University of Iowa AGPCNP Programs

The University of Iowa College of Nursing offers two Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:

• DNP – AGPCNP
• Post-Graduate Certificate – AGPCNP

The DNP is delivered in a hybrid format — most coursework is online, but some didactic NP courses require weekly on-campus attendance in Iowa City.

Program Tracks Overview

The post-graduate certificate is similarly hybrid. Both programs arrange clinical placements through the College of Nursing, and all clinical hours must be completed in Iowa. These programs are best suited for Iowa-based nurses who want a top-10 nationally ranked AGPCNP credential with strong outcomes data and small cohort sizes.

DNP – Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

The DNP AGPCNP at the University of Iowa totals 79 semester hours and is available as a 3-year plan or a 4-year plan.

Estimated tuition and fees for Iowa residents:

• Iowa resident: ~$52,693 (79 s.h. × $667/credit + mandatory fees)
• Non-resident: Significantly higher — rate jumps at 5+ credits per semester; contact the program for a full estimate

A DNP-specific rate of $1,191/credit was previously published. It is unclear whether this still applies. Confirm the current DNP rate directly with the College of Nursing before making enrollment decisions.

Students entering with an MSN/APRN may complete the DNP with a minimum of 29 s.h. earned at Iowa after admission, with a minimum of 43 s.h. of transfer credit applied toward the degree.

DNP Curriculum

The DNP AGPCNP totals 79 semester hours across three or four years. The curriculum is organized in two phases:

• Foundation phase (Years 1–2 in the 3-year plan; Years 1–3 in the 4-year plan): Covers leadership, epidemiology, evidence evaluation, clinical data management, physiology, genetics, health policy, population health, social determinants of health, finance, quality and safety, pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment, mental health, and the DNP project sequence.
• Specialty phase (final year in both plans): Delivers the AGPCNP clinical sequence — primary care of adults and older individuals, care of the frail elderly, three sequential clinical practicum courses, advanced practice role integration, and the final DNP project courses.

Three-Year Plan — Year 1 (29 s.h.):

• NURS:5002 – Leadership and Management Essentials (3 s.h.)
• NURS:5007 – Applied Epidemiology (3 s.h.)
• NURS:5009 – Evaluating Evidence for Practice (3 s.h.)
• NURS:5010 – Clinical Data Management and Evaluation (3 s.h.)
• NURS:5014 – Graduate Physiology for Advanced Practice (3 s.h.)
• NURS:5040 – Genetics/Genomics for Advanced Nursing Practice (2 s.h.)
• NURS:6802 – Health Policy, Law, and Advocacy (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6808 – Population Health for Advanced Practice (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6809 – Advanced Practice Role I: Introduction (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6811 – Social Determinants of Health and Health System Inequities (3 s.h.)

Three-Year Plan — Year 2 (27 s.h.):

• NURS:5015 – Health Systems, Finance, and Economics (3 s.h.)
• NURS:5017 – Quality and Safety (3 s.h.)
• NURS:5023 – Pathophysiology for Advanced Clinical Practice (4 s.h.)
• NURS:5031 – Health Promotion and Assessment for Advanced Clinical Practice (4 s.h.)
• NURS:5032 – Mental Disorders in Advanced Practice (3 s.h.)
• NURS:5033 – Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 s.h.)
• NURS:5035 – Graduate Pharmacology Specialty (3 s.h.)
• NURS:5039 – Advanced Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures for Primary Care (1 s.h.)
• NURS:6826 – Doctor of Nursing Practice Project I (2 s.h.)
• NURS:6827 – Doctor of Nursing Practice Project II (1 s.h.)

Three-Year Plan — Year 3 (23 s.h.) — AGPCNP Specialty + Clinicals:

• NURS:5401/ASP:5401 – The Care of the Frail Elderly (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6200 – Primary Care: Adults and Older Individuals I (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6201 – Primary Care: Adults and Older Individuals II (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6701 – Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum I (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6702 – Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum II (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6703 – Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum III (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6810 – Advanced Practice Role II: Integration (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6828 – Doctor of Nursing Practice Project III (1 s.h.)
• NURS:6829 – Doctor of Nursing Practice Project IV (1 s.h.)

The four-year plan covers the same 79 s.h. but distributes Year 1 and Year 2 content across three years, reducing per-semester load for students who need a more manageable pace. The specialty and clinical year remains the same in Year 4.

View more curriculum details in the course catalog.

DNP Clinicals

Clinical training is concentrated in the final year and delivered across three sequential practicum courses covering fall, spring, and summer semesters. All placements are arranged by the College of Nursing — students are not responsible for finding sites or preceptors. Students should expect to travel up to 100 miles for placements; those in areas with limited providers may need to travel further.

• NURS:6701 – Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum I (fall, 180 hrs)
• NURS:6702 – Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum II (spring, 180 hrs)
• NURS:6703 – Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum III (summer, 180 hrs)
• Total: minimum 1,000 practice experience hours required for the DNP
• Students entering with an MSN may transfer approved clinical hours from their MSN program
• All clinical placements arranged by the College of Nursing — no self-sourcing
• Preceptors must be located in Iowa
• Block scheduling available for students who cannot complete weekly hours
• ⚠️ Clinicals must be completed in the state of Iowa — hard geographic requirement
• ⚠️ Students may be required to travel up to 100 miles or more for placements
• Malpractice/liability insurance required: min. $1,000,000/incident and $3,000,000/aggregate (not required for Post-MSN-DNP students)

DNP Admissions

Admission is holistic and competitive, with a small class size of 12. GRE is not required. Applications are submitted through the University of Iowa Graduate College.

• BSN or advanced degree in nursing from a CCNE- or NLNAC-accredited program
• Minimum 3.0 GPA
• Current, active RN license
• No work experience required for AG-PCNP track (unlike AG-ACNP and PNP-AC)
• Statement of purpose
• Supplemental information form
• Resume or CV
• Three letters of recommendation (recommenders complete online form)
• Statement of disclosure
• Unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions
• Official transcripts required upon admission
• GRE not required
• Criminal background check and abuse registry checks required upon acceptance (ordered through Castle Branch)
• Health and immunization requirements must be met prior to clinical participation
• CPR certification required (AHA Healthcare Provider or Red Cross Professional Rescuer)
• Post-APRN applicants: MSN in a recognized APRN specialty and copy of certification card required
• International students: F-1, F-2, and J-1 visas not available due to internet-based course requirements
• Priority deadline: January 10 | Final deadline: February 1 | Fall start only
• Notification of admission decisions by mid-March

Post-Graduate Certificate – AGPCNP

The Post-Graduate Certificate AGPCNP at the University of Iowa requires a minimum of 22 semester hours. Actual credits are determined by a gap analysis of prior coursework and professional credentials — your final credit load may be lower.

Estimated tuition for Iowa residents:

• Iowa resident: ~$14,674 (22 s.h. × $667/credit + fees) — actual cost varies based on gap analysis outcome
• Program duration: Not clearly stated — contact the program for an estimate once your gap analysis is complete

⚠️ Federal financial aid is not available for this program. It is not a degree-granting program, so plan accordingly.

Certificate Curriculum

The Post-Graduate Certificate requires a minimum of 22 semester hours, with the exact curriculum determined by a gap analysis conducted with the program director.

The published curriculum includes AGPCNP specialty courses, pharmacology, diagnostic procedures, care of the frail elderly, primary care of adults and older individuals, and three clinical practicum courses.

The certificate is available only for post-master’s APRNs seeking a second specialty certification — it is not open to nurses who do not already hold APRN status.

Certificate Coursework (22 s.h. baseline):

Year 1:

• NURS:5035 – Graduate Pharmacology Specialty (3 s.h.)
• NURS:5039 – Advanced Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures for Primary Care (1 s.h.)
• NURS:5401/ASP:5401 – The Care of the Frail Elderly (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6200 – Primary Care: Adults and Older Individuals I (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6201 – Primary Care: Adults and Older Individuals II (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6701 – Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum I (3 s.h.)
• NURS:6702 – Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum II (3 s.h.)

Year 2:

• NURS:6703 – Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum III (3 s.h.)

View more curriculum details in the course catalog.

Certificate Clinicals

Certificate students complete clinical hours across three practicum courses, with total hours determined by the gap analysis. All placements are arranged by the College of Nursing. All clinical experiences must be completed in Iowa.

• NURS:6701 – Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum I
• NURS:6702 – Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum II
• NURS:6703 – Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum III
• Total clinical hours determined by gap analysis and individual plan of study
• All placements arranged by the College of Nursing
• Clinicals must be completed in Iowa — hard geographic requirement

Certificate Admissions

Admission is limited and available only to post-master’s APRNs seeking a second specialty. Admission is not guaranteed and space is limited.

• MSN in a recognized APRN specialty from a CCNE- or NLNAC-accredited program
• Copy of current APRN certification card required
• Minimum 2.5 GPA required in certificate coursework for completion
• Current, active RN license
• Statement of purpose, resume, and three letters of recommendation required
• Criminal background check and abuse registry checks required upon acceptance
• Health, immunization, and CPR requirements must be met prior to clinical participation
• GRE not required
• Application deadline: February 1 | Fall start

Tuition

Graduate nursing tuition at the University of Iowa breaks down as follows for 2025–2026:

• Iowa residents: $667/credit + ~$554/semester in mandatory fees = ~$6,554/semester at full load (9+ credits)
• Non-residents: Same rate as residents for 1–4 credits, then jumps significantly — full-time non-resident students pay approximately $15,473.50 in tuition + ~$554 in fees = ~$16,027.50/semester at full load (9+ credits)

A DNP-specific tuition table for Fall 2023–Spring 2024 showed a higher Iowa resident rate of $1,191/credit. It is unclear whether the DNP still follows a separate rate schedule. Confirm current DNP tuition directly with the College of Nursing before enrolling.

See the official tuition page for more details.

Accreditation

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Iowa is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing.

The AG-PCNP DNP track is ranked #8 nationally for Adult/Gerontology Primary Care by U.S. News & World Report.

Graduates are eligible to sit for the AGPCNP certification exam through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP). The program reports a 100% certification exam pass rate and a 100% job placement rate.

Review the Other AGPCNP Programs in Iowa

• Morningside University - Sioux City