Prepare to care for adult and older adult patients with acute, critical, and complex conditions through the online Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program from the Wegmans School of Nursing at St. John Fisher University. Designed for experienced registered nurses, the part-time AGACNP track combines online coursework, supervised clinical experiences in your community, and two campus immersions in Rochester, New York.

The online M.S. in Nursing’s 46-credit AGACNP program combines advanced coursework with 600 supervised clinical hours and two on-campus immersions. Offered part time, the program can be completed in as few as 28 months.

While participating in online classes, students will also be completing clinical rotations in their communities. This structure connects graduate-level nursing study with supervised practice in settings that reflect each student’s clinical learning needs.

46
Credits

600
Supervised clinical hours

As few as 28
Months to complete

2
Campus immersions

Part time
Program schedule

Online
Coursework delivery

3
Entry Terms each year

2
National certification pathways to pursue

Review application requirements and current deadlines

Get the program details you need to compare Fisher’s part-time structure, clinical requirements, and admission process with your acute care nursing goals.

Request AGACNP Program Details

Fisher offers the online AGACNP program on a part-time schedule, giving you the flexibility to balance professional and personal obligations with your education. You can complete the 46-credit program in as few as 28 months.

The baccalaureate, master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at St. John Fisher University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The Wegmans School of Nursing is also approved by the New York State Education Department.

Review Fisher Nursing Online accreditation information

The AGACNP program meets nurse practitioner educational requirements for New York state. Other states may have additional or different requirements for licensure, certification, background checks, or coursework. Before enrolling, prospective students should review the state-specific disclosure and the requirements for the state where they intend to practice.

Review AGACNP Licensure Information

The 46-credit curriculum combines scholarship and direct core courses with specialty clinical core coursework. Through online study and supervised clinical learning, students develop advanced knowledge for caring for adult and older adult patients with acute, chronic, critical, and complex conditions.

Core coursework covers evidence-based practice and research, informatics and healthcare technologies, healthcare delivery systems, population health, leadership, advanced physiology and pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, and advanced health assessment and diagnostic reasoning. Specialty coursework focuses on advanced concepts in adult care across the lifespan and AGACNP diagnosis and management.

Explore the AGACNP Curriculum

Students complete 600 supervised clinical hours through four 150-hour AGACNP diagnosis and management courses. Clinical rotations take place in the student’s community and must occur outside the student’s current place of employment.In some cases, students employed by a large health system may complete their clinical hours at another setting within that same system, subject to program approval and site requirements.

Clinical settings may include:

St. John Fisher University works with students to help secure clinical rotations. We provide a dedicated clinical placement support team that actively works with you to find and secure excellent rotation sites in or near your community.

Instead of reaching out to facilities or source preceptors yourself, our placement team manages the administrative outreach and compliance checks, so you can be sure your local training matches the high academic and professional standards maintained by the Wegmans School of Nursing.

Students also attend one pre-clinical Immersion and one acute care Immersion in Rochester, New York. These supervised campus experiences provide opportunities to practice nursing skills, use the School of Nursing’s facilities, and connect with faculty and classmates.

Estimated tuition for the online AGACNP program is calculated per credit based on current academic rates:

Tuition rates reflect the 2026–2027 academic year. Rates are subject to change each academic year, and additional fees apply.

Eligible students may explore financial aid, scholarships, employer tuition benefits, payment plans, and other funding resources. Review the current tuition page for the latest rates, fees, and financial aid information.

Review AGACNP Tuition and Financial Aid

An acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) is educated to care for patients with acute, critical, and complex chronic conditions within a defined population focus. The online M.S. in Nursing AGACNP program applies ACNP preparation to adult-gerontology care. A patient’s population and care needs, rather than a single practice setting, help define acute care practice.¹

When comparing ACNP programs, review whether the population focus, curriculum, clinical experiences, and certification pathways align with the patients and type of care you intend to pursue.

Depending on state law, licensure, certification, and employer privileges, AGACNPs may practice in settings such as:

Program graduates are eligible to pursue Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified (AGACNP-BC^®) certification² through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certified in Adult-Gerontology (ACNPC-AG^®) certification through the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). Certification and licensure requirements vary, and the applicable certifying organization and state authority determine final eligibility.

Faculty Spotlight

Susan Frederick, Ed.D., MSN, FNP-C

Susan Frederick has experience in adult and pediatric trauma, disaster response and management, acute and critical care medicine, education and curriculum design and simulation. She holds an Ed.D. from the University of Rochester, an MSN/FNP from St. John Fisher College and a BSN from the State University of New York at Brockport.

Learn More about Our Faculty

• Are online AGACNP programs respected by employers?

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  Yes, graduation from a reputable, accredited institution carries significant weight with healthcare employers. St. John Fisher University is a highly respected brick-and-mortar institution with a long-standing reputation for clinical excellence. The online AGACNP curriculum is built to the University’s rigorous academic standards, preparing graduates to stand out to top healthcare organizations.

• Does St. John Fisher University help online AGACNP students with clinical placements?

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  Finding clinical preceptors is often one of the biggest challenges for online nursing students. To support your success, the University provides dedicated clinical placement services to help secure highly vetted, quality clinical rotations. Clinical coordinators work closely with you to find local preceptors so you can focus entirely on your training.

• What is the age range an AGACNP can treat?

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  An Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specializes in managing acute, chronic, and complex conditions in advanced populations. Professionals in this role are certified to treat patients aged 13 years and older.

• Can I complete my AGACNP clinicals at my current place of employment?

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  While completing clinical hours at a current job is sometimes possible, many healthcare systems maintain strict policies against employees fulfilling rotations on their own units. Because the University coordinates clinical placements, a dedicated team will help navigate complex contract requirements or match students with an approved clinical site in their region.

• Should I get my FNP or AGACNP?

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  Nurses drawn to managing acute crises, emergencies, and complex medical conditions typically find the acute care role more satisfying. Those who prefer developing long-term relationships with patients across the lifespan usually gravitate toward the family nurse practitioner path. Choose the AGACNP track if you want to treat adults in critical care, or the FNP track if you prefer primary care across all ages.

• Can an AGACNP do primary care?

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  While acute care nurse practitioners are specifically trained for hospital and critical care settings, they can work in outpatient clinics or specialized internal medicine practices. However, their clinical scope requires strict adherence to treating adult-gerontology populations and emphasizes complex disease management rather than general wellness and prevention.

Prepare to Care for Adults with Complex, Acute Conditions

Take the next step toward your acute care nursing goals. Request information about Fisher’s online AGACNP program, including admission requirements, curriculum, clinical learning, tuition, and upcoming start dates.

Request Fisher AGACNP Admission Information

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1. Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification and Education. National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Accessed July 15, 2026. ↩︎
2. Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification (AGACNP-BC). American Nurses Credentialing Center. Accessed July 15, 2026. ↩︎