University of Colorado Anschutz AGPCNP Programs

The University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing offers three Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) tracks:

• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – AGPCNP
• Post-Graduate Certificate – AGPCNP
• BS to Doctor of Nursing Practice (BS-DNP) – AGPCNP

All three tracks are delivered in a hybrid-online format — primarily online with limited required in-person visits to the Aurora, CO campus.

Program Tracks Overview

CU Anschutz offers three entry points into the AGPCNP specialty — a 2.5-year MSN for BSN-prepared nurses, a 1.5-year post-graduate certificate for those who already hold an MSN, and a 4–4.5-year BS-DNP pathway for nurses seeking a doctoral credential.

All tracks share 540 clinical hours (the DNP doubles that to 1,080), a hybrid-online delivery model, and the same 100% board certification pass rate.

Master of Science in Nursing – AGPCNP

The MSN AGPCNP program has an estimated tuition of $38,448 (CO resident) / $62,304 (non-resident) and takes approximately 2.5 years (7 semesters) to complete on a full-time basis.

MSN Curriculum

The MSN track totals 48 credits — 36 didactic and 12 clinical. Core courses span pathophysiology, pharmacology, health informatics, evidence-based practice, and advanced assessment. Specialty coursework focuses on primary care across the adult-gerontology lifespan, progressing from health promotion through management of complex older adults.

NURS 6243 – Advanced Pathophysiology
This course examines disease mechanisms that affect patients across the lifespan. Students study epidemiology, etiology, genetics, and immunologic responses that influence acute and chronic illness. Instruction connects these concepts to diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision making. Current research findings support the analysis of disease progression and patient outcomes.

NURS 6859 – Advanced Professional Role
This course prepares nurses for transition into the advanced practice registered nurse role. Students analyze professional responsibilities, scope of practice, and ethical expectations. The course also examines leadership, collaboration, and accountability within healthcare teams. Learners apply these ideas to real practice challenges faced by advanced practice nurses.

NURS 6009 – Theory Foundation for Advanced Nursing
This course introduces the philosophical and theoretical foundations of advanced nursing practice. Students examine major nursing theories, including grand and middle-range frameworks. The course also explores ways of knowing that shape nursing knowledge and clinical judgment. Learners develop a personal model of practice based on their professional philosophy.

NURS 6222 – Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics
This course develops advanced pharmacology knowledge for nurse practitioners. Students examine drug actions, therapeutic uses, and medication safety across diverse populations. Instruction emphasizes clinical decision making, dosage selection, and monitoring treatment outcomes. Learners also study social and environmental factors that influence medication management.

NURS 6109 – Evidence-Based Practice: Evaluating Evidence
This course teaches students to evaluate research and apply evidence to clinical care. Learners develop PICOT questions that address healthcare problems. Students locate, analyze, and synthesize scientific literature. The course emphasizes using evidence to improve quality, safety, and cost effectiveness in patient care.

NURS 6286 – Foundations of Informatics
This course introduces health informatics tools used in clinical decision making. Students learn to analyze healthcare data and digital systems that support patient care. Instruction highlights how technology improves safety, efficiency, and care coordination. Learners also examine leadership roles within data-driven health systems.

NURS 6761 – Advanced Assessment
This course builds advanced patient assessment skills for nurse practitioners. Students practice comprehensive history taking and physical examination across the lifespan. Instruction focuses on communication, clinical reasoning, and accurate documentation. Learners use assessment findings to form differential diagnoses and care plans.

NURS 6070 – Policy and Politics of Health
This course examines how public policy shapes healthcare systems and patient outcomes. Students analyze health policy at local, state, national, and global levels. Instruction explores social, political, and economic factors that affect healthcare delivery. Learners also participate in policy discussions or interviews with policymakers.

NURS 5971 – AGPCNP Practicum I
This clinical course introduces nurse practitioner practice within adult-gerontology primary care settings. Students complete 135 clinical hours with supervised patient care experiences. Instruction focuses on developing competency across key professional outcome areas. Learners apply diagnostic, assessment, and care planning skills with adult and older adult patients.

NURS 6819 – AGPCNP Primary Health Care I: Health Promotion and Prevention
This course focuses on preventive care and health maintenance in adult primary care. Students examine evidence-based screening guidelines and risk reduction strategies. Instruction emphasizes assessment and management at the individual, family, and community levels. The course integrates health promotion concepts with clinical decision making.

NURS 5972 – AGPCNP Practicum II
This clinical course continues supervised practice in adult-gerontology primary care. Students complete an additional 135 clinical hours and refine advanced practice competencies. Instruction evaluates performance across multiple outcome areas related to diagnosis, treatment, and patient education. Clinical experience expands total practicum hours to 270.

NURS 6882 – Foundational Clinical Skills for Advanced Practice NPs
This course provides hands-on training in essential clinical procedures. Students practice technical skills used in advanced practice settings. Instruction emphasizes safe technique, clinical judgment, and patient communication. The course strengthens procedural competency required for nurse practitioner practice.

NURS 6829 – Primary Care II: Diagnosis and Management I
This course focuses on diagnosis and management of acute and chronic conditions in adult and geriatric patients. Students analyze clinical findings and develop treatment plans. Instruction emphasizes evidence-based management strategies in primary care. The course integrates didactic learning with concurrent clinical practice.

NURS 5973 – AGPCNP Practicum III
This clinical course expands nurse practitioner practice through supervised patient care. Students complete 135 additional clinical hours while demonstrating competency across multiple outcomes. Instruction evaluates clinical reasoning, diagnosis, and management skills. Total practicum hours increase to 405 by the end of this course.

NURS 6839 – Primary Care III: Diagnosis and Management II
This course continues advanced study of adult and geriatric primary care management. Students analyze complex patient cases that involve chronic disease and multiple health conditions. Instruction emphasizes diagnostic accuracy and evidence-based treatment planning. The course strengthens clinical reasoning used in nurse practitioner practice.

NURS 5974 – AGPCNP Practicum IV
This final clinical practicum prepares students for independent nurse practitioner practice. Students complete 135 clinical hours while demonstrating competency in all outcome areas. Instruction emphasizes advanced assessment, diagnosis, and management of adult and older adult patients. Total supervised clinical experience reaches 540 hours.

NURS 6849 – Primary Care IV: Diagnosis and Management III – Care for the Complex Older Adult
This course examines advanced care of older adults with complex health needs. Students analyze chronic illness, functional decline, and age-related health risks. Instruction also covers palliative care, end-of-life decision making, and social factors that affect aging populations. The course prepares nurse practitioners to manage complex geriatric cases in primary care settings.

See the official curriculum page for more details.

MSN Clinicals

Students complete 540 clinical hours across four practicum courses (135 hours each). For students in the Denver/Aurora area, the program arranges placements at affiliated clinics and hospitals.

• NURS 5971 – AGPCNP Advanced Practicum I (3 cr. / 135 hrs.)
• NURS 5972 – AGPCNP Advanced Practicum II (3 cr. / 135 hrs.)
• NURS 5973 – AGPCNP Advanced Practicum III (3 cr. / 135 hrs.)
• NURS 5974 – AGPCNP Advanced Practicum IV (3 cr. / 135 hrs.)

MSN Admissions Requirements

• BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited, regionally accredited institution
• Minimum 3.0 undergraduate nursing GPA (GRE or 12 graduate credits required if below 3.0)
• Current, unencumbered RN license
• Undergraduate nursing research and statistics course (grade of C or higher)
• Three letters of reference (at least one academic)
• NursingCAS application with essay responses and CV/resume
• $85 supplemental application fee (paid to CU Nursing)
• Interview Day attendance required for selected applicants
• Negative drug screen, criminal background check, BLS certification (AHA only), and immunization documentation upon admission
• Fall 2026 priority deadline: January 15, 2026 | Spring 2027 priority deadline: July 1, 2026

Post-Graduate Certificate – AGPCNP

The Post-Graduate Certificate AGPCNP program carries an estimated tuition of approximately ~$20,025 (est. at CO resident rate) and takes approximately 1.5 years (5 semesters) to complete on a full-time basis.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate totals 25 credits — 13 didactic and 12 clinical. It is structured for MSN-prepared nurses pivoting into the AGPCNP specialty, focusing entirely on the specialty clinical coursework without repeating core MSN foundation courses. Individual course requirements are evaluated based on prior graduate coursework.

• NURS 6819 – AGPCNP Primary Care I: Health Promotion & Prevention (3 cr.)
• NURS 6882 – Foundational Clinical Skills for APRN (1 cr.)
• NURS 6829 – Primary Care II: Diagnosis and Management I (3 cr.)
• NURS 6839 – Primary Care III: Diagnosis and Management II (3 cr.)
• NURS 6849 – PC IV: D&M III – Care for the Complex Older Adult (3 cr.)

See the official curriculum page for more details.

Certificate Clinicals

Students complete the same 540 clinical hours as the MSN track, delivered across four practicum courses.

• NURS 5971 – AGPCNP Practicum I (3 cr. / 135 hrs.)
• NURS 5972 – AGPCNP Practicum II (3 cr. / 135 hrs.)
• NURS 5973 – AGPCNP Practicum III (3 cr. / 135 hrs.)
• NURS 5974 – AGPCNP Practicum IV (3 cr. / 135 hrs.)

Certificate Admissions Requirements

• MSN from a regionally accredited institution with CCNE or ACEN program accreditation
• Minimum 3.0 undergraduate nursing GPA (GRE or 12 graduate credits required if below 3.0)
• Current, unencumbered RN license
• Three letters of reference (at least one academic)
• NursingCAS application with essay responses and CV/resume
• $85 supplemental application fee (paid to CU Nursing)
• Zoom interview for selected applicants
• Enrollment is space-available
• Fall 2026 priority deadline: January 15, 2026 | Spring 2027 priority deadline: July 1, 2026

BS to Doctor of Nursing Practice – AGPCNP

The BS-DNP AGPCNP program has an estimated tuition of $59,274 (CO resident) / $96,052 (non-resident) and takes approximately 4 to 4.5 years (10 semesters) to complete on a full-time basis.

DNP Curriculum

The BS-DNP track totals 74 credits — 50 didactic and 24 clinical. Students earn an MSN along the way before transitioning into the DNP project sequence. In addition to AGPCNP specialty courses, the DNP phase adds epidemiology, research methods, inferential statistics, leadership, and four DNP project courses culminating in a final practice improvement project.

• NURS 6009 – Theory Foundations for Advanced Nursing (3 cr.)
• NURS 6109 – Evidence-Based Practice: Evaluating Evidence (3 cr.)
• NURS 6243 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr.)
• NURS 6859 – Advanced Professional Role (2 cr.)
• NURS 6222 – Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics (3 cr.)
• NURS 6286 – Foundations of Health Care Informatics (3 cr.)
• NURS 6303 – Epidemiology (3 cr.)
• NURS 6800 – Innovative Leadership (3 cr.)
• NURS 6108 – Inferential Statistics and Quality Improvement (3 cr.)
• NURS 6761 – Advanced Assessment (on-campus requirement) (3 cr.)
• NURS 6070 – Policy & Politics of Health (3 cr.)
• NURS 6107 – Research Methods (3 cr.)
• NURS 6819 – AGPCNP Primary Care I: Health Promotion and Prevention (3 cr.)
• NURS 6882 – Foundational Clinical Skills for APRN (2-day on-campus requirement) (1 cr.)
• NURS 6829 – AGPCNP Primary Care II: Diagnosis and Management I (3 cr.)
• NURS 6839 – AGPCNP Primary Care III: Diagnosis and Management II (3 cr.)
• NURS 6849 – AGPCNP Primary Care IV: D&M III – Care of the Older Complex Adult (3 cr.)
• NURS 8020 – DNP Project Prep (on-campus requirement) (2 cr. / 45 clinical hrs.)
• NURS 8030 – DNP Project I (4 cr. / 180 clinical hrs.)
• NURS 8040 – DNP Project II (4 cr. / 135 clinical hrs.)
• NURS 8050 – DNP Project III (4 cr. / 180 clinical hrs.)

See the official curriculum page for more details.

DNP Clinicals

Students complete 1,080 total clinical hours — 540 hours across the four AGPCNP practicum courses, plus an additional 540 hours embedded in the DNP project sequence.

• NURS 5971–5974 – AGPCNP Advanced Practicums I–IV (135 hrs. each / 540 hrs. total)
• NURS 8020 – DNP Project Prep (45 clinical hrs.)
• NURS 8030 – DNP Project I (180 clinical hrs.)
• NURS 8040 – DNP Project II (135 clinical hrs.)
• NURS 8050 – DNP Project III (180 clinical hrs.)

DNP Admissions Requirements

• BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited, regionally accredited institution
• Minimum 3.0 undergraduate nursing GPA (GRE or 12 graduate credits required if below 3.0)
• Current, unencumbered RN license
• Undergraduate nursing research and statistics course (grade of C or higher)
• Three letters of reference (at least one academic)
• NursingCAS application with essay responses and CV/resume
• $85 supplemental application fee (paid to CU Nursing)
• Interview Day attendance required for selected applicants
• Negative drug screen, criminal background check, BLS certification (AHA only), and immunization documentation upon admission
• Fall 2026 priority deadline: January 15, 2026 | Spring 2027 priority deadline: July 1, 2026

Tuition

Graduate tuition at CU Anschutz runs approximately $801 per credit hour for Colorado residents and eligible Western state residents (WRGP). Non-resident rates are approximately $1,300 per credit hour.

An additional Master’s Program Fee of $26.57 per credit hour applies to MSN and certificate students to support supervised clinical practice and standardized patient experiences. A one-time $140 matriculation fee applies to all incoming students, and a per-term fee of $349 (Fall/Spring/Summer) covers campus services.

More tuition details are available here.

Accreditation

The University of Colorado College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Graduates of the AGPCNP tracks are eligible to sit for board certification through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and upon passing are eligible for APRN licensure in all 50 states.

More AGPCNP Programs in Colorado

• Colorado Christian University - Lakewood
• Colorado Mesa University - Grand Junction