Penn Nursing Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs

#1 Ranked Nursing School in the World — Ivy League with a Full Scholarship Pathway

Penn Nursing offers two Pediatric Nurse Practitioner tracks:

  • MS – PNP-PC (12 CUs, BSN entry, 12 months FT / 2–3 years PT, fall start for FT; year-round for PT)
  • MS – PNP-AC (12 CUs, BSN entry, 3 concentrations including Acute/Chronic Care, FT and PT)

The PNP-PC is in-person with select online or hybrid course options. All clinical placements are arranged by Penn — students do not self-source preceptors.

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. Duration
MS – PNP-PC$93,600 est.12 months FT / 2–3 years PT
MS – PNP-AC$93,600FT and PT plans available
duration not clearly stated

The program uses the Helene Fuld Pavilion for Innovative Learning and Simulation, a state-of-the-art simulation facility with diverse patient simulators and video-monitored feedback rooms.

The PNP-PC is one of five primary care specialties eligible for the Lauder Fellowship — a full-tuition scholarship for students committed to post-graduation practice in underserved communities

Program Tracks Overview

MS – Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

The MS PNP-PC at Penn Nursing is estimated at approximately ~$85,920 in base tuition (12 CUs × $7,160/CU) plus approximately ~$7,700 in fees over the full program — for an estimated total of approximately ~$93,600 for full-time students.

The full-time program is completed in 12 calendar months across fall, spring, and two summer sessions.

Part-time options span 2 or 3 years with year-round enrollment.

MS PNP-PC Curriculum

The MS PNP-PC totals 12 course units (CUs) organized across four components. Penn uses CUs rather than traditional credit hours — each CU represents one course unit of graduate-level study.

  • Core courses (4 CUs): Advanced pharmacology, advanced physical assessment and clinical decision-making, advanced developmental physiology and pathophysiology, and research methods.
  • Theory courses (3 CUs): Professional role issues for nurse practitioners, clinical management of primary care with young families, and nursing of children — child and family development.
  • Clinical courses (3 CUs): Three sequential clinical practicum courses covering primary care with young families, clinical practice with adolescents, and advanced concepts in primary care.
  • Electives (2 CUs): Two graduate-level NURS electives; elective options include oncology, palliative care, global health, and others.

Core Courses (4 CUs):

  • NURS 6080 – Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics for Nursing Practice (1 CU)
  • NURS 6570 – Advanced Physical Assessment and Clinical Decision Making (1 CU)
  • NURS 6850 – Advanced Developmental Physiology and Pathophysiology (1 CU)
  • NURS 6370 – Introduction to Research Methods and Design (1 CU) — or NURS 5470 (Penn BSN students only)

Theory Courses (3 CUs):

  • NURS 6560 – Professional Role Issues for Nurse Practitioners (1 CU)
  • NURS 6580 – Clinical Management of Primary Care with Young Families (1 CU)
  • NURS 7200 – Nursing of Children Theory I: Child and Family Development (1 CU)

Clinical Courses (3 CUs):

  • NURS 6590 – Clinical Practicum: Primary Care with Young Families (1 CU)
  • NURS 6600 – Clinical Practice with Select Populations: Adolescents (1 CU)
  • NURS 6630 – Advanced Concepts in Primary Care (1 CU)

Electives (2 CUs): Two graduate-level NURS electives selected from available options including oncology, palliative care, global health, and more.

View more curriculum details in the University catalog.

MS PNP-PC Clinicals

All clinical experiences and preceptors are arranged and coordinated by Penn Nursing. Clinical placements are made within the Penn Medicine network and other leading local and mid-Atlantic health care systems. Students do not self-source preceptors.

  • NURS 6590 – Clinical Practicum: Primary Care with Young Families
  • NURS 6600 – Clinical Practice with Select Populations: Adolescents
  • NURS 6630 – Advanced Concepts in Primary Care
  • All clinical placements arranged and coordinated by Penn Nursing
  • Clinical sites span Penn Medicine network and leading local and mid-Atlantic health systems
  • Simulation preparation through the Helene Fuld Pavilion for Innovative Learning and Simulation — diverse patient simulators, video-monitored feedback rooms, real-life clinical settings replicated in outpatient, hospital, and home care configurations

MS PNP-PC Admissions

Multiple deadlines per year for part-time enrollment. Full-time fall enrollment has a single November deadline. No GRE required. Lauder Fellowship applications should be explored separately.

  • BSN from an accredited program with minimum 3.0 GPA
  • Current RN licensure
  • College-level statistics course
  • Full application requirements (essays, recommendations, etc.) not fully detailed in available source materials — see application portal for complete requirements

Full-Time Enrollment Deadlines (fall start):

  • Fall 2026 full-time deadline: November 3, 2025; decisions: late February

Part-Time Enrollment Deadlines (year-round start):

  • Spring 2026: deadline October 15, 2025; decisions: late December
  • Summer 2026: deadline March 16, 2026; decisions: late April
  • Fall 2026: deadline April 1, 2026; decisions: mid-May

MS – Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

The MS PNP-AC at Penn Nursing is estimated at approximately ~$85,920 in base tuition (12 CUs × $7,160/CU) plus fees — the same tuition structure as the PNP-PC. See the tuition section below for fee breakdowns by semester.

Penn uniquely offers three concentrations within the PNP-AC program, all delivering a broad-based pediatric acute care education — the Acute/Chronic Care concentration (detailed below) focuses specifically on children with acute and chronic conditions, with an emphasis on following children and families across the continuum of illness.

All concentrations prepare graduates to pursue career options in any area of Pediatric Acute Care. Full-time and part-time plans of study are available.

MS PNP-AC Curriculum — Acute/Chronic Care Concentration

The MS PNP-AC totals 12 course units (CUs) organized across five components. The Acute/Chronic Care concentration is distinctive for its emphasis on continuity of care across chronic childhood illness and its inclusion of community-based clinical experiences alongside traditional acute care settings.

  • Research requirement (1 CU): Research methods and design, or scientific inquiry for evidence-based practice.
  • Core science and specialty courses (3 CUs): Advanced developmental physiology and pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, and a course focused on children with special healthcare needs.
  • Theory courses (3 CUs): Child and family development, and two levels of pediatric acute care principles.
  • Clinical courses (4 CUs): Advanced physical assessment for pediatric populations, two sequential professional role and clinical practicum courses, and an advanced community clinical course focused on management of acute and chronic conditions.
  • Elective (1 CU): One graduate-level NURS elective.

Research Requirement (1 CU):

  • NURS 6370 – Introduction to Research Methods and Design (1 CU) — or NURS 5470 – Scientific Inquiry for Evidence-based Practice (Penn BSN students only)

Core Science Courses (2 CUs):

  • NURS 6850 – Advanced Developmental Physiology and Pathophysiology (1 CU)
  • NURS 6080 – Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics for Nursing Practice (1 CU)

Other Core Course (1 CU):

  • NURS 5090 – The Child with Special Healthcare Needs (1 CU)

Theory Courses (3 CUs):

  • NURS 7200 – Nursing of Children Theory I: Child and Family Development (1 CU)
  • NURS 7340 – Intermediate Principles of Pediatric Acute Care (1 CU)
  • NURS 7360 – Advanced Principles of Pediatric Acute Care (1 CU)

Clinical Courses (4 CUs):

  • NURS 7210 – Advanced Physical Assessment Across the Life Span and Clinical Decision Making: Nursing of Children (1 CU)
  • NURS 7350 – Pediatric Acute Care NP: Professional Role and Intermediate Clinical Practice (1 CU)
  • NURS 7370 – Pediatric Acute Care NP: Professional Role and Advanced Clinical Practice (1 CU)
  • NURS 7410 – Management of Children with Acute and Chronic Conditions: Nursing of Children in the Community — Advanced Clinical (1 CU)

Elective (1 CU): One graduate-level NURS elective selected from available options.

View more curriculum details in the University catalog.

MS PNP-AC Clinicals

Clinical experiences for the Acute/Chronic Care concentration are located in diverse settings. As with the PNP-PC, all clinical placements and preceptors are arranged by Penn Nursing across the Penn Medicine network and other leading health systems.

  • NURS 7210 – Advanced Physical Assessment: Nursing of Children (clinical hours embedded)
  • NURS 7350 – Intermediate Clinical Practice (clinical hours embedded)
  • NURS 7370 – Advanced Clinical Practice (clinical hours embedded)
  • NURS 7410 – Community Advanced Clinical: Children with Acute and Chronic Conditions (clinical hours embedded)
  • Clinical sites include pediatric acute care inpatient units, step-down units, emergency departments, community sites, and ambulatory, rehabilitative, and specialty-based clinics
  • Clinical specialties available include general surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, neurosurgery, oncology, trauma, transplant, nephrology, and others
  • All clinical placements arranged and coordinated by Penn Nursing — students do not self-source preceptors
  • Simulation preparation through the Helene Fuld Pavilion for Innovative Learning and Simulation

MS PNP-AC Admissions

  • BSN from an accredited program with minimum 3.0 GPA
  • Current RN licensure
  • College-level statistics course
  • Application deadlines follow the same structure as the PNP-PC — see above for reference.

Tuition

Penn Nursing charges graduate MSN students on a per-course-unit (CU) basis. The rates below are for 2026-2027 and are assessed per semester based on the number of CUs enrolled in that term.

  • Tuition rate (all MSN programs): $7,160/CU
  • PNP-PC program total (12 CUs): $85,920 base tuition
  • PNP-AC program total (12 CUs): $85,920 base tuition — same tuition structure as PNP-PC
  • Derived per-credit equivalent: ~$2,387/credit hour (1 Penn CU ≈ 3 traditional credit hours; $7,160 ÷ 3). Useful for cross-program cost comparison — Penn bills per CU, not per traditional credit hour.

Fall and Spring semester fees (capped at 4 CU rate):

  • 1 CU: $7,160 tuition + $132 tech + $530 general = $7,822
  • 2 CUs: $14,320 + $264 + $1,060 = $15,644
  • 3 CUs: $21,480 + $396 + $2,134 + $385 clinical fee = $24,395
  • 4 CUs (capped maximum): $28,640 + $528 + $2,134 + $385 clinical fee = $31,687

Summer semester fees (no cap — charged per CU):

  • 1 CU: $7,160 + $132 + $530 = $7,822
  • 2 CUs: $14,320 + $264 + $530 = $15,114
  • 3 CUs: $21,480 + $396 + $530 = $22,406
  • 4 CUs: $28,640 + $528 + $530 = $29,698

Estimated total cost for full-time PNP-PC or PNP-AC (12 CUs over 4 terms: fall + spring + 2 summers):

  • Fall (4 CUs, capped): ~$31,687
  • Spring (4 CUs, capped): ~$31,687
  • Summer session 1 (2 CUs): ~$15,114
  • Summer session 2 (2 CUs): ~$15,114
  • Estimated total: ~$93,602

The PNP-AC full-time duration and exact semester distribution are not clearly stated on the website — the ~$93,602 estimate assumes the same 4-term structure as the PNP-PC. Contact the program to confirm the full-time plan of study for the PNP-AC before using this figure for financial planning.

These estimates assume equal distribution of CUs across semesters — actual totals depend on your specific course load each term. Some courses carry additional section fees listed in Path@Penn. Tuition and fees shown do not represent full cost of attendance (living expenses, books, travel, personal expenses are additional).

The Leonard A. Lauder Community Care NP Program Fellowship may substantially reduce or eliminate tuition for eligible PNP-PC students — contact the admissions office for details.

See the official tuition page for more details.

Accreditation

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing’s MSN programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.

Graduates of the PNP-PC track are eligible to sit for the national certification exam in Pediatric Primary Care NP through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB).

First-time certification pass rates for the PNP-PC track: 94% (Class of 2022), 81% (Class of 2023), 78% (Class of 2024).

Compare Penn to Other PA PNP Programs