Post Master's Certificate
Post Master's AGPCNP
Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP Certificate Program
Post Master's Certificate
Post Master's AGPCNP
Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP Certificate Program
Continue your graduate study in advanced practice nursing
Accreditation | CCNE accredited,1 Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission |
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Transfer credit | Up to 12 approved credit hours |
Clinicals | 540 clinical hours—we pledge your clinical placement! |
Format | 100% online classes |
Certification | Prepare for key industry certifications: the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (A-GNP) certification from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), and the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certification (AGPCNP-BC) from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). |
Dual credit | Earn dual credit towards a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) |
QuickPaths | Transfer credit, stackable credentials, and adaptive learning technology build a faster pathway to a higher education with Herzing University |
Overview: Online Post Master's AGPCNP Program
The Post Master's Certificate in Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner is a 33-credit post-graduate program which prepares you for a career as an AGPCNP.
The online certificate program provides students with fundamental knowledge and skills in advanced pathophysiology and pharmacology, health promotion across the life span, women's health, roles of a nurse practitioner, and much more.
Career-focused curriculum
Discover the crucial knowledge and skills required to succeed in your work and build a foundation for continued career growth.
Flexible schedule
We work hard to help you maintain school-life balance, striving to be as flexible as possible for busy non-traditional students.
Virtual services
Access to extensive virtual services, including academic advising, tutoring, support services, technical support and library services.
Lifelong support
We support your ongoing career advancement by providing comprehensive, personalized student services with lifelong career coaching.
Rolling admissions
No application deadlines to worry about. Apply when you’re ready and prepare to get started soon.
Classes Start July 8th
Learn More Today
Post Master’s AGPCNP classes & curriculum details
Our curriculum combines didactic (lecture) style classes and clinical practicum courses to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and working experience to excel as a certified Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner.
All didactic (lecture) classes are delivered online with 540 total hours of required clinicals.
Program | Monthsi | Credits |
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Post Master's Certificate Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PMCAGPCNP) | 20 | 33 |
i. Average number of months for students to complete program
Tuition & Cost
Tuition & Cost
The cost of tuition for the Post Master's AGPCNP program is $735 per credit.
You can potentially earn even greater savings by transferring credit from prior college coursework, applying for financial aid, or potential partnership opportunities through your employer.
Our goal is your career advancement. That’s why we are always working to improve our curriculum and processes to make our program as affordable as possible while preparing you best for success in your work.
You may be eligible for multiple scholarships and grants, both through Herzing University and several national scholarship websites.
Veterans, Active Duty U.S. Servicemembers, and spouses may qualify for a 10% tuition discount or tuition reduction to $250 per credit.
Post Master’s AGPCNP program enrollment requirements
Enrollment in the post master’s certificate nursing program is open to registered nurses who:
- Hold a graduate degree in nursing from an accredited university or college (such as a master’s or doctoral degree)
- Hold a current, active and unrestricted license as a registered nurse in the state in which they live (Note: Holding a multi-state, compact state license and being a resident in a compact license state will be deemed to have met this requirement).
Eligible states for enrollment: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, 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, and the District Of Columbia.
Your clinical placement is our pledge.
We understand securing clinical placement as part of an AGPCNP 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 documents.
Classes Start July 8th
Waived Enrollment FeeWalk your career path in nursing
Practicing in primary care as a nurse practitioner offers you the opportunity to:
- Specialize in your personal area of interest in the adult and geriatric patient populations
- Become a key patient advocate adept in preventative care
- Discover future opportunities for specialization in the future
Given the impending growth in the baby boomer population and the high growth projection from 2022-2032 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (a 45% increase), expect an increasing need for nurse practitioners educated in adult and geriatric care.
Advance your education
Our post master's certificate is built for you to grow and build upon your education. For example, you can be a nurse educator or nurse leader and become a Adult Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. There are many pathways for current MSN prepared nurses.
Continue your postgraduate education and prepare to compete for jobs in a high-demand field in nursing. Position yourself for continued career advancement as a primary care AGNP, whether joining a team at a healthcare institution, or taking the next step as an entrepreneur in starting your own practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
While there are some similarities between the two main types of adult gerontology nurse practitioners, these are the biggest differences between primary care NPs and acute care NPs:
A post master’s certificate (PMC), also referred to as a “post-graduate” certificate, is designed for nurses who hold a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and seek additional certification in a separate field.
Herzing University offers several post master’s certificates for MSN-prepared nurses looking to transition in or out of clinical-based practice:
- AGACNP - Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (program length: 20 months)
- AGPCNP - Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (program length: 20 months)
- FNP - Family Nurse Practitioner certificate (program length: 16-20 months)
- NE - Nursing Education certificate (program length: 8 months)
- NLA - Nursing Leadership & Administration (program length: 8 months)
- PMHNP: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certificate (program length: 20 months)
A post master’s certificate from Herzing University provides the education, training, and practical experience you need to take the next big step in your nursing career.
We offer multiple options for current nurses of all types, including pathways for ASN/ADN, BSN, and MSN degree holders.
View our available online Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner programs.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurse practitioners earn an average salary of $128,490 per year ($61.78 per hour).*
NPs specializing in adult gerontology in primary care may increase their earning potential by becoming board certified, gaining valuable experience and continuing their education.
Primary care AGNPs are responsible for providing continuous, comprehensive medical care for patients across the adult lifespan (13 and older). AGNPs work primarily in outpatient care settings helping patients develop their personal healthcare assessments and manage long-term chronic illnesses.
AGNPs work under the supervision of a physician, with varying degrees of autonomy. They do not “specialize” in a traditional sense, acting as big picture managers of a patients’ healthcare plan and facilitating connections to specialized care as necessary. However, nurses can begin their NP career in primary care and branch into a specialty of their choosing later, such as acute care or mental health.
Practicing as an AGNP requires close collaboration with a team of healthcare staff dedicated to the long-term health needs of their patients.
While both jobs involve outpatient primary care under the “general NP” umbrella, the biggest difference between AGNP and FNP is the patient population. FNPs are trained for family practice across the lifespan, including children, while AGNPs are trained only for the adult lifespan (adolescent through end of life).
Here’s a selection of the most common types of nurse practitioners:
- Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP)
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)
Each specialty has its own unique requirements in terms of job experience and certification.
Yes.
In the past, there were separate designations for Adult Nurse Practitioners (ANP) and Geriatric Nurse Practitioners (GNP). Now the two roles have been combined into Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP). The knowledge and skills developed in an MSN or DNP-AGNP program will best prepare you to work with geriatric/elderly patients.
Graduating with an MSN or DNP degree and becoming board certified as a primary care nurse practitioner (AGPCNP-BC) will qualify you to practice as an NP and pursue a geriatric specialty.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), core competencies for Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioners include:
- Contributes to improved knowledge and care of the adult gerontology population
- Uses scientific knowledge and theoretical foundations to detect psychological, physiological, and sociological development and aging
- Be a leader facilitating the coordination and planning to deliver care to the adult gerontology population
- Promotes safety and risk reduction
- Continually evaluates the quality of care delivery models
- Integrates appropriate technologies into deliver healthcare in remote, face-to-face encounters
- Aids in the development of health promotion programs within a health community or system
- Provides wellness promotion and disease prevention services balancing the costs, risks and benefits to individuals
That’s just a sample! As an AGNP you will carry many different responsibilities as a crucial member of a healthcare team.
There are two types of general NPs: Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioners (AGPCNPs) and Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP). Both NPs provide ongoing health counseling, prevention and management for their patients.
The primary difference is the patient population they care for: FNPs practice across the lifespan in family practice, including pediatric, adult, and geriatric care. AGNPs work only with adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.
If you are open to working with children you may choose the FNP path, while those who prefer to work with adults only may choose the AGNP path.
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Choose your NP pathway
Considering all of your options for nurse practitioner specialties?
Herzing University offers multiple nurse practitioner programs for current nurses holding an associate, bachelor's, or master's degree in nursing.
Our goal is to help you walk your career path no matter where you are, or where you want to go.
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Accreditation & Disclosures
1. The post-graduate APRN certificate program at Herzing University Madison is 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.
Herzing University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.