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Post-Master’s Certificate – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

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Overview

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Elevate your nursing career with Xavier University’s Post-Master’s Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate.

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As an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP), you will provide comprehensive primary care to adults and older adults across outpatient and community settings. Xavier’s online Post-Master’s AGPCNP Certificate gives you the clinical mastery and leadership skills to assess, diagnose and manage acute and chronic conditions, promote wellness and deliver patient-centered care.
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Calendar

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Application Deadline
Fall 2026
8/1/2026
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Online Format

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Why Choose Xavier Online?

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At Xavier, we don’t just teach nursing; we cultivate leaders. Our program is one of only 17 in the U.S. endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Certification Corporation.

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A Holistic Edge
Integrate medical management with a deep understanding of recovery-oriented, culturally sensitive care.
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Jesuit Values
Experience an education rooted in Cura Personalis (care for the whole person) and a commitment to changing the world for the better.
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Small Classes, Big Impact
Benefit from personalized attention from faculty who are active practitioners in the field.
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Curriculum

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The Post-Master's AGPCNP Certificate requires 15 total credit hours (600 clinical hours) and includes core and nurse practitioner courses.

The "3 Ps" Review: We conduct a gap analysis of your previous transcript to see if you meet the requirements for Advanced Health Assessment, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology.

Per Ohio law, Advanced Pharmacology must have been completed within the last 5 years unless you are an actively practicing NP.

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Nurse Practitioner Core Courses

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NURS 658: Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
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This course assumes basic knowledge of pharmacology and focuses on advanced pharmacology and the role of the clinical nurse leader in pharmacotherapeutics. Advanced clinical application of drug therapy and concepts relating to the mechanisms of drug actions, interactions, and adverse reactions, including immunologic-idiosyncratic-allergic drug responses will be explored. Emphasis is on pharmacotherapeutics and cultural/ethnic considerations. Current pharmacologic research is also incorporated in the course.
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NURS 680: Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
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Emphasis is on pathophysiology as it relates to adverse effects and illnesses in persons having acute, chronic and long-term health care problems. Knowledge of pathophysiology is used to predict illness progression and response to therapy, which is used to guide and teach patients and families regarding care.
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NURS 756: Advanced Physical Health Assessment Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
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This course prepares nurses to conduct and communicate accurately comprehensive holistic, health assessments for clients and families across the lifespan. The students will learn how to perform, organize, analyze and document complete physical, psycho-social assessments. As part of health assessment, the student will identify pertinent health and potential health issues including the cultural, occupational, and environmental factors integral to those issues. The student will define appropriate health preventive and maintenance strategies to address common and complex health care concerns within an evidence-based practice framework. In addition to didactic and online discussions, students will practice advanced physical assessment skills in simulation laboratories and clinical settings under the guidance of preceptors.
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NURS 760: Differential Diagnosis and Medical Decision Making (2 credits)
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This course is designed to equip Nurse Practitioner (NP) students with the critical thinking skills and clinical reasoning needed to accurately diagnose and manage a wide range of medical conditions across the lifespan. Emphasizing the process of differential diagnosis, students will learn to systematically evaluate patient symptoms, medical histories, physical exam findings, and diagnostic test results to rule in or rule out potential diagnoses. Through case studies, clinical scenarios, and evidence-based strategies, students will develop the ability to formulate a comprehensive differential diagnosis and determine appropriate interventions. Key topics include understanding common and complex medical conditions, prioritizing differential diagnoses, integrating diagnostic data, and recognizing red flags that require immediate attention. The course will also emphasize the importance of collaboration with multidisciplinary healthcare teams and effective communication with patients regarding the diagnostic process.

Note: NURS 760 will be required for students enrolling FA26 and after.

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AGPCNP Core Courses

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NURS 740: Management of Health and Illness in the Adult and Older Adult (3 credits)
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Focuses on advanced, evidence-based management of acute and chronic conditions in adult and older-adult populations within primary care.
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NURS 741: Adult & Gerontology Primary Care Practicum I (1 credit) ~150 clinical hours
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Introduces supervised clinical practice in primary care settings with emphasis on assessment, health promotion, and emerging clinical skills.
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NURS 743: Adult & Gerontology Primary Care Practicum II (1 credit) ~150 clinical hours
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Expands clinical competency through increased independence in managing adult and older-adult patients across primary care settings.
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NURS 745: Adult & Gerontology Primary Care Practicum III (1 credit) ~150 clinical hours
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Strengthens diagnostic reasoning, management skills, and clinical efficiency with growing autonomy in complex primary care encounters.
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NURS 747: Adult & Gerontology Primary Care Practicum IV (1 credit) ~150 clinical hours
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Serves as the culminating practicum emphasizing transition-to-practice readiness, complex care management, and professional competency.
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NURS 770: Role of the Nurse Practitioner (3 credits)
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Explores NP role development, scope of practice, professional identity, and leadership within evolving healthcare systems.
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NURS 776: Adult & Gerontology Primary Care (3 credits)
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Provides foundational assessment and management principles for common health conditions in adult and older-adult primary care.
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Admission

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Xavier accepts applications to our certificate programs on a rolling basis. Once admitted into the program, you may start online classes in the fall or spring semesters.

Application Deadline: August 1, 2026
Start: Fall 2026

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Admission Requirements
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To receive acceptance into the online Post-Master’s Certificate – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Be a registered nurse with an unencumbered United States RN license in the state where practicum experiences are to be completed. A minimum of 1 year of nursing experience is required, a strong candidate will have a minimum of 2 years of nursing experience.
  • Hold an MSN and be a graduate of an accredited college or university’s nursing program (the College of Nursing will verify accreditation to ensure it meets requirements). Transfer credits are accepted only from regionally accredited institutions.
  • An undergraduate statistics course with a grade of C or better is required for admission.
  • A strong applicant will have a 3.0 GPA.
    • GPA Requirements:
      • 3.0 out of 4.0 in the last two years of undergraduate matriculation; or,
      • 2.7 cumulative GPA in undergraduate matriculation; or,
      • 2.5 cumulative in the last 2 years of undergraduate matriculation with 5 years of work experience in a nursing or related field.
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Application Materials
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  • Free Online Application
  • Official Transcript
    • One official transcript directly from all colleges or universities that you have attended for any undergraduate and graduate course work. Applicants must have a degree from a regionally accredited university. Send transcripts to:
      • Xavier University
        ATTN: Admission Processing Center
        3800 Victory Parkway
        Cincinnati, OH 45207-5131
      • For electronic transcripts, send to:
        xuadmit@xavier.edu
  • Letters of Recommendation
    • Three letters of recommendation from professional references who are able to assess your potential for success in this program.
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State Authorization
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Due to state regulations regarding the delivery of distance education, as well as requirements of each individual state board of nursing, Xavier is not currently able to accept applications from all states into all of its online programs.

View the complete list of approved states on the State Authorization page.
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International Admission
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Xavier welcomes students from outside the United States to enroll in its online programs. However, some countries do not formally recognize foreign online degrees. This may have implications for enrolling in subsequent degree programs or for securing employment requiring these credentials. It is students’ responsibility to determine whether the online degree will be recognized in their country of residence or in any country in which they plan to work.

Additionally, students should inquire in their country of residence how the collection of student data may be used and whether they will be subject to additional withholding taxes in addition to the cost of tuition.

  • All international students are strongly encouraged to submit an official third-party course-by-course evaluation of their high school and/or college transcripts from an international credential evaluation service accredited by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
  • International students must pass either the TOEFL or IELTS exam if English is your second language.
  • International students may have additional application requirements. Find more information on the International Admission page.

Note: International students in the U.S. cannot enroll in an online degree program to fulfill the legal requirement for an F-1 or J-1 visa.

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Tuition and Fees

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Get More from Your Graduate Education with Xavier

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At Xavier, we understand that no two graduate programs and no two students are alike. Therefore, we structure every online degree and certificate program to address the unique needs of individual students and have created unique fee structures for each program as well.
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Tuition

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MSN: $739
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Fees

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  • Liability Insurance (per semester with practicum): $18
  • Student ID Fee: $15
  • Graduate Student Association Fee, degree-seeking full-time: $15 (per semester)
  • Graduate Student Association Fee, degree-seeking part-time: $10 (per semester)

Full-time students can complete the program in as few as 7 semesters.

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The amounts listed are for the 2026-2027 academic year and include classes from Fall 2026 through Summer 2027. Tuition cost is per credit hour unless otherwise stated. For the full, official listing, please visit xavier.edu/costs. Xavier University reserves the right to correct any computational or clerical errors.
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