UF offers three Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) tracks, all at the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) level:
- BSN to DNP – Primary Care
- BSN to DNP –Acute Care
- BSN to DNP – Dual Pediatric Acute and Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
All three tracks are delivered primarily online with periodic campus visits (including a one-day new student orientation) and clinical placements within Florida.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (FL Resident) | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP PC-PNP | $41,537 | 2.5 years full-time (8 semesters) / ~4 years part-time |
| BSN-DNP AC-PNP | $41,537 | 2.5 years full-time / ~3.5–4 years part-time (11 semesters) |
| BSN-DNP Dual AC/PC-PNP | $49,524 | ~3.7 years full-time (11 semesters) |
- Why choose it: Florida’s only dual acute and primary care pediatric track, plus same-price PC and AC DNPs with 1,260 clinical hours and access to UF Health Shands Hospital for Children.
- Trade-off: The acute care track requires at least one year of pediatric acute care experience, with ICU or ED preferred, and the dual track is open only after DNP admission.
Quick Facts
| Population Focus | Primary Care (CPNP-PC), Acute Care (CPNP-AC), or Dual AC/PC-PNP – each a separate DNP track |
| Format | Mostly online with periodic campus visits (orientation, health assessment, simulation, skills) |
| Clinical Hours | 1,260 total for both PC-PNP and AC-PNP |
| Clinical Placement | Within Florida, tailored to the student’s area when possible; AC-PNP students get direct access to UF Health Shands Hospital for Children |
| RN/Prior Experience Required | AC-PNP: at least one year of pediatric acute care experience required, ICU/ED preferred; PC-PNP: no prior-experience gate published |
| Tuition | $41,537 (FL resident) / ~$113,044 (non-resident) – identical for PC-PNP and AC-PNP |
| Accreditation | CCNE; PNCB certification (CPNP-PC or CPNP-AC matching the track) |
BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice – PC-PNP
The BSN-DNP PC-PNP program has an estimated tuition of approximately $41,537 (FL resident) or ~$113,044 (non-resident) based on 78 credits
It would take approximately 2.5 years (8 semesters) full-time or approximately 4 years part-time.
Full-time and part-time sample curriculum plans are both available. The program requires 1,260 total clinical hours and a DNP project.
PC-PNP DNP Curriculum
The full-time BSN-DNP PC-PNP totals 78 credits across 8 semesters, integrating graduate nursing foundations, pediatric-specific specialty coursework, a DNP project sequence, and a final immersion practicum.
Core doctoral coursework covers theory and research, pathophysiology, pharmacotherapeutics, statistics, health promotion, informatics, health systems leadership, quality improvement, and health policy.
The pediatric specialty sequence adds advanced pediatric procedures and diagnostics, advanced pediatric pharmacology, three levels of advanced child health nursing (with clinical), professional issues in advanced practice, and advanced pharmacotherapeutics with genomics.
See complete course descriptions below.
Fall Year 1 (10 cr.)
NGR 6101 – Theory and Research for Advanced Nursing Practice
This course examines key theories and research that guide advanced nursing practice. Students connect theory, research, and clinical application.
NGR 6140 – Physiology and Pathophysiology for Advanced Nursing Practice
This course explains disease processes and how they affect body function. Students build diagnostic reasoning using genetic, environmental, and physiologic factors.
NGR 6638 – Health Promotion
This course focuses on improving population health outcomes. Students apply evidence-based strategies and systems thinking to reduce health disparities.
Spring Year 1 (10 cr.)
NGR 6840 – Applied Statistical Analysis I
This course teaches advanced data analysis methods for nursing research. Students apply statistical tools to interpret research findings.
NGR 6172 – Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing Practice
This course covers advanced drug therapy and prescribing practices. Students study pharmacokinetics, interactions, and safe medication management across the lifespan.
NGR 6850 – Research Methods and Evidence-Based Practice
This course builds skills in evaluating research for clinical use. Students apply evidence to support safe and effective care decisions.
Summer Year 1 (10 cr.)
NGR 6002C – Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnostic Reasoning
This course strengthens advanced assessment and diagnostic skills. Students perform comprehensive evaluations and interpret clinical data for decision-making.
NGR 7700 – Health Systems Leadership
This course develops leadership skills in healthcare systems. Students learn to manage change and influence policy decisions.
NGR 6870 – Nursing Informatics & Information Management
No matching description found in source list.
Fall Year 2 (11 cr.)
NGR 6372C – Advanced Pediatric Procedures and Diagnostics
This course builds advanced pediatric care skills. Students develop diagnostic and procedural skills for infants, children, and adolescents.
NGR 6338 – Advanced Pediatric Pharmacology
No matching description found in source list.
NGR 6836 – Leading Quality Improvement Practice Initiatives
No matching description found in source list.
NGR 7891 – Health Policy & Finance in Advanced Nursing Practice
This course examines healthcare policy and financial systems. Students analyze how policy decisions affect care delivery.
Spring Year 2 (9 cr. / 360 clinical hrs)
NGR 6301 – Advanced Child Health Nursing I
This course covers primary care for children and adolescents. Students focus on prevention, wellness, and common conditions.
NGR 6301L – Advanced Child Health Nursing Clinical I
This clinical course provides hands-on pediatric care experience. Students apply assessment and management skills in supervised settings.
NGR 7940L – Residency in Advanced Nursing Practice
No matching description found in source list.
NGR 7970L – Advanced Nursing Project
No matching description found in source list.
Summer Year 2 (8 cr. / 240 clinical hrs)
NGR 6302 – Advanced Child Health Nursing II
This course focuses on complex pediatric conditions. Students manage acute and chronic illness across the lifespan.
NGR 6302L – Advanced Child Health Nursing Clinical II
No matching description found in source list.
NGR 7970L – Advanced Nursing Project
No matching description found in source list.
Fall Year 3 (10 cr. / 240 clinical hrs)
NGR 6307 – Advanced Child Health Nursing III
This course focuses on long-term pediatric conditions and disabilities. Students develop care plans for ongoing management.
NGR 6307L – Advanced Child Health Nursing Clinical III
No matching description found in source list.
NGR 6740 – Professional Issues in Advanced Practice Nursing
This course reviews current issues in advanced practice nursing. Students analyze roles, responsibilities, and trends.
NGR 7970L – Advanced Nursing Project
No matching description found in source list.
Spring Year 3 (10 cr. / 420 clinical hrs)
NGR 6941 – DNP Practicum
No matching description found in source list.
NGR 7176 – Advanced Topics in Pharmacotherapeutics & Genomics
No matching description found in source list.
NGR 7940L – Residency in Advanced Nursing Practice
No matching description found in source list.
NGR 7970L – Advanced Nursing Project
PC-PNP Clinicals
Students complete 1,260 total supervised clinical hours distributed across clinical courses, residency courses, and the DNP project sequence. Clinical placements are within Florida, tailored to the student’s geographic area when possible. Students must be prepared to travel within the state if needed. Campus visits are required for health assessment, simulation, and skill development.
- NGR 6301L – Advanced Child Health Nursing Clinical I (180 hrs)
- NGR 6302L – Advanced Child Health Nursing Clinical II (180 hrs)
- NGR 6307L – Advanced Child Health Nursing Clinical III (180 hrs)
- NGR 6941 – DNP Practicum (240 hrs)
- NGR 7940L – Residency in Advanced Nursing Practice (120 + 120 = 240 hrs across 2 terms)
- NGR 7970L – Advanced Nursing Project (60 × 4 = 240 hrs across 4 terms)
- Total: 1,260 clinical hours
PC-PNP Admissions Requirements
- BSN from an ACEN-, CNEA-, or CCNE-accredited program; minimum 3.0 GPA
- Current, unencumbered Florida or multi-state RN license (or eligibility for licensure)
- GRE not required
- U.S. citizen, legal U.S. resident, or valid visa holder required
- F-1 and J-1 student sponsorship not available for this program
- TOEFL (web-based 80+, speaking 26+), IELTS (6.5 overall, speaking 7), or MELAB (79+) for non-native English speakers
- Full-time and part-time study options available
- Students admitted prior to Fall 2024 follow their original catalog year curriculum plan
BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice – AC-PNP
The BSN-DNP AC-PNP program has an estimated tuition of approximately $41,537 (FL resident) or ~$113,044 (non-resident) based on 78 credits.
It would take approximately 2.5 years full-time or approximately 3.5 to 4 years part-time (11 semesters).
The program requires 1,260 total clinical hours, a DNP project, and — uniquely — at least one year of pediatric acute care experience (ICU/ED preferred) before admission.
AC-PNP DNP Curriculum
The AC-PNP totals 78 credits and mirrors the PC-PNP core doctoral structure, but replaces the three levels of general child health nursing with an acute and chronic child health nursing specialty sequence (NGR 6311, 6312, and related clinicals).
The program prepares graduates to provide family-centered care for pediatric patients with acute, complex, critical, and chronic illnesses across the continuum — from ICUs and emergency departments to specialty inpatient and outpatient settings. The part-time plan is displayed below as the program’s published sample.
Part-Time Plan (11 semesters):
Fall Y1 (6 cr.):
- NGR 6101 – Theory and Research for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 cr.)
- NGR 6638 – Health Promotion (3 cr.)
Spring Y1 (6 cr.):
- NGR 6840 – Applied Statistical Analysis I (3 cr.)
- NGR 6850 – Research Methods and Evidence-Based Practice (3 cr.)
Summer Y1 (6 cr.):
- NGR 7700 – Health Systems Leadership (3 cr.)
- NGR 6870 – Nursing Informatics & Information Management (3 cr.)
Fall Y2 (7 cr.):
- NGR 6140 – Physiology and Pathophysiology for Advanced Nursing Practice (4 cr.)
- NGR 7891 – Health Policy and Finance in Advanced Nursing Practice (3 cr.)
Spring Y2 (5 cr. / 60 clinical hrs):
- NGR 6172 – Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing Practice (4 cr.)
- NGR 7940L – Residency in Advanced Nursing Practice (1 cr. / 60 hrs)
Summer Y2 (4 cr.):
- NGR 6002C – Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnostic Reasoning (4 cr.)
Fall Y3 (8 cr.):
- NGR 6372C – Advanced Pediatric Procedures and Diagnostics (3 cr.)
- NGR 6836 – Leading Quality Improvement Practice Initiatives (3 cr.)
- NGR 6338 – Advanced Pediatric Pharmacology (2 cr.)
Spring Y3 (8 cr. / 300 clinical hrs):
- NGR 6301 – Advanced Child Health Nursing I (3 cr.)
- NGR 6301L – Advanced Child Health Nursing Clinical I (3 cr. / 180 hrs)
- NGR 7940L – Residency in Advanced Nursing Practice (1 cr. / 60 hrs)
- NGR 7970L – Advanced Nursing Project (1 cr. / 60 hrs)
Summer Y3 (8 cr. / 240 clinical hrs):
- NGR 6311 – Advanced Acute and Chronic Child Health Nursing (4 cr.)
- NGR 6311L – Advanced Acute and Chronic Child Health Nursing Clinical (3 cr. / 180 hrs)
- NGR 7970L – Advanced Nursing Project (1 cr. / 60 hrs)
Fall Y4 (10 cr. / 240 clinical hrs):
- NGR 6312 – Advanced Acute and Chronic Child Health Nursing II (3 cr.)
- NGR 6312L – Advanced Acute and Chronic Child Health Nursing II Clinical (3 cr. / 180 hrs)
- NGR 6740 – Professional Issues in Advanced Practice Nursing (3 cr.)
- NGR 7970L – Advanced Nursing Project (1 cr. / 60 hrs)
Spring Y4 (10 cr. / 420 clinical hrs):
- NGR 6941 – DNP Practicum (4 cr. / 240 hrs)
- NGR 7176 – Advanced Topics in Pharmacotherapeutics & Genomics (3 cr.)
- NGR 7940L – Residency in Advanced Nursing Practice (2 cr. / 120 hrs)
- NGR 7970L – Advanced Nursing Project (1 cr. / 60 hrs)
AC-PNP Clinicals
Students complete 1,260 total supervised clinical hours distributed across the acute and chronic child health nursing clinical courses, residency, DNP practicum, and project courses. Clinical placements are within Florida. UF Health Shands Hospital for Children provides specialized acute care PNP clinical opportunities. Students must be prepared to travel within the state.
- NGR 6301L – Advanced Child Health Nursing Clinical I (180 hrs)
- NGR 6311L – Advanced Acute and Chronic Child Health Nursing Clinical (180 hrs)
- NGR 6312L – Advanced Acute and Chronic Child Health Nursing II Clinical (180 hrs)
- NGR 6941 – DNP Practicum (240 hrs)
- NGR 7940L – Residency in Advanced Nursing Practice (60 + 120 = 180 hrs across 2 terms)
- NGR 7970L – Advanced Nursing Project (60 × 4 = 240 hrs across 4 terms)
- Total: 1,260 clinical hours
AC-PNP Admissions Requirements
- BSN from an ACEN-, CNEA-, or CCNE-accredited program; minimum 3.0 GPA
- Current, unencumbered Florida or multi-state RN license (or eligibility for licensure)
- At least one year of pediatric acute care experience required; ICU/ED experience preferred
- GRE not required
- U.S. citizen, legal U.S. resident, or valid visa holder required
- F-1 and J-1 student sponsorship not available
- TOEFL (web-based 80+, speaking 26+), IELTS (6.5 overall, speaking 7), or MELAB (79+) for non-native English speakers
- Full-time and part-time study options available
BSN to DNP – Dual Pediatric Acute and Primary Care NP
The Dual AC/PC-PNP track combines the primary care and acute care pediatric sequences in one doctorate. UF’s 2024 full-time plan runs 93 credits and 1,740 clinical hours over 11 semesters, with estimated tuition of about ,524 (FL resident) or ~4,783 (non-resident). Students apply to the dual track after admission to the DNP, in the spring before clinical courses begin, and graduates are eligible for both the CPNP-PC and CPNP-AC exams.
Note: Admission requirements for the Dual track mirror those of the AC-PNP, including the requirement for at least one year of pediatric acute care experience (ICU/ED preferred).
Tuition
Graduate tuition at the University of Florida is $532.52 per credit hour for Florida residents and $1,449.28 per credit hour for non-residents (2026–2027 rates, inclusive of all fees).
Based on the 78-credit program, FL resident total tuition is approximately $41,537 and non-resident approximately $113,044. Flat per-term fees (Activity & Service, Athletic, Health, and Transportation) apply in addition to per-credit charges.
More tuition details are available here.
Why Choose This PNP Program?
Best suited for: BSN-prepared Florida nurses who want a doctoral-level pediatric NP credential and a real choice between primary care and acute care populations at one academic health center.
A Genuine Acute Care Experience Gate
UF requires at least one year of pediatric acute care experience, with ICU or ED experience preferred, before admission to the AC-PNP track. Most PNP programs publish no such prerequisite for their acute care option, so this filters out nurses without that background while signaling the track’s clinical intensity to those who qualify.
Population Choice Doesn’t Change the Price
PC-PNP and AC-PNP cost the same $41,537 (FL resident), require the same 78 credits, and carry the same 1,260 clinical hours. A student is not paying a premium, or getting a shorter program, for choosing acute care – the decision comes down entirely to which patient population and practice setting fit the student’s goals.
Built-In Access to a Children’s Hospital
AC-PNP students draw on UF Health Shands Hospital for Children for specialized clinical experience, an advantage that programs without an affiliated academic medical center cannot offer directly.
Florida’s Only Dual Pediatric Track
UF’s Dual AC/PC-PNP pathway prepares graduates for both pediatric certifications for about $8,000 more than a single-focus track at the resident rate. It adds 15 credits and 480 clinical hours, and students apply to it after admission to the DNP rather than at entry.
The Verdict
UF has the strongest case for Florida nurses who want a DNP-level pediatric credential with an unusually clear population choice and, for the acute care track, already have the ICU or ED background it requires. Nurses without that acute care experience are limited to the primary care track here; those wanting dual AC/PC certification apply to that track after admission to the DNP.
Accreditation
The University of Florida College of Nursing’s DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Graduates of the PC-PNP track are eligible for national certification through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) as Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioners in Primary Care (CPNP-PC).
Graduates of the AC-PNP track are eligible for PNCB certification as Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioners in Acute Care (CPNP-AC). All graduates may apply for Florida APRN licensure upon passing their respective certification examinations.
Compare UF with Other Florida PNP Programs
- Florida International University - Miami
- University of South Florida - Tampa