Preparing students to be advanced practice nurses who provide care to acute and chronically ill adults.

  • Guaranteed admission for UVA School of Nursing alumni
  • #7 public MSN program and Virginia's #1 nursing school
  • Full- and part-time options available
  • Two years (full-time) or three years (part-time) to complete
  • Graduates are eligible for the adult-gerontology acute care NP certification exam administered by AACN or ANCC
  • Application deadline: January 5

The AGACNP is an advanced practice nurse prepared to manage adolescent and adult gerontology patients with acute or critical illness or injury and/or chronic disease across the trajectory of their care needs. UVA's program emphasizes the advanced theoretical knowledge, practice and skills, and systems’ leadership needed to manage these patients and their families for optimal outcomes. AGACNP students also develop exceptional diagnostic and clinical decision-making skills, preparation for prescriptive authority, strategies to communicate and collaborate with clinicians and all members of the interdisciplinary team, and the ability to manage and improve  clinical outcomes. A keen focus on evidenced-based practice, teaching and clinical research are also program hallmarks.

Who Should Apply?

The AGACNP track offers baccalaureate-educated nurses with at least one year of full-time RN experience the opportunity to advance their practice as nurse practitioners and advanced practice nurses. The AGACNP is offered at the MSN, certificate, and DNP levels.

Our Approach

  • Intimate—classes are small, dynamic and filled with like-minded learners
  • Mentorship—access to world-class nursing faculty, exceptional mentors, cutting-edge research and top-of-the-line clinical facilities
  • Hands-on experience—more than 500 hours of clinical experience
  • Specialize—a chance to specialize as part of the extended clinical practicum

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Admission Requirements

Click here to learn about the admission requirements.

Classes

Full-time students begin study in the fall, and complete the program in 21 months, including summer session in year 1. In the first year, the full-time student has didactic classes on Thursdays and Fridays (in the fall and spring). When the student begins AGACNP practicums, the didactic component is generally on one day of the week. Clinical practicum days will vary widely depending on the student’s clinical site and preceptor and may include hours outside the typical work week.

Clinicals

Students complete a minimum of 500 clinical hours in the AGACNP track in two semester-long preceptorships (GNUR 7312 and GNUR 7314). The first clinical course is typically completed at the top-ranked UVA Medical Center, which adjoins the School of Nursing. The UVA Medical Center—a nationally-ranked 590-bed, Level I trauma center with 6 adult ICUs—provides an excellent clinical site with a wealth of professional and technological resources. The second practicum may be completed at another facility in Virginia with prior arrangement of the program coordinator. Clinical placement sites are assigned based upon optimal learning experiences, students' requests, interagency contracts, and availability.

All clinical/practicum activities are generally conducted within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Clinical/practice activities may be conducted outside Virginia if the University is authorized to place students in that state and pending faculty approval.

Palliative Care

The UVA School of Nursing is a leader in integrating compassionate care and the central precepts of palliative care into the education of future nurses and advanced practice nurses. Students who attend UVA can be mentored by a growing faculty of over 15 national and international experts in palliative care—educators, clinicians, researchers. Great opportunity awaits the student to develop palliative care as a specialty in their practice—across the lifespan and all care settings. This experience is enriched by the student's access to other disciplinary programs across the University such as religion, ethics, contemplative sciences, mindfulness, and medicine.

Plans of Study

Technology Requirements

All graduate nursing students are required to have a laptop; information about these requirements will be sent to enrolling students before classes begin. Please see the School of Nursing Computing Policies for more guidance on laptop ownership requirements.

State Authorization and Professional Licensure Disclosures

As a member of the State Authorizations Reciprocity Agreement, the University of Virginia (UVA) is authorized to provide curriculum in a distance learning environment to students located in all states in the United States except for California. (34 CFR 668.43(a)(6)& 34 CFR 668.72(n)).  

Upon completion of the Master of Science in Nursing, graduates may be eligible for initial professional licensure in another U.S. state by applying to the licensing board or agency in that state.

Please visit the University’s state authorization web pages to make an informed decision regarding which states’ educational requirements for initial licensure are met by this program. (668.43(a)(5) (v)(A) - (C))

Enrolled students who change their current (or mailing) address to a state other than Virginia should update this information immediately in the Student Information System as it may impact their ability to complete internship, practicum, or clinical hours, use Title IV funds, or meet licensure or certification requirements in the new state. (34 CFR 668.402).

Spring 2024 classes will be held on: January 23, February 20, March 12, April 9, and April 30

Summer 2024 classes will be held on: May 28, June 11, June 25, July 9, and July 30

The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record is the official repository for academic program requirements.