10 Best ACNP Programs in Pennsylvania (Online & Campus) – 2025

Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH

ACNP programs in Pennsylvania will train you to assume leadership roles in high-pressure medical environments like ERs and ICUs, where patients' very lives lie in the balance. They're an excellent fit if you're the type of person who can stay calm and collected in hectic circumstances. This career track offers lucrative compensation and a great deal of job security: ACNPs in the Keystone State make $130,550 annually, and over the next 10 years, Pennsylvania's medical sector is going to need 43 percent more ACNPs than there are today. The list below of the 10 best ACNP programs in Pennsylvania has more information.

FOLLOWING ARE THE 10 BEST ACNP PROGRAMS IN PENNSYLVANIA (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2025

(Based on our Ranking Methodology, we have ranked the 10 best campus-based and online ACNP programs in Pennsylvania.)

1. University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing - Philadelphia

Programs Offered: MSN and Post-Graduate APRN Certificate

MSN Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Post-Graduate APRN Certificate Specialties Offered: Streamlined Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN Program Details: The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing features two acute care options among its Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN) offerings: an MSN/Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) track and an MSN/Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (PACNP) track. Both tracks involve 12 courses and a minimum of 600 clinical hours. Although many educational materials are available online, these two tracks are primarily taught in classrooms at UPenn Nursing's campus in Philadelphia so that students can benefit from personalized attention.

All MSN students take a core research course: "Scientific Inquiry for Evidence-based Practice." Beyond that, however, the curricula for the two tracks are substantively different, focusing respectively on pediatric or adult-gerontological care. UPenn Nursing will arrange your clinical practicums for you, utilizing some of the most prestigious hospitals and medical centers in the City of Brotherly Love, including the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Penn Medicine research complex, and the Philadelphia Veteran's Administration Medical Center.

Full-time students will be able to graduate from the MSN/AGACNP track in 15 months and from the MSN/PACNP track in 12 to 16 months, depending upon their specific plan of study. UPenn also offers part-time tracks, which students can complete in two or three years. These two programs accept new full-time cohorts in the fall and summer semesters, as well as new part-time cohorts in the spring, summer, and fall semesters. All applicants must have Pennsylvania RN licenses. Applicants to both the MSN/AGACNP track and the MSN/PACNP track must have at least one year of professional nursing experience in the specialty to which they are applying.

Post-Graduate APRN Certificate Program Details: Are you a primary care nurse practitioner looking for a way to add an acute care specialty to your nursing skill set? UPenn Nursing's streamlined AGAC certificate was designed to meet your needs. All coursework is offered online. You'll take two nursing theory classes and participate in one practicum in the community in which you live. You can complete your practicum at your place of employment so long as you're not doing clinical rotations in the same unit where you work.

You can start this program in the spring, summer, or fall, and you'll graduate in 12 months. This program is only open to APRN-certified nurses with at least three months of experience working with medically complex adults.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• UPenn Nursing has the sixth-best MSN program in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report, and the third-best MSN/AGACNP program in the United States.
• One of the reasons why the University of Pennsylvania ranks among the best ACNP programs in Pennsylvania is the many opportunities for subspecialization it offers. Students in the MSN/AGACNP track can pursue subspecialties in oncology, palliative care, forensics, or global health, as well as clinical concentrations such as cardiology, trauma, general surgery, transplant, nephrology, and internal medicine. Students in the MSN/PACNP track must select one of three plans of study: acute/chronic, critical care, or oncology.
• The first-time pass rate on nurse practitioner certification exams for UPenn's AGACNP grads is 96 percent, and for PACNP grads is 90 percent.

2. Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions - Philadelphia

Programs Offered: RN-to-BSN-to-MSN, MSN, and Post-Master’s Certificate

RN-to-BSN-to-MSN Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, and Pediatric Primary/Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Dual

MSN Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, and Pediatric Primary/Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Dual

Post-Master’s Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, and Pediatric Primary/Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Dual

RN-to-BSN-to-MSN Program Details: The right career move isn't always made in college! If you are someone who reconsidered your bachelor's degree, went back to school to earn an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a hospital diploma, and are now worried that your lack of a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) will hold you back professionally, Drexel University has good news. The university offers an accelerated RN-to-BSN-to-MSN degree pathway with three acute care options once you start taking nursing master's coursework: an AGACNP track, a PACNP track, and a dual PACNP/Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner track. When you complete all the requirements for your track, you'll be awarded a BSN and an MSN degree.

Drexel uses a quarter system in which the academic year is divided into four 10-week sessions. The RN-to-BSN bridge part of the program consists of 15 quarter credits, and all classes are offered online. Most students are able to complete bridge coursework in under a single year. Once you've successfully completed it, you can begin working on your MSN.

MSN Program Details: Drexel University offers two acute care concentrations at the nursing master's level: an AGACNP track and a PACNP track that both entail 57 credits and 800 clinical hours. Additionally, the university offers a dual PACNP/PPCNP track that consists of 62 credits and 1,000 clinical hours. While Drexel University's MSN tracks are predominantly offered online using synchronous technology, students meet periodically on the university's campus in Philadelphia for activities like orientation, skills intensives, simulation experiences, and evaluations.

All three tracks share a common core MSN curriculum, which includes classes like "Confronting Issues in Contemporary Health Care Environments," "Advanced Ethical Decision Making in Health Care," and "Evaluation and Translation of Health Research." APRN support and clinical courses vary by concentration. You'll complete your clinical rotations in the Keystone State at one of Drexel's many clinical partners, such as Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, or Crozer Medical Center.

Applicants to the MSN/AGACNP track must have at least two years of experience in a critical care setting, while applicants to both the MSN/PACNP track and the dual degree option must have at least one year of experience in pediatric acute care. All applicants must hold current Pennsylvania RN licensure. Drexel uses a rolling admissions policy, so if this program is one of your top choices, get your application in as soon as possible, because once Drexel gets its quota of qualified students, admissions are closed. Drexel University's three MSN/ACNP programs in Pennsylvania accept new students in the fall quarter. Depending upon the number of courses you take per quarter, you'll graduate in one or two years.

Post-Master’s Certificate Program Details: Drexel University's AGACNP, PACNP, and dual PACNP/PPCNP are ideal for any MSN-educated RN who wants to add an acute care concentration to their scope of practice. The AGACNP and PACNP certificates each comprise 39 credits, while the dual PACNP/PPCNP certificate involves 44 credits. The AGACNP and PACNP certificates each require 800 clinical hours, and the dual degree requires 1,000. Following a gap analysis, however, students who are already board-certified NPs may be able to reduce the number of courses and clinical hours they're required to complete.

Courses begin in the fall. The AGACNP and PACNP certificates will take eight quarters (24 months) to finish, and the joint PACNP/PPCNP certificate will take nine quarters (27 months).

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• Most Drexel University nursing instructors are also active clinicians, which means they bring real-world perspectives to the subjects they teach.
• Drexel’s online nurse practitioner programs have a first-time pass rate of 100 percent on national certification exams.

3. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh

Programs Offered: DNP (BSN-to-DNP & MSN-to-DNP) and Certificate

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: The University of Pittsburgh's 79-credit (1,000 clinical hours) BSN-to-DNP/AGACNP track is only available as a classroom program at the university's campus in Pittsburgh. You'll take a variety of DNP core courses, APRN role preparation classes, and clinical concentration courses designed to help you function effectively as an advanced acute care practitioner. Core DNP courses will include "The Science of Health Care Delivery," "Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Culturally Diverse Populations," and "Public Policy in Health Care." You'll demonstrate what this program has taught you by developing a DNP portfolio and completing a DNP project that synthesizes what you've learned into an actionable solution to a clinical challenge.

Your practicums will be conducted at some of the area's most renowned medical centers, such as UPMC Passavant-Cranberry, UPMC Williamsport, and Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, so you should have a Pennsylvania RN license, even though admission criteria don't specifically list this as a requirement. Full-time students will graduate in eight semesters (32 months). This ACNP program in Pennsylvania accepts new students in the fall semester.

MSN-to-DNP Program Details: Your acute care concentration options are broader should you decide to pursue a DNP degree at Pitt and already have a nursing master's. The university offers a 32- to 35-credit MSN-to-DNP/AGACNP track and a 37-credit MSN-to-DNP/PACNP track. (Note: All the credits you accumulate toward your doctoral degree, including master's and DNP curricula, must add up to 72). You will be required to complete 1,000 clinical hours in these DNP tracks as well; however, you may be able to apply your MSN clinical hours toward this requirement.

Since you will have already taken APRN prep classes while studying for your nursing master's, the MSN-to-DNP curriculum only includes foundational DNP courses like "Human Genetics and Clinical Applications" and "Leadership Development" in addition to clinical concentration coursework. This program is taught both in the classroom and online in a synchronous format for students who live some distance from campus. Clinical rotations take place in Pennsylvania. If you enroll full-time, you can expect to graduate in one to two years; part-time students will take two to three years to complete their coursework. Pitt's MSN-to-DNP AGACNP and PACNP tracks accept new cohorts every fall.

Certificate Program Details: Are you an APRN looking for ways to gain a competitive edge in the healthcare employment market? Pitt offers two acute care certificates: an AGACNP certificate and a PACNP certificate. The AGACNP certificate involves 24 credits (540 clinical hours), and the PACNP certificate involves 18 to 21 credits (500 clinical hours), but the university will perform a gap analysis when you first enroll in this program to determine your specific study plan.

The PACNP certificate is only offered as a campus-based program, but with the AGACNP certificate, you'll have your choice of on-campus or online. Online AGACNP students will be required to visit the university's Pittsburgh campus at least once for skills intensives.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• The University of Pittsburgh’s DNP track holds the No. 12 spot in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of American Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.
• The University of Pittsburgh offers an integrated DNP/PhD track, enabling students to develop clinical and research expertise at the same time.

4. DeSales University - Center Valley

Programs Offered: MSN, BSN-to-DNP, and Post-Master's Certificate

MSN Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Post-Master's Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN Program Details: Though DeSales University's 50-credit MSN/AGACNP track is primarily a distance learning program, you will have to visit the university's Center Valley campus for simulation exercises and other clinical training. The curriculum includes core MSN courses like "Health Policy, Organization and Financing," "Health Informatics, Quality and Safety," and "Clinical Prevention in Population Health," in addition to advanced practice coursework, clinical specialty classes, and practicums. DSU's MSN/AGACNP track entails 675 clinical hours, which you'll complete at hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities throughout the Delaware Valley. DSU's MSN/AGACNP track also requires you to compile a professional portfolio documenting your professional nursing experience as part of a capstone project.

This program is only open to applicants with at least 12 months of professional nursing experience. New students can start in the winter, spring, summer, or fall semester. You can progress at your own pace through the program, but most full-time students graduate in two to three years.

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: If you want your graduate nursing studies to position you for a career as a program manager, nurse executive, or healthcare organization leader, DeSales University's acute care BSN-to-DNP/AGNP degree may be a better choice than its MSN counterpart. You'll complete 76 credits and 1,200 clinical hours, and the curriculum will include a four-semester DNP project for which you will research, implement, and evaluate a solution to a clinical challenge in healthcare delivery or patient care.

Coursework is delivered online, but you'll visit DSU's campus in Center Valley twice for hands-on clinical training. You may be assigned practicums in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware. You'll graduate in two to four years, depending upon whether you're a full-time or part-time student. New students are admitted into this program each fall.

Post-Master's Certificate Program Details: Like most other post-graduate certificate ACNP programs in Pennsylvania, once you're accepted into DeSales University's post-master's AGACNP certificate, the School of Nursing will do a gap analysis to determine your specific study plan. Most students enroll in between four and nine courses for a total of 18 to 35 credits and complete a minimum of 500 clinical hours. Classes begin in the fall.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• DeSales University is affiliated with the Catholic tradition in higher education. While the university embraces religious diversity among its students, its nursing curriculum reflects Catholic doctrines.
• DSU's acute care nurse practitioner grads have a nearly 100 percent first-time pass rate on national certification examinations.
• Applicants to DSU's AGACNP tracks must hold RN licensure in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
• DeSales cannot accept applicants from Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

5. Pennsylvania State University - University Park

Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and Post-Graduate APRN Certificate

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Acute Care Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner

Post-Graduate APRN Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: Pennsylvania State University offers one acute care program at the BSN-to-DNP level: a 55-credit AGACNP track. Most students pursue the program part-time over eight semesters (32 months); however, you can also enroll full-time if you prefer. For the first three semesters, the curriculum will focus on core advanced practice and DNP classes, including "Healthcare Policy for Nurse and Healthcare Scholars," "Evidence-Based Practice I, II, & III," and "Theoretical & Scientific Foundations of Advanced Nursing." In your fourth semester, you'll begin learning the skills you'll use as a professional acute care practitioner.

The BSN-to-DNP/AGACNP track includes 1,031 practicum hours: 600 clinical hours related to your AGACNP concentration and 431 DNP project hours. You'll complete your DNP project over three semesters and use your DNP practicums to implement and evaluate your project.

You'll complete most of your coursework online, but you'll have to attend three- or four-day sessions at Penn State's campus in University Park for hands-on skills intensives. The majority of Penn State's more than 700 affiliations with healthcare facilities are within the Keystone State, so while it's possible to complete clinical rotations outside of Pennsylvania, the university expects applicants to hold a Pennsylvania RN license. New cohorts can start this program in the spring, summer, and fall.

Post-Graduate APRN Certificate Program Details: Looking for a way to expand your scope of practice with acute care practitioner skills? Penn State offers a 20-credit (600 clinical hours) AGACNP certificate that mirrors the clinical concentration components of the BSN-to-DNP/AGACNP curriculum. Your specific study plan will be tailored to account for your academic background and professional experience. This ACNP program in Pennsylvania has start dates in the spring, summer, and fall, and most students finish it in four semesters (16 months).

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• 96% of Penn State's AGACNP grads passed their nurse practitioner certification exams on their first attempt.
• Pennsylvania State University's School of Nursing has been recognized as a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing.

6. Thomas Jefferson University - Philadelphia

Programs Offered: MSN, BSN-to-DNP, and Post-Graduate Certificate

MSN Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Post-Graduate Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN Program Details: Thomas Jefferson University's acute care MSN/AGNP track is mainly a distance learning program, but you'll be required to make periodic visits to the university's campus in Philadelphia for orientation and hands-on clinical skills preparation. Full-time students should be able to complete this 45-credit ACNP program in Pennsylvania in six semesters 24 months), but it will take part-time students nine semesters (36 months) to graduate.

Core APRN and MSN classes like "Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Trends and Opportunities" and "Philosophy, Foundations, and Methods for Evidence-based Practice" will lay a nursing theory foundation, on which your coursework and practicums in your clinical concentration will build. Thomas Jefferson University's MSN/AGACNP track also entails 750 clinical hours, which will be scheduled at prestigious Philadelphia-area hospitals and clinics like Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Jefferson Methodist Hospital, and Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital. This program is only open to licensed RNs in Pennsylvania. You'll begin this program in the fall semester.

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: The acute care clinical concentration curriculum for Thomas Jefferson University's AGACNP track is identical in both the BSN-to-DNP and MSN programs, but the BSN-to-DNP/AGACNP track has DNP foundational courses like "Leadership and Critical Decision Making," "Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse," and " Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Trends and Opportunities," so it's better suited for RNs with administrative or managerial aspirations. This track also includes a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours, which you'll complete at healthcare facilities within the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Region.

The centerpiece of this program is a year-long DNP project, for which you will design, implement, and evaluate an initiative that aims to make a positive, measurable effect on patient outcomes or healthcare delivery. The program offers three start dates a year, in the spring, summer, and fall semesters, and will take full-time students four years to complete and part-time students six years. All applicants must be licensed in Pennsylvania and have a minimum of one year of experience in critical care.

Post-Graduate Certificate Program Details: The official curriculum for Thomas Jefferson University's post-graduate AGACNP certificate consists of three core APRN courses and three clinical AGACNP courses, but you may be able to take fewer, depending upon the results of your gap analysis. Additionally, you'll complete 750 clinical hours at leading healthcare facilities in the Philly metro, so applicants must hold RN licenses in Pennsylvania.

Most of the certificate track is offered online, but you may have to visit Jefferson's campus for hands-on skills training. Full-time students can expect to complete training in four semesters (16 months), and part-time students in nine semesters (36 months). New cohorts can begin this program in the fall, spring, or summer.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• U.S. News & World Report ranks Thomas Jefferson University Hospital—the medical facility where most Jefferson acute care nursing students complete at least one of their clinical practicums—as the 16th best hospital in the entire United States.
• Thomas Jefferson University has the 17th-best MSN program in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.

7. Moravian University - Bethlehem

Programs Offered: MSN and Post-Master’s Certificate

MSN Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Post-Master’s Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN Program Details: Moravian University's 44-credit (650 clinical hours) acute care MSN/AGNP track is open to BSN-educated RNs with active licensure in Pennsylvania and New Jersey who've worked for at least one year in a critical care setting. You'll take core MSN courses like "Nursing Role Theory and Evidence Based Practice," "Policy, Quality, and Safety in Health Care," and "Law, Regulation, and Ethics in Health Care," in addition to APRN core courses and hands-on classes that highlight your chosen clinical concentration. Most of your classes will be conducted at Moravian University's campus in Bethlehem.

Practicum opportunities will be assigned at medical centers and hospitals throughout the Lehigh Valley. This ACNP program in Pennsylvania accepts new students in the spring and fall semesters. If you enroll full-time, you can look forward to graduating in two years; if you enroll part-time, you'll complete the program in three years.

Post-Master’s Certificate Program Details: The classes you take for Moravian University's acute care AGAC certificate will depend upon the results of the gap analysis the university will do when you first enroll in the program to see how much overlap there is between the curriculum and your prior academic history. The official curriculum consists of seven courses and 650 clinical hours. This program is taught on campus, and you'll pursue practicums in medical facilities throughout Bethlehem and nearby communities. New students can start in the fall or spring. You'll graduate in two years or fewer.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• Moravian University is officially affiliated with the Moravian Church. The university accepts students from many different faiths, and Moravian doctrinal content is not reflected in its nursing curriculum.
• Moravian University is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

8. Cedar Crest College - Allentown

Programs Offered: MSN, BSN-to-DNP, and Post-Master’s APRN Certificate

MSN Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Post-Master’s APRN Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN Program Details: Cedar Crest College's 46-credit acute care MSN/AGNP track is taught chiefly online using asynchronous technology, but before you begin your clinical rotations, you'll spend two days at a skills workshop at the college's campus in Allentown, learning the hands-on competencies you'll need to function capably as an adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner. You'll participate in 672 hours of clinical practicum at some of the top hospitals and clinics in the Lehigh Valley, including the Lehigh Valley Health Network, Tower Health, and the St. Luke's University Health Network.

Foundational MSN courses like "Issues and Trends Relevant to Nursing," "Vulnerable Populations: Nursing Perspectives," and "Issues and Trends Relevant to Nursing" in your first four semesters of full-time study will lay the groundwork for developing expertise in your acute care adult gerontology concentration. This ACNP program in Pennsylvania admits new students every fall.

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: DNP programs are designed to create nursing leaders who can translate research into practice, so if your professional aspirations involve transforming the way acute care is delivered, Cedar Crest College's BSN-to-DNP/AGACNP track may align better with your needs than the corresponding MSN track. The program consists of 73 credits and a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours, including DNP core courses such as "Foundation for Transformation: Translating Evidence into Practice," "Methods for Scholarly Inquiry," and "Evaluation Methods for Safety & Quality Improvement." Your last four semesters will be dedicated to developing, implementing, and assessing a scholarly DNP project that will give you experience applying evidence-based solutions to clinical care.

This program utilizes an asynchronous distance learning format, but you may have to visit the university's campus in Allentown for simulation experiences and other immersive, hands-on skills exercises. You'll be completing your clinical rotations in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities in the Lehigh Valley, so all applicants must hold RN licensure in the Keystone State. By taking two courses each semester, you can complete this program in 15 semesters (seven years).

Post-Master’s APRN Certificate Program Details: Interested in adding acute care adult gerontology to your nurse practitioner skill set? Cedar Crest College's post-master's AGACNP certificate involves 22 credits and 672 clinical hours, but if you're not yet an advanced practice nurse, you may have to take additional APRN core courses. The program accepts a new cohort each spring. Most students complete the curriculum in four semesters.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• Cedar Crest College's association with the United Church of Christ doesn't influence its nursing education. The college welcomes students from many different religious backgrounds.
• Cedar Crest College's acute care nursing tracks have some of the most affordable tuition rates among all Pennsylvania nursing programs.

9. Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia

Programs Offered: MSN and Post-Master’s Certificate

MSN Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Post-Master’s Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN Program Details: Apart from clinical rotations, all of Saint Joseph's University's MSN/AGACNP curriculum is delivered over the Internet with no campus visits required, making it one of the best ACNP programs in Pennsylvania for RNs aiming to balance educational goals with other professional and personal commitments. The program comprises 52 credits and 720 clinical hours, which you'll have the opportunity to complete at prestigious medical centers like Lehigh Valley Hospital, Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania-Penn Presbyterian, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. If you live too far from one of Saint Joseph's University's clinical partners, though, the university will assist you in identifying and securing a clinical rotation at a location of your choice.

Core MSN classes like "Health Promotion in Integrated Care," "Nurse Practitioner Role Development," and "Advanced Health Assessment & Clinical Reasoning" will prepare you for the clinical classes you'll need to succeed in your acute care AGNP role. New cohorts can join this MSN/AGACNP track in the spring and fall. If you enroll full-time, you can finish this program in six semesters (24 months); if you enroll part-time, you can finish it in nine semesters (36 months). This program is only open to BSN-prepared RNs who are licensed in Pennsylvania and have at least two years (2,000 hours) of professional nursing experience.

Post-Master’s Certificate Program Details: If you already have an MSN and are looking for ways to expand your clinical scope of practice into critical care, Saint Joseph's University's AGACNP certificate can prepare you for the acute care adult gerontology NP practice examination. If you're not yet a nurse practitioner, you'll complete 34 to 37 credits and 720 clinical hours, and it will take you 18 months to complete the program. If you're already an APRN, you'll complete 24 to 27 credits and 540 clinical hours, and it will take you 12 months to complete the program. This AGACNP certificate program has entry points in February, March, June, September, and December.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• While Saint Joseph's University is a Catholic university rooted in Jesuit traditions, its nursing program is not explicitly aligned with Catholic doctrines, and the university welcomes students from many different religious backgrounds.
• The first-time pass rate for Saint Joseph's University's AGACNP grads on their nurse practitioner certification exams is 100 percent.

10. Neumann University - Aston

Programs Offered: MSN and Post-Master’s Certificate

MSN Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Post-Master’s Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN Program Details: Neumann University's 45-credit acute care MSN/AGNP track uses a unique model. Core MSN and advanced practice courses are offered entirely online, and each class is structured so that it can be completed in seven weeks. Students take a single course like "Models and Theories," "Health Promotion," and "Nursing Research" over a seven-week period. Once those foundational courses are complete, students are ready for hands-on specialty classes in the AGACNP concentration. This ACNP program in Pennsylvania also includes 784 hours of practicum training, which you'll pursue at healthcare facilities throughout the Delaware Valley, so all applicants must hold RN licenses in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware by the time they begin doing clinical rotations.

New cohorts are accepted into this program in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. If you enroll full-time, you can expect to complete your degree in two years; part-time students will complete the program in three years. All applicants must have at least one year of experience in a critical care setting and be certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

Post-Master’s Certificate Program Details: When you enroll in Neumann University's post-master's AGACNP certificate, the university will develop an individualized study plan for you, based on your academic transcripts and professional experience. Most students take 32 credits, as well as 672 clinical hours, which takes them approximately one year to complete. Courses are offered online, and practicums are scheduled for hospitals and clinics in the Delaware Valley. This program has start dates in the fall and spring.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• Neumann University, a Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition, welcomes students from all faith backgrounds, but its nursing curriculum is influenced by Catholic doctrines.
• Neumann University's AGACNP graduates score 100 percent on their NP certification exams the very first time they take them.


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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED

1. Who Accredits ACNP Programs In Pennsylvania?

S.No.	Accrediting Agency
1	Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
2	Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)

2. How Many Accredited ACNP Schools Are There In Pennsylvania?

10

3. On Average, How Much Does An Acute Care NP Make Per Hour In Pennsylvania?

$62.76

4. On Average, How Much Does An Acute Care NP Make Per Week In Pennsylvania?

$2,511

5. On Average, How Much Does An Acute Care NP Make Per Month In Pennsylvania?

$10,880

6. On Average, How Much Does An Acute Care NP Make Per Year In Pennsylvania?

$130,550

7. What Is The Job Outlook For ACNPs In Pennsylvania?

10-Year Job Outlook (2020-2030)

+42.70%

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