A nationally ranked, distance-based PNP program where faculty secure clinical placements across North Carolina — letting you earn a top-tier credential without relocating or hunting for preceptors.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers 3 Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- MSN PNP-PC — 41 credits, ~2 years full-time or part-time
- BSN-DNP PNP-PC — 66–75 credits, 3 years full-time only
- Post-Graduate Certificate PNP-PC — individualized credits, ~2 academic years
All programs are distance-based with once-per-semester on-campus immersions at the Chapel Hill campus. The BSN-DNP is full-time only; the MSN and post-graduate certificate offer part-time options.
| Program Name | Est. Tuition (In-State) | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN PNP-PC | ~$42,300 | 2 years |
| BSN-DNP PNP-PC | ~$68,000–$77,000 | 3 years |
| Post-Graduate Certificate PNP-PC | Not clearly stated | ~2 years |
UNC’s combination of national rankings, faculty-coordinated clinical placement, and a published 92% PNCB pass rate makes this one of the most competitive PNP programs available to nurses in the Southeast and beyond.
Program Tracks Overview
MSN PNP
The estimated cost for the MSN Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care at UNC Chapel Hill is approximately $42,300 for North Carolina residents (41 credits at $1,031.34/credit), and the program takes about 2 years to complete on a full-time basis.
MSN Curriculum
The 41-credit MSN PNP-PC builds sequentially across two years, starting with APRN core courses in Year 1 and progressing into pediatric primary care clinical management in Year 2.
The curriculum covers pathophysiology, pharmacotherapeutics, advanced health assessment, diagnostic reasoning, and three pediatric clinical courses spanning well-child care through complex chronic conditions.
A master’s paper (NURS 992) is required and may span two semesters.
Professional and research core:
- NURS 746: Health Care Policy and Leadership (3 cr.)
- NURS 790i: Population Health: Interprofessional Management in a Changing Healthcare System (3 cr.)
- NURS 740: Evidence-Based Practice and Research (3 cr.)
- NURS 992: Master’s Paper (3 cr.; may require 2 semesters)
Advanced practice — APRN core:
- NURS 715: Pathophysiology for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 cr.)
- NURS 720: Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 cr.)
- NURS 750: Advanced Health and Physical Assessment (3 cr.; includes 45-hour lab)
- NURS 752: Advanced Diagnostic Reasoning (2 cr.)
Pediatric specialty courses:
NURS 840 – Primary Care of Children I (6 credits)
Focuses on pediatric primary care management with an emphasis on advanced diagnostic reasoning and family-centered care.
NURS 849 – Clinical Practicum in Advanced Pediatric Nursing (2 credits)
Supervised practicum in a primary care setting where students apply advanced pediatric nursing skills with infants, children, or adolescents.
NURS 841 – Primary Care of Children II (4 credits)
Builds advanced clinical skills in pediatric primary care, with attention to family-centered care and common child and adolescent health problems.
NURS 842 – Care of Children with Complex Health Conditions (6 credits)
Prepares students to coordinate care for infants, children, and adolescents with complex conditions, including health promotion, development, and transition to practice as a PNP.
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinicals
The MSN PNP-PC includes 540 supervised clinical hours distributed across four pediatric courses sequenced over Year 1 and Year 2. Faculty secure clinical placements for students across North Carolina — students are not responsible for sourcing their own preceptors.
- NURS 840: 120 clinical hours (Pediatric Primary Care I)
- NURS 849: 120 clinical hours (Clinical Practicum)
- NURS 841: 120 clinical hours (Pediatric Primary Care II)
- NURS 842: 180 clinical hours (Children with Complex Health Conditions)
- Total: 540 supervised clinical hours
- Population focus: newborns through age 21 in primary care and community settings
- Faculty-coordinated placements; students have access to local sites near their home
- On-campus immersions: once per semester at Chapel Hill
- 2024 PNCB first-time pass rate: 92%
MSN Admissions
UNC’s MSN admissions are selective; meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission, and the committee weighs clinical experience, academic performance, and professional qualifications together.
- BSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program (must be conferred by June 30 prior to fall matriculation)
- Minimum 2.75 GPA (priority given to 3.0+; GPA between 2.75–3.0 must be explained in professional statement)
- Active, unencumbered RN license in North Carolina or compact state (by summer prior to matriculation)
- PNP-PC specific: minimum 6 months of full-time clinical RN experience in a neonatal, pediatric, or family/community setting within 3 years of applying
- Statistics course (C or better, full credit, within 10 years; may apply with expired course but proof required by June 30)
- Three letters of recommendation: one from current immediate supervisor in healthcare; two from individuals who can address academic achievement and potential (at least one from a faculty member with graduate degree if school was attended within 5 years)
- Professional statement: four prompts totaling ~1,250 words (500-word specialty prompt + three 250-word prompts on goals, EBP experience, and any admission criteria not met)
- All work and volunteer experience entered directly into the application (CV/resume not accepted as substitute)
- Current, unencumbered RN license uploaded to application
- Unofficial transcripts uploaded at application; official required only upon acceptance
- Application via UNC Apply Now portal (applynow.unc.edu) — select “Nursing Online” major, MSN degree, and PNP-PC advanced practice area
- Application fee: $95
- Admission is fall only; next cycle opens in fall (exact deadlines not currently posted)
- Interview: not required for all applicants; may be requested for clarification; required for all non-native English-speaking international applicants
- Criminal history check and drug screening required after admission acceptance, at student’s expense
- Students must have access to a vehicle for clinical site travel
BSN-DNP PNP
The estimated cost for the BSN-DNP Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care at UNC Chapel Hill is approximately $68,000–$77,000 for North Carolina residents (66–75 credits at $1,031.34/credit, depending on specialty).
The program takes 3 years to complete on a full-time basis — the only enrollment option for BSN-DNP students.
DNP Curriculum
The BSN-DNP spans 66–75 credit hours depending on the chosen advanced practice area; the PNP-PC-specific credit total is not broken out from this range in the source materials.
The curriculum integrates the same pediatric advanced practice courses as the MSN (NURS 715, 720, 750, 752, 840, 841, 842, 849) with additional DNP-level coursework in evidence-based practice, organizational leadership, health policy, informatics, and population health, plus a DNP project requiring a minimum of 6 credits (NURS 994, taken at least twice).
All students must complete 1,000 practice hours total.
Practice inquiry courses:
- NURS 740: Evidence-Based Practice and Research (3 cr.)
- NURS 921: Theoretical Principles of Evidence-Based Practice (3 cr.)
- NURS 922: Critical Appraisal of Evidence (3 cr.)
- NURS 923: Implementation and Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practice (3 cr.)
- NURS 934: Clinical Scholarship and Professional Communication (3 cr.)
- NURS 969: Applied Data Analysis (3 cr.)
- NURS 994: DNP Project (3 cr., minimum twice)
Organizational leadership courses:
- NURS 935: Leading Organizational and Systems Change (3 cr.)
- NURS 936: Informatics for Safe and Effective Health Care (3 cr.)
- NURS 938: Public Policy and Advocacy in Health Care (3 cr.)
- NURS 945: Population Health in a Global Context (3 cr.)
- NURS 967: Economics and Financing of Health Care Systems (3 cr.)
Pediatric advanced practice courses are identical to the MSN specialty sequence above (NURS 715, 720, 750, 752, 840, 849, 841, 842).
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP Clinicals
The BSN-DNP requires 1,000 total practice hours, combining the pediatric clinical sequence from the specialty courses with DNP project practicum work. Clinical placements are faculty-coordinated, consistent with the MSN model.
- Total practice hours: 1,000 (includes clinical course hours and DNP project practicum)
- Pediatric clinical sequence: same four courses as the MSN (540 hours in NURS 840, 849, 841, 842)
- Remaining hours embedded in DNP project and practicum coursework
- Population focus: newborns through age 21 in primary care, specialty, and community settings
- Faculty-coordinated clinical placements statewide
- On-campus immersions: once per semester at Chapel Hill
- Full-time enrollment only; no part-time option for BSN-DNP students
DNP Admissions
DNP admissions requirements are more stringent than the MSN on GPA and statistics coursework, and the pediatric experience requirement is specific to neonatal or pediatric settings.
- BSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program (conferred by June 30 prior to fall matriculation)
- Minimum 3.0 GPA (applicants with 2.75–2.99 may apply but must provide strong justification)
- Active, unencumbered RN license in North Carolina or compact state
- PNP-PC specific: minimum 6 months full-time clinical RN experience in a neonatal or pediatric setting, or community setting serving children and families, within 3 years of applying
- Statistics course with B or better, full credit, within 5 years (proof required by June 30 if recently expired)
- Three letters of recommendation (same requirements as MSN)
- Professional statement (same four-prompt structure as MSN)
- All work/volunteer experience entered directly in application
- Unofficial transcripts at application; official required on acceptance
- Application fee: $95
- Fall admission only; applications closed currently — next cycle opens in fall
- MSN-to-DNP pathway also available for MSN-prepared APRNs (37–41 credits, full- or part-time, online); separate plan of study developed individually
Post-Graduate Certificate PNP
The estimated cost for the Post-Graduate Certificate – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care at UNC Chapel Hill is not clearly stated, as credits are individualized based on a gap analysis of prior graduate coursework.
The program takes approximately two academic years including one summer to complete.
Certificate Curriculum
The post-graduate PNP-PC certificate is designed for MSN- or DNP-prepared APRNs who want to add pediatric primary care as a new population area. Upon admission, the Lead Faculty reviews all prior graduate coursework and course syllabi — particularly the “3 P’s” (pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment) — to develop an individualized plan of study.
Additional or alternative coursework may be required based on the gap analysis. If an admitted student has never practiced as an APRN, they must demonstrate completion of lifespan-based pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment within the past three years.
Students who have not practiced as an APRN in more than two years must at minimum retake advanced pharmacology. A credit total cannot be estimated without knowing an individual’s prior coursework.
- Pediatric specialty courses (required for all, subject to gap analysis): NURS 840, 849, 841, 842
- APRN core prerequisites (if not previously completed): NURS 715, 720, 750, 752
- All prior transcript syllabi reviewed upon matriculation for 3 P’s equivalency
- Transfer credit accepted if comparable to current UNC course standards
Certificate Clinicals
Clinical hours for the certificate are individualized but include the pediatric clinical sequence from the specialty courses. Clinical placements are faculty-coordinated on the same model as the degree programs.
- Clinical hours: not uniformly stated; determined by individualized plan of study
- Minimum clinical sequence: NURS 840 (120 hrs), NURS 849 (120 hrs), NURS 841 (120 hrs), NURS 842 (180 hrs) if all four are required
- Population focus: newborns through age 21 in primary care and community settings
- Faculty-coordinated placements; on-campus immersions once per semester
- Graduates eligible to sit for the PNCB examination upon completion
Certificate Admissions
The post-graduate certificate requires a completed MSN or DNP and current APRN certification or eligibility; admissions are individualized and reviewed for prior coursework gaps before a plan of study is finalized.
- MSN or DNP in an advanced nursing practice specialty from a nationally accredited ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program (or a health-related master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution)
- Minimum 3.25 GPA in graduate coursework
- Active, unencumbered RN license in North Carolina or compact state; APRN certification or eligibility if applicable
- Completion of a DNP Verification of Precepted Clinical Hours Form (top completed by applicant; bottom by a school official from MSN-granting institution)
- One year of full-time, paid clinical RN work experience within 3 years of applying
- Statistics course (B or better, within 5 years)
- Three letters of recommendation
- Professional statement
- All work/volunteer experience entered directly into application
- Unofficial transcripts uploaded at application
- Application fee: $95
- Admitted fall semester; some students may not matriculate until spring depending on individualized plan
- Maximum five years to complete all degree requirements
Tuition
UNC Chapel Hill charges $1,031.34 per credit hour for North Carolina residents and $2,067.84 per credit hour for non-residents across the MSN, DNP, and post-graduate certificate nursing programs, with a per-semester tuition cap of $9,282 (in-state) and $18,610.50 (out-of-state) for 9+ credits. Distance education students pay an additional $30.03 per credit hour in distance education fees.
Mandatory campus-based fees run approximately $1,068.50 per semester for full-time nursing students. Additional course-specific fees apply to several nursing courses (ranging from $91 to $150 per course for simulation and practicum labs).
Tuition rates listed are from the 2026–2027 estimated schedule and are not final until approved by the NC System Board of Governors.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Accreditation
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). UNC Chapel Hill holds regional institutional accreditation. Graduates of the PNP-PC programs are eligible to sit for the national certification examination administered by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB); the school posted a 92% first-time PNCB pass rate across MSN and post-graduate certificate graduates in 2024.