Colorado State University Pueblo’s School of Nursing prepares nurse practitioners in two population focuses: adult-gerontology acute care (AGACNP) and psychiatric-mental health (PMHNP). A third option, the AGACNP/FNP dual concentration, adds family nurse practitioner preparation to the acute care track.
Each option is offered as a Master of Science (MS) or a BSN-to-DNP. A post-master’s certificate is also available in each. Three factors shape most decisions at CSU Pueblo:
- Low per-credit tuition. Graduate nursing courses cost $625.89 per credit in 2026-27 for Colorado residents and residents of Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) states.
- Pueblo-based attendance. The programs require on-campus instruction in Pueblo, so they are not fully online.
- Student-sourced clinicals. Students find their own preceptors. Acute care practicum hours must be completed in Colorado.
Quick facts
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Nursing School | CSU Pueblo School of Nursing |
| Location | Pueblo, CO |
| NP Specialties | AGACNP, PMHNP, dual AGACNP/FNP |
| Degree Options | MS, BSN-to-DNP, post-master’s certificate |
| Format | Hybrid |
| Campus Visits | On-campus instruction and labs in Pueblo |
| Clinical Placement | Acute care: students find preceptors, Colorado sites only. PMHNP: not clearly stated |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 |
| Entry Points | BSN for MS and DNP; MSN for certificates |
| Start Term | Fall |
| Cost per Credit | $625.89 resident and WRGP; $1,031.96 non-resident (2026-27, master’s-level NSG courses) |
| Accreditation | ACEN; HLC institutional |
Comparing CSU Pueblo’s NP programs
Format, admissions, and tuition rates are shared across the NP programs. The differences worth weighing are population focus, credit load, and practicum hours.
| Pathway | Credits | Specialty practicum hours | Entry requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult-Gerontology Acute Care (AGACNP) | |||
| MS | 53 | 780 | BSN |
| BSN-to-DNP | 83 | 780 + 540 DNP | BSN |
| Post-master’s certificate | 24-26 | Individualized | MSN |
| AGACNP/FNP Dual Concentration | |||
| MS | 74 | 1,560 | BSN |
| BSN-to-DNP | 104 | 1,560 + 540 DNP | BSN |
| Psychiatric-Mental Health (PMHNP) | |||
| MS | 56-62 | 780 | BSN |
| BSN-to-DNP | 86-87 | 780 + 540 DNP | BSN |
| Post-master’s certificate | Individualized | Individualized | MSN |
Specialty hours apply to students admitted Fall 2024 or later; earlier cohorts completed 585 hours per specialty. The 540 DNP hours are DNP project practicum hours, not additional specialty patient-care hours. CSU Pueblo totals the AGACNP BSN-to-DNP at 1,320 practicum hours. Lab hours are separate: 120 for AGACNP students and 30 for PMHNP students.
Certificates follow the MS specialty course sequence, with credits and hours set by an individual gap analysis. CSU Pueblo also offers the dual concentration as a post-master’s certificate; its credits aren’t published in the materials reviewed.
What stands out about CSU Pueblo’s NP programs
- The dual AGACNP/FNP concentration is offered at both the MS and DNP levels. Graduates can sit for both the acute care and family NP exams. The trade-off is 1,560 specialty practicum hours and 21 more credits than the single-focus MS.
- An MS remains available in every focus. BSN-prepared nurses can become NPs without committing to a doctorate.
- The WRGP rate is limited by location requirements. Nurses in 14 western states pay the resident rate. But on-campus instruction in Pueblo is required, and acute care practicum hours must be in Colorado, which limits the value for nurses outside the state.
- AGACNP courses run on a fixed annual schedule. Each specialty theory and practicum course is offered once a year. Failing or deferring one course delays graduation by a full year.
Which CSU Pueblo NP program fits your goal?
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Credits 53 / 83 / 24-26 · Practicum hours 780 · MS · BSN-DNP · Certificate
The AGACNP concentration prepares nurses for acute and critical care of adults and older adults. The specialty sequence opens with NSG 610 Diagnostic Reasoning and two skills labs, NSG 613L and 614L Acute Care Skills Lab I and II. It continues with five courses, Adult/Gerontology Acute Care I-V, each paired with a practicum, and closes with NSG 646L, a practicum spanning the final three semesters.
CSU Pueblo specifies how the 780 AGACNP hours are distributed:
- 180 hours in hospitalist or intensivist practice
- 180 hours in emergency or urgent care
- 180 hours in specialty medicine, across two to four specialties
- 180 hours on hospital units
- 60 hours in rural health
The MS requires one year of full-time or two years of part-time RN clinical experience. The DNP and certificate list 2,000 RN hours as a preference rather than a requirement.
The BSN-to-DNP adds doctoral coursework in epidemiology, health care business and finance, organizational and systems leadership, and healthcare ethics, law, and policy, plus a DNP project practicum across four semesters. The AGACNP specialty sequence begins in the summer of year two. The MS is awarded concurrently with the DNP, which CSU Pueblo links to states that require a master’s degree for NP practice.
The certificate uses the same specialty and practicum sequence as the MS, with the final credit total set by gap analysis.
AGACNP/FNP Dual Concentration
Credits 74 / 104 · Practicum hours 1,560 · MS · BSN-DNP · Certificate
The dual concentration adds family practice coursework to the acute care sequence. Students take NSG 661-665 Family I-V (8 credits) alongside the AGACNP theory courses, plus NSG 636L, a variable-credit FNP practicum totaling 13 credits. Clinical hours total 1,560, split evenly between AGACNP and FNP, across five to six semesters.
The DNP version replaces the single-focus final practicum with NSG 807L, a 10-credit course split into 4 FNP, 3 AGACNP, and 3 DNP credits.
The practical difference is scope versus workload. Graduates are eligible for both the AGACNP and FNP certification exams. In exchange, the MS requires 21 more credits than the single-focus MS, or about $13,144 in additional estimated resident tuition. Admission requirements match the single-focus AGACNP tracks.
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Credits 56-62 / 86-87 · Practicum hours 780 · MS · BSN-DNP · Certificate
The MS PMHNP, BSN-to-DNP PMHNP, and Post-Master’s PMHNP Certificate prepare nurses to care for psychiatric and mental health patients across the lifespan. Year one covers graduate core courses in pathophysiology, pharmacology, and advanced assessment. Specialty courses include NSG 676 Theoretical Mental Health Models, NSG 677 Psychopharmacology, NSG 678 Psychiatric Assessment and Evaluation, and NSG 679 Psychiatric Differential Diagnosis.
Psych Mental Health I-IV each pair with a practicum in the same term, so clinical hours build progressively. The MS includes 780 PMHNP practicum hours and 30 lab hours, plus up to 3 credits of variable practicum (NSG 655L). Its 56-62 credit range reflects the exit requirement: an oral comprehensive exam or an optional 6-9 credit thesis.
The BSN-to-DNP uses the same PMHNP sequence and adds doctoral courses in health care business and finance, organizational and systems leadership, and epidemiology. A five-term DNP project practicum (NSG 802-805 and 808L) runs alongside the specialty courses in years three and four and adds 540 hours.
The certificate plan depends on prior coursework. Its full course list includes NSG 676-679, Psych Mental Health I-IV with their practicums, and NSG 655L.
Clinical placement
For the acute care pathways (AGACNP and dual), students find their own preceptors, and all practicum hours must be completed in Colorado. This rules out the acute care programs for nurses who cannot rotate in-state.
- Placement help. The Graduate Clinical Liaison helps after a student makes five documented attempts to find a preceptor.
- Lead time. Students are advised to start planning three semesters ahead. A new clinical affiliation agreement takes four to six weeks, and some organizations take up to 12 months.
- Preceptor standards. AGACNPs, physicians, or physician assistants with national board certification and at least two years in the population focus.
- Substitute preceptors. FNPs working full-time in acute or emergency settings, and clinical nurse specialists, are each capped at 25% of clinical hours.
For the PMHNP pathways, the materials reviewed don’t state whether CSU Pueblo arranges sites or where PMHNP hours may be completed. PMHNP applicants outside Colorado should confirm clinical location rules before applying.
Format and campus attendance
All pathways are classified Hybrid. PMHNP students attend recurring on-campus instruction in Pueblo, and the amount varies with the courses taken each semester.
For the AGACNP and dual concentrations, CSU Pueblo doesn’t publish a visit count or schedule. On-campus attendance includes class days and three lab courses totaling 120 lab hours: NSG 562L Advanced Assessment Lab, NSG 613L, and NSG 614L. Pre-clinical orientation takes place on the first day of on-campus class. The AGACNP concentrations aren’t listed among CSU Pueblo Online’s programs.
Applicants who don’t live near Pueblo should plan for regular travel throughout the program.
Admissions
CSU Pueblo admits students in the fall, and first-term core courses are offered in fall only. These requirements apply to MS and BSN-to-DNP applicants across all specialties.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nursing degree | BSN from an accredited university |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 |
| Prerequisites | Statistics, microbiology, and chemistry, each with a C or better (C-minus not accepted) |
| RN license | Active, unrestricted Colorado or multistate compact license, due at admission or by the end of the first semester depending on pathway |
| Application | Three letters of recommendation, letter of intent, and CV |
| Compliance | Background check, drug screen, immunizations, CPR, and student liability insurance, tracked through DISA Healthcare |
| Compliance deadline | Fall admits must upload all documents by September 30, or spring registration is blocked |
| Preference | 2,000 hours of RN experience, Southern Colorado residency, or a CSU Pueblo degree |
Acute care pathways add two requirements. The AGACNP and dual MS require one year of full-time or two years of part-time RN clinical experience. AGACNP and dual students also need BLS, ACLS, and PALS from an American Heart Association or Red Cross provider, current before the first clinical day.
In the AGACNP MS, every course requires a B or better. Up to nine semester hours of transfer credit may be accepted with program director approval.
Post-master’s certificates
Certificate applicants need a master’s degree in nursing from an accredited university with a 3.0 GPA or higher, plus three letters of recommendation, a letter of intent, and a CV. The PMHNP certificate also lists a BSN with a 3.0 GPA and an active, unrestricted Colorado RN license.
Every certificate plan is set by gap analysis. At least 16 credits must be completed at CSU Pueblo regardless of prior graduate coursework. Admission preferences match the degree programs.
Tuition
In 2026-27, graduate nursing courses numbered 500-699 cost $441.60 per credit in base tuition plus a $184.29 nursing differential. The resident rate also applies to nurses in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the U.S. Pacific territories through WRGP.
| Resident / WRGP tuition per credit (NSG 500-699) | $625.89 |
| Non-resident tuition per credit (NSG 500-699) | $1,031.96 |
| Mandatory fees per credit (capped at 12 credits) | $91.37 |
| Flat health and recreation charges per semester | $326.88 |
A resident or WRGP student taking 9 credits of NSG 500-699 courses would pay $5,633.01 in tuition, $822.33 in mandatory fees, and $326.88 in flat charges, for a semester total of $6,782.22. Students enrolled only in CSU Pueblo Online sections are exempt from mandatory fees, but a single residential credit triggers fees on the full term load.
| Pathway | Credits | Estimated resident tuition |
|---|---|---|
| AGACNP MS | 53 | $33,172 |
| PMHNP MS | 56-62 | $35,050-$38,805 |
| AGACNP/FNP Dual MS | 74 | $46,316 |
| AGACNP Certificate | 24-26 | $15,021-$16,273 |
These are estimates calculated from the per-credit rate, not CSU Pueblo-published program costs, and they exclude fees. Doctoral-level courses (NSG 700-899) carry a higher per-credit differential, so DNP totals depend on the course mix and are not estimated here. Total cost will also vary with residency, transfer credits, gap-analysis results, and annual rate changes. See CSU Pueblo’s tuition and fees page for current schedules.
Accreditation and certification
ACEN accredits the School of Nursing. The master’s and post-master’s certificate programs hold Continuing Accreditation, and the DNP holds Initial Accreditation, granted in spring 2022. ACEN has scheduled a continuing accreditation site visit for the MS and DNP programs on September 30, 2026. CSU Pueblo is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
AGACNP graduates are eligible for the adult-gerontology acute care exam (ANCC AGACNP-BC or AACN ACNPC-AG), and dual concentration graduates are also eligible for FNP certification. PMHNP graduates are eligible for the national PMHNP exam through ANCC or AANPCB.
Licensure outside Colorado
CSU Pueblo states that its acute care program meets Colorado State Board of Nursing requirements, and that reciprocity to other states is not guaranteed. Nurses who plan to practice outside Colorado should confirm that their state’s board will accept the program. Colorado-only acute care clinicals are a separate hurdle for nurses who cannot rotate in-state.
Who is CSU Pueblo best for?
May be a strong fit for
- Colorado nurses, especially in Southern Colorado, who want a low per-credit rate and qualify for admission preference
- Nurses who want acute care and family NP certification eligibility from one program
- BSN-prepared nurses who want an NP-qualifying MS rather than a DNP
- MSN-prepared nurses adding AGACNP or PMHNP preparation through a gap-analysis certificate
- Students who can attend on-campus instruction in Pueblo
- Acute care students with existing Colorado hospital contacts who can secure their own preceptors
Compare other options if
- You need a fully online program
- You want the school to arrange clinical placements
- You would need to complete acute care practicum hours outside Colorado
- You want an AGACNP MS but lack one year of full-time RN clinical experience
- You need a spring or summer start
- You need flexibility to pause and resume AGACNP courses without losing a full year
Compare more NP programs in Colorado
- Regis University - Denver
- University of Colorado Anschutz - Aurora