Wilkes University’s online graduate nursing division offers three AGPCNP pathways:
- MSN
- RN-to-MSN (for associate degree RNs; no BSN awarded)
- Post-Graduate/APRN Certificate
All three run 100% online in 12-week courses with no campus visits. Clinical rotations are in person near the student. Applicants must live in a state Wilkes lists as authorized for its graduate online nursing programs.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN AGPCNP | $31,440 | 2 years | 40 |
| RN-to-MSN AGPCNP | $40,086 | 2.6 years (8 terms) | 51 |
| Post-Graduate/APRN Certificate | Up to $21,222 | 1.3 years (4 terms) | Up to 27 |
Tuition estimates multiply Wilkes’ published graduate nursing rate of $786 per credit by each pathway’s credit total. The results match the maximum totals Wilkes publishes. The rate is the same for every state.
Wilkes offers a low private-school rate, a fully online format, and placement coordination, but an unfilled clinical site can cost a student a full term.
The catch is that placement help is not a guarantee. Wilkes states it does not guarantee placement, expects students to supply preceptor referrals, and may assign sites up to 125 miles away. Its graduate handbook places students on leave for the term if no site is secured by the end of the semester’s first week.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | MSN, RN-to-MSN, Post-Graduate/APRN Certificate |
| Format | 100% online coursework; 12-week courses |
| Campus Visits | None |
| Clinical Hours | 500 (250 in each of two practicum courses); RN-to-MSN adds a 45-hour leadership practicum |
| Clinical Placement | Wilkes coordinator assists at no added charge; sites up to 125 miles away; not guaranteed |
| Partner Health Systems | Geisinger, Lehigh Valley Health Network, St. Luke’s (named by Wilkes) |
| RN Requirements | Unencumbered RN license; one year of RN experience before NP clinicals (MSN and RN-to-MSN) |
| Start Terms | Three entry points per year published for the certificate; not clearly published for the degree pathways |
| Tuition | $786 per credit, all states |
| AGPCNP Pass Rate | 91.6% in 2023 vs. 80% nationally, as reported by Wilkes |
| Accreditation | CCNE |
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The MSN-AGPCNP costs an estimated $31,440 for 40 credits (14 courses) and takes about two years. It is for BSN-prepared RNs with a 3.0 GPA who will have one year of RN clinical experience by the time NP clinical courses begin.
MSN Curriculum
The 40 credits split into a 24-credit graduate nursing core and a 16-credit AGPCNP concentration. The core covers the three Ps (health assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacology) plus theory, research, role development, health policy, and a Scholarly Review capstone (NSG 590).
The concentration pairs two didactic primary care courses (NSG 554 and NSG 555) with two practicum courses (NSG 506 and NSG 515). Two 2-credit courses round it out: Diagnostic Reasoning for Nurse Practitioners and a population course on culturally diverse, rural, and underserved patients.
All 500 clinical hours sit in just two courses. At 250 hours per 12-week course, that works out to about 21 hours per week (our calculation), a load that is hard to carry alongside full-time RN work. Unlike the certificate, the MSN plan does not include the NSG 591 board-preparation course.
Graduate Nursing Core (24 credits):
- NSG 500 – Advanced Health Assessment (3)
- NSG 501 – Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Science (3)
- NSG 502 – Advanced Nursing Research (3)
- NSG 504 – Advanced Role Development in Nursing (3)
- NSG 505 – Health Policy and Politics for Advancing Nursing Practice (3)
- NSG 530 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NSG 533 – Advanced Pharmacology (3)
- NSG 590 – Scholarly Review (3)
AGPCNP Concentration (16 credits):
- NSG 550 – Diagnostic Reasoning for Nurse Practitioners (2)
- NSG 556 – Health Perspectives of Culturally Diverse, Rural, and Underserved Populations (2)
- NSG 554 – Nurse Practitioners in Primary Care I (3)
- NSG 555 – Nurse Practitioners in Primary Care II (3)
- NSG 506 – Advanced Practice in Adult-Gerontology Clinical I (3; 250 clinical hours)
- NSG 515 – Advanced Practice in Adult-Gerontology Clinical II (3; 250 clinical hours)
The full plan of study is in Wilkes’ 2026–2027 Graduate Nursing Student Handbook.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total hours: 500, split evenly between NSG 506 and NSG 515
- Placement responsibility: Shared. An assigned Wilkes clinical placement coordinator identifies and helps secure sites. The handbook says students select preceptors in collaboration with the placement team and must supply preceptor referrals from their own networks.
- Cost: Placement services carry no added charge
- Distance: Sites may be up to 125 miles from the student’s location
- Guarantee: None. Wilkes states it does not guarantee placement.
- Deadlines: Preceptor referrals are due at least four weeks before the term. Clearance documents are due by the Friday of Week 2 of the prior semester.
- If no site is found: The placement team assists through the end of the semester’s first week. After that, the student is placed on an uncounted leave of absence for the term.
- Clearances: Managed in CastleBranch. Students pay for background checks, mask fit testing, and CPR certification.
- Preceptor rules: Family members cannot serve as preceptors
- Setting types: Not clearly published beyond adult-gerontology primary care
Wilkes’ named partner systems (Geisinger, Lehigh Valley Health Network, St. Luke’s) are all in eastern Pennsylvania. Students there likely benefit most from existing relationships. Students in other authorized states should expect to lean harder on their own preceptor referrals.
The leave rule is the planning issue to take seriously. A missed placement delays graduation by a term, and the 125-mile radius can mean long commutes during a 21-hour-per-week practicum. Applicants with preceptor leads already in hand carry much less risk.
MSN Admissions
- BSN from a programmatically and regionally accredited institution
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Current, unencumbered RN license
- One year of RN clinical experience by the start of NP clinical courses
- Resume or CV and official transcripts
- Residence in a Wilkes-authorized state
- No GRE, references, essay, or interview listed in published requirements
- Application deadlines: not clearly published
The handbook states that graduates of non-programmatically or non-regionally accredited schools are not admitted. Once enrolled, the margin for error is thin: a second graduate nursing course grade below 3.0 results in dismissal.
RN to MSN – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The RN-to-MSN AGPCNP costs an estimated $40,086 for 51 credits (17 courses) over 8 terms, about 2.6 years. It is for associate degree RNs. Graduates earn only the MSN; no BSN is awarded along the way.
RN-to-MSN Curriculum
The pathway adds 11 bridge credits to the same 40-credit MSN curriculum described above. The bridge replaces a full BSN with three courses: a 15-week transition course, a leadership practicum, and an academic writing course. The handbook states transfer credit is not approved for these bridge courses.
Skipping the BSN saves time and money, but it has a cost. A student who leaves after the bridge holds no new degree. This matters for anyone unsure they will finish the NP sequence.
- NSG 410 – Transition to Baccalaureate Nursing for the Graduate Nursing Student (7; 15 weeks)
- NSG 411 – Leadership and Management Practicum for the Graduate Nursing Student (3; 45 clinical hours)
- NSG 412 – Graduate-Level Academic Writing for Nursing Professionals (1)
- Graduate nursing core (24) and AGPCNP concentration (16), as listed in the MSN section
RN-to-MSN Clinical Requirements
- 45 hours in the NSG 411 leadership practicum
- 500 NP clinical hours in NSG 506 and NSG 515 (250 each)
- Same placement model, 125-mile radius, deadlines, and leave rule as the MSN
RN-to-MSN Admissions
- Associate degree in nursing from a programmatically and regionally accredited institution
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Current, unencumbered RN license
- One year of RN clinical experience by the start of NP clinical courses (typically Year 2)
- Resume or CV and official transcripts
- Residence in a Wilkes-authorized state
Because the experience requirement applies at the start of NP clinicals, a newer ADN graduate can begin the bridge before reaching one year of practice.
Post-Graduate/APRN Certificate – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The Post-Graduate/APRN Certificate costs up to $21,222 for a maximum of 27 credits (10 courses) over 4 terms, about 1.3 years. It requires a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing. A gap analysis of prior coursework can lower both credits and cost.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate drops the MSN’s theory, research, role, policy, and capstone courses. It keeps the three Ps and the full 16-credit AGPCNP concentration, then adds NSG 591, a 2-credit board-preparation course found only in this pathway.
The three Ps account for 9 of the 27 credits. A practicing NP whose prior three-P grades meet Wilkes’ 3.0 standard is the applicant most likely to see those credits waived. An MSN holder outside advanced practice, such as a nurse educator, should expect the full plan.
- NSG 500 – Advanced Health Assessment (3)
- NSG 530 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NSG 533 – Advanced Pharmacology (3)
- AGPCNP concentration: NSG 550, 554, 555, 556, 506, and 515 (16)
- NSG 591 – Scholarly Preparation for Nurse Practitioner Boards (2)
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 500 clinical hours: 250 in each of two practicum courses
- Same placement model, 125-mile radius, deadlines, and leave rule as the MSN
Existing NPs do not get a reduced clinical requirement in the published plan. An FNP or PMHNP adding adult-gerontology primary care still completes the full 500 hours.
Certificate Admissions
- Master’s or doctoral degree in nursing from a programmatically and regionally accredited institution
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Minimum 3.0 grade in prior Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Assessment, and Advanced Pharmacology
- Current, unencumbered RN license; APRN license “if appropriate”
- Transfer course grades must be B (3.0) or better
- Resume or CV and official transcripts
- Three entry points per year
Neither the program page nor the handbook requires current APRN certification of every applicant. The handbook asks NPs to hold a current APRN license, and the program page adds the license “if appropriate.” That wording leaves room for MSN-prepared nurses who are not yet APRNs.
Tuition
Wilkes publishes graduate nursing tuition of $786 per credit for these pathways. As a private university, it charges the same rate in every state.
| Pathway | Credits | Estimated Total Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| MSN AGPCNP | 40 | $31,440 |
| RN-to-MSN AGPCNP | 51 | $40,086 |
| Post-Graduate/APRN Certificate | Up to 27 | Up to $21,222 |
Totals are calculated from the $786 rate and published credit totals; they match Wilkes’ published maximums.
Fees beyond tuition:
- Wilkes states its totals exclude fees but does not itemize fees for these pathways on its online tuition page
- Clinical placement services: no added charge
- Student-paid clinical clearances: background checks, mask fit testing, CPR certification
- Any preceptor referral that requires payment is the student’s cost, per the handbook
See Wilkes’ official tuition page for current totals.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: RNs in Pennsylvania or another Wilkes-authorized state who want a low-cost, fully online private AGPCNP program and can bring preceptor leads and travel up to 125 miles for clinicals.
Placement Coordination With a Hard Deadline
Wilkes does more than many online programs by assigning a coordinator to find sites. It still expects referrals from students, guarantees nothing, and moves students onto leave if a site is not secured in the first week of the term. The model works best for students who treat it as shared work rather than a handoff.
A $786 Rate With No Residency Premium
At $31,440 for the MSN, Wilkes costs less than many private online AGPCNP programs, and out-of-state students pay the same as Pennsylvanians. With no campus visits, there are no travel costs for residencies.
A Direct Route for Associate Degree RNs
The RN-to-MSN adds only 11 credits to the MSN. For an ADN-prepared nurse set on becoming an AGPCNP, that is a shorter path than a separate BSN followed by an MSN. The trade-off is that no BSN is earned along the way.
500 Hours Packed Into Two Practicum Courses
Wilkes requires 500 clinical hours, the minimum the national AGPCNP certification boards accept, not more. Concentrating them in two 12-week courses makes each clinical term demanding. Plan for reduced work hours during those terms.
The Verdict
Wilkes is a strong fit for cost-conscious RNs in an authorized state, especially in eastern Pennsylvania near its partner systems, who want no campus travel and have preceptor contacts. ADN-prepared nurses committed to the NP path gain a direct route. Applicants in unauthorized states such as New York or North Carolina are not eligible. Those who need guaranteed placement, or more than 500 clinical hours, should compare other programs.
Accreditation
Wilkes’ MSN and post-graduate APRN certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Wilkes reports a 91.6% AGPCNP certification pass rate for its graduates in 2023.
Wilkes publishes one list of states authorized for its graduate online nursing programs and does not mention NC-SARA on that page. It states it cannot place students who move to an unauthorized state, which may end their enrollment. Check Wilkes’ current state authorization page before applying.
Other AGPCNP Programs in Pennsylvania
- Drexel University - Philadelphia
- La Salle University - Philadelphia
- Misericordia University - Dallas
- Moravian University - Bethlehem
- University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia
- York College - York