UNC Wilmington offers a BSN to DNP Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner track.
Key features include:
- 1,000 total clinical hours (750 direct patient care, 250 non-patient care)
- Terminal DNP degree preparing graduates for advanced practice provider roles
- Holistic admissions process assessing unique life, professional, and personal experiences alongside traditional academic metrics
The program is delivered through distance education with asynchronous and synchronous online coursework, requiring mandatory on-campus orientation and designated on-campus intensives throughout the program.
Program Tracks Overview
BSN to DNP – AGPCNP
The estimated cost for the BSN to DNP AGPCNP program is approximately $33,168 for NC residents, and the program takes approximately 3 years to complete on a full-time basis.
Estimate based on 72 credits at the distance education rate.
DNP Curriculum
The 72-credit curriculum includes foundational advanced practice courses, DNP core courses focused on leadership and evidence-based practice, specialty AGPCNP clinical courses, and a three-semester DNP project sequence.
NSG 601 – Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice Nurses (3 credits)
This course examines disease mechanisms across major body systems and the lifespan. Students connect physiologic changes to clinical signs, symptoms, and expected findings.
NSG 602 – Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning (3 credits)
This course builds advanced history-taking and physical exam skills for individuals and families. Students use diagnostic reasoning to distinguish normal variation from illness across cultural and developmental contexts.
NSG 603 – Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics (3 credits)
This course prepares students to select and manage drug therapy for common acute and chronic conditions. Emphasis includes safe prescribing and medication planning for diverse and underserved rural and urban populations.
NSG 611 – Family-Centered Health Care Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
This course applies family and community assessment methods to primary care concerns. Students use culture and epidemiology concepts to evaluate how health problems affect family roles and community health trends.
NSG 612 – Advanced Family Nursing I: Adult Health (4 credits)
This course develops primary care management skills for adult conditions. Students use evidence and clinical reasoning to form differentials, select diagnostics, and build treatment and follow-up plans for common presentations.
NSG 616 – Advanced Adult-Gerontology Nursing: Adolescents, Older Adult and Gender Health (4 credits)
This course focuses on primary care for adolescents through older adults, including men’s and women’s health. Students apply ethical decision-making and data-based planning to improve quality, cost, and outcomes in adult-gerontology primary care.
NSG 617 – Pharmacotherapeutics and Diagnostic Reasoning for the Older Adult (2 credits)
This course emphasizes medication management and diagnostic decision-making for older adults. Students address age-related change, safety risks, and care planning across settings to support quality outcomes.
NSG 618 – Advanced Adult Gerontology Nursing: Management of Complex Health Problems (4 credits)
This capstone course strengthens management of chronic and complex conditions from adolescence through end of life. Students design comprehensive, team-based plans using evidence, theory, and community resources.
NSG 680 – Population Health Promotion and Clinical Epidemiology (3 credits)
This course covers wellness, prevention, and behavior change for individuals and populations. Students apply epidemiology and social determinants data to reduce risk, address inequities, and inform a population-focused DNP project.
NSG 682 – Genomics for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 credits)
This course introduces genetics and genomics for advanced nursing practice. Students apply risk assessment and pharmacogenomics concepts and examine ethical and technology impacts in care.
NSG 683 – Statistics for Evidence-Based Practice (3 credits)
This course teaches common statistical methods used in evidence-based care. Students practice interpreting quantitative and qualitative results to support clinical decisions.
NSG 685 – Theoretical Approaches to Evidence-Based Practice (3 credits)
This course links theory, research, and evidence-based practice to measurable outcomes. Students learn to appraise evidence and evaluate how practice changes affect care results.
NSG 686 – Methodologic Approaches to Evidence-Based Practice (3 credits)
This course prepares students to translate research into practice within healthcare organizations. Students synthesize evidence for a priority problem and define outcomes and evaluation plans that guide a DNP practice change project.
NSG 688 – Health Care Systems Leadership and Quality Improvement (3 credits)
This course develops leadership skills for team-based improvement in healthcare delivery. Students use change and outcomes methods to plan quality initiatives, with attention to rural and underserved populations.
NSG 689 – Health Care Policy and Financial Management (3 credits)
This course examines how policy and financing shape practice and care access. Students build skills to analyze policy, advocate for change, and apply basic financial planning to care coordination.
NSG 692 – Health Care Information Systems and Technology (3 credits)
This course focuses on health IT and patient care technology that support safer decisions. Students design a plan to use information systems to implement and evaluate an evidence-based practice change.
NSGL 696 – DNP Project I (3 credits)
This course launches the DNP project by assessing the organization, population, and problem. Students define measures, build an evaluation plan, form a project team, and produce a complete project proposal.
NSGL 697 – DNP Project II (3 credits)
This course centers on carrying out the DNP project in a practice setting. Students apply leadership and implementation skills to complete the planned intervention work.
NSGL 698 – DNP Project III (3 credits)
This course focuses on project outcome analysis and sustainability planning. Students identify limits, recommend next steps, and prepare dissemination materials for professional audiences.
NSGL 660 – Advanced Adult-Gerontology Nursing Practicum I (3 credits)
This practicum begins primary care clinical experiences for patients age 13 through end of life. Students practice differential diagnosis and treatment planning during 180 patient contact hours.
NSGL 661 – Advanced Adult-Gerontology Nursing Practicum II (3 credits)
This practicum builds clinical decision-making and management skills in primary care settings. Students expand diagnostic and treatment planning with 180 patient contact hours.
NSGL 662 – Advanced Adult-Gerontology Nursing Practicum III (3 credits)
This practicum advances evaluation and management of patient outcomes across the lifespan. Students refine clinical reasoning and care planning during 180 patient contact hours.
NSGL 663 – Advanced Adult-Gerontology Nursing Practicum IV (4 credits)
This final practicum integrates advanced primary care management and decision-making. Students demonstrate synthesis of skills and complete 240 patient contact hours.
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP Clinicals
The program requires 1,000 total clinical hours including 750 direct patient care hours and 250 non-patient care hours, with specific minimum patient encounter requirements across age groups and clinical presentations:
Total Clinical Hours:
- 750 direct patient care clinical hours
- 250 non-patient care hours (DNP project implementation and scholarly work)
- Total of 1,000 clinical hours required for graduation
Minimum Patient Encounter Requirements:
- 20 encounters: Ages 13-19 episodic exams
- 20 encounters: Ages 13-19 well exams
- 70 encounters: Adult episodic or wellness care (age <65)
- 70 encounters: Adult chronic illness (age <65)
- 70 encounters: Geriatric chronic illness care (age ≥65)
- 70 encounters: Geriatric episodic or wellness care (age ≥65)
- 60 encounters: Frail elderly care
- 20 encounters: Gynecologic visits (must include 10 speculum/bi-manual exams)
- 40 encounters: Men’s health visits
- 10 encounters: Men’s health genital-urinary issues (>18 years old)
Preceptor Requirements:
- Preceptors must be NP, MD, DO, or PA licensed in North Carolina
- At least one preceptor must be a nurse practitioner during the program
- All preceptors must be board certified with minimum one year of experience
DNP Prerequisites & Admissions
- Bachelor’s degree in nursing from regionally accredited institution
- Overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (GPA as low as 2.75 considered case-by-case)
- Valid unrestricted North Carolina RN license or compact state license
- 600 hours of registered nurse work experience prior to beginning clinical courses
- Transcripts demonstrating successful completion of undergraduate community health, health and physical assessment, nursing research, and statistics
- Three professional references (submitted via online survey)
- Resume with clinical work history (one page only)
- Video submission (maximum 5 minutes) addressing required prompts about professional experience, personal attributes, goal achievement, professional alignment, and understanding of DNP vs. MSN differences
- Holistic admissions review including quantitative and qualitative criteria
- International applicants must present evidence of professional standing in home countries (excludes U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents)
Tuition
DNP Distance Education students pay $426.01 per credit hour for NC residents ($310.84 base tuition + $115.17 differential tuition) or $1,373.29 per credit hour for non-residents ($1,258.12 base tuition + $115.17 differential tuition).
Additional fees include Education & Technology Fee, Security Fee (per credit hour), and Student Government Fee. At 9+ credits per semester, total costs are $4,146.00 for residents and $12,671.50 for non-residents.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Application Deadlines
Applications for the BSN to DNP AGPCNP program are due February 1, 2026 for Fall 2026 admission. The application opens September 1, 2025. Complete applications are reviewed as a group after the published deadline.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at UNCW prepares graduates for advanced practice provider roles in primary care settings. Graduates are eligible to sit for the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner national certification examination.
The program meets North Carolina requirements for professional licensure and prepares students to sit for applicable certification exams, though requirements in other states may differ.
More ACNP Programs in North Carolina
- Duke University - Durham
- East Carolina University - Greenville
- UNC Greensboro - Greensboro
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Chapel Hill