CU Anschutz Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs

University of Colorado Anschutz offers six Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) tracks across two specialty areas:

Primary Care (PC-PNP)

MSN
BSN-DNP
Post-Graduate Certificate

Acute Care (AC-PNP)

MSN
BSN-DNP
Post-Graduate Certificate

All six tracks are delivered in a mostly online format, with a small number of required in-person courses at the Aurora, CO campus.

CU Anschutz holds the highest-ranked MS in Nursing program in Colorado and is ranked #1 DNP program in Colorado per U.S. News & World Report 2026.

Program Tracks Overview

Program	Est. Tuition (Resident)	Est. Duration	Credit Hours
MSN – PC	$38,540	2.5 yrs (8 terms)	47
DNP – PC	$59,860	~3 yrs (8 terms)	73
Cert – PC	$28,700	~1.5 yrs	19–35*
MSN – AC	$41,000	3 yrs (9 terms)	50
DNP – AC	$62,320	3 yrs (9 terms)	76
Cert – AC	$15,580	1.5 yrs (3 terms)	19

Tuition estimates multiply CU Anschutz’s published 2025–2026 graduate nursing rate ($820/credit resident and WRGP, $1,330/credit non-resident) by each pathway’s total credits. The Primary Care certificate’s credit range reflects the university’s own published total cost, which implies more credits than its base 12-credit didactic sequence plus 540 clinical hours; final credits and cost for both certificates depend on an individual transcript evaluation.

Why choose it: Primary care and acute care pediatric NP preparation at the MSN, BS-DNP, and certificate level, for six entry points at one school.
Trade-off: Clinical placements, including Children’s Hospital Colorado, are arranged only for Denver/Aurora metro students; others secure their own preceptors with no guarantee.

Quick Facts

Population Focus	MSN & BS-DNP: Primary Care (CPNP-PC) or Acute Care (CPNP-AC), chosen separately; Certificate: adds one population focus to an existing MSN
Format	Mostly online; each pathway includes one or two on-campus assessment/skills courses at the Aurora, CO campus
Clinical Hours	540 (MSN PC) to 1,125 (BS-DNP AC), depending on pathway
Clinical Placement	Arranged by CU Anschutz for Denver/Aurora-area students; students elsewhere are primarily responsible for finding their own site and preceptor
RN Experience Required	Current, unencumbered RN license; no published PICU or acute-care experience prerequisite for the AC-PNP tracks
Start Terms	Fall only; Fall 2027 priority deadline is January 15, 2027
Tuition (CO Resident)	$15,580 (AC certificate) to $62,320 (BS-DNP AC)
Accreditation	CCNE (College of Nursing); Higher Learning Commission (institution)

Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PC-PNP) Tracks

Master of Science in Nursing – PC-PNP

The MSN PC-PNP program has an estimated tuition of $38,540 (CO resident) / $62,510 (non-resident) based on 47 total credits, and would take approximately 2.5 years (8 semesters) to complete on a full-time basis.

MSN PC-PNP Curriculum

The program totals 47 credits — 35 didactic and 12 clinical. Core graduate coursework covers advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, health informatics, policy and politics of health, advanced assessment, evidence-based practice, and nursing theory. The PC-PNP specialty sequence adds advanced pediatric physical assessment, care of the well child, pediatric advanced clinical skills, pediatric minor acute illness, and pediatric chronic illness and disability.

Fall Year 1 (6 cr.):

NURS 6243 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr.)
NURS 6286 – Foundations of Health Care Informatics (3 cr.)

Spring Year 1 (6 cr.):

NURS 6070 – Policy & Politics of Health (3 cr.)
NURS 6222 – Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics (3 cr.)

Summer Year 1 (5 cr.):

NURS 6761 – Advanced Assessment (on-campus requirement) (3 cr.)
NURS 6859 – Advanced Professional Role (2 cr.)

Fall Year 2 (7 cr.):

NURS 6009 – Theory Foundations for Advanced Nursing (3 cr.)
NURS 6109 – Evidence-Based Practice: Evaluating Evidence (3 cr.)
NURS 6450 – Advanced Pediatric Physical Assessment (1 cr.)

Spring Year 2 (7 cr.):

NURS 5911 – PNP Advanced Practicum I (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 6478 – Care of the Well Child (4 cr.)

Summer Year 2 (4 cr.):

NURS 5912 – PNP Advanced Practicum II (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 6456 – Pediatric Advanced Clinical Skills (on-campus requirement) (1 cr.)

Fall Year 3 (6 cr.):

NURS 5913 – PNP Advanced Practicum III (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 6488 – Pediatric Minor Acute Illness (3 cr.)

Spring Year 3 (6 cr.):

NURS 5914 – PNP Advanced Practicum IV (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 6496 – Pediatric Chronic Illness and Disability (3 cr.)

See the official curriculum page for more details.

MSN PC-PNP Clinicals

Students complete 540 supervised clinical hours across four practicum courses (135 hours each). For students in the Denver metro area, CU Anschutz arranges clinical placements anywhere within Colorado. Students outside the Denver metro area are primarily responsible for finding their own placements, with support from the Clinical Placement Team and Specialty Director. Placements may require overnight shifts, travel, or assignment to rural locations within Colorado.

NURS 5911 – PNP Advanced Practicum I (3 cr. / 135 hrs)
NURS 5912 – PNP Advanced Practicum II (3 cr. / 135 hrs)
NURS 5913 – PNP Advanced Practicum III (3 cr. / 135 hrs)
NURS 5914 – PNP Advanced Practicum IV (3 cr. / 135 hrs)

MSN PC-PNP Admissions Requirements

BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited, regionally accredited institution
Minimum 3.0 undergraduate nursing GPA (GRE or 12 graduate credits required if below 3.0)
Current, unencumbered RN license
Undergraduate nursing research and statistics course (grade of C or higher)
Three letters of reference (at least one academic)
NursingCAS application with essay responses and CV/resume
$85 supplemental application fee (paid to CU Nursing)
Interview Day attendance required for selected applicants
Negative drug screen, criminal background check, BLS certification (AHA only), and immunization documentation upon admission
Fall 2027 priority deadline: January 15, 2027

BS to Doctor of Nursing Practice – PC-PNP

The BS-DNP PC-PNP program has an estimated tuition of $59,860 (CO resident) / $97,090 (non-resident) based on 73 total credits, and would take approximately 3 years (8 terms) to complete on a full-time basis — the same term span as the standalone MSN, with more credits per term. Students apply once and earn both an MSN and DNP back-to-back.

DNP PC-PNP Curriculum

The BS-DNP totals 73 credits — 49 didactic and 24 clinical. The program integrates the full PC-PNP specialty sequence with DNP-level doctoral coursework including epidemiology, research methods, inferential statistics, innovative leadership, and a four-phase DNP project sequence. Students earn the MSN midway through the program and can sit for board certification before completing the doctoral degree.

Fall Year 1 (11 cr.):

NURS 6009 – Theory Foundations for Advanced Nursing (3 cr.)
NURS 6109 – Evidence-Based Practice: Evaluating Evidence (3 cr.)
NURS 6243 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr.)
NURS 6859 – Advanced Professional Role (2 cr.)

Spring Year 1 (9 cr.):

NURS 6222 – Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics (3 cr.)
NURS 6286 – Foundations of Health Care Informatics (3 cr.)
NURS 6303 – Epidemiology (3 cr.)

Summer Year 1 (9 cr.):

NURS 6070 – Policy & Politics of Health (3 cr.)
NURS 6108 – Inferential Statistics (3 cr.)
NURS 6761 – Advanced Assessment (on-campus requirement) (3 cr.)

Fall Year 2 (7 cr.):

NURS 6107 – Research Methods (3 cr.)
NURS 6450 – Advanced Pediatric Physical Assessment (1 cr.)
NURS 6800 – Innovative Leadership (3 cr.)

Spring Year 2 (9 cr.):

NURS 5911 – PNP Advanced Practicum I (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 6478 – Care of the Well Child (4 cr.)
NURS 8020 – DNP Project Prep (on-campus requirement) (2 cr. / 45 clinical hrs)

Summer Year 2 (8 cr.):

NURS 5912 – PNP Advanced Practicum II (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 6456 – Pediatric Advanced Clinical Skills (1 cr.)
NURS 8030 – DNP Project I (4 cr. / 180 clinical hrs)

Fall Year 3 (10 cr.):

NURS 5913 – PNP Advanced Practicum III (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 6488 – Care of the Child with Minor Acute Problems (3 cr.)
NURS 8040 – DNP Project II (4 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)

Spring Year 3 (10 cr.):

NURS 5914 – PNP Advanced Practicum IV (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 6496 – Pediatric Chronic Illness and Disability (3 cr.)
NURS 8050 – DNP Project III (4 cr. / 180 clinical hrs)

See the official curriculum page for more details.

DNP PC-PNP Clinicals

Students complete 1,080 total clinical hours — 540 hours across the four PC-PNP practicum courses, plus 540 hours embedded in the DNP project sequence. Clinical placements are arranged for Denver metro students; out-of-area students are primarily responsible for their own placement with program support.

NURS 5911–5914 – PNP Advanced Practicums I–IV (135 hrs each / 540 hrs total)
NURS 8020 – DNP Project Prep (45 clinical hrs)
NURS 8030 – DNP Project I (180 clinical hrs)
NURS 8040 – DNP Project II (135 clinical hrs)
NURS 8050 – DNP Project III (180 clinical hrs)

DNP PC-PNP Admissions Requirements

BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited, regionally accredited institution
Minimum 3.0 undergraduate nursing GPA (GRE or 12 graduate credits required if below 3.0)
Current, unencumbered RN license
Undergraduate nursing research and statistics course (grade of C or higher)
Three letters of reference (at least one academic)
NursingCAS application with essay responses and CV/resume
$85 supplemental application fee
Interview Day attendance required for selected applicants
Negative drug screen, criminal background check, BLS certification (AHA only), and immunization documentation upon admission
Fall 2027 priority deadline: January 15, 2027

Post-Graduate Certificate – PC-PNP

The Post-Graduate Certificate PC-PNP program has a published estimated tuition of $28,700 (CO resident) / $46,550 (non-resident), and would take approximately 1.5 years to complete on a full-time basis. This track is designed for MSN-prepared nurses adding the PC-PNP specialty. The base specialty sequence is 12 didactic credits plus 540 clinical hours (about 24 credits at the university’s 45-hour-per-credit conversion), but the published tuition total implies additional core coursework; final credits and cost are set by an individual transcript evaluation and may exceed this estimate.

Curriculum for the Post-Graduate Certificate – PC-PNP

NURS 5911 – PNP Advanced Practicum I 3 Clinical credits, 135 Clinical hours 3
NURS 6450 – Advanced Pediatric Physical Assessment 1 Didactic credit 1
NURS 6478 – Primary Care of Children: Well Child Care 4 Didactic credits 4
NURS 5912 – PNP Advanced Practicum II 3 Clinical credits, 135 Clinical hours 3
NURS 6456 -Advanced Pediatric Clinical Skills 1 Didactic credit 1
NURS 5913 – PNP Practicum III 3 Clinical credits, 135 Clinical hours 3
NURS 6488 – Pediatric Minor and Acute Illness 3 Didactic credits 3
NURS 5914 – PNP Advanced Practicum IV 3 Clinical credits, 135 Clinical hours 3
NURS 6496 – Pediatric Chronic Illness and Disability 3 Didactic credits 3

See the official curriculum page for more details.

PC-PNP Certificate Clinicals

Clinical hour requirements are determined through the gap analysis. Placements are arranged for Denver metro students by CU Anschutz; out-of-area students are primarily responsible for their own placement with support from the Clinical Placement Team.

PC-PNP Certificate Admissions Requirements

MSN from a regionally accredited institution with CCNE or ACEN program accreditation
Minimum 3.0 undergraduate nursing GPA
Current, unencumbered RN license
Three letters of reference (at least one academic)
NursingCAS application with essay responses and CV/resume
$85 supplemental application fee
Zoom interview for selected applicants
Enrollment is space-available
Fall 2027 priority deadline: January 15, 2027

Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (AC-PNP) Tracks

Master of Science in Nursing – AC-PNP

The MSN AC-PNP program has an estimated tuition of $41,000 (CO resident) / $66,500 (non-resident) based on 50 total credits, and would take approximately 3 years (9 semesters) to complete on a full-time basis.

MSN AC-PNP Curriculum

The program totals 50 credits — 37 didactic and 13 clinical. The AC-PNP runs one full year longer than the PC-PNP MSN, reflecting five progressive practicum courses and an expanded acute care specialty sequence. Core courses are shared with the PC-PNP track; specialty courses add pediatric primary care essentials, three levels of Acute Care PNP content, and five practicum rotations.

Fall Year 1 (6 cr.):

NURS 6243 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr.)
NURS 6286 – Foundations of Health Care Informatics (3 cr.)

Spring Year 1 (6 cr.):

NURS 6070 – Policy & Politics of Health (3 cr.)
NURS 6222 – Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics (3 cr.)

Summer Year 1 (5 cr.):

NURS 6761 – Advanced Assessment (on-campus requirement) (3 cr.)
NURS 6859 – Advanced Professional Role (2 cr.)

Fall Year 2 (7 cr.):

NURS 6009 – Theory Foundations for Advanced Nursing (3 cr.)
NURS 6109 – Evidence-Based Practice: Evaluating Evidence (3 cr.)
NURS 6450 – Pediatric Advanced Assessment (1 cr.)

Spring Year 2 (5 cr.):

NURS 5921 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum I (2 cr. / 90 clinical hrs)
NURS 6490 – Pediatric Primary Care Essentials (3 cr.)

Summer Year 2 (3 cr.):

NURS 5922 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum II (2 cr. / 90 clinical hrs)
NURS 6456 – Pediatric Advanced Clinical Skills (on-campus requirement) (1 cr.)

Fall Year 3 (6 cr.):

NURS 5923 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum III (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 6500 – Acute Care PNP 1 (3 cr.)

Spring Year 3 (6 cr.):

NURS 5924 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum IV (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 6510 – Acute Care PNP 2 (3 cr.)

Summer Year 3 (6 cr.):

NURS 5925 – ACPNP Practicum V (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 6520 – Acute Care PNP 3 (3 cr.)

See the official curriculum page for more details.

MSN AC-PNP Clinicals

Students complete 585 supervised clinical hours across five practicum courses. For students in the Denver/Aurora metro area, CU Anschutz arranges placements with partners including Children’s Hospital Colorado and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. Out-of-area students are primarily responsible for their own placement with program support. Placements may include overnight shifts, travel, or rural locations within Colorado.

NURS 5921 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum I (2 cr. / 90 hrs)
NURS 5922 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum II (2 cr. / 90 hrs)
NURS 5923 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum III (3 cr. / 135 hrs)
NURS 5924 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum IV (3 cr. / 135 hrs)
NURS 5925 – ACPNP Practicum V (3 cr. / 135 hrs)

MSN AC-PNP Admissions Requirements

BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited, regionally accredited institution
Minimum 3.0 undergraduate nursing GPA (GRE or 12 graduate credits required if below 3.0)
Current, unencumbered RN license
Undergraduate nursing research and statistics course (grade of C or higher)
Three letters of reference (at least one academic)
NursingCAS application with essay responses and CV/resume
$85 supplemental application fee
Interview Day attendance required for selected applicants
Negative drug screen, criminal background check, BLS certification (AHA only), and immunization documentation upon admission
Fall 2027 priority deadline: January 15, 2027

BS to Doctor of Nursing Practice – AC-PNP

The BS-DNP AC-PNP program has an estimated tuition of $62,320 (CO resident) / $101,080 (non-resident) based on 76 total credits, and would take approximately 3 years (9 semesters) to complete on a full-time basis. Students apply once and earn both an MS and DNP back-to-back.

DNP AC-PNP Curriculum

The BS-DNP totals 76 credits — 51 didactic and 25 clinical. The program integrates the full AC-PNP specialty sequence with DNP-level coursework including epidemiology, research methods, inferential statistics, innovative leadership, and a four-phase DNP project sequence. Two separate study plans are available depending on whether the student is enrolling for Fall 2026 or prior to Fall 2026.

Fall Year 1 (11 cr.):

NURS 6009 – Theory Foundations for Advanced Nursing (3 cr.)
NURS 6109 – Evidence-Based Practice: Evaluating Evidence (3 cr.)
NURS 6243 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr.)
NURS 6859 – Advanced Professional Role (2 cr.)

Spring Year 1 (12 cr.):

NURS 6222 – Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics (3 cr.)
NURS 6286 – Foundations of Health Care Informatics (3 cr.)
NURS 6303 – Epidemiology (3 cr.)
NURS 6490 – Pediatric Primary Care Essentials (3 cr.)

Summer Year 1 (9 cr.):

NURS 6108 – Inferential Statistics and Quality Improvement (3 cr.)
NURS 6761 – Advanced Assessment (on-campus requirement) (3 cr.)
NURS 6070 – Policy & Politics of Health (3 cr.)

Fall Year 2 (10 cr.):

NURS 6107 – Research Methods (3 cr.)
NURS 6500 – Acute Care PNP 1 (3 cr.)
NURS 6800 – Innovative Leadership (3 cr.)
NURS 6450 – Advanced Pediatric Physical Assessment (1 cr.)

Spring Year 2 (7 cr.):

NURS 5921 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum I (2 cr. / 90 clinical hrs)
NURS 6510 – Acute Care PNP 2 (3 cr.)
NURS 8020 – DNP Project Prep (on-campus requirement) (2 cr. / 45 clinical hrs)

Summer Year 2 (7 cr.):

NURS 5922 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum II (2 cr. / 90 clinical hrs)
NURS 6456 – Pediatric Advanced Clinical Skills (on-campus requirement) (1 cr.)
NURS 8030 – DNP Project I (4 cr. / 180 clinical hrs)

Fall Year 3 (10 cr.):

NURS 5923 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum III (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 6520 – Acute Care PNP 3 (3 cr.)
NURS 8040 – DNP Project II (4 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)

Spring Year 3 (7 cr.):

NURS 5924 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum IV (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 8050 – DNP Project III (4 cr. / 180 clinical hrs)

Summer Year 3 (3 cr.):

NURS 5925 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum V (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)

See the official curriculum page for more details.

DNP AC-PNP Clinicals

Students complete 1,125 total clinical hours — 585 hours across the five ACPNP practicum courses, plus 540 hours embedded in the DNP project sequence. Clinical placements are arranged for Denver/Aurora metro students; out-of-area students are primarily responsible for their own placement. Placements may occur anywhere in Colorado and may include overnight shifts, travel, or rural sites.

NURS 5921–5925 – ACPNP Advanced Practicums I–V (585 hrs total)
NURS 8020 – DNP Project Prep (45 clinical hrs)
NURS 8030 – DNP Project I (180 clinical hrs)
NURS 8040 – DNP Project II (135 clinical hrs)
NURS 8050 – DNP Project III (180 clinical hrs)

DNP AC-PNP Admissions Requirements

BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited, regionally accredited institution
Minimum 3.0 undergraduate nursing GPA (GRE or 12 graduate credits required if below 3.0)
Current, unencumbered RN license
Undergraduate nursing research and statistics course (grade of C or higher)
Three letters of reference (at least one academic)
NursingCAS application with essay responses and CV/resume
$85 supplemental application fee
Interview Day attendance required for selected applicants
Negative drug screen, criminal background check, BLS certification (AHA only), and immunization documentation upon admission
Fall 2027 priority deadline: January 15, 2027

Post-Graduate Certificate – AC-PNP

The Post-Graduate Certificate AC-PNP program has an estimated tuition of $15,580 (CO resident) / $25,270 (non-resident) based on 19 total credits, and would take approximately 1.5 years, completed over three terms (Fall, Spring, Summer), on a full-time basis. This is the fastest and most affordable entry point into AC-PNP practice for MSN-prepared nurses.

Certificate AC-PNP Curriculum

The certificate totals 19 credits — 11 didactic and 8 clinical — focused exclusively on the AC-PNP specialty clinical sequence. NURS 6450 (Pediatric Advanced Assessment, 1 cr.) is included for non-practicing PNPs only. The certificate delivers 360 supervised clinical hours across three practicum courses and completes across three terms.

Fall Year 1 (7 cr.):

NURS 5923 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum III (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)
NURS 6500 – ACPNP 1 (3 cr.)
NURS 6450 – Pediatric Advanced Assessment (for non-practicing PNPs only) (1 cr.)

Spring Year 1 (6 cr.):

NURS 6510 – ACPNP 2 (3 cr.)
NURS 5924 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum IV (3 cr. / 135 clinical hrs)

Summer Year 1 (6 cr.):

NURS 6456 – Pediatric Advanced Clinical Skills (on-campus requirement) (1 cr.)
NURS 6520 – ACPNP 3 (3 cr.)
NURS 5899 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum (2 cr. / 90 clinical hrs)

See the official curriculum page for more details.

Certificate AC-PNP Clinicals

Students complete 360 supervised clinical hours across three practicum courses. Clinical placements are arranged for Denver/Aurora metro students by CU Anschutz, with access to Children’s Hospital Colorado and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. Out-of-area students are primarily responsible for their own placement with program support.

NURS 5923 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum III (135 hrs)
NURS 5924 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum IV (135 hrs)
NURS 5899 – ACPNP Advanced Practicum (90 hrs)
Total: 360 supervised clinical hours

Certificate AC-PNP Admissions Requirements

MSN from a regionally accredited institution with CCNE or ACEN program accreditation
Minimum 3.0 undergraduate nursing GPA
Current, unencumbered RN license
Three letters of reference (at least one academic)
NursingCAS application with essay responses and CV/resume
$85 supplemental application fee
Zoom interview for selected applicants
Enrollment is space-available
Fall 2027 priority deadline: January 15, 2027

Tuition

Graduate tuition at CU Anschutz Nursing is $820 per credit hour for Colorado residents and eligible Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) states, and $1,330 per credit hour for non-residents, current as of the 2025–2026 academic year.

A one-time $140 matriculation fee applies to all incoming students. Per-term fees are estimated at $392 (Fall), $232 (Spring), and $180 (Summer) for MS/BS-DNP programs.

Health insurance is billed per term and may be waived with proof of comparable coverage.

More tuition details are available here.

Why Choose This PNP Program?

Best suited for: a Colorado RN who wants the option to choose between primary care and acute care pediatric practice, or to add a DNP later, without switching schools.

Six pathways at one school

Few programs offer both pediatric populations at all three degree levels. A BSN-prepared nurse can start toward either population at the MSN or BS-DNP level, and an MSN-prepared nurse already certified in one population can add the other through a post-graduate certificate, all within the same college.

Placement responsibility depends on location

Denver/Aurora-area students get placement support with named children’s hospital partners. Students living elsewhere in Colorado take on primary responsibility for finding a qualified preceptor and site themselves, a meaningfully different commitment than a program that places every student.

The certificate price is an estimate, not a quote

Both post-graduate certificates require an individual transcript evaluation before the school confirms final credits and cost. The Primary Care certificate’s published total in particular implies more coursework than its base specialty sequence, so applicants should get a personalized estimate from admissions before committing to a timeline or budget.

The Verdict

Denver/Aurora-area RNs who want flexibility to choose a pediatric population focus and degree level, or who might pursue a DNP later, have the strongest reason to choose CU Anschutz: the parallel-pathway structure accommodates a change of plans without transferring schools. RNs outside that metro area who need a guaranteed clinical placement, or certificate applicants who need a fixed price before applying, should get placement and cost details from the program directly before enrolling.

Accreditation

The University of Colorado College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Graduates of all PC-PNP tracks are eligible to sit for board certification through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB).

Graduates of all AC-PNP tracks — MSN, BS-DNP, and Post-Graduate Certificate — are eligible to sit for the CPNP-AC exam through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB), the only body that certifies acute care pediatric nurse practitioners. CU Anschutz’s own BS-DNP AC-PNP and Post-Graduate Certificate AC-PNP pages currently list the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as the certifying body for those tracks; ANCC does not offer an acute care pediatric NP exam, so this page follows PNCB, consistent with the MSN AC-PNP page and PNCB’s own certification listings.

All graduates are eligible for APRN licensure in all 50 states upon passing their respective board exams.