Online Post-Master's AGPCNP Certificate Program
Overview
Earn an online post-master’s NP certificate for your goals, on your schedule
Looking to advance your nursing career and specialize in adult-gerontology primary care? Maryville University can help you take your next brave step and gain the expertise needed to become a nurse practitioner or move to a new specialization providing care for adults of all ages in primary care settings.
- Access coursework 100% online with no campus visits required.
- Apply with no GMAT, GRE, or statistics needed.
- Complete clinicals locally in your preferred setting.
- Study adult-gerontology nursing with expert faculty.
- Get started quickly with no waiting list once you’re accepted.
What is the online AGPCNP certificate program?
Adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners (AGPCNPs) work with adults and older patients, often seeing them long-term and having the opportunity to build relationships as one of their primary care providers.
This concentration focuses on developing the essential skills to assess, educate, diagnose, and manage the care of adult patients throughout their lifespan in a primary care setting. This includes managing chronic conditions, promoting preventive care, and supporting overall health and wellness.
Do I need a post-master's NP certificate?
You’re already a master’s-prepared nurse. Now is the time to focus on your career in a specialization that urgently needs experienced nursing leaders.
Earn your post-master's adult-gerontology primary care NP certificate to enhance your skills, explore a new specialty, or broaden your nursing expertise. This certification can help you achieve your career goals, and Maryville makes it accessible with flexible online options.
Why choose Maryville for your post-master's AGPCNP certificate online?
- Earn your degree from a program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
- Take advantage of a flexible 24/7 online learning model designed to fit your busy schedule.
- Cover key topics that support your growth and career goals in nursing.
- Gain hands-on experience through clinical inquiry courses and practical nursing training.
- Learn from experienced faculty and leaders with real-world nursing expertise.
Maryville University is also recognized as one of the best online nursing school master’s programs for 2023 by The Princeton Review and one of the best online master’s in nursing programs by U.S. News & World Report.
Program Details
Focus your nursing career on your terms
Our online adult-gerontology primary care NP certificate program offers the flexibility and support you need to prepare for certification. With a practical, hands-on curriculum, you can develop essential nursing skills and gain real-world experience that you can apply in your practice.
Best of all, the program is fully self-paced, allowing you to complete it on your schedule through our easy-to-use online platform.
Keep working as you continue learning
Our online nursing programs are designed to let you keep working while earning your NP certificate. The AGPCNP certificate program is 35 credit hours in total, with 18 focused on your concentration.
After graduation, you’ll have access to various career paths, including eligibility to take the national nurse practitioner certification exam in your chosen specialty.
Should I choose primary care or acute care?
Primary care nurses emphasize long-term patient care by building meaningful relationships, managing chronic illnesses, promoting prevention, and supporting overall health. It’s a great fit for those who enjoy a patient-centered approach and continuity of care.
Meanwhile, acute care nurses work in high-pressure settings like ERs or hospitals, focusing on delivering rapid, life-saving care to patients with serious or critical needs.
Want to explore a different nursing specialization?
Earn your AGPCNP certificate online with Maryville, or choose from four other concentrations to grow your practice and achieve your goals.
Careers
Post-master's NP certification job outlook
Certified nurse practitioners (NPs) are highly sought after. U.S. News & World Report ranks the NP role as No. 1 on its "100 Best Jobs in America" list for 2025, and the position tops the “Best STEM Jobs” and “Best Health Care Jobs” rankings as well.
This is great news for the 290,000+ NPs currently practicing across the nation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates strong career growth, with adult-gerontology primary care nursing roles driven by an aging population, changes in healthcare policy, and a focus on preventive care.
What can you do with your online post-master's NP certificate?
A post-master's AGPCNP certificate is ideal for NPs looking to deepen their expertise or transition into primary care for adults and older populations. It offers opportunities for career advancement and higher earning potential.
Completing the program online allows you to qualify for national board certifications in adult-gerontology primary care, broadening your scope as a nurse practitioner.
Post-master's AGPCNP certificate work settings
An AGPCNP certificate equips you to work in a variety of primary care-focused environments, including:
- Hospitals and clinics
- Community health centers
- In-home care
- Long-term care facilities
- Nursing research facilities
- Rehabilitation facilities
- Retirement homes
- Telehealth clinics
What is the typical salary for certified AGPCNPs?
According to Indeed, AGPCNP is among the highest-earning nursing specialties.
PayScale estimates a median salary of $108,000 in 2025, with top earners exceeding $128,000 annually. Salaries may vary based on factors like location, education, and years of experience.
NPs with AGPCNP certification can also find opportunities in research, education, consulting, management, and healthcare policy roles.
Prepare for further NP certification
Upon completing the AGPCNP certificate program, you'll be eligible to pursue certification in adult-gerontology primary care.
This program prepares you to sit for the AGPCNP-BC® exam, offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), ensuring you are fully qualified to practice in primary care settings.
What is the career outlook for NPs?
- The BLS forecasts a 46% growth in NP jobs from 2023 to 2033, exceeding the national average across all careers by more than 10 times.
- The median NP salary was $129,210 in 2024, per BLS data.
- Psychiatric, pediatric, family, and gerontological NPs are among the highest-paid nursing roles, according to Indeed.
- Shortages in primary care providers mean greater opportunities for NPs, especially in underserved areas.
If I’m already NP certified, should I pursue a second specialization?
Already certified in another field? Expanding into adult-gerontology primary care with a second specialization could enhance your career.
Maryville’s online NP certificate program offers five concentrations, including AGPCNP, allowing you to provide high-quality care to a broader patient population across nursing disciplines or to expand services for your current patients.
Post-master's NP certificate careers
Looking to advance your NP career? In addition to AGPCNP, Maryville offers online NP certificates in four other specialties, helping you diversify your skills and increase your value in primary care and beyond.
Testimonials
“With the price, program, and flexibility, Maryville really stood out — they had the exact program I wanted. After talking with enrollment advisors from each of the schools about how long it would take, how much it would cost, how much of my time is invested — Maryville came out on top.”
— Krystal D., Maryville NP Certificate Grad (PMHNP)
“Maryville offered a variety of learning methods ... I found it a much more interactive online experience. I worked full time the entire time. So even as a nurse practitioner student, I worked two jobs. Still, I work full time for the Department of Health and I work part time for the Joint Commission, and I was able to keep those up while still going to Maryville.”
— Kathryn F., Maryville NP Certificate Grad (AGACNP)
Move forward in your nursing career
Curriculum
Online Post-Master’s Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) Certificate Curriculum
If you’ve already earned a master’s in nursing and want to advance, specialize, or change focus, a post-master’s certificate might be the right move.
At Maryville University, we understand the diverse skills needed in nursing. That’s why we offer five post-master’s certificate programs to help you grow in your chosen area.
Our 100% online programs provide flexibility for working nurses, allowing you to advance your career while applying new skills directly to your practice.
Graduate Nursing and Nurse Practitioner Core Courses
Post-NP Certificate | Credits by Concentration
The online AGPCNP certificate is 35 credit hours in total. This includes 6 credit hours of graduate-level nursing core courses, 11 credit hours of general NP courses, and 18 credit hours of concentration coursework.
Graduate nursing core courses (6 credit hours)
Nurse practitioner core courses (11 credit hours)
This course explores focused and comprehensive health assessments in a variety of settings and patients across the lifespan. This includes development of health promotion strategies and prioritization of care.
Prerequisite: Online - NURS 611, NURS 615
Corequisite: On Ground - NURS 615
This course focuses on the pharmacological foundation for safely prescribing medical regimens of illnesses for individuals across the lifespan. Also included are illness prevention, non-pharmacological and legal implications for prescriptive authority for the nurse practitioner.
Note: Selection of appropriate therapies, patient education and evaluation parameters are stressed.
AGPCNP concentration curriculum (18 credit hours)
This course covers the care of adults experiencing acute, chronic and complex health problems of select body systems in this first of two sequential courses. Current research based interventions are analyzed. Individual, family, and group counseling/education for patients and families are incorporated. Included is primary, secondary and tertiary disease prevention and management of complex symptomatology.
Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615
Corequisite: NURS 621 or NURS 621C
This course will cover the theoretical, clinical and role components of care by an advanced practice nurse and are integrated in a supervised clinical practicum.
Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615
Corequisite: NURS 620
This course covers the care of adults experiencing acute, chronic and complex health problems of select body systems in this second of two sequential courses. Current research based interventions are analyzed. Individual, family, and group counseling/education for patients and families are incorporated. Included is primary, secondary and tertiary disease prevention and management of complex symptomatology.
Prerequisite: NURS 620 and NURS 621 or NURS 621C
Corequisite: NURS 624 or NURS 624C
This course will cover the theoretical, clinical and role components of care by an advanced practice provider and are integrated in a supervised clinical practicum. Opportunity is provided for the assessment, management, and evaluation of adults with chronic and acute health problems in a primary care setting.
Prerequisite: NURS 620 and NURS 621
Corequisite: NURS 623
The care of adults experiencing acute, chronic, and complex health problems are studied in this course specifically for students in the adult-gerontology nurse practitioner program. The course expands on current research-based interventions unique to adults of varying ages, from wellness to illness. Individual, family, group counseling, and education for patients and families are incorporated. Included is primary, secondary, and tertiary disease prevention and management of complex symptomatology.
Prerequisites: NURS 620, NURS 621, NURS 623, and NURS 624
Corequisite: NURS 627C
This course will cover the theoretical, clinical, and role components of care by an advanced practice nurse are integrated in a supervised clinical practicum. Opportunity is provided for the assessment, management, and evaluation of adults with chronic and acute health problems in a primary care setting.
Prerequisites: NURS 620, NURS 621C, NURS 623, and NURS 624
Corequisite: NURS 626
Admission Requirements
- MSN degree from a regionally accredited institution and CCNE/ACEN/CNEA accredited nursing program
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all college work
- At least one year of professional nursing experience
- Current, unencumbered licensure as an RN in the U.S.
- Official transcripts from every post-secondary school where you earned a degree or completed any graduate-level coursework
- Transfer credit request form
Admission notes
Applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement will be required to submit a personal statement explaining the low grades and outlining plans for improvement.
The acceptance of transfer credit is at the discretion of Maryville University. View our transfer credit policy here.
Maryville’s online MSN and BSN-DNP programs require students with an international education background to have their BSN from a CCNE/ACEN accredited program. Please reach out to an enrollment advisor for more information.
Interested in earning your AGPCNP certificate?
University details
Founded in 1872 — top-rated today
Maryville University is proud to be recognized as one of America’s best colleges by U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.
At Maryville, we invite future nursing leaders to be brave and expand their potential. Let’s be brave together.
Online NP Certificate Programs: Meet Our Faculty
In your opinion, what are the benefits of earning a post-master’s certificate online?
A post-master’s NP certificate allows for expansion of career opportunities and further training to better prepare students for areas they may already be practicing in that are outside of their original role.
Why should students choose to complete this program online at Maryville?
An online NP certificate program gives students more flexibility than in-person programs, which is especially beneficial to practicing nurses and NPs.
What can post-master's nursing students do to ensure that patient-centered care is at the forefront of their practice?
Students can continue to learn and educate themselves to stay up to date with the latest evidence-based practices, which will help ensure better patient outcomes.
In your opinion, what are some of the trending areas of focus in the nursing industry?
With COVID-19, we have a rising need for nurse practitioners in acute care and psychiatric mental health settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nurse practitioners who have earned an online post-master’s NP certification in adult-gerontology acute care may pursue roles in a variety of settings, serving a wide range of adult patients across the lifespan. While this program focuses partially on skills that can help you in a variety of nursing roles, the AGACNP certificate is designed to give you the skills to work in settings that call for acute or urgent care.
Find out more about career opportunities for post-master's NP graduates.
Who is the AGPCNP certificate for?
Our AGPCNP concentration program is designed for master’s-prepared nurses looking to expand their knowledge or transition into a new specialization.
This program prepares nurses to care for adults and older patients in a primary care setting, focusing on building patient relationships and addressing areas such as chronic condition management, health promotion, and preventive care.
Graduates of this program qualify to pursue certifications such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certification (AGPCNP-BC®).
Maryville’s MSN graduates consistently surpass national average pass rates for certification exams across various disciplines.
Graduates are eligible to pursue certifications like the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certification (AGPCNP-BC®) offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Maryville’s nursing graduates consistently surpass the national average pass rates for certification exams across various disciplines.
Maryville’s online post-master’s NP certificate programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), an independent organization that evaluates and recognizes top-quality nursing programs.
Additionally, Maryville University has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1941, maintaining this prestigious recognition for decades.
In addition to our AGPCNP certificate, we offer four other concentrations to help you broaden your nursing skills and get the most out of your nursing career. You may also consider these concentrations.
Online Post-Master’s Nurse Practitioner (NP) Certification Careers
