Admits in fall and spring
Effective Spring 2025, the Adult-Gerontology CNS program is paused for new student admissions. Students currently enrolled will be able to complete the program as listed in their approved matriculation plan.
The Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AG-CNS) option prepares nurses to become evidence-based advanced practice nurses providing quality care. The CNS is an expert clinician who can work in a variety of clinical practice settings from community to hospital in areas such as acute, critical, chronic, palliative care, and hospice. The CNS provides direct patient care, population management, along with systems leadership to optimize outcomes.
Visit the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists for information on the national impact of the CNS role in practice.
Graduates of this specialty track are eligible to apply for national certification by examination. You will learn more about the certification organizations appropriate for this specialty during the completion of your program. Upon successful completion of the certification examination, Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialists are eligible for licensure in all 50 states, including Colorado (visit the Colorado Board of Nursing APRN application forms page), where licensure is granted as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and is required for practice.
Students entering the AG-CNS option will focus their learning in the following areas: Aging, Chronic Illness, Acute Care, and Palliative Care. Additional classes in Advanced Oncology Nursing and Emergent Care are offered periodically for elective credit.
Certificate programs for Veteran and Military Health Care and Palliative Care are now available for inclusion as desired in the AG-CNS student’s Plan of Study.
Gainful Employment and Program Statistics for Post-Graduate Certificate
For more information regarding graduation rates, the median debt of students completing our certificate programs and other important information, please visit the University of Colorado Denver Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.
The AG-CNS program accepts students from WICHE states and selected other states.
Scholarship opportunities may be available for students from Georgia and other non-WICHE states.
Switching gears to take his career to new heights: Meet Major Jake Thueson, an Air Force flight nurse and student in CU Nursing’s Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist Program. Thueson made a career change to nursing after his daughter got sick, and becoming a nurse has allowed him to combine his love for flying with caring for patients.