Yale School of Nursing (YSN) offers four Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) pathways:
- MSN – AGPCNP for registered nurses (full-time or part-time)
- RN-to-DNP – AGPCNP for registered nurses (newly listed, Fall 2027 entry)
- GEPN–MSN – AGPCNP for non-nurses with a bachelor’s degree
- GEPN–DNP – AGPCNP for non-nurses with a bachelor’s degree (newly listed, Fall 2027 entry)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN (full-time) | $108,700 | 2 years | 52–53 |
| MSN (part-time) | $108,200 | 3 years | 52–53 |
| RN-to-DNP | Not published | 2 years (full-time) | Not published |
| GEPN–MSN | $184,600 | 3 years | 98–99 |
| GEPN–DNP | Not published | 3 years | Not published |
Tuition figures are estimates calculated from YSN’s 2026–27 flat term rates. They exclude fees and future increases. The credit range reflects a conflict in Yale’s own sources, explained in the curriculum section.
Yale’s biggest advantage is clinical placement. YSN’s Clinical Support Unit provides every AGPCNP preceptor, so students do not search for their own sites. The curriculum also carries more geriatric content than a typical adult-gero sequence. It is built on the age-friendly 4Ms framework and still includes adolescent, women’s health, and mental health coursework.
The trade-off is cost and location. Full-time MSN tuition is about $108,700 at 2026–27 rates. Every AGPCNP pathway is residential, with weekday classes on Yale’s West Campus in Orange, CT. Nurses who need an online or low-residency program should compare other schools. Yale’s only hybrid NP program is in psychiatric-mental health.
Quick Facts
| Pathways | MSN (RN entry), RN-to-DNP, GEPN–MSN, GEPN–DNP |
| Format | Residential; MSN full- or part-time; DNP and GEPN full-time |
| Campus Attendance | Weekday classes on Yale West Campus; no online AGPCNP option |
| Clinical Hours (MSN) | 780, per the 2025–26 plan of study |
| Clinical Placement | Clinical Support Unit provides preceptors; students do not self-place |
| Population Focus | Adolescents through older adults; pediatrics excluded |
| Distinctive Coursework | 4Ms geriatric care, adolescent primary care, women’s health, mental health management, free-clinic rotation |
| RN License | Any U.S. state to start; Connecticut RN license required by November 1 of the first term |
| Start Term | Fall only (next entry Fall 2027) |
| Deadlines (Fall 2027) | Priority November 1; regular April 1 |
| Tuition (2026–27) | $27,168 per full-time term; $18,033 per part-time term |
| Accreditation | CCNE (master’s program) |
| Certification | Prepares graduates for ANCC or AANP AGPCNP certification |
MSN – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The MSN-AGPCNP program costs an estimated $108,672 in full-time tuition (four terms at $27,168, 2026–27 rates). It takes 2 years full-time or 3 years part-time. It requires 52–53 credits and 780 clinical hours. Applicants must be RNs, or finishing a nursing program, and hold a bachelor’s degree in any field.
MSN Curriculum
The first term covers the advanced practice core: health assessment, pathophysiology, and pharmacology. It also covers Primary Care I, the first geriatrics course, and Women’s Health I. Clinical work begins in the second term.
The clinical sequence has three steps:
- Year-long practicum (NURS 7045/7046): runs from spring of year one through fall of year two.
- Final practicum (NURS 7047): in the last spring. It adds billing and coding, administrative workload management, and leadership through professional service.
- Primary care didactics: four stages (Primary Care I, II, IIIA, and IIIB) run alongside the practica.
Geriatrics frames the program from start to finish. NURS 7100 introduces aging theory and policy in the first term. NURS 7104 closes the program with geriatric syndromes managed through the 4Ms: Medications, Mentation, Mobility, and What Matters Most. YSN develops this content with the Connecticut Older Adult Collaboration for Health (COACH).
Breadth courses extend primary care across the full AGPCNP population. These are adolescent primary care, two women’s health courses, and mental health management for common conditions. A procedures lab and standardized-patient simulation prepare students before and during clinicals.
Changes and conflicts to note:
- Credit total: The 2026–27 Bulletin merges the former Primary Care IA and IB into one Primary Care I course. Its curriculum table lists that course at 1 credit, so the program totals 52 credits. The same Bulletin’s course description lists Primary Care I at 2 credits, which gives 53. The 2025–26 plan of study also totals 53. For full-time students this has no cost effect, because tuition is billed at a flat term rate.
- Program description: The Bulletin’s AGPCNP overview uses acute-care language, such as stabilizing critical illness. The actual course sequence is entirely primary care.
- Course rename: NURS 6060 is now titled Population and Community Health.
Key courses (2026–27 Bulletin credits):
Advanced practice core
- NURS 6000 Advanced Health Assessment (3)
- NURS 6010 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
- NURS 6020 Advanced Pharmacology (2)
- NURS 6040 Statistics and Research for Evidence-Based Practice Nursing (3)
- NURS 6050 Transitions to Professional Practice (2)
- NURS 6060 Population and Community Health (2)
Primary care sequence
- NURS 7030 Primary Care I (1 or 2; see note above)
- NURS 7040 Primary Care II (2)
- NURS 7060 and 7061 Primary Care IIIA and IIIB (1 each)
- NURS 7000 Advanced Skills and Procedures for the Primary Care Provider (2)
- NURS 7110 Advanced FNP/AGPCNP Pharmacology (1)
Geriatric and population breadth
- NURS 7100 Critical Perspectives in the Care of the Older Adult (2)
- NURS 7104 Advanced Primary Care of the Older Adult (2)
- NURS 7440 Primary Care of Adolescents (2)
- NURS 7200 Women’s Health I (1) and NURS 7230 Women’s Health III (1)
- NURS 6070 Mental Health Management for Advanced Practice Nurses (2)
Clinical
- NURS 7045 and 7046 Primary Care II Clinical Practice AGPCNP (5 each)
- NURS 7047 Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Practicum II (7)
- NURS 6210 and 6211 Advanced Primary Care and Community Health (1 each)
More curriculum details are available on the course catalog page. Term-by-term schedules are in the full-time plan of study and the part-time plan of study.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- Total hours: 780 clinical hours, per the 2025–26 full-time plan: NURS 7045 (year one, spring) 210 hours; NURS 7046 (year two, fall) 210 hours; NURS 7047 (year two, spring) 300 hours; NURS 6210 and 6211 (free-clinic rotation) 30 hours each.
- Hours conflict: The Bulletin’s course description for NURS 7045/7046 lists 180 clinical hours, not the 210 shown in the plan of study.
- Weekly load (estimate): About 14 hours per week in the year-long practicum and about 20 hours per week in the final spring, assuming 15-week terms.
- Settings: Community health centers, internal medicine and primary care offices, specialty clinics, and hospital-based clinics. YSN states it emphasizes care of underserved patients.
- Preceptors: Nurse practitioners, physicians, and physician associates. Many are YSN alumni.
- Placement responsibility: The Clinical Support Unit provides AGPCNP preceptors. Students are not required to find their own. Students may suggest contacts from their own networks to expand the preceptor pool.
- Out-of-state option: Students may complete an immersive clinical experience in a region of their choice, arranged with the Clinical Support Unit. It takes place in the summer between specialty years or in the final spring.
- Free-clinic rotation: NURS 6210/6211 place students at HAVEN, Yale’s student-run free clinic, for eight Saturdays total. Students work alongside medical and PA students.
- Free-clinic conflict: The Bulletin describes this course as an elective that students apply for, with selection at faculty discretion. The curriculum table and plan of study list it as required and count its 60 hours toward the 780 total.
- Costs: Students pay for transportation to clinical sites and parking. YSN budgets $2,750 per year for transportation.
- Not published: Geographic range of placements, formal guarantee language, and what happens if a placement falls through.
Placement support is Yale’s clearest advantage. Students avoid the preceptor search that delays many NP students at self-placement programs. That benefit depends on living within reach of campus, since the program is residential.
The 780 hours are well above the 500 faculty-supervised hours long used as the minimum for NP certification eligibility. Applicants should ask how the hour total is met if they are not selected for the HAVEN rotation.
MSN Admissions
- Bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited institution
- Graduation from a state-approved school of nursing (ADN and diploma RNs with a non-nursing bachelor’s are eligible)
- RN license in at least one U.S. state before first-term registration
- Connecticut RN license by November 1 of the first term
- Active Connecticut RN license and BLS certification throughout enrollment
- Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (NursingCAS-calculated), or GRE scores at or above the 50th percentile in each section within five years
- Statistics and research course recommended, not required
- At least one year of professional nursing experience highly recommended, not required
- Résumé or CV, personal statement, and three letters of recommendation
- Official transcripts from all colleges attended
- Kira Talent assessment: asynchronous video and timed writing, about 25–30 minutes
- TOEFL or IELTS if English is not the applicant’s first language and they did not complete four years of undergraduate study in English (IELTS minimum 7.0 overall)
- TEC or WES evaluation for coursework completed outside the U.S. or Canada
- Background check before enrollment
- Specialty selected at application
- Fall 2027 deadlines: priority November 1; regular April 1
- International students on F-1 visas are eligible
- Applicants may apply to the same program no more than three times without an offer
- Transfer-credit policy: not clearly published for this program
Two rules broaden eligibility. First, a BSN is not required: an ADN-prepared RN with a bachelor’s in another field qualifies. Second, nursing students can apply before licensure. Their admission is then conditional on passing the NCLEX before fall registration.
Out-of-state RNs must obtain a Connecticut license by November 1 of their first term. Plan the endorsement process before arriving.
RN-to-DNP – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
YSN lists the RN-to-DNP as a 2-year, full-time, residential program for RNs with a bachelor’s degree in any field. AGPCNP is one of its specialties, and the next entry is Fall 2027.
Tuition, credit totals, and clinical hours are not yet published. The 2026–27 Bulletin includes only the post-master’s DNP curricula. The 2026–27 tuition page lists no RN-entry DNP rate.
What YSN has published:
- Two specialty years that combine AGPCNP preparation with doctoral coursework in quality and safety, informatics, and doctoral healthcare practice
- A practice-scholarship project at a partner organization, developed across the final year
- Eligibility for national certification in the specialty at graduation
- Clinical placements coordinated by the Clinical Support Unit, which handles placements for all YSN students
Admissions differences from the MSN:
- Same Fall 2027 deadlines: priority November 1; regular April 1
- Not open to applicants who need an F-1 or J-1 visa
- Materials conflict: YSN’s application instructions list MSN-style materials, including the Kira assessment and GRE if GPA is below 3.0. YSN’s admissions FAQ says DNP applicants submit a writing sample and complete a virtual interview, and that the GRE rule applies only to MSN and GEPN applicants. Confirm requirements with admissions.
YSN lists the same two-year length for the RN-to-DNP and the MSN. The open question is how much workload, project time, and tuition the doctoral components add. Before choosing the DNP over the MSN, request the plan of study, total credits, clinical and project hours, and tuition rate.
GEPN–MSN – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
The GEPN–MSN costs an estimated $184,560 in tuition at 2026–27 rates. That total is the $75,888 prelicensure year plus two full-time specialty years at $54,336 each. It requires 98–99 credits (46 prelicensure plus 52–53 AGPCNP) and takes 3 years of full-time study, including a summer term in year one. It is designed for applicants with a bachelor’s degree in any field and no nursing background.
GEPN–MSN Curriculum
Year one is an accelerated prelicensure year across fall, spring, and summer, worth 46 credits. It covers:
- Biomedical foundations, human anatomy, and drug therapy
- Health assessment and clinical skills
- Clinical rotations in adult, childbearing, pediatric, psychiatric-mental health, and community health nursing
The 2025–26 plan lists 500 prelicensure hours: 349 clinical, 25 simulation, and 126 skills lab. Completing the year earns a Certificate in Nursing, which makes students eligible for the NCLEX-RN under Connecticut law.
Years two and three follow the same AGPCNP sequence as the RN-entry MSN. The prelicensure year includes pediatric and childbearing rotations as RN preparation, even though the AGPCNP population focus excludes children.
The prelicensure curriculum is on the GEPN catalog page and in the GEPN plan of study.
GEPN–MSN Clinical Requirements
- 349 prelicensure clinical hours plus 780 AGPCNP hours, for about 1,129 total clinical hours (calculated from the two plans)
- All placements coordinated by the Clinical Support Unit
- NCLEX-RN must be passed by January 1 of the first specialty year
- A Connecticut RN license is required to enroll in the second term of the first specialty year
The licensure deadline matters. The second specialty term is when the AGPCNP practicum begins, so an NCLEX delay could stall the clinical sequence. YSN does not publish what happens if a student misses that deadline.
GEPN–MSN Admissions
- Bachelor’s degree in any field; no nursing experience required
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0, or GRE at or above the 50th percentile in each section within five years
- Four prerequisites, each 4 credits with lab: Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, General Chemistry, and Microbiology
- Prerequisite rules: grade of B or better; completed within eight years of applying; at least two complete at the time of application; all four complete by August 15 before enrollment; online courses accepted; AP and IB credit not accepted
- Résumé, personal statement, three recommendations, transcripts, and Kira assessment
- AGPCNP specialty and MSN pathway selected at application
- Full-time study required
- F-1 visa holders eligible
- Fall 2027 deadlines: priority November 1; regular April 1
One application secures a place through the prelicensure and specialty stages, with no second admission review. The trade-off is that applicants commit to AGPCNP before working as a nurse. YSN does not publish a policy on changing specialties after admission.
GEPN–DNP – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
The GEPN–DNP begins with the same prelicensure year. Students then complete AGPCNP preparation alongside doctoral coursework and a practice-focused scholarly project.
YSN lists GEPN as a 3-year program without separating the MSN and DNP pathways. Tuition, credits, and clinical hours are not published. Applicants choose the DNP pathway at application. The pathway is not open to applicants who need an F-1 or J-1 visa.
Tuition
YSN bills full-time and part-time MSN students a flat rate per term, not per credit. The 2026–27 rates:
- Full-time MSN: $27,168 per term ($54,336 per year)
- Part-time MSN: $18,033 per term ($36,066 per year)
- GEPN prelicensure year: $75,888 ($27,168 fall, $27,168 spring, $21,552 summer)
- Per-credit rate: $2,175, used for post-master’s certificates, the hybrid PMHNP program, and concentration fees
- Residency: Yale publishes one rate; there is no in-state discount
At the full-time rate, the flat charge works out to about $2,050–$2,090 per credit across 52–53 credits. That is slightly below the $2,175 per-credit rate.
Mandatory fees (2026–27):
- New students: Equipment and Technology Fee $2,358, Lab Fee $536, Student Activities Fee $140 (total $3,034)
- Continuing students: Equipment and Technology Fee $809, Lab Fee $536, Student Activities Fee $140 (total $1,485)
- Yale Health hospitalization coverage: $3,764 per year, waivable with proof of other coverage
- Tuition deposit: $600, nonrefundable; $300 is credited toward fall tuition
- Optional concentration fee: equal to four credits, or $8,700 at the current rate
Estimated totals at 2026–27 rates:
| Pathway | Tuition | Tuition + Mandatory Fees |
|---|---|---|
| MSN, full-time | $108,672 | $113,191 |
| MSN, part-time | $108,198 | $114,202 |
| GEPN–MSN | $184,560 | $190,564–$192,113 |
| RN-to-DNP | Not published | Not published |
| GEPN–DNP | Not published | Not published |
How the estimates were calculated:
- Full-time MSN: four terms at $27,168.
- Part-time MSN: six terms at $18,033. This assumes the published part-time rate applies to all six terms of the 3-year plan.
- GEPN–MSN fee range: YSN does not state whether the first specialty year is billed at new-student or continuing-student fees.
- All estimates: use 2026–27 rates for every year and exclude insurance and future increases. Yale reviews tuition annually and reserves the right to adjust it at any time.
The GEPN fee table’s total row shows $78,992. Its line items and YSN’s cost-of-attendance table both sum to $78,922.
Living costs matter because the program is residential. YSN estimates first-year cost of attendance at $94,019 for a new full-time MSN student and $126,147 for the GEPN year. Both figures include housing, food, and transportation.
Financial aid: YSN reports that more than 85% of students receive scholarship support. Merit- and need-based awards are considered automatically at admission, and international applicants are eligible on the same basis. YSN also points students to the National Health Service Corps, Nurse Corps, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and the Yellow Ribbon Program.
More tuition details are available here.
Why Choose This AGPCNP Program?
Best suited for: An RN or career changer who can relocate near New Haven for campus-based study, wants every preceptor arranged by the school, and is drawn to geriatric and underserved primary care.
Every Preceptor Is Arranged, but Only for Students Near Campus
Yale’s Clinical Support Unit provides all AGPCNP preceptors. Clinical training does not depend on a student’s personal network, and the optional out-of-state immersion lets students test a practice market beyond Connecticut before graduating.
The catch is geography. Classes meet on weekdays in person, and HAVEN rotations fall on Saturdays in New Haven. This model works only for students who live within commuting distance.
Flat-Rate Tuition Is High, and Part-Time Study Does Not Lower It
At 2026–27 rates, the full-time MSN costs about $108,700 in tuition, and the part-time plan costs about the same. Part-time study spreads payments over three years, but it does not reduce the total.
Yale offers no residency discount. Scholarship awards, which most students receive, will decide the real price. Compare net cost only after receiving an aid offer.
Geriatric Depth That Keeps Adolescent and Women’s Health
Two dedicated geriatrics courses bracket the program, and the 4Ms framework runs through the specialty. Required coursework in adolescent primary care, women’s health, and mental health adds breadth that some AGPCNP programs cover more lightly. The final practicum’s billing and coding content addresses practice readiness.
The New DNP Entry Points Are Still Undefined
Both the RN-to-DNP and GEPN–DNP are listed for Fall 2027. Neither has a published curriculum, credit total, or tuition rate. The RN-to-DNP’s listed two-year length matches the MSN, which could make it attractive. It cannot be evaluated until YSN publishes the plan of study and cost.
The Verdict
Yale has the strongest case for applicants who can live near campus and want placement handled for them. That includes BSN-prepared RNs, ADN-prepared RNs with a non-nursing bachelor’s, and non-nurses entering through GEPN. It fits especially well for those interested in geriatrics, underserved care, or interprofessional training, and for applicants who receive meaningful scholarship aid.
Other programs may fit better for:
- Working nurses who need online or hybrid study
- APRNs seeking an AGPCNP post-master’s certificate, which Yale does not offer
- Price-sensitive applicants without significant aid
- Applicants set on a DNP who need cost and curriculum details before applying
Accreditation
The master’s degree program at Yale School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). YSN states the AGPCNP curriculum prepares graduates for AGPCNP certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The sources reviewed confirm accreditation for the master’s program only. Applicants to the new DNP pathways should confirm accreditation status with admissions.
Because the program is residential, distance-education authorization is not a limiting factor. YSN’s licensure disclosure chart, reviewed January 2026, lists the MSN as meeting APRN educational requirements in every U.S. state. The 2026–27 Bulletin still describes Oregon as undetermined. The chart’s GEPN column marks Oregon “No” and Colorado “undetermined.” Applicants who plan to practice outside Connecticut should check YSN’s current professional licensure disclosures page.
More AGPCNP Programs Nearby
- Post University - Waterbury
- Quinnipiac University - Hamden
- Western Connecticut State University - Danbury