School of Nursing

Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist

Curriculum

*Note: DNP Core Courses are held on Monday through Saturday a minimum of six (6) times during a semester. Students' practicum experiences may occur weekdays, weekends, including evening and night shifts.

Curriculum for students starting Summer 2025 and after:

Full-Time Curriculum Plan for BSN to DNP
Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist Concentration
(85 Total Semester Credits)*

Year 1
Summer		 Year 1
Fall (12 Credits) 		Year 1
Spring (13 Credits)
  BSDS 6100 Biostatistical Methods for Nursing (3)
HLSC 6409 Advanced Pharmacology (3)
HLSC 6410 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
NURS 7203 Research Design and Methodology (3)

NURS 6315 Advanced Health Assessment (5) [3.5 didactic, 1.5 lab]
NURS 7909 Advanced Nursing Practice Acute Care Pharmacotherapeutics (2)
NURS 7101 Theoretical and Philosophical Foundations of Nursing Science (3)
NURS 7706 Acute Care Therapeutic and Diagnostic Procedures (3)[2 didactic, 1 lab]
 
Year 2
Summer (14 Credits)

Year 2
Fall (14 Credits)

Year 2
Spring (13 Credits)

NURS 7910 Adult Gerontology CNS I: Role and Common Health Problems (5) [2 didactic, 3 practicum]
NURS 6324 Introduction to Epidemiology (3)
NURS 7105 Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
NURS 7707 Family, Genetics, and Health Promotion (3)

NURS 7911 Adult Gerontology CNS II: Acute and Chronic Health Problems (7) [3 didactic, 4 practicum]
NURS 7109 Health Outcomes: Information Systems, Measurement, Analysis, and Management (3)
NURS 7481 Evidence-Based Practice for Advanced Nursing Practice (4)

NURS 7912 Adult Gerontology CNS III: Acute, Chronic and Complex Health Problems (6) [3 didactic, 3 practicum]
NURS 7913 Adult Gerontology CNS IV: Chronic Health and Geriatric Syndromes (5) [2 didactic, 3 practicum]
NURS 7914 Adult Gerontology CNS V: Care and Practice Transitions (2)
 
Year 3
Summer (8 Credits) 		Year 3
Fall (7 Credits) 		Year 3
Spring (4 Credits)

NURS 7110 Scholarly Project I: Proposal Development (3)
NURS 7021 Advanced Nursing Practicum I (1) [1 practicum]
NURS 7103 Organization and Systems Leadership (4)

NURS 7120 Scholarly Project II: Implementation (3)
NURS 7022 Advanced Nursing Practicum II (1) [1 practicum]
NURS 7306 Health Policy and Politics (3)

NURS 7130 Scholarly Project III: Evaluation & Dissemination (3)
NURS 7023 Advanced Nursing Practicum III (1) [1 practicum]

* Includes a total of 1000 practicum hours.

Curriculum for students who started before Summer 2025:

Full-Time Curriculum Plan for BSN to DNP
Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist Concentration
(84 Total Semester Credits)

First Year - Summer (10 Credits) First Year - Fall (13 Credits) First Year - Spring (9 Credits)
NURS 7105 Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
NURS 7103 Organization and Systems Leadership (4)
NURS 7707 Family, Genetics, and Health Promotion (3)		 BIOS 6100 Biostatistical Methods I (4)
HLSC 6409 Advanced Pharmacology (3)
HLSC 6410 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
NURS 7203 Research Design and Methodology (3)

NURS 7909 Advanced Nursing Practice Acute Care Pharmacotherapeutics (2)
NURS 6315 Advanced Health Assessment (4) [3 didactic, 1 practicum]
NURS 7101 Theoretical and Philosophical Foundations of Nursing Science (3)
 
Second Year - Summer (8 Credits) Second Year - Fall (14 Credits) Second Year - Spring (6 Credits)

NURS 7910 Adult Gerontology CNS I: Role and Common Health Problems (5) [2 didactic, 3 practicum]
NURS 6324 Introduction to Epidemiology (3)

NURS 7911 Adult Gerontology CNS II: Acute and Chronic Health Problems (7) [3 didactic, 4 practicum]
NURS 7481 Evidence-Based Practice for Advanced Nursing Practice (4)
NURS 7109 Health Outcomes: Information Systems, Measurement, Analysis, and Management (3)

NURS 7912 Adult Gerontology CNS III: Acute, Chronic and Complex Health Problems (6) [3 didactic, 3 practicum]
 
Third Year - Summer (4 Credits) Third Year - Fall (13 Credits) Third Year - Spring (7 Credits)

NURS 7021 Advanced Nursing Practicum I (1) [1 practicum]
NURS 7110 Scholarly Project I: Proposal Development (3)

NURS 7913 Adult Gerontology CNS IV: Chronic Health and Geriatric Syndromes (5) [2 didactic, 3 practicum]
NURS 7306 Health Policy and Politics (3)
NURS 7022 Advanced Nursing Practicum II (2) [2 practicum]
NURS 7120 Scholarly Project II: Implementation (3)

NURS 7023 Advanced Nursing Practicum III (2) [2 practicum]
NURS 7130 Scholarly Project III: Evaluation & Dissemination (3)
NURS 7914 Adult Gerontology CNS V: Care and Practice Transitions (2)

 

Graduates of this program are academically qualified to meet the eligibility requirements to take an Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist Certification Examination sponsored by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).