Advance your career to Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP)
No matter where you are in your nursing career, Herzing University offers unique educational pathways for you to advance towards becoming an adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner.

- Program length: 20 months
- Classes: View the curriculum
- Credential earned: Master of Science in Nursing with a Concentration in Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

- Program length: 28 months
- Classes: View the curriculum
- Credential earned: Master of Science in Nursing with a Concentration in Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

- Program length: 20 months
- Classes: View the curriculum
- Credential earned: Post Master’s Certificate in Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Your clinical placement is our pledge.
We understand securing clinical placement as part of an AGACNP program is one of the biggest concerns students face. At Herzing, we offer guidance and support through our step-by-step Clinical Guidance Process to ensure you can get the clinical practice experiences you need.
As a Herzing student, we’ll encourage you to find your own preceptor and clinical sites as there are many benefits to doing so. However, we provide extensive support should you find difficulty along the way. With Herzing, you are never on your own.
Because of our strong relationships with healthcare providers across the U.S. and our comprehensive Clinical Guidance Process, we are confident in our ability to help you find clinical placement. So much so that if you are unable to find a clinical site on your own, we pledge to step in and help you secure clinical placement.*
* Subject to terms and conditions outlined in the enrollment agreement.
Scholarship Opportunity
You may be eligible for the Herzing University Nurses Circle of Achievement Scholarship.
Eligibility requirements include a minimum GPA earned in your undergraduate nursing program, and maintaining a minimum GPA throughout the MSN program.
You can potentially earn 10% tuition reduction!
Tuition & Cost
Our goal is your career advancement. That’s why we are always working to improve our curriculums and processes to make our nurse practitioner programs as affordable as possible while preparing you best for success in your work.
The cost of tuition for all of our AGACNP program options is $690 per credit. Overall cost can be reduced through transfer credit from prior college coursework, scholarships and grants, loans, VA and military benefits, and several additional options for financial aid.
With Herzing University, you are never alone, and we offer many options to help you invest in yourself, earn your master’s degree in nursing and become an AGACNP.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are two primary differences between a Family Nurse Practitioner and an Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner:
- Types of patients. FNPs work with patients across the patient lifespan, including children under the age of 13. As adult gerontology NPs, AGACNPs care for only adults ages 13 and above.
- Types of care. FNPs typically work in clinics, doctor’s offices, and other outpatient settings—and are not formally trained in acute and emergency care. Acute care NPs work in ICUs, hospitals and other inpatient settings to care for patients with trauma and more severe health issues.
If you have more interest in developing long-term relationships with patients, concerned more with preventative health, and love to work with children, FNP may be the best nurse practitioner career path for you.
It can take roughly 3-5 years to go from non-nurse to NP through our program options but it depends on what education you’ve already earned and how quickly you want to progress.
No. To become a nurse practitioner, you will need to earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree.
Acute care and primary care are very different disciplines. As an acute care NP, you’ll be working in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Emergency Room (ER), urgent care or other outpatient environment, which demands a very different set of skills and knowledge than a primary care NP in clinics or other inpatient facilities.
Providing preventive care and taking a long-term approach to patient health is another discipline requiring unique training and certification.
The Herzing Post Master’s Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program is designed for MSN holders, including current AGACNPs, who are interested in pursuing a future job as a primary care AGNP.
This depends on the state in which you practice. Qualifying for NP school is not the same as qualifying for NP jobs. You may not need to be a Registered Nurse (RN) to qualify for an NP degree program, but some employers may require a minimum amount of RN experience from NP job applicants.
You can prepare to make the transition from FNP to acute care NP by enrolling a post master’s, or postgraduate, certificate program designed for nurses who have already earned a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).
Complete the post master’s program, earn certification, and you’ll be ready to apply for your first position as an Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP).
Sometimes hospitals form partnerships with schools like ours to provide employees with unique benefits should they choose to pursue an advanced nursing degree.
Employees of Herzing partners can potentially earn college credit for prior work or military experience, transfer existing credit, or earn a scholarship to make going back to school more affordable.
If you are currently an RN considering becoming a nurse practitioner, view our educational partnerships or check with your employer for potential possibilities.
Accreditation & Disclosures
1. The master’s degree program in nursing and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Herzing University Madison are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org). Herzing University is approved to offer programs in an online learning modality through association with the main campus in Madison, Wisconsin.
View Herzing University Accreditation and Approvals
Eligible states for enrollment: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District Of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.