University of Alabama at Birmingham AGPCNP Programs

University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing offers 4 Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) tracks:

• MSN – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP (BSN entry)
• BSN to DNP – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
• MSN to DNP – Advanced Practice Nurses (post-master’s)
• Post-Graduate APRN Certificate – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP (post-MSN)

All programs are delivered in a distance-accessible format combining asynchronous online coursework with required on-campus intensives — students must attend an annual on-campus DNP intensive and, for NP tracks, a clinical skills intensive before specialty clinical courses begin.

Program Tracks Overview

Online tuition is a flat $723 per credit regardless of residency, making costs predictable for out-of-state students; in-person classroom credits are billed at $628 (resident) or $1,550 (non-resident).

The program is ranked 10th nationally (DNP) and 11th nationally (MSN) by U.S. News & World Report; students must confirm state authorization before applying, as not all states are currently approved.

MSN – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (BSN Entry)

The estimated cost for the UAB MSN AGPCNP program is approximately $32,535 based on 45 credit hours at $723/credit (online rate), completed over 6 semesters (fall entry) or 7 semesters (summer entry) on a part-time basis.

MSN Curriculum

The program totals 45 credit hours — 18 credits of NP core/foundation courses and 27 credits of AGPCNP specialty courses. The curriculum is part-time by design and follows a prescribed sequence; deviating from the schedule may delay completion since some courses are offered only once per year. Proof of a descriptive statistics course (equivalent to UAB’s MA-180) is required before starting the program.

NP Core & Foundation Courses (18 credits)

• NUR 737Q – Interprofessional Leadership Roles and Financial Considerations of Professional Practice (3 cr)
• NUR 612Q – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr)
• NUR 729Q – Evidence-Based Practice for Advanced-Level Nursing (3 cr)
• NUR 613Q – Pharmacology and Therapeutics (3 cr)
• NUR 735Q – Population Health for Advanced-Level Nursing (3 cr)
• NUR 614Q – Advanced Health Assessment & Introduction to Diagnostic Reasoning (3 cr)

AGPCNP Specialty Courses (27 credits)

NAH 618L Focus on Advanced Nursing Practice Specialization – 3 Credits
This course examines specialty topics related to advanced nursing practice. Students review core competencies and foundational concepts that support specialized roles in advanced clinical care.

NAH 621 Advanced Adult Gerontology Nursing I – Primary Care – 5 Credits
This course introduces key principles of advanced practice nursing for adult and gerontological primary care. Students develop knowledge and clinical skills needed to provide safe and effective care for adult and older adult patients.

NAH 685L Practicum I: Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner – 3 Credits
This practicum provides supervised clinical experience in adult-gerontology care. Students apply management strategies and practice models while developing competence in the advanced practice nursing role.

NAH 622 Advanced Adult Gerontology Nursing II – Primary Care – 4 Credits
This course builds on previous coursework to support diagnosis and management of health conditions in adult and gerontological patients. Students review health promotion, disease prevention, and evidence-based treatment strategies across interprofessional care settings.

NAH 686L Practicum II: Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care – 3 Credits
This practicum strengthens diagnostic and management skills in adult-gerontology primary care. Students develop individualized treatment plans based on clinical findings and current practice guidelines.

NAH 623 Advanced Adult Gerontology Nursing III – Primary Care – 5 Credits
This course integrates advanced theory and clinical knowledge for adult-gerontology primary care practice. Students evaluate complex care models and apply evidence-based strategies that support improved patient outcomes.

NAH 692L Practicum III: Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care – 4 Credits
This advanced practicum focuses on refining clinical management strategies and professional competencies. Students apply evidence from prior coursework and clinical experience to improve health outcomes for adult and gerontological patients.

See the course catalog for more details.

MSN Clinicals

Students complete 10 credit hours of clinical practica distributed across three practicum courses. Clinical hours are completed locally under the supervision of a certified advanced practice provider; the faculty coordinates clinical placement and the student contracts directly with the preceptor.

• NAH 685QL – Practicum I: Adult/Gerontology NP (4 cr)
• NAH 686QL – Practicum II: Adult/Gerontology NP – Primary Care (4 cr)
• NAH 692QL – Practicum III: Adult/Gerontology NP – Primary Care (5 cr)
• Students must hold a current RN license in the state where clinical practice will be conducted before enrolling in advanced practice courses
• On-campus Clinical Skills Intensive required before beginning specialty clinical courses
• Total clinical hours not publicly specified by credit count; contact the program for clock hour details

MSN Admissions Requirements

• BSN from a regionally accredited institution with CCNE or CNEA nursing program accreditation
• Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or last 60 semester hours)
• GRE or GMAT required if GPA is below 3.2 (minimum combined GRE score: 297 verbal + quantitative; GMAT: 480); test scores must be within the past 5 years
• GRE waiver available for applicants with a prior graduate degree at GPA 3.0 or higher (excludes international, non-native English speakers, and dual-degree applicants)
• Current, unencumbered RN license in the state where clinical practicum will be conducted
• Three professional letters of reference attesting to graduate study potential
• Official transcripts from all institutions attended
• Proof of descriptive statistics course required before program start (UAB MA-180 equivalent)
• Resume or CV (required for DNP tracks; implied for MSN)
• Out-of-state applicants must confirm state authorization before applying — only states where UAB programs are approved are eligible
• Not eligible for F-1 or J-1 visa holders (distance-accessible program)
• Application deadlines: Summer 2026 – October 9, 2025 | Fall 2026 – February 13, 2026

BSN to DNP – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

Note: The BSN-DNP NP curriculum was revised effective Summer 2025 to maintain CCNE accreditation compliance. Students enrolled prior to Summer 2025 follow their original plan of study. Students who experience a leave of absence or unsuccessful course attempt will be transitioned to the updated curriculum.

The estimated cost for the UAB BSN to DNP AGPCNP program is approximately $57,117 based on 79 credit hours at $723/credit (online rate), completed over 9 semesters (fall entry) or 10 semesters (summer entry) on a part-time basis, totaling approximately 3.5 years.

DNP Curriculum

The program totals 79 credit hours — 42–47 DNP core/common credits plus 27 AGPCNP specialty credits. The DNP core includes NQI 702 (Clinical Data Management and Application for Improvement, 3 cr) in addition to the listed required courses. A DNP scholarly project replaces a thesis or dissertation; it is implemented during the NUR 739L Project Implementation and Evaluation course sequence, which is repeated for a minimum of 7 total hours. All students must attend an annual on-campus DNP intensive and an on-campus orientation.

DNP Core / Common NP Courses (42–47 credits)

• NUR 737 – Interprofessional Leadership Roles & Financial Considerations for Professional Practice (3 cr)
• NUR 745 – Foundations of Scholarly Writing (3 cr)
• NUR 735 – Population Health in Advanced Practice Nursing (3 cr)
• NUR 731 – Philosophical, Theoretical, and Conceptual Foundations for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 cr)
• NUR 729 – Evidence-Based Practice Design and Translation (3 cr)
• NUR 740 – Health Policy and Politics: Implications in Health Care (3 cr)
• NUR 733 – Informatics for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 cr)
• NUR 700 – Clinical Data Management and Analysis (3 cr)
• NUR 612 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr)
• NUR 613 – Pharmacology and Therapeutics (3 cr)
• NUR 742 – Program Evaluation and Methods (3 cr)
• NUR 614 – Advanced Health Assessment and Introduction to Diagnostic Reasoning (3 cr)
• NUR 743 – Evidence-Based Practice Strategies (3 cr)
• NQI 702 – Clinical Data Management and Application for Improvement (3 cr)
• NUR 738L – DNP Project Development (2–3 cr)
• NUR 739L – DNP Project Implementation and Evaluation (minimum 7 cr total; repeated each semester)

AGPCNP Specialty Courses (27 credits)

NAH 618L – Focus on Practice Specialization (3 Credits)
This course explores specialty topics within advanced nursing practice. Students review foundational concepts and competencies that support specialized roles in advanced clinical care.

NAH 721Q – Advanced Adult Gerontology Nursing I – Primary Care (4 Credits)
This course introduces key principles of advanced practice nursing for adult and gerontological primary care. Students develop knowledge and clinical skills needed to provide safe and effective care for adult and older adult patients.

NAH 722Q – Advanced Adult Gerontology Nursing II – Primary Care (4 Credits)
This course builds on prior theoretical and clinical knowledge to support diagnosis and management of health conditions in adult and gerontological populations. Students examine health promotion, disease prevention, and interdisciplinary care strategies supported by current evidence.

NAH 723 – Advanced Adult Gerontology Nursing III – Primary Care (5 Credits)
This course integrates advanced theory and clinical practice for adult-gerontology primary care. Students analyze complex care models and apply evidence-based strategies that improve health outcomes for adult and older adult patients.

NAH 785L – Practicum I: Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care (3 Credits)
This practicum provides supervised clinical experience in adult-gerontology primary care settings. Students apply management strategies and clinical practice models while developing competence in the advanced practice nursing role.

NAH 786QL – Practicum II: Adult/Gerontology NP – Primary Care (4 Credits)
This practicum expands diagnostic and management skills in adult-gerontology care. Students integrate clinical reasoning, leadership, and treatment planning to deliver individualized care based on patient assessment and current practice guidelines.

NAH 792QL – Practicum III: Adult-Gerontology NP (5 Credits)
This advanced practicum focuses on refining clinical management strategies and evaluating professional competencies. Students apply evidence-based approaches and prior clinical experience to improve health outcomes for adult and gerontological patients.

See the course catalog for more curriculum details.

DNP Clinicals

The BSN to DNP program includes 20 credit hours of clinical practica across three AGPCNP practicum courses. Clinical experiences are coordinated with faculty; students contract with a certified NP, CNS, or physician preceptor in their local area.

• NAH 785QL – Practicum I: Adult/Gerontology NP – Primary Care (4 cr)
• NAH 786QL – Practicum II: Adult/Gerontology NP – Primary Care (4 cr)
• NAH 792QL – Practicum III: Adult-Gerontology NP (5 cr)
• DNP Project Implementation (NUR 739L) includes additional clinical immersion experiences
• Annual on-campus DNP intensive required (travel/lodging estimated at $800/year)
• On-campus clinical specialty track intensive required before specialty clinical courses begin
• Students must maintain a current RN license in the state of clinical practice throughout enrollment

BSN to DNP Admissions Requirements

• BSN from a regionally accredited institution equivalent to that offered by UAB School of Nursing
• Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (overall or last 60 semester hours)
• GRE or GMAT required if GPA is below 3.2 (minimum GRE: 297 combined verbal + quantitative; GMAT: 480; within past 5 years)
• GRE waiver available for prior graduate degree at GPA 3.0+ (excludes international, non-native English, and dual-degree applicants)
• Current, unencumbered RN license in the state where coursework and clinicals will be completed
• Three professional letters of reference
• Official transcripts from all institutions attended
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Descriptive statistics course required before program start
• Both UAB and the School of Nursing must have current state authorization to operate in the applicant’s state
• Not eligible for F-1 or J-1 visa holders
• Application deadlines: Summer 2026 – October 9, 2025 | Fall 2026 – February 13, 2026

MSN to DNP – Advanced Practice Nurses (Post-Master’s Pathway)

The estimated cost for the UAB MSN to DNP pathway is approximately $24,582–$28,920 based on 34–40 credit hours at $723/credit (online rate), typically completed in approximately 2–2.5 years part-time.

Students must be certified or eligible for APRN certification and pass their specialty exam prior to completing 12 credit hours of coursework (conditional admit status until achieved).

DNP Curriculum

The post-MSN DNP consists of a minimum of 34 credit hours of DNP core coursework centered on evidence translation, health policy, informatics, quality improvement, and a scholarly project. No repeated specialty coursework is required — the pathway builds directly on the student’s existing MSN specialty preparation. NQI 702 (3 cr) is also required in addition to the listed core courses.

MSN to DNP Core Courses (34–40 credits)

• NUR 701 – Writing for Publication (3 cr)
• NUR 729 – Evidence-Based Practice Design and Translation (3 cr)
• NUR 731 – Philosophical, Theoretical, and Conceptual Foundations for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 cr)
• NUR 733 – Informatics for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 cr)
• NUR 735 – Population Health in Advanced Practice Nursing (3 cr)
• NUR 737 – Interprofessional Leadership Roles & Financial Considerations (3 cr)
• NUR 738L – DNP Project Development (3 cr)
• NUR 739L – DNP Project Implementation and Evaluation (minimum 7 cr; repeated)
• NUR 740 – Health Policy and Politics: Implications in Health Care (3 cr)
• NUR 742 – Program Evaluation and Methods (3 cr)
• NUR 743 – Evidence-Based Practice Strategies (3 cr)
• NUR 745 – Foundations of Scholarly Writing (3 cr)
• NQI 702 – Clinical Data Management and Application for Improvement (3 cr)

DNP Clinicals

The MSN-to-DNP pathway does not include repeated specialty practica; however, the DNP Project Implementation course (NUR 739L) incorporates face-to-face clinical immersion experiences in the student’s area of advanced practice. Students are required to attend an annual on-campus DNP intensive and an on-campus orientation.

• DNP scholarly project is practice-focused; completed with faculty advisor and on-site mentor in student’s home region
• Annual on-campus DNP intensive required
• Current advanced practice certification or eligibility required at admission; must pass certification exam before completing 12 credit hours
• Unencumbered RN license and APRN license (or eligibility) required; CPR certification required; all documents must be notarized if not licensed in Alabama

MSN to DNP Admissions Requirements

• MSN in an area of advanced nursing practice (NP, CNS, nursing administration, or CRNA) from a regionally accredited institution equivalent to UAB’s
• Minimum graduate GPA of 3.0 overall or last 60 credit hours
• Current professional certification as an APRN (or eligibility; must pass exam before 12 credit hours completed)
• Unencumbered RN license and APRN license (or eligibility) in planned state of practice; CPR certification (all notarized if not Alabama-licensed)
• Three favorable evaluation forms from persons with knowledge of the applicant’s advanced practice potential
• Personal goal statement congruent with program goals (300 words or less)
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Official transcripts from all institutions
• Personal interview (phone or in-person) may be requested
• Application deadlines: Summer 2026 – October 9, 2025 | Fall 2026 – February 13, 2026

Post-Graduate APRN Certificate – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP

The estimated cost for the UAB Post-Graduate APRN Certificate in AGPCNP is approximately $19,521 at minimum (27 credits × $723) for the distance-accessible rate; this increases if the gap analysis determines that additional core or support courses are required, with each additional course adding $2,169 (3 cr × $723).

The program is typically completed in 4 semesters (~2 years part-time); admission is limited to Summer entry only.

Certificate Curriculum

The Post-Graduate APRN Certificate is a non-degree program for MSN-prepared APRNs adding a second NP specialty. It requires a minimum of 27 credit hours of AGPCNP specialty coursework. After admission, each student undergoes a GAP analysis that reviews prior advanced practice core coursework; any gaps in the six foundational areas listed below result in additional course requirements added to the plan.

Potential Gap Analysis Courses (added if not previously completed)

• NUR 737Q – Interprofessional Leadership Roles and Financial Considerations (3 cr)
• NUR 735Q – Population Health for Advanced-Level Nursing (3 cr)
• NUR 729Q – Evidence-Based Practice for Advanced-Level Nursing (3 cr)
• NUR 612Q – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr)
• NUR 614Q – Advanced Health Assessment & Introduction to Diagnostic Reasoning (3 cr)
• NUR 613Q – Pharmacology and Therapeutics (3 cr) — must have been completed within 2 years of starting specialty coursework, OR student must be actively prescribing in the population of interest

AGPCNP Specialty Courses (27 credits minimum)

• NAH 618Q – Focus on Advanced Nursing Practice Specialization (3 cr)
• NAH 621Q – Advanced Adult Gerontology Nursing I – Primary Care (4 cr)
• NAH 685QL – Practicum I: Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (4 cr)
• NAH 622Q – Advanced Adult Gerontology Nursing II – Primary Care (4 cr)
• NAH 686QL – Practicum II: Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care (4 cr)
• NAH 623Q – Advanced Adult Gerontology Nursing III – Primary Care (3 cr)
• NAH 692QL – Practicum III: Adult/Gerontology NP – Primary Care (5 cr)

See the course catalog for more details.

Certificate Clinicals

Clinical hours are distributed across three practicum courses totaling 13 combined credit hours. Completion prepares students to sit for AGPCNP certification; the program is designed to meet certifying body requirements for clinical hour minimums.

• NAH 685QL – Practicum I (4 cr)
• NAH 686QL – Practicum II – Primary Care (4 cr)
• NAH 692QL – Practicum III – Primary Care (5 cr)
• Clinical placement contracted locally by the student with a certified advanced practice provider preceptor
• Students must hold a current RN license in the state of clinical practice

Certificate Admissions Requirements

• MSN from a regionally accredited institution equivalent to that offered by UAB School of Nursing
• Current APRN certification and licensure (existing APRN specialty required)
• Minimum cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 (overall or last 60 semester hours)
• GRE/GMAT waived for applicants with graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher (same exclusions apply: international, non-native English, dual-degree applicants)
• Current, unencumbered RN license in the state where clinical practicum will be conducted
• Three professional letters of reference
• Official transcripts from all institutions attended
• GAP analysis conducted after admission and before enrollment to determine final course requirements
• Summer entry only — Summer 2026 deadline: October 9, 2025
• Non-degree status: students are not awarded a degree, not eligible for commencement, and may not qualify for financial aid or scholarships

Tuition

UAB School of Nursing distance-accessible (online) graduate courses are billed at $723 per credit hour for all students regardless of residency status.

In-person classroom courses are billed at $628/credit (in-state) or $1,550/credit (out-of-state); since all AGPCNP program content is delivered in the distance-accessible format, the $723 rate applies to the vast majority of coursework.

An Educational Support and Technology Fee of $235 is charged per course, in addition to per-credit tuition.

Estimated additional annual costs include approximately $800 for on-campus intensive travel and lodging (DNP tracks), $600/term for books and supplies, $92/year for background checks, and optional student health insurance at approximately $270/month.

More tuition details are available here.

Accreditation

UAB School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the BSN-to-DNP curriculum was revised in Summer 2025 to maintain compliance with updated CCNE accreditation standards. The program is housed within Alabama’s only Academic Health Science Center. Graduates are prepared to sit for the national AGPCNP certification exam. Out-of-state applicants must confirm that UAB holds current authorization to deliver programs in their state before applying; students are responsible for verifying that the program meets licensure requirements in their intended state of practice.

More AGPCNP Programs Near You

• University of South Alabama - Mobile