Ursuline College’s Breen School of Nursing offers 2 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner pathways:
- MSN
- Post-Graduate Certificate
Both pathways use the same AGPCNP specialty courses and practicums, based at the Pepper Pike, Ohio campus. The MSN requires Ohio RN licensure or eligibility for it.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | $52,689 | About 2.3 years full-time; about 3.3 years part-time | 39 |
| Post-Graduate Certificate | $9,740–$15,584 | About 4 semesters | 10–16 |
Tuition estimates multiply Ursuline’s 2026-2027 graduate rates ($1,351/credit for the MSN; $974/credit for DNP and MSN certificate programs) by the 2025-2026 graduate catalog’s credit requirements. The certificate range runs from the catalog’s 10 AGPCNP specialty credits to 16 credits when the two co-requisite core courses (NR 620, NR 636) are added. Durations count terms in Ursuline’s curriculum guides.
What separates Ursuline’s certificate from its MSN is how little of the MSN it repeats. The graduate catalog requires post-master’s students to take only the AGPCNP specialty courses and document prior advanced pathophysiology, health assessment, and pharmacology. That puts the certificate at roughly 10 to 16 credits, an estimated $9,740 to $15,584, against $52,689 for the 39-credit MSN.
The trade-off is how scattered and local the details are. Ursuline’s own certificate web page lists all 39 MSN credits, contradicting the catalog, and the clinical rules (520 practicum hours at Ursuline-affiliated agencies) appear only in the MSN handbook. Combined with the Ohio licensure rule and a campus-based schedule, the program is realistically built for nurses who already live and work in Northeast Ohio.
Ursuline’s catalog puts its AGPCNP certificate at as few as 10 credits for master’s-prepared nurses, but clinicals run only at Ursuline-affiliated agencies, and both pathways center on Ohio licensure.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN; Post-Graduate Certificate |
| Format | Campus-based in Pepper Pike, OH; three Level 1 courses run online or face-to-face in some semesters |
| Certificate Credits | 10–16 per the graduate catalog; the certificate web page lists 39 |
| Clinical Hours | 520 direct clinical hours minimum, 130 in each of four 1-credit practicums (NR 616–619) |
| Clinical Placement | Ursuline-affiliated agencies only; each site pre-approved by the NP program coordinator |
| Population Focus | Adolescents through older adults, primary care |
| Licensure | Unencumbered RN license; current Ohio licensure or eligibility for it |
| Start Terms | MSN: fall and spring; certificate: every semester |
| Tuition (2026–2027) | $1,351/credit (MSN); $974/credit (certificate) |
| Accreditation | CCNE |
Master of Science in Nursing: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
The MSN AGPCNP track costs an estimated $52,689 in tuition (39 credits at $1,351). Ursuline’s curriculum guide lays out seven consecutive semesters full-time (about 2.3 years) or ten semesters part-time (about 3.3 years). Applicants need a BSN, Ohio RN licensure or eligibility for it, and recent RN experience.
MSN Curriculum
The catalog splits the 39 credits into a 29-credit advanced practice core and 10 AGPCNP specialty credits (NR 615, NR 635, and four practicums). The curriculum guide sequences them in three locked levels:
- Level 1 (18 credits): evidence-based practice, informatics, and the advanced physiology, health assessment, and pharmacology core. NR 540 is a prerequisite to NR 541 and NR 542.
- Level 2 (15 credits): three didactic courses (diagnostics, adult-gerontology disease management, health promotion), each paired with a 1-credit practicum, plus 1-credit modules in policy, finance, and ethics.
- Level 3 (6 credits): focused populations with its practicum, plus a 2-credit roles course with a culminating project.
Clinical work does not begin until Level 2, and each practicum runs in the same term as the course it applies. That keeps theory and patient care tightly linked, but it concentrates all clinical exposure in the final four terms of the full-time plan.
Ursuline’s FNP track is the full AGPCNP curriculum plus one 4-credit pediatrics course (NR 638), 43 credits in total. That explains the shared “AGNP/FNP” practicum titles and the reference to children in the NR 617 description. It also means Ursuline’s AGPCNP and FNP tracks differ by a single course.
Key courses:
- NR 540 Advanced Physiology/Pathology (3 credits)
- NR 541 Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits)
- NR 542 Advanced Pharmacology (4 credits)
- NR 615 Advanced Diagnostics (3 credits), with NR 616 practicum (1 credit)
- NR 636 Adult Gerontology Health Disease Management (3 credits), with NR 617 practicum (1 credit)
- NR 620 Health Promotion, Maintenance and Restoration (3 credits), with NR 618 practicum (1 credit)
- NR 635 Focused Populations: Gender Specific Health Issues, Geriatrics, and Adolescents (3 credits), with NR 619 practicum (1 credit)
- NR 650D Advanced Practice Roles and Responsibilities, with culminating project (2 credits)
See the MSN AGPCNP course requirements, the AGPCNP curriculum guide, and the 2025–2026 graduate catalog.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Four 1-credit practicums: NR 616, NR 617, NR 618, and NR 619
- Each practicum is a co-requisite of its paired course (NR 615, NR 636, NR 620, NR 635)
- Practicum focus: primary care, with emphasis on health maintenance, disease prevention, counseling, and patient education
- Clinical hours: minimum 520 direct clinical hours in adult-gerontology primary care, 130 per practicum
- Placement: practicums take place at agencies with Ursuline clinical affiliation agreements; each placement is pre-approved by the NP program coordinator, and students work with an assigned clinical instructor
- Non-affiliated sites: requested through the NP program coordinator or Associate Dean; new agreements can take several weeks
- Preceptors: each student signs a Letter of Agreement with the preceptor; the handbook lists no preceptor credential requirements
- Who finds the preceptor, and geographic limits on sites: not clearly published
These figures come from the 2025–2026 MSN handbook, linked from the general MSN page rather than the AGPCNP track pages. The 520 hours cover the four practicums only; the handbook also lists 40 clinical hours in NR 541 but gives no combined total. The 130 hours per practicum are minimums, and students who fall short receive an Incomplete.
The affiliation-agreement rule is the main planning issue. Ursuline does not say whether it or the student finds the preceptor, but every site must already hold an agreement with Ursuline or go through an approval process that can take several weeks. In practice that ties clinicals to Ursuline’s existing partner agencies, which favors nurses based in Northeast Ohio. Nurses hoping to train at their own employer should check early whether it is an Ursuline affiliate.
MSN Admissions
- BSN from a regionally accredited program, with official transcripts from all nursing programs attended
- 3.0 average in baccalaureate nursing coursework (catalog MSN criteria); the general graduate policy allows conditional admission below 3.0 at the dean’s discretion
- Unencumbered RN license, with current Ohio licensure or eligibility for Ohio licensure
- At least one year of RN experience, with RN work documented within the past two years
- Three recommendations on Ursuline’s form; suggested writers are a former instructor, an advanced practice nurse, and a clinical manager or work supervisor
- Essay of 500–1,000 words and a $25 application fee
- Interview with the program director or graduate faculty, if requested
- Transfer credit: up to 40% of program credits, grade of B or better, from courses taken within ten years of admission
- Start terms: fall and spring; applications accepted year-round
The licensure wording differs by source. The program page asks for a current Ohio license; the catalog also accepts eligibility for Ohio licensure, which leaves room for nurses moving to Ohio to apply while their license is in process. The experience rule excludes nurses who have not worked as an RN in the past two years.
Post-Graduate Certificate: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
The post-graduate AGPCNP certificate is built from the AGPCNP specialty courses. Based on the graduate catalog, it runs an estimated 10 to 16 credits, or $9,740 to $15,584 at $974 per credit. Ursuline does not publish a completion time; the four practicums span about four semesters in the curriculum guide. It serves nurses who already hold a master’s degree in nursing.
A published conflict worth knowing about. Ursuline’s certificate course requirements web page lists all 18 MSN courses (39 credits). The 2025–2026 graduate catalog says post-master’s students take the associated specialty courses and document completion of advanced pathophysiology, health assessment, and pharmacology. For the AGPCNP, the catalog’s specialty courses are NR 615, NR 635, and practicums NR 616–619 (10 credits). Two practicums list core courses as co-requisites (NR 617 with NR 636; NR 618 with NR 620), adding 6 credits unless the graduate director grants permission otherwise. This page follows the catalog, which states degree requirements, and estimates 10 to 16 credits.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate keeps the MSN’s practicum pairings but drops the master’s core. Courses the catalog and co-requisite rules point to:
- NR 615 Advanced Diagnostics (3 credits)
- NR 635 Focused Populations: Gender Specific Health Issues, Geriatrics, and Adolescents (3 credits)
- NR 616–619 Clinical Management Courses/Practicum (4 credits)
- NR 636 Adult Gerontology Health Disease Management (3 credits) and NR 620 Health Promotion, Maintenance and Restoration (3 credits), the co-requisites for NR 617 and NR 618
- Documentation of prior advanced pathophysiology, health assessment, and pharmacology
Nurses without documented 3P coursework would add NR 540, NR 541, and NR 542 (10 credits), for about 26 credits.
See the certificate course requirements and the post-master’s certificate section of the graduate catalog.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- Same four 1-credit practicums as the MSN (NR 616–619)
- Clinical hours: not stated separately for the AGPCNP certificate; the MSN handbook says certificate practicum hours vary with the student’s current specialty
- Placement: same affiliated-agency model as the MSN
Ursuline’s licensure disclosure states that the MSN AGPCNP track meets AANP and ANCC certification requirements. It does not name the AGPCNP certificate separately, although CCNE accreditation covers Ursuline’s post-graduate APRN certificate program and the certificate uses the same specialty courses.
Certificate Admissions
- Master’s degree, with transcripts documenting completion
- Two letters of recommendation (one fewer than the MSN)
- Documentation of prior advanced pathophysiology, health assessment, and pharmacology, or completion of those courses at Ursuline
- Ohio RN licensure: stated for the MSN; the catalog’s certificate section does not restate it
- Start terms: every semester
Unlike Ursuline’s post-master’s PMHNP certificate, the AGPCNP certificate does not require existing national APRN certification. Master’s-prepared nurses in education or leadership roles can apply, but those programs typically lack the 3P courses, which pushes them toward the 26-credit end.
Tuition
Ursuline publishes these 2026–2027 graduate charges:
- MSN tuition: $1,351 per credit
- Doctor of Nursing Practice and MSN Certificate programs: $974 per credit
- Technology fee: $225 per semester
- Facilities fee: $50 per semester
- Matriculation fee: $100, one time for new students
- Course fees: vary by course and appear in the registrar’s class schedules
As a private college, Ursuline charges the same rate regardless of state residency. The rate table does not name the AGPCNP certificate specifically; this page applies the MSN Certificate programs rate to it.
| Pathway | Credits | Rate | Est. Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN | 39 | $1,351 | $52,689 |
| Certificate: catalog specialty courses only | 10 | $974 | $9,740 |
| Certificate: with co-requisite NR 620 and NR 636 | 16 | $974 | $15,584 |
| Certificate: also taking the 3P courses | 26 | $974 | $25,324 |
Totals are calculated from Ursuline’s published rates and catalog credit requirements; Ursuline does not publish program totals. Technology, facilities, and matriculation fees add about $2,025 over the seven-semester full-time MSN plan.
For a master’s-prepared nurse, the certificate structure is the biggest cost factor at Ursuline. Even the 26-credit version costs less than half the MSN.
Financial support options Ursuline lists for graduate students:
- Federal Direct loans for degree-seeking students; federal loan eligibility for certificates depends on the program
- Employer reimbursement deferment, with a $25 enrollment fee per semester
- Interest-free monthly payment plan (4 or 5 installments per semester, $25 fee per semester)
Ursuline does not list scholarships specific to AGPCNP students. See Ursuline’s graduate tuition and fees and the tuition overview.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: Master’s-prepared nurses in Northeast Ohio who want a short, low-cost route to AGPCNP certification, and Ohio RNs who want a campus-based MSN.
The certificate repeats almost none of the MSN
The catalog limits the certificate to the AGPCNP specialty courses, an estimated 10 to 16 credits at $974 per credit. A nurse who already holds an APRN-track master’s with the 3P courses could finish for roughly $10,000 to $16,000 in tuition. The catch is the conflicting 39-credit list on Ursuline’s own certificate web page, which applicants should resolve in writing at admission.
An Ohio program, not a distance option
Ursuline centers both pathways on Ohio RN licensure, and only three Level 1 MSN courses (NR 532, NR 533, NR 540) are offered online in some semesters. Its licensure disclosure lists 19 states, including neighboring Pennsylvania, where its graduate nursing programs do not meet educational requirements. Nurses outside commuting range of Pepper Pike, or planning to practice elsewhere, have little reason to choose this program.
Clinicals run through Ursuline’s affiliated agencies
The MSN handbook sets a 520-hour practicum minimum and requires every site to hold a clinical affiliation agreement with Ursuline. It does not say who finds the preceptor, and adding a non-affiliated site can take several weeks. Nurses whose employer already partners with Ursuline will find this model easiest.
AGPCNP and FNP are one course apart
Ursuline’s FNP track is the AGPCNP curriculum plus a single 4-credit pediatrics course. Applicants undecided between the two population foci should weigh that small gap: the FNP adds 4 credits to the MSN and broadens the patient population to children.
The Verdict
Master’s-prepared nurses in Northeast Ohio have the strongest case for Ursuline: under the catalog, the certificate covers only the AGPCNP specialty sequence for an estimated $9,740 to $15,584. BSN-prepared Ohio RNs who want a campus-connected MSN near Cleveland are a reasonable fit at an estimated $52,689. Nurses outside Ohio, those who want a fully online program, and those who want guaranteed placement or clinicals outside Ursuline’s affiliated agencies should compare other options.
Accreditation
CCNE accredits Ursuline’s master’s degree program in nursing and its post-graduate APRN certificate program. Ursuline states that the MSN AGPCNP track meets educational requirements for AANP A-GNP and ANCC AGPCNP-BC certification.
Ursuline’s licensure disclosure lists 19 states where its graduate nursing programs do not meet educational requirements, including Pennsylvania, New York, and California. Applicants planning to practice outside Ohio should check Ursuline’s professional licensure disclosures before applying.
Other AGPCNP Programs in Ohio
- Case Western Reserve University - Cleveland
- Kent State University - Kent
- Ohio State University - Columbus
- University of Cincinnati - Cincinnati