP, Post-MS DNP, CAGS |
| Format | Online, mostly asynchronous |
| Campus Attendance | DNP: one on-campus day per semester. CAGS: not stated |
| Clinical Hours | BS-DNP: 1,008 (plan total). CAGS: 500 |
| Clinical Placement | Responsibility not clearly published |
| Geographic Limit | License, residence, and clinicals in MA, RI, NH, VT, or ME |
| Population Focus | Adult-gerontology primary care (PMHNP also offered) |
| Start Terms | Rolling domestic admission; program terms not published |
| Tuition | $751.67/credit, all students (2026-2027) |
| Accreditation | DNP: CCNE. CAGS: pursuing initial CCNE accreditation |
BS-DNP – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
The online BS-DNP with the AGPC focus costs an estimated $48,107 for 64 credits. It takes 4 years on the standard plan or 5 years on the extended plan. Applicants need a BSN, or an associate degree in nursing plus a bachelor’s in a related field through the Graduate Admission Program (GAP).
BS-DNP Curriculum
The plan moves through four blocks. Year 1 covers DNP foundations (theory, health systems, research translation, population health) alongside pathophysiology and pharmacology. Year 2 adds health assessment, the first DNP seminars, and the first primary care course and practicum. Year 3 is the AGPCNP clinical core: Primary Care II and Chronic Illness Management, each paired with a practicum. Year 4 is a three-semester DNP residency running from fall through a winter intersession into spring.
Two features stand out. A dedicated Chronic Illness Management course and practicum gives multimorbidity care its own term rather than folding it into general primary care. The didactic primary care courses are only 2 credits each, so most specialty credit sits in the paired 3-credit practicums.
The 5-year plan uses the same courses and spreads Years 1 and 2 across three years. One published conflict: the 5-year plan labels Year 4 as 13 credits, but its listed courses total 12. The 64-credit grand total matches the 12-credit sum.
Key AGPCNP and DNP courses:
- NUR 550 Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 cr.)
- NUR 553 Pharmacology for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 cr.)
- NUR 552 Advanced Health/Physical Assessment (3 cr.)
- NUR 557 Introduction to Primary Care for the Advanced Practice Nurse (2 cr.)
- NUR 558 Introduction to Primary Care Practicum (3 cr.)
- NUR 656 Primary Care II for the Advanced Practice Nurse (2 cr.)
- NUR 657 Primary Care II Practicum (3 cr.)
- NUR 658 Chronic Illness Management (2 cr.)
- NUR 659 Chronic Illness Management Practicum (3 cr.)
- NUR 770 and 771 DNP Seminars I and II (4 cr. each)
- NUR 772, 774, 776 Translating Research for EBP I–III (2, 1, 2 cr.)
- NUR 773, 775, 777 DNP Residency I–III (4, 1, 4 cr.)
See the full 4-year and 5-year program plans.
BS-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total: 1,008 practicum hours on the published plan. The DNP handbook states a 1,000-hour post-baccalaureate minimum.
- Project hours: at least 500 hours tied to the DNP scholarly project (handbook)
- Practicum courses: NUR 558, 657, 659, then residency courses NUR 773, 775, 777
- Hours per course: not published
- Location: all faculty-supervised clinical hours must occur in MA, RI, NH, VT, or ME
- Placement responsibility: not clearly published
- Preceptor: students practice under a clinical site preceptor; compliance documents are tracked in Typhon
- Campus: one on-campus day per semester
Placement responsibility is the largest unknown. UMass Dartmouth does not say whether faculty arrange sites or students must recruit their own preceptors. Applicants should get a direct answer before enrolling, because that model decides how much of the AGPCNP workload falls on the student.
The on-campus requirement is light per visit but recurs. Across a 4-year plan with fall, spring, and summer terms, that can mean roughly a dozen trips to Dartmouth, which is manageable from southern New England and harder from northern Maine or Vermont.
BS-DNP Admissions
- BSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program (or ADN plus related bachelor’s via GAP)
- Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Active, unencumbered RN license from MA, RI, NH, VT, or ME (or eligibility to obtain one)
- Permanent residence in one of those five states
- Statement of purpose (minimum 300 words)
- Resume and transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
- Two recommendations: a supervisor (DNP preferred) and a nurse educator; a second supervisor may substitute
- No GRE
- Application fee: $60 on the DNP page ($75 for nursing applicants on the CAGS page)
- Domestic applications are rolling; programs may close at capacity
- Degree must be completed within 7 years of matriculation
The residence rule is the one that disqualifies applicants. A Massachusetts license alone is not enough; the applicant’s permanent home must also be in one of the five states. A nurse who moves outside the region mid-program would no longer meet the clinical-location rule.
Post-MS DNP
The Post-MS DNP costs an estimated $21,047 for 28 credits, or about $23,302 if NUR 547 must be added. It takes 2 years (the program page says under two). It is open only to certified nurse practitioners with an MS in nursing. It does not prepare students for AGPCNP certification; it adds a doctorate for NPs who already practice.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The program plan totals 28 credits, but that total excludes NUR 547 Promoting the Health of Populations (3 cr.), which is required if it was not completed in the master’s program. Applicants without an equivalent course should plan on 31 credits. This page uses 28–31.
Post-MS DNP Curriculum
The plan contains no APRN clinical specialty courses. Year 1 covers health care economics, the two DNP seminars, statistics, and project proposal development. Year 2 is the same three-semester residency and project sequence the BS-DNP uses, so post-master’s and BS-DNP students finish in a shared final year.
- NUR 508 Health Care Economics and Financial Management (3 cr.)
- NUR 770 DNP Seminar I: APN as Leader in Health System Change (4 cr.)
- NUR 771 DNP Seminar II: Genetics, Ethics, and Innovations (4 cr.)
- NUR 547 Promoting the Health of Populations (3 cr., if not previously completed)
- NUR 605 Statistical Analysis of Data (3 cr.)
- NUR 772, 774, 776 Translating Research for EBP I–III (2, 1, 2 cr.)
- NUR 773, 775, 777 DNP Residency I–III (4, 1, 4 cr.)
See the Post-Master’s to DNP plan.
Post-MS DNP Clinical Requirements
- Practicum hours: not published for this pathway
- Prior MSN hours: no published policy on counting master’s clinical hours toward the DNP practice total
- Residency: NUR 773, 775, 777, tied to the DNP scholarly project
- Licensure: current U.S. NP license, plus an RN license from MA, RI, NH, VT, or ME
- Campus: one on-campus day per semester
The missing hours policy matters. Many post-master’s DNP programs run a gap analysis of prior clinical hours, and the result can add practicum credits. UMass Dartmouth publishes no such process, so the 28-credit figure may not hold for every applicant.
Post-MS DNP Admissions
- MS in nursing from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program
- National NP certification
- NP license (or eligibility) and an unencumbered RN license from one of the five states
- GPA of 3.0 or higher in prior study (handbook)
- Statement of purpose, resume, transcripts, two recommendations
- No GRE
CAGS – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
The online AGPCNP CAGS costs an estimated $18,040 for 24 credits over 3 years. Licensed APRNs can waive the three APRN core courses and finish in 15 credits, an estimated $11,275. Applicants need a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing.
CAGS Curriculum
The certificate is the BS-DNP clinical core with the doctoral coursework removed. Year 1 is pathophysiology and pharmacology. Year 2 adds health assessment and the first primary care course and practicum. Year 3 completes Primary Care II and Chronic Illness Management with their practicums.
The waiver is the main lever. NUR 550, 553, and 552 are not required for licensed APRNs based on transcript review. That removes 9 credits and most of the first 3 semesters. The program plan does not publish a separate timeline for the 15-credit route; the remaining courses run spring, fall, and spring on the standard plan, which suggests about three semesters.
- NUR 550 Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 cr., waivable for APRNs)
- NUR 553 Pharmacology for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 cr., waivable for APRNs)
- NUR 552 Advanced Health/Physical Assessment (3 cr., waivable for APRNs)
- NUR 557 and 558 Introduction to Primary Care and Practicum (2 + 3 cr.)
- NUR 656 and 657 Primary Care II and Practicum (2 + 3 cr.)
- NUR 658 and 659 Chronic Illness Management and Practicum (2 + 3 cr.)
View more curriculum details in the course catalog.
CAGS Clinical Requirements
- Total: 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours, the published minimum for AGPCNP certification preparation
- Practicum courses: NUR 558, 657, 659 (3 credits each); hours per course not published
- Location: MA, RI, NH, VT, or ME only; students must hold a license in the state where the practicum takes place
- Placement responsibility: not clearly published
- Campus: the CAGS page does not state an on-campus requirement
At 500 hours, the CAGS meets the standard AGPCNP floor without exceeding it. For an NP adding a second population focus, that keeps the certificate short, but there is no extra clinical cushion.
CAGS Admissions
- Master’s or doctoral degree in nursing
- Graduate-level advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment (some may be taken as prerequisites after advisor review)
- Active, unencumbered RN license from MA, RI, NH, VT, or ME, and permanent residence in one of those states
- NP license optional
- Statement of purpose (1–2 pages)
- Resume and transcripts
- Two recommendations: a supervisor (DNP preferred) and a nurse educator
- Application fee: $75 for nursing applicants
- GPA: not stated on the CAGS page; the handbook lists 3.0
The CAGS serves two applicants: MSN-prepared nurses who never certified as NPs, and practicing APRNs adding the AGPC population. Only the second group gets the 15-credit route.
Tuition
UMass Dartmouth publishes two graduate rate tables for 2026-2027. The graduate tuition page lists $737.54/credit for Massachusetts residents and $1,303.71 for non-residents, plus a $944 per-semester nursing fee. That same page states Online and Continuing Education students pay the online rates instead. Both the DNP and CAGS program pages link to the online tuition page, so this profile uses the online rate.
- Online graduate rate: $751.67/credit ($617 tuition + $50 technology + $6 library + $78.67 nursing college fee)
- Residency: no published resident or non-resident difference for online courses
The practical effect is large for nurses outside Massachusetts. At the on-campus non-resident rate, 64 credits would cost about $83,437 before the semester nursing fee. Under the online rate, a Vermont or Maine nurse pays the same $48,107 as a Massachusetts nurse.
| Pathway | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| BS-DNP (64 cr.) | $48,107 | $48,107 |
| Post-MS DNP (28–31 cr.) | $21,047–$23,302 | $21,047–$23,302 |
| CAGS, full (24 cr.) | $18,040 | $18,040 |
| CAGS, licensed APRN (15 cr.) | $11,275 | $11,275 |
Figures are calculated from the published per-credit online rate and plan credit totals; they are not university-published totals.
Fees beyond tuition:
- Registration fee: $30 per semester
- Graduation fee: $220 one-time on the online fee page ($230 on the graduate tuition page)
- Application fee: $60 (DNP page) or $75 (CAGS page)
- Dean’s PhD and DNP Students’ Research Stipend: available to DNP students during the scholarly project phase
See UMass Dartmouth Online tuition and fees. For on-campus graduate rates, see the graduate tuition page.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: RNs and APRNs living in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, or Maine who want an online AGPCNP route at a flat, moderate price.
One Price for Five States
The online rate removes the non-resident penalty that usually applies at public universities. For nurses in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, or Rhode Island, that makes the BS-DNP roughly $35,000 cheaper than the university’s own on-campus non-resident rate would imply.
A Hard Regional Boundary
License, permanent residence, and clinical hours must all fall within the five states. This is an eligibility rule, not a preference, and the university’s licensure disclosure states admission is not available elsewhere. Connecticut nurses are excluded despite the proximity.
An Unpublished Placement Model
Neither the program pages nor the DNP and CAGS handbook say who secures clinical sites. Applicants comparing programs with guaranteed placement should treat this as an open question to settle before applying, especially for the 1,008-hour BS-DNP.
A Fast Certificate for Practicing APRNs
The 15-credit CAGS route lets a licensed APRN add AGPC certification eligibility for about $11,275. Its one complication is accreditation: the post-graduate APRN certificate is still pursuing initial CCNE accreditation.
The Verdict
The strongest case belongs to New England nurses outside Massachusetts, who get public-university AGPCNP training at the same flat rate as residents, and to licensed APRNs who can use the 15-credit CAGS. Nurses outside the five states cannot apply. Applicants who need a guaranteed clinical placement, or want a certificate with CCNE accreditation already in place, should compare other options.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate, master’s, and DNP programs are accredited by CCNE. The post-graduate APRN certificate is pursuing initial CCNE accreditation, which the university notes is not guaranteed. UMass Dartmouth states that BS-DNP and CAGS graduates meet coursework and clinical requirements for AGPCNP certification through ANCC or AANPCB.
The professional licensure disclosure lists the DNP and AGPCNP CAGS as meeting requirements only in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, and states admission is not available in other states. See the College of Nursing accreditation page for current status.
Compare More AGPCNP Programs in Mass
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