Maryville University Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs

Maryville University’s Catherine McAuley School of Nursing offers four Pediatric Nurse Practitioner pathways, all preparing for the same credential:

MSN – Pediatric Primary Care NP (Primary Care)
BSN to DNP – Pediatric Primary Care NP (Primary Care)
DNP-NP – Pediatric Primary Care NP (Primary Care)
Post-Master’s NP Certificate – Pediatric Primary Care NP (Primary Care)

Every pathway is delivered fully online with no required campus visits, admits six times a year, and requires a current unencumbered U.S. RN license plus at least one year of professional nursing experience. Clinicals are completed locally. Maryville does not offer an acute care or dual-population pediatric track.

Program Tracks Overview

Program	Est. Tuition	Est. Duration	Credit Hours
MSN – PC	$42,300	20 mos (full-time)	47
BSN-DNP – PC	$69,735	40 mos	74
DNP-NP – PC	$64,335	36 mos	68
Cert – PC	$31,500	24 mos (part-time)	35

Tuition estimates multiply Maryville’s 2026-2027 graduate nursing rates ($900/credit for master’s-level coursework, $995/credit for doctoral-level coursework) by each pathway’s catalog credit total. The $775-per-semester online technology fee is not included.

Why choose it: Entry from a BSN, MSN, or existing NP credential, with six start dates a year, no waitlist, and no GRE or GMAT.
Trade-off: Primary care only, with no published clinical hour total and no stated commitment to secure clinical placements.

Quick Facts

Program Types	MSN, BSN-DNP, DNP-NP, post-master’s certificate
Population Focus	Primary Care (CPNP-PC) for all four pathways; no acute care or dual option
Format	Online — 100% online coursework, no campus visits required for any pathway
Clinical Hours	Not clearly published; carried by three practicum courses (9 credits)
Clinical Placement	Completed locally in the student’s preferred setting; university does not state that it secures sites
Start Terms	Six per year — two each in spring, summer, and fall
RN License Required	Current, unencumbered U.S. RN license
RN Experience Required	At least one year of professional nursing experience; no pediatric-specific requirement
Admission Tests	No GRE, GMAT, or statistics course required
Certification Pass Rate	86% program pass rate vs. 79.1% PNCB national average, per Maryville
Tuition	$900/credit master’s-level; $995/credit doctoral-level
Accreditation	CCNE (nursing); Higher Learning Commission (institutional)

Clinical Education

All four pathways use the same pediatric clinical structure, so the differences between them are academic rather than clinical.

Three practicum courses carry the pediatric clinical requirement: NURS 652 (Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum I), NURS 654 (Practicum II), and NURS 655C (Pediatric Health Promotion Practicum) — 9 credits total
NURS 655C is dedicated to the preventive well-child visit; NURS 652 and 654 pair with the two-part diagnosis and management sequence
All practica take place in pediatric primary care practice settings
Clinicals are completed locally, in what Maryville describes as the student’s preferred setting
BSN-DNP and DNP-NP students additionally complete the Clinical Inquiry sequence (NURS 705, 706, 707) supporting the DNP scholarly project
Total required clinical hours: not clearly published on any Maryville program page

The missing hour total matters more than it may appear. The PNCB requires a minimum of 500 supervised clinical hours for CPNP-PC eligibility, and most single-population PNP programs land between 600 and 750 hours and publish that figure prominently. Maryville states the number of practicum courses but not the hours attached to them, so a prospective student cannot compare its clinical volume against other programs from the published material, or calculate how many weeks of clinical work the program will demand alongside a job. Anyone weighing Maryville against a program that publishes its hours should get this figure confirmed in writing before committing.

Placement responsibility is the other open question. Maryville markets local clinicals as a convenience, and for a nurse with strong relationships at a local pediatric practice it genuinely is one. But the university does not say that it finds sites or preceptors, and in a fully online national program the student is usually the one making those arrangements. If you do not already have a pediatric primary care preceptor in reach, treat securing one as your responsibility and start early.

General Admissions

Requirements are consistent across the four pathways apart from the entry degree and the GPA threshold. Each pathway section below states only its own differences.

Current, unencumbered licensure as an RN in the United States
At least one year of professional nursing experience
Entry degree from a regionally accredited institution and a CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA accredited nursing program
Official transcripts from every post-secondary school where a degree was earned or graduate-level coursework completed
Transfer credit request form, where applicable; transfer credit is granted at Maryville’s discretion
No GRE, GMAT, or statistics course required; no application fee
Applicants below the GPA minimum must submit a personal statement explaining the grades and a plan for improvement
Applicants educated internationally must hold their BSN (MSN and BSN-DNP) or MSN (certificate, DNP, and DNP-NP) from a CCNE or ACEN accredited program

Two things are notable by their absence. Maryville requires no pediatric-specific nursing experience, no interview, no essay, and no references for any pathway, which makes it accessible to nurses moving into pediatrics from adult or general practice. And because there are six start dates a year rather than one annual intake, a rejected or delayed application costs weeks rather than a full year.

MSN – Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

Estimated tuition for the MSN – Pediatric Primary Care NP is approximately $42,300 (47 credits at $900/credit). Full-time students finish in about 20 months; part-time students typically take 28 to 32 months. The pathway prepares for pediatric primary care practice and requires a BSN with a 3.0 GPA, making it the standard route for a bedside RN with no graduate degree.

A published conflict worth knowing about. Maryville’s marketing copy on this page twice describes the program as preparing nurses for pediatric care “in primary and acute care.” Every other signal points to primary care only: the degree is titled Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, the concentration description specifies a primary care setting, and all three practicum courses place students in pediatric primary care practice settings. This page treats the pathway as primary care (CPNP-PC) preparation. If you intend to work in a PICU, pediatric ED, or inpatient service, this program does not prepare you for the CPNP-AC exam that those roles increasingly require.

MSN Curriculum

The 47 credits divide into 29 credits of graduate nursing and NP core coursework and an 18-credit pediatric concentration. The core is shared with Maryville’s other four NP specialties, which explains why the pediatric content arrives relatively late in the plan of study — NURS 650 requires the pathophysiology, assessment, and pharmacology sequence first. Advanced Health Assessment carries 5 credits rather than the usual 3, the single heaviest course in the program.

The pediatric sequence is tightly coupled: NURS 650 runs alongside the health promotion practicum, and each diagnosis course is a corequisite of its matching practicum. Falling behind in one course therefore pushes the paired practicum as well, which is the main reason part-time completion stretches to 32 months.

NURS 611 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
NURS 612 – Advanced Health Assessment (5)
NURS 615 – Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics (3)
NURS 650 – Health Promotion of the Pediatric Population (3)
NURS 651 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis I (3)
NURS 652 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum I (3)
NURS 653 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis II (3)
NURS 654 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum II (3)
NURS 655C – Pediatric Health Promotion Practicum (3)

See the official MSN-PNP curriculum for the full course list.

MSN Admissions

BSN from a regionally accredited institution and a CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA accredited nursing program
Cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale — the lowest threshold of the four pathways

BSN to DNP – Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

Estimated tuition for the BSN to DNP – Pediatric Primary Care NP is approximately $69,735 (41 master’s-level credits at $900 and 33 doctoral-level credits at $995). Maryville estimates completion in as few as 40 months. It prepares for the same primary care credential as the MSN and requires a BSN with a 3.25 GPA. One detail the university states plainly and prospective students often miss: this pathway awards the DNP only, not a DNP plus an MSN along the way.

BSN-DNP Curriculum

The 74 credits split into 56 credits of core coursework and the same 18-credit pediatric concentration used in every other pathway. The core combines the master’s-level NP foundation with doctoral content in epidemiology and biostatistics, clinical scholarship, ethics, quality and patient safety, informatics, health policy, and organizational and systems leadership, plus the three-course Clinical Inquiry sequence that carries the DNP scholarly project.

Worth noting when planning a schedule: the course list Maryville publishes for the doctoral core runs longer than the stated 56 core credits, so the actual plan of study draws a subset of those courses. The 74-credit total is stated consistently on both the pathway page and the BSN-DNP program page and is what this page uses for cost.

The pediatric concentration is identical to the MSN version — NURS 650 through 655C. The extra 27 credits over the MSN buy doctoral preparation in systems leadership and scholarship, not additional pediatric clinical depth. That is the central question for anyone choosing between the two: the DNP adds roughly $27,000 and 20 months, and none of it is more pediatrics.

See the official BSN to DNP-PNP curriculum for the full course list.

BSN-DNP Admissions

BSN from a regionally accredited institution and a CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA accredited nursing program
Cumulative GPA of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale

DNP-NP – Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

Estimated tuition for the DNP-NP – Pediatric Primary Care NP is approximately $64,335 (35 master’s-level credits at $900 and 33 doctoral-level credits at $995). Maryville estimates completion in as few as 36 months. This pathway is for nurses who already hold an MSN and want both the doctorate and pediatric primary care NP preparation in one program. The eligibility distinction that decides who can apply: APRN board certification is not required for the DNP-NP, though it is required for Maryville’s standalone DNP.

DNP-NP Curriculum

The 68 credits assemble from four blocks: 33 credits of DNP foundation and capstone coursework, 6 credits of graduate nursing core, 11 credits of NP core, and the 18-credit pediatric concentration. An MSN-prepared nurse repeats the NP core here — advanced pathophysiology, health assessment, and pharmacotherapeutics — because those courses establish the advanced practice foundation that a non-NP master’s degree will not have covered. If your MSN did include equivalent coursework, the transfer credit request form is the mechanism that could shorten the plan, and it is worth resolving before you enroll rather than after.

DNP foundation (18 credits): NURS 700, 701, 702, 709, 711, 712
DNP capstone (15 credits): NURS 704, 705, 706, 707, 708
Graduate nursing core (6 credits): NURS 603, 610
NP core (11 credits): NURS 611, 612, 615
Pediatric concentration (18 credits): NURS 650, 651, 652, 653, 654, 655C

See the official DNP and DNP-NP curriculum for course descriptions.

DNP-NP Admissions

MSN from a regionally accredited institution and a CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA accredited nursing program
Cumulative GPA of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale
APRN board certification not required for the DNP-NP pathway

Post-Master’s NP Certificate – Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

Estimated tuition for the Post-Master’s NP Certificate – Pediatric Primary Care NP is approximately $31,500 (35 credits at $900/credit). Maryville says most students finish in about two years of part-time study, and sooner with eligible transfer credit. It requires an MSN with a 3.0 GPA and prepares for the same CPNP-PC credential as the degree pathways, at less than half the cost of the DNP-NP.

A published conflict worth knowing about. Maryville’s pediatric concentration hub page states the certificate can be completed in 32 credits, while the post-master’s certificate program page lists it as 35. The 35-credit figure reconciles against the published course blocks (6 credits of graduate nursing core, 11 of NP core, and the 18-credit pediatric concentration), so this page uses 35 and the $31,500 estimate that follows from it. At $900 per credit, the three-credit discrepancy is worth $2,700, so confirm your credit total at admission.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate strips the MSN down to what an already master’s-prepared nurse needs for pediatric NP practice: professional role development and health promotion from the graduate core, the three-P sequence from the NP core, and the full 18-credit pediatric concentration. It drops nursing theory, evidence-based practice, health policy, and leadership — the 12 credits an MSN holder has already covered.

An important limitation for practicing NPs: Maryville does not publish a gap analysis that would let a certified FNP or AGPCNP skip the three-P core they completed in their original program. The 35 credits appear to apply regardless of existing credential, which makes this certificate more expensive for an experienced NP adding a population than certificate programs elsewhere that assess prior coursework individually. The transfer credit request form is the only stated route to a reduction, and it is granted at Maryville’s discretion.

Graduate nursing core (6 credits): NURS 603, 610
NP core (11 credits): NURS 611, 612, 615
Pediatric concentration (18 credits): NURS 650, 651, 652, 653, 654, 655C

See the official post-master’s NP certificate curriculum.

Certificate Admissions

MSN from a regionally accredited institution and a CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA accredited nursing program
Cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
No existing APRN certification required, so an MSN in education, administration, or informatics qualifies

Tuition

Maryville charges $900 per credit for master’s-level nursing coursework and $995 per credit for doctoral-level coursework, rates set by the Board of Trustees for 2026-2027 and effective from Summer 2026. As a private university it charges one rate nationally, so there is no in-state or out-of-state distinction. The nursing school’s own tuition page and the university bursar’s table agree on both figures.

The split rate is the detail most cost estimates get wrong. Both doctoral pathways mix master’s-level and doctoral-level courses, and applying the $995 doctoral rate to every credit overstates the BSN-DNP by roughly $3,900 and the DNP-NP by roughly $3,300. The figures below bill each block at its own rate.

Pathway	Credits (master’s / doctoral)	Est. Total Tuition
MSN – PC	47 / 0	$42,300
BSN-DNP – PC	41 / 33	$69,735
DNP-NP – PC	35 / 33	$64,335
Cert – PC	35 / 0	$31,500

Totals are calculated from published per-credit rates and catalog credit counts, not figures published by Maryville. Fees are additional.

Key Cost Takeaways

The technology fee is not trivial. Online graduate programs carry $775 per semester. Across three terms a year that is $2,325 annually — roughly $3,900 over a 20-month MSN and $7,750 over a 40-month BSN-DNP, on top of tuition.
Background check: $75 to $120 per submission, required of all graduate nursing students.
The certificate is the cost-efficient route to the credential. At $31,500 it reaches the same CPNP-PC eligibility as the $64,335 DNP-NP. The doctorate is worth the difference only if you want the degree itself.
Rates are set annually and Maryville states they are subject to change, so a 40-month BSN-DNP will span at least three rate cycles. There is no published cohort price lock.
Unbudgeted travel is unlikely. With no campus requirement in any pathway, the usual hidden cost of online NP programs does not apply here.
Watch the 32-versus-35-credit certificate discrepancy noted above; it is worth $2,700.

What makes Maryville’s pricing unusual among PNP programs is its flatness. There is no differential tuition for nursing, no per-practicum clinical fee, no residency surcharge, and no distance learning fee on top of the per-credit rate. For an out-of-state nurse who would pay non-resident rates at a public university, that single national rate often makes a private program like this one competitive rather than expensive.

See Maryville’s official graduate tuition and fees page.

Why Choose This PNP Program?

Best suited for: a working nurse who wants pediatric primary care preparation on a schedule that bends around a full-time job, who already has a realistic local option for pediatric clinical placement, and who does not need acute care preparation.

Four entry points to one credential

Most schools offer one or two routes into pediatric NP practice. Maryville offers four, and the pediatric preparation is identical in all of them. A BSN-prepared RN takes the MSN or the BSN-DNP; an MSN-prepared nurse takes the certificate or the DNP-NP. The choice is purely about how much degree you want attached to the credential, which is a cleaner decision than it is at schools where the pathways differ in clinical content too.

Six start dates and no waitlist

Maryville admits twice in each of the spring, summer, and fall terms, with published deadlines roughly two to six weeks before each start. Combined with no GRE, no interview, no essay, and no references, the practical effect is that the gap between deciding to apply and beginning coursework is measured in weeks. For a nurse who has been putting off a single-intake application for a year, this is the strongest argument for Maryville.

No campus travel in any pathway

All four pathways are fully online with no required campus visits, including the doctoral routes. There are no orientation intensives, skills labs, or immersion weekends to budget flights and time off for. Many online PNP programs describe themselves as online and then require several campus trips; Maryville does not, and states this consistently across every program page.

Potential Drawbacks

No published clinical hour total. You cannot compare Maryville’s clinical volume to other programs from its published material.
No stated placement support. Maryville does not say it secures clinical sites or preceptors. If you have no pediatric primary care connection locally, that is a real risk in a national online program.
Primary care only. No acute care track, no dual PC/AC option, and no published subspecialty rotations in PICU, NICU, or pediatric emergency care. Graduates sit for CPNP-PC, not CPNP-AC.
Thin pediatric specialization. Eighteen credits of pediatric coursework is the whole specialty, whether you pay $31,500 or $69,735.
No published gap analysis for certificate applicants, so an already-certified NP adding pediatrics may repeat core coursework at full price.
Licensure varies by state. Maryville directs applicants to verify that the program meets licensure requirements in their intended practice state before enrolling.

The Verdict

Maryville is an access program, and it is a good one on those terms: four entry points, six intakes a year, no campus travel, no admissions gauntlet, a flat national per-credit rate with no hidden differentials, and a certification pass rate the university reports above the PNCB national average. The nurse who benefits most already works in or near pediatrics, has a local preceptor relationship in hand, and mainly needs a program that will let them start soon and study around their shifts. The certificate in particular is priced well for an MSN-prepared nurse moving into pediatrics.

Compare other options if the clinical side is what you are shopping on. A program that publishes its hour totals, guarantees placement, or offers subspecialty rotations and an acute care track gives you more to evaluate before you commit. Maryville’s biggest limitation is not the teaching but the disclosure: the two facts that most determine whether an online PNP program works — how many clinical hours and who finds the site — are the two it leaves unstated.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at Maryville University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Maryville University has been institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1941. Graduates of all four pediatric pathways are prepared for the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board’s CPNP-PC examination; none of them prepares for the acute care CPNP-AC credential.

Because Maryville enrolls nationally and clinicals happen wherever the student lives, licensure eligibility is worth checking against your own state board rather than assuming. Maryville directs applicants to its professional licensure information page and to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing before enrolling.

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