The University of Nevada, Reno offers 3 Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Tracks:
- MSN – Acute Care
- BSN-to-DNP – Acute Care
- Post-Master’s Certificate – Acute Care
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (In-State ) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN – AC | ~$32K | 2 yrs (FT), 3 yrs (PT) | 44–46 |
| DNP – AC | ~$51K | 3 yrs | 60–78 (~71) |
| Cert – AC | ~$11K | 1 yr | 15 |
*Estimates include the $335/credit nursing differential fee; see Tuition for out-of-state structure.
UNR’s defining advantage is a fully online, acute-care-only PNP program where the school secures every required clinical placement — including PICU and pediatric ED rotations, which are among the hardest sites for students to arrange on their own. Note that Orvis prepares graduates for the CPNP-AC exam only; nurses who want pediatric primary care certification will need a different program.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN, BSN-to-DNP, Post-Master’s Certificate |
| Format | Online; no campus visits stated |
| Population Focus | Acute Care only (CPNP-AC) |
| Clinical Hours | 780 (MSN); 1,000 total incl. residency (DNP); 500–780 (certificate) |
| Clinical Placement | Secured by the school; DNP residency component is self-placed |
| Distinctive Coursework | Pediatric acute/critical care management, acute care prescribing pharmacology |
| RN License Requirements | Unencumbered U.S. RN license; must be eligible for Nevada RN licensure |
| RN Experience Requirements | None for BSN entry; 2 years for ADN + non-nursing bachelor’s pathway |
| Tuition | $383.25/credit base + $335/credit nursing differential (in-state) |
| Prerequisite | Graduate-level applied statistics course before enrollment (MSN, DNP) |
| Application Cycle | MSN: fall only (Mar 1); DNP and cert: fall (Mar 1), spring (Oct 1) |
| Financial Aid Note | Certificate-only students are not eligible for federal financial aid |
| Accreditation | CCNE (baccalaureate, MSN, DNP, and post-graduate certificate programs) |
Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, MSN
The estimated tuition for the Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, MSN at the University of Nevada, Reno is approximately $16,863–$17,630 in base tuition (44–46 credits at $383.25/credit), rising to roughly $31,600–$33,000 once the $335/credit nursing differential fee is included. The program can generally be completed in about 2 years full time (five semesters including summer) or 3 years part time.
MSN Curriculum
Foundation Courses. The first two semesters cover the core graduate sciences — advanced pathophysiology, advanced health assessment, ambulatory pharmacology — plus population health and health policy. A distinctive requirement: students complete either 4 credits of evidence-based scholarship or a 6-credit thesis, an unusual research option for a clinical MSN and a useful signal for nurses considering a later DNP or PhD.
Pediatric Acute Care Sequence. The specialty coursework layers pediatric-specific assessment (NURS 749) and role preparation onto the core, then moves through acute and chronic illness management for pediatric and adolescent patients in acute care settings, ending with an intensive acute/critical care practicum. Notably, the sequence includes a pediatric wellness, development, and primary care course — so acute care students still get a foundation in normal pediatric development, which matters when distinguishing sick from well in high-acuity triage.
Sample courses:
- NURS 717 – Advanced Pathophysiology
- NURS 750 – Advanced Health Assessment
- NURS 749 – Advanced Health Assessment for Pediatric Populations
- NURS 720 – Role of the Pediatric Acute Care NP
- NURS 742 – Pediatric Wellness, Development, and Primary Care
- NURS 733 – Diagnosis, Symptoms & Acute & Chronic Illness Management, Acute Care Pediatric/Adolescent Patient
- NURS 734 – Management of Chronic Illness, Pediatric & Adolescent Acute Care Settings Practicum
- NURS 738 – Advanced Practice into Acute & Critical Care for Pediatric & Adolescent Populations
- NURS 739 – Advanced Practice for Pediatric/Adolescent Acute & Critical Care Settings
NOTE: The catalog states a 44–46 credit total, but the published full-time semester loads sum slightly higher (46–48), and the semester-by-semester scholarship credits (6) exceed the 4 stated as required. Confirm your exact program of study with an advisor.
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 780 total clinical hours, completed through the practicum courses in the second year
- All placements are coordinated and secured by the Orvis School of Nursing
- Clinical settings include pediatric intensive care units, emergency departments, and specialized pediatric clinics
780 hours is above the typical 600–750 range for a single-population PNP track and well above the 500-hour certification floor — meaningful extra bedside time for a specialty where procedural and critical care competence is judged early. The bigger practical advantage is the placement model: pediatric acute care preceptors (PICU, peds ED) are among the scarcest in NP education, and students at self-placement schools routinely delay graduation hunting for them. Orvis removes that risk entirely.
MSN Admissions
Admission is fall-only with a March 1 annual deadline, and applicants must finish a graduate-level applied statistics course before starting — a prerequisite many applicants overlook until it delays them a cycle.
- BSN from an accredited (CCNE or NLNAC) nursing school with a 3.0+ GPA; coursework must include statistics, lifespan growth and development, basic research, and health assessment
- Alternative entry: NLNAC-accredited ADN plus a bachelor’s degree in another field and 2 years of nursing experience
- Current, unencumbered U.S. RN license; must be eligible for Nevada RN licensure
- Graduate-level applied statistics course completed before fall enrollment
- Personal statement (max 500 words) naming the PACNP track and a proposed capstone topic, resume, and three letters of reference
- No pediatric or acute care RN experience requirement is stated
Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, BSN-to-DNP
The estimated tuition for the BSN-to-DNP, Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner specialization at the University of Nevada, Reno is approximately $27,211 in base tuition (about 71 credits at $383.25/credit, within the stated 60–78 credit range), or roughly $51,000 with the $335/credit nursing differential included.
The program can generally be completed in about 3 years of full-time, year-round study.
DNP Curriculum
Doctoral Core First. Unlike many BSN-to-DNP programs that frontload clinical coursework, UNR’s plan runs the doctoral core — translational evidence, healthcare economics, policy, informatics, organizational analysis — through the first year and a half, with the DNP project and residency threaded across five semesters. The clinical specialty work is concentrated in years two and three.
Acute Care Specialty Sequence. The pediatric sequence mirrors the MSN’s, adding a dedicated critical care lecture course and acute care prescribing pharmacology. Students take both ambulatory and acutely-ill-patient pharmacology, a two-layer approach that fits the CPNP-AC scope, which spans chronic complex management through critical care.
Sample courses:
- NURS 725 – Scientific Underpinnings & Translational Evidence for the DNP
- NURS 792 – Outcomes Management & Performance Improvement in Nursing
- NURS 714 – Advanced Practice Introduction to Critical Care
- NURS 709 – Advanced Prescribing Pharmacology for the Acutely Ill Patient
- NURS 738 – Advanced Practice into Acute & Critical Care for Pediatric & Adolescent Populations
- NURS 739 – Advanced Practice for Pediatric/Adolescent Acute & Critical Care Settings (repeated across three semesters)
- NURS 733 – Diagnosis, Symptoms & Acute & Chronic Illness Management, Acute Care Pediatric/Adolescent Patient
- NURS 788 – DNP Project (6 credits total)
- NURS 765 – Executive/Advanced Practice DNP Residency (4 credits total)
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP Clinical Requirements
- 780 specialty clinical hours in school-secured pediatric acute care settings
- Additional DNP residency hours bring the total to 1,000 hours
- The school secures all clinical placements except the residency component, which students arrange themselves
1,000 total hours meets the standard DNP practice-hour benchmark, and the 780 specialty hours match the MSN — the doctoral pathway adds leadership and project hours, not extra bedside acute care time. The residency exception matters: students should not read “we place you” as covering everything. Residency sites are typically tied to the DNP project and easier to arrange than specialty rotations, but plan for that legwork.
DNP Admissions
Requirements largely mirror the MSN, with a fall deadline of March 1, an October 1 spring deadline for specialties that admit in spring, and a possible interview.
- BSN from an ACEN or CCNE accredited school with a 3.0+ undergraduate GPA
- Current, unencumbered U.S. RN license; must be eligible to practice in Nevada
- Graduate-level applied statistics course (UNR recommends EDRS 640)
- Personal statement, three letters of recommendation, and a current resume
- An interview may be required
- Graduate-level transfer credit may be petitioned for review
Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Post-Master’s Certificate
The estimated tuition for the Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Graduate Certificate at the University of Nevada, Reno is approximately $5,749 in base tuition (15 credits at $383.25/credit), or roughly $10,800 with the $335/credit nursing differential.
The sample curriculum spans two semesters (fall and spring), though additional coursework — and additional time — may be required based on a review of prior graduate work.
Certificate Curriculum
The 15-credit sample plan is the pediatric acute care specialty sequence only: acute care pharmacology and prescribing, acute and chronic illness diagnosis and management, and two heavy practicum courses. It assumes the “3 Ps” (advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment) were completed in a prior accredited NP program, which is why this certificate is realistically for practicing NPs adding the pediatric acute care population — not for non-NP MSN holders, who should expect added coursework.
- NURS 731 – Advanced Pharmacology & Prescribing for Pediatric & Adolescent Acute Care Populations
- NURS 733 – Diagnosis, Symptoms & Acute & Chronic Illness Management, Acute Care Pediatric/Adolescent Patient
- NURS 734 – Management of Chronic Illness, Pediatric & Adolescent Acute Care Settings Practicum
- NURS 738 – Advanced Practice into Acute & Critical Care for Pediatric & Adolescent Populations
- NURS 739 – Advanced Practice for Pediatric/Adolescent Acute & Critical Care Settings
More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 500–780 clinical hours, individualized based on prior NP preparation
- All placements secured by the school in pediatric acute care settings
The variable hour range is a gap-analysis model: NPs with substantial overlapping clinical preparation complete closer to 500 hours (the PNCB floor), while others complete the full 780. Even the minimum keeps graduates exam-eligible, and school-arranged PICU and pediatric ED placements are an unusually strong benefit at the certificate level, where most programs shift placement burden entirely onto the student.
Certificate Admissions
Two dealbreakers stand out: certificate-only students are not eligible for federal financial aid, and applicants must have completed the 3 Ps within an accredited nurse practitioner program.
- MSN from a CCNE or NLN accredited institution with a 3.0+ GPA
- Current, unrestricted RN license in Nevada or eligibility for Nevada licensure
- Completion of Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Physical/Health Assessment in an accredited NP program
- Resume, three letters of recommendation, and a letter of intent (max 1,000 words) naming the PACNP track
- Annual deadlines: March 1 for fall, October 1 for spring
Tuition
Estimated total in-state cost runs from roughly $10,800 for the certificate to about $51,000 for the BSN-to-DNP. The base graduate registration fee is $383.25 per credit (2026–2027), but nursing students should budget around an effective $718.25 per credit once the School of Nursing differential is added: MSN ≈ $31,600–$33,000 (44–46 credits), DNP ≈ $51,000 (~71 credits), certificate ≈ $10,800 (15 credits).
- School of Nursing differential fee: $335.00 per credit, charged on nursing courses in addition to base tuition
- Distance education fee: $34.00 per credit (resident); $191.75 per credit (non-resident)
- Non-resident tuition: +$421.75 per credit under 7 credits per semester; a flat $10,094.50 per semester at 7+ credits — part-time pacing changes the out-of-state math dramatically
- Mandatory flat-rate student fees each semester (technology, health center, counseling, and similar) plus one-time application, new-student, and graduation fees
- NOTE: UNR’s graduate tuition page notes that online programs are “self-supported” with different rates, but the university’s online-program tuition list does not include nursing; verify your exact billing structure with Orvis before enrolling
The practical takeaway: the advertised $383.25 rate roughly doubles once nursing-specific fees are applied, so compare this program against others on the ~$718/credit effective rate — which is still competitive with most public-university acute care PNP options.
Official tuition details are available here.
Why Choose This PNP Program?
This program fits nurses committed specifically to hospital-based pediatric care who want the school — not themselves — carrying the burden of finding PICU and pediatric ED preceptors.
The placement model is the strongest single reason to apply. Pediatric acute care rotations are the hardest clinical sites in NP education to self-arrange, and Orvis secures all of them (except the DNP residency). Combined with 780 specialty hours — above the typical 600–750 for a single population — and fully online coursework with no stated campus visits, this is a rare structure: most fully-online programs offset that convenience by making students find their own preceptors. The school also reports that most cohorts achieve a 100% first-attempt CPNP-AC pass rate, a strong outcome signal for a specialty exam, though that is the school’s own claim.
The trade-offs are focus and pacing. There is no primary care PNP option, so nurses who picture outpatient pediatrics, school health, or well-child practice should look elsewhere — the CPNP-AC credential will not cover that scope. MSN admission is fall-only with a March 1 deadline and a graduate statistics prerequisite, so a missed requirement costs a full year. Between the degree pathways: choose the MSN if you want the shortest route to CPNP-AC practice, the BSN-to-DNP if you want the terminal degree and leadership preparation in one run, and the certificate if you are already an NP adding the pediatric acute care population — just note the certificate carries no federal financial aid eligibility.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at the University of Nevada, Reno Orvis School of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the university is a Carnegie R1 research institution. Graduates of all three tracks are eligible to sit for the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board’s CPNP-AC (acute care) exam; this program does not confer eligibility for the CPNP-PC primary care exam.