The University of Iowa College of Nursing offers three Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-PCNP) pathways:
- BSN-DNP (3-year or 4-year plan)
- MSN-DNP (for MSN-prepared nurses who are not yet APRNs)
- Post-Graduate Certificate (APRNs only)
All three are hybrid. Didactic NP courses meet on campus in Iowa City, and every preceptor must be located in Iowa. Fall is the only start term.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP | $94,471 | 3 or 4 years | 75 (catalog) / 79 (plan of study) |
| MSN-DNP | $54,136 | Not published | Min. 39 at Iowa; varies by transfer credit |
| Post-Graduate Certificate | $14,695 | ~1–2 years | 22 (gap analysis may change) |
Tuition figures are the University of Iowa’s own published AG-PCNP pathway totals, based on 2024-25 rates approved by the Board of Regents; they are the newest pathway totals the College of Nursing publishes.
Iowa removes the problem that sinks many distance NP students: the College of Nursing arranges every clinical placement, taking into account where each student lives. Students do not cold-call practices for preceptors, and the clinical sequence runs on the college’s schedule rather than on a student’s ability to find sites.
The price of that support is geography. Preceptors must be in Iowa, students should expect to travel up to 100 miles for placements, and didactic NP courses are offered on site only, which the college schedules as one campus day a week. This is a program for nurses who live in or near Iowa, not a national online option.
Iowa finds your preceptors for you, but only in Iowa, and only if you can reach Iowa City once a week for didactic NP courses.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, Post-Graduate Certificate |
| Format | Hybrid: most core courses online; didactic NP courses on site only |
| Campus Attendance | Scheduled as one day a week in Iowa City during NP coursework, plus orientation or enrichment days |
| Clinical Hours | Minimum 1,000 practice experience hours (DNP) |
| Clinical Placement | Arranged by the College of Nursing; preceptor must be in Iowa; travel up to 100 miles |
| Class Size | 12 (DNP, university-reported) |
| Outcomes | 100% certification pass rate and 100% job placement (university-reported) |
| Start Term | Fall only; February 1 deadline |
| Accreditation | CCNE; approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing |
BSN-DNP – Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The BSN-DNP AG-PCNP costs $94,471 for Iowa residents and $173,700 for non-residents (university-published, 2024-25 rates). It takes 3 years on the full-time plan or 4 years on the extended plan. It is open to BSN-prepared RNs; no RN work experience is required for this track.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The 2026-27 University of Iowa catalog lists the AG-PCNP DNP at 75 s.h. with a revised course list. The College of Nursing’s plans of study (PDFs dated 2021) still show 79 s.h. and the earlier course numbers. The catalog’s course-by-course requirements sum to 75, so this page treats 75 s.h. as current. The published tuition totals predate the revision and were built on the older plan.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
The revised catalog curriculum has four layers. A 37-s.h. DNP core shared by every Iowa DNP student covers leadership, quality, informatics, policy, and a five-seminar project sequence. A 13-s.h. direct science core delivers the advanced practice foundation. A 22-s.h. AG-PCNP sequence pairs three clinical theory courses with three practicums. A 3-s.h. elective is chosen with a faculty advisor.
The DNP project runs as five 1-s.h. seminars (fieldwork, proposal, implementation, analysis, dissemination) rather than a few large project courses. In the 2021 plans of study, NP specialty courses and all three practicums are concentrated in the final year, after the core and science courses are complete. The 3-year and 4-year plans share the same final clinical year; the 4-year plan spreads the earlier coursework over three years.
AG-PCNP sequence (22 s.h.):
- NURS:6018 Primary Care Clinical Skills and Procedures (1 s.h.)
- NURS:6026 Diagnostic Reasoning and Integrated Pharmacology, AG-PCNP (3 s.h.)
- NURS:6610, 6620, 6630 Care of Adults and Older Adults I–III (3 s.h. each)
- NURS:6211, 6221, 6231 AG-PCNP Clinical Practicum I–III (3 s.h. each)
Direct science core (13 s.h.):
- NURS:6002 Physiology for Advanced Practice (3 s.h.)
- NURS:6003 Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice (3 s.h.)
- NURS:6008 and 6009 Health Assessment for Advanced Practice, didactic and lab (3 s.h. + 1 s.h.)
- NURS:6021 Pharmacology for Advanced Practice (3 s.h.)
DNP core (37 s.h.):
- Basic core, 21 s.h.: Innovative Leadership for Healthcare; Global Health for Populations; Quality Improvement in Healthcare; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Health Systems Practice and Transformation; Informatics and Emerging Technologies; Health Policy and Advocacy (3 s.h. each)
- Advanced core, 9 s.h.: Scientific Inquiry; Evidence-Based Practice; Project Design and Evaluation (3 s.h. each)
- Complex core, 7 s.h.: DNP Seminars I–V (1 s.h. each); Professional Identity (2 s.h.)
Two interprofessional courses add roughly 8 hours per semester with no tuition or fees, according to the College of Nursing curriculum page.
View the DNP requirements in the University of Iowa catalog or the College of Nursing AG-PCNP plans of study.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Total: minimum 1,000 practice experience hours (catalog)
- Breakdown (2021 plan of study): three practicums at 180 hours each (540), 90 hours in The Care of the Frail Elderly, and 370 DNP project hours. The catalog does not yet publish an hour breakdown for the revised course list.
- Timing: practicums run fall, spring, and summer of the final year
- Placement: arranged by the College of Nursing, with consideration of where students live
- Location: preceptor must be in Iowa
- Travel: up to 100 miles; farther in areas with few specialty providers
- Scheduling: concentrated blocks of clinical time are possible
College-arranged placement is the strongest practical feature of this program. Students who must find their own preceptors often lose a term when a site falls through; Iowa takes that risk off the student. The 540 practicum hours in the older plan also sit above the 500 supervised clinical hours national certification boards require.
The final year is the hard part. The college describes full-time work during the clinical year as very difficult and notes many students move to weekend or PRN shifts. A 100-mile placement radius on top of a weekly campus day makes that year a logistics problem for anyone living far from Iowa City.
BSN-DNP Admissions
- BSN or advanced nursing degree from a CCNE- or NLNAC-accredited program
- Minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA (3.50 for dual certification applicants)
- Active RN license; graduating nursing students may apply before licensure
- No RN experience required for AG-PCNP (required only for acute care, pediatric acute care, and anesthesia tracks)
- Statement of purpose, supplemental information form, resume, statement of disclosure
- Three letters of recommendation
- Unofficial transcripts; official transcripts on admission
- No GRE
- Criminal background check
- F-1 and J-1 visa holders are ineligible because of online coursework
- Deadline: February 1 for fall entry; later applications considered as space allows
With 12 seats and a single fall start, a missed February deadline usually costs a full year.
MSN-DNP – Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The MSN-DNP AG-PCNP serves nurses who already hold an MSN but are not yet nurse practitioners. The university’s published total is $54,136 for Iowa residents and $92,078 for non-residents (2024-25 rates). Credits depend on transfer: the catalog requires at least 39 s.h. of Iowa credit after admission. Completion time is not published.
MSN-DNP Curriculum
MSN-entry students complete the same AG-PCNP sequence, practicums, and DNP project seminars as BSN-entry students. MSN coursework from Iowa may apply toward the DNP, and an MSN from another school is evaluated for transfer credit. Approval rests with the DNP program director, associate dean, and/or Graduate College.
The College of Nursing’s plans-of-study page also states that MSN-prepared students complete at least 72 s.h. following the bachelor’s degree, counting master’s credit. The university publishes no AG-PCNP-specific MSN-DNP plan of study, so the actual credit load is set individually.
The published resident total runs about $40,335 below the BSN-DNP, which shows how much prior master’s credit typically offsets.
MSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- Minimum 1,000 practice experience hours for the DNP
- How many prior MSN practice hours count toward the 1,000 is not clearly published
- Same placement model as the BSN-DNP: college-arranged, Iowa preceptor, up to 100 miles of travel
MSN-DNP Admissions
- MSN from a CCNE- or NLNAC-accredited program
- Minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA
- Active RN license
- Same application materials and February 1 fall deadline as the BSN-DNP
Nurses who are already certified APRNs follow a separate Post-APRN DNP, which Iowa prices at $35,898 resident and $54,870 non-resident (2024-25). That route earns the doctorate but does not add the AG-PCNP specialty.
Post-Graduate Certificate – Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The AG-PCNP Post-Graduate Certificate costs $14,695, with the same published total for residents and non-residents (2024-25). The catalog sets 22 s.h., but coursework and clinical hours are set by a gap analysis. It is open only to APRNs adding a second specialty. Federal financial aid is not available because the certificate is not degree-seeking.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate skips the DNP core and the advanced practice science courses an APRN has already completed. What remains is the primary care specialty: pharmacology, procedures, geriatric care, two primary care theory courses, and three practicums, with the last practicum falling in a second-year term.
The 2026-27 certificate catalog page still lists the pre-revision course numbers below, while the DNP now uses the new NURS:6610-series and 6211-series AG-PCNP courses. Certificate students may be scheduled into the revised courses; the university has not published how the two lists map.
- NURS:5035 Graduate Pharmacology Specialty (3 s.h.)
- NURS:5039 Advanced Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures for Primary Care (1 s.h.)
- NURS:5401 The Care of the Frail Elderly (3 s.h.)
- NURS:6200 and 6201 Primary Care: Adults and Older Individuals I–II (3 s.h. each)
- NURS:6701, 6702, 6703 Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum I–III (3 s.h. each)
View the certificate requirements in the University of Iowa catalog.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Clinical hours set by gap analysis; no fixed total is published for the certificate
- In the DNP plan of study, the same practicum courses carry 180 hours each and Frail Elderly carries 90, which would total 630 hours for a full 22-s.h. plan (calculated, not a published certificate figure)
- Same placement model: college-arranged, Iowa preceptor
Certificate Admissions
- MSN or DNP as an APRN
- Proof of current APRN certification
- 2.50 UI cumulative GPA required to complete the certificate
- Admission on a limited basis
- Deadline: February 1; later applications considered as space allows
An RN with an MSN in education or leadership cannot use this certificate to become an NP. That applicant belongs in the MSN-DNP.
Tuition
The College of Nursing publishes AG-PCNP totals by pathway rather than a per-credit rate. Those totals use 2024-25 rates. The college’s DNP tuition page still shows a 2023-24 table: $1,191 per s.h. for residents (plus technology fee), capped at $11,004 per semester at 9+ s.h. Non-residents pay roughly the resident rate through 4 s.h., then $21,032 per semester at 9+ s.h. No newer DNP rate table is published in static form.
DNP students pay a differential rate well above Iowa’s general graduate tuition. A BSN-DNP estimate built on the general graduate rate would understate resident cost by roughly $40,000. Non-residents pay $79,229 more than residents for the BSN-DNP.
| Pathway | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP | $94,471 | $173,700 |
| MSN-DNP | $54,136 | $92,078 |
| Post-Graduate Certificate | $14,695 | $14,695 |
Totals are published by the University of Iowa College of Nursing at 2024-25 rates. The BSN-DNP total was built on the 79-s.h. plan, not the 75-s.h. 2026-27 catalog curriculum.
Fees beyond tuition (2026-27 registrar schedule):
- Nursing simulation lab equipment fee: $350 per semester for DNP students
- Professional liability insurance: $15
- One-time graduate records fee: $250 in the first semester (Graduate Admissions cost page)
- Travel to campus weekly and to placements up to 100 miles away is a student cost
Funding sources the college names include College of Nursing scholarships, Graduate College scholarships, employer stipends, and military benefits. See the AG-PCNP tuition page or the university rate tables.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: Iowa residents within commuting range of Iowa City who want a DNP-level AG-PCNP credential without the burden of finding their own preceptors.
Placement Is Handled, Within Iowa
The college arranges every placement and considers where students live. For an Iowa resident, that removes the most common source of NP program delays. For anyone outside Iowa, the Iowa-preceptor rule makes the program impractical unless they relocate.
A Weekly Campus Day, Not an Online Program
Didactic NP courses are on site only. The college schedules them for one campus day a week, which suits nurses within driving distance but rules out most long-distance students. Applicants comparing fully online programs should treat Iowa as hybrid in practice.
Resident Cost Versus Non-Resident Cost
At $94,471, the resident BSN-DNP is a doctoral price, not an MSN price. The non-resident figure of $173,700 is nearly double. Because clinicals must be in Iowa anyway, most out-of-state applicants would face both the higher rate and a move.
Three Entry Points for Three Different Nurses
BSN nurses take the full DNP on a 3- or 4-year plan. MSN nurses who are not yet APRNs enter the MSN-DNP and keep transferable credit. Practicing APRNs add AG-PCNP through the certificate at a single published price for residents and non-residents alike.
The Verdict
Iowa-based nurses who can reach Iowa City weekly have the strongest reason to choose this program: college-arranged placements, a small cohort, and a doctorate at the resident rate. APRNs in Iowa seeking a second specialty get a short, fixed-price route. Nurses outside Iowa, those needing a fully online format, and those wanting an MSN-level price should compare other AGPCNP programs.
Accreditation
The University of Iowa DNP is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing. The college reports a 100% certification exam pass rate for AG-PCNP graduates.
The practical limit for distance applicants is clinical location, not authorization paperwork: every preceptor must be in Iowa. Non-Iowa residents should plan on completing all clinical work in the state.
Review the Other AGPCNP Programs in Iowa
- Morningside University - Sioux City