Chaminade University offers 3 Pediatric Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- BSN-to-MSN – Primary Care
- BSN-to-MSN-to-DNP – Primary Care
- Post-Doctoral Certificate – Primary Care
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN – PC | $55,430 | 2 yrs | 46 |
| DNP – PC | $81,940 | ~3 yrs | 68 |
| Cert – PC | $21,690 | 12 mos | 18 |
Chaminade’s defining advantage is availability: it is the only school in Hawai‘i that prepares Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, so every other option requires enrolling with a mainland program. Its second advantage is structure — the MSN is conferred partway through the doctoral pathway, so students can certify as a CPNP-PC and begin practicing while finishing the DNP. Coursework is fully online, but a multi-day on-campus immersion in Honolulu is mandatory every year.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | BSN-to-MSN, BSN-to-MSN-to-DNP, post-doctoral certificate |
| Format | Mostly Online — online coursework plus a required annual multi-day campus immersion |
| Population Focus | Primary Care only. No acute care or dual PC/AC option. |
| Clinical Hours | 750 (MSN and DNP tracks); 630 (post-doctoral certificate) |
| Clinical Placement | Not clearly stated whether the school arranges sites or students secure their own |
| Distinctive Coursework | Three sequential pediatric practicums; Selected Topics in Pediatric Primary Care |
| Concentrations | None within the PNP track |
| RN License Requirement | Required by the end of the first semester, not at the time of application |
| RN Experience Requirement | None stated for the MSN or DNP pathways |
| Minimum GPA | 2.75 cumulative; GRE not required |
| Start Term | Fall only (single annual intake) |
| Tuition | $1,205 per credit for both MSN and DNP coursework, plus a $93 online fee per course |
| Accreditation | CCNE accredits the DNP and post-graduate APRN certificate. The standalone MSN is not named. |
Clinical Education
All three PNP tracks share one clinical model. Students complete a three-course practicum sequence in pediatric primary care settings, taken alongside the matching didactic management course rather than at the end of the program. The MSN and DNP pathways carry 750 clinical hours; the post-doctoral certificate carries 630.
Both totals clear the 500-hour minimum the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board requires for CPNP-PC eligibility, and 750 sits at the upper end of what single-population PNP programs typically require. For students who want maximum supervised pediatric exposure before sitting for boards, that is a meaningful margin. It also means clinical scheduling is a substantial commitment: 750 hours over two years while working full time is roughly one and a half clinical days per week, sustained.
Placement Responsibility
Chaminade lists clinical placement as a program feature but does not clearly state who is responsible for securing sites and preceptors. This is the single most important question to resolve before applying, and the answer matters more here than at most schools. Hawai‘i has a limited pediatric primary care workforce concentrated on O‘ahu, and mainland students enrolling from a distance cannot rely on Chaminade’s local hospital relationships. Ask admissions directly whether placements are faculty-arranged, whether the school will place students outside Hawai‘i, and how neighbor-island students are handled.
The Campus Immersion
Every pathway requires attendance at a multi-day on-campus immersion in Honolulu each year. For the fall 2026 cohort the MSN and DNP immersion runs August 18–20, immediately after the term begins. The PNP certificate curriculum includes two zero-credit immersion courses (NUR 917 and NUR 927), confirming the requirement applies to certificate students as well. This is what moves Chaminade out of the fully online category despite the school describing its coursework as 100% online.
General Admissions
The MSN and BSN-MSN-DNP pathways use identical requirements, and the entry bar is unusually accessible — no GRE, no required RN experience, and a 2.75 GPA floor that is roughly half a grade point below what most PNP programs ask.
- BSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited nursing school
- RN license required by the end of the first semester, not at application
- Minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
- Resume or CV
- Two letters of professional recommendation
- Personal statement
- Interview by video or in person (listed for doctoral applicants)
- GRE not required
Admission runs on a single annual fall cycle. Chaminade publishes a March 1 priority deadline and a June 1 final deadline, with the fall term opening in mid-to-late August. Applicants should confirm current dates, since these repeat each year and the published cycle refers to the most recent admission round.
Two policies are worth planning around. Students may transfer up to nine credits into the MSN, subject to a gap analysis and not guaranteed. Separately, MSN graduates retain eligibility to move into the BSN-MSN-DNP pathway for three years after their degree is conferred — a real option for nurses who want to certify and work before committing to doctoral coursework.
BSN-to-MSN Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care
The estimated tuition for the Master of Science in Nursing, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care specialization at Chaminade is approximately $55,430 (46 credits at $1,205 per credit). The program can generally be completed in about two years of continuous enrollment across fall, spring, and summer terms.
MSN Curriculum
The 46 credits divide into three blocks: a 15-credit MSN core, a 9-credit advanced practice core, and a 22-credit pediatric specialty sequence. What distinguishes the structure is how tightly the specialty block pairs theory with practice — each of the three management courses is matched to a practicum taken in the same stretch of the program, so students apply pediatric decision-making as they learn it rather than deferring all clinical work to a final year.
Foundation Courses
The MSN core covers leadership and role transition, population health and epidemiology, health policy and economics, theory, and a two-course evidence-based practice inquiry sequence. The advanced practice core is the standard lifespan trio of assessment, pathophysiology, and pharmacotherapeutics.
Pediatric Specialty Sequence
- NUR 870 Health and Wellness in Pediatric Care
- NUR 872 Management of Common Health Conditions in Pediatric Primary Care
- NUR 874 Management of Acute and Chronic Conditions in Pediatric Primary Care
- NUR 771 Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Practicum I
- NUR 773 Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Practicum II
- NUR 775 Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Practicum III
- NUR 808 Selected Topics in Pediatric Primary Care
NUR 874 is the course most likely to be misread. Despite the word “acute” in the title, it addresses acute presentations managed within a primary care setting — asthma exacerbations, infections, chronic disease flares — not inpatient or critical care of children. Nothing in this curriculum prepares a graduate for the CPNP-AC exam.
NUR 808 is the one genuinely elective-feeling course in the sequence and is the place to ask about content. Its topics determine whether the program can flex toward areas like pediatric behavioral health, school-based care, or Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander child health, all of which are relevant to Hawai‘i’s pediatric population and none of which appear as standalone courses.
More curriculum details are available in the Chaminade graduate catalog.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 750 total clinical hours
- Completed across three sequential pediatric practicum courses
- Primary care pediatric settings, birth through adolescence
- Direct patient hour minimums: not clearly stated
At 750 hours, this track requires 50 percent more supervised practice than the PNCB certification floor and lands at the top of the 600–750 range typical for a single-population PNP program. That is a genuine strength on paper. The practical caveat is that hour-heavy programs are only as strong as their placement pipeline, which Chaminade does not describe in detail.
MSN Admissions
No pediatric-specific or general RN experience is required, and applicants may apply before holding an RN license as long as it is in hand by the end of the first semester. Otherwise the requirements match the shared list in General Admissions above.
BSN-to-MSN-to-DNP Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care
The estimated tuition for the BSN-to-MSN-to-DNP, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care specialization at Chaminade is approximately $81,940 (68 credits at $1,205 per credit). The program can generally be completed in about three years, with the MSN conferred after the first two.
DNP Curriculum
This pathway is the MSN curriculum plus 22 doctoral credits, and the sequencing is what makes it worth considering over a conventional BSN-to-DNP. Because Chaminade confers the master’s degree at the two-year mark, students become eligible to sit for the CPNP-PC exam and apply for APRN licensure while completing doctoral coursework. A student who passes boards on schedule can be working as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner — earning an NP salary, often with employer tuition support — through the final year of the program. Most combined doctoral pathways withhold certification eligibility until the entire degree is finished.
DNP Courses (22 credits)
- NUR 853 DNP Project I: Development
- NUR 854 DNP Project II: Implementation
- NUR 856 DNP Project III: Evaluation and Dissemination
- NUR 855 Biostatistics and Outcome Management
- NUR 857 Foundations of Nursing Education for Advanced Practice Nursing
- NUR 859 Systems Leadership for Healthcare Quality Improvement
The doctoral block is leadership, scholarship, and education — not additional pediatric clinical training. NUR 857 is a mild outlier: a nursing education course inside a practice doctorate signals that Chaminade expects some graduates to teach, which suits nurses eyeing faculty roles in a state with a thin APRN teaching bench. The scholarly project is completed in a professional setting and structured across three sequential courses rather than a single capstone.
More curriculum details are available in the Chaminade graduate catalog.
DNP Clinical Requirements
- 750 PNP clinical hours, completed during the MSN portion
- No additional pediatric practicum courses appear in the doctoral block
- DNP scholarly project hours are completed in a professional setting
- Total DNP practice hours across the full pathway: not clearly stated
The pediatric clinical requirement is identical to the MSN track — the doctoral year adds project and leadership work, not more patient contact. That is normal for combined pathways, but it means students choosing the DNP for deeper clinical preparation are choosing it for the wrong reason. The DNP buys credential, leadership coursework, and a scholarly project, not additional pediatric hours.
DNP Admissions
Entry requirements are the same as the MSN pathway; applicants enter with a BSN, not a master’s. Doctoral applicants should expect an interview by video or in person as part of the review. The post-master’s Executive Leader DNP track is a separate program with no PNP preparation and is not covered here.
Post-Doctoral Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certificate – Primary Care
The estimated tuition for the Post-Doctoral Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Certificate at Chaminade is approximately $21,690 (18 credits at $1,205 per credit). The program can generally be completed in 12 months.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is the pediatric specialty block of the MSN, stripped of core and advanced practice coursework because certificate students already hold them. Six three-credit courses pair three management courses with three practicums, plus two zero-credit immersion requirements.
- NUR 870 Health Promotion and Primary Care of Pediatric/Adolescent Patients
- NUR 872 Management of Pediatric/Adolescent Care
- NUR 874 Management of Acute and Chronic Pediatrics
- NUR 871 Practicum in Pediatric Patients I
- NUR 873 Practicum in Pediatric Patients II
- NUR 875 Practicum in Pediatric Patients III
- NUR 917 and NUR 927 Immersion 2 and 3: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (0 credits)
The pacing is the thing to understand. Compressing 630 clinical hours into 12 months means roughly 12 to 13 clinical hours per week year-round, on top of three didactic courses and whatever practice the student already maintains. Practicing APRNs adding a pediatric population should treat this as a demanding year, not a light add-on.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 630 total clinical hours
- Three sequential practicum courses in pediatric primary care
- Direct patient hour minimums: not clearly stated
630 hours is above the 500-hour PNCB floor and above what many post-graduate certificates require, which is a credibility point rather than a burden — thin certificates that hug the 500-hour minimum can leave APRNs underprepared for a population they have not practiced in. The trade-off is that Chaminade delivers those hours in half the calendar time the MSN allows.
Certificate Admissions
NOTE: This is a post-doctoral certificate, not a post-master’s certificate. Applicants must already hold a doctorate in nursing and current national board certification as a nurse practitioner. MSN-prepared NPs — the audience most post-graduate PNP certificates are built for — are not eligible.
- Earned doctorate in nursing
- Active APRN license
- Current national board certification as a nurse practitioner
- College transcripts
- Two letters of professional recommendation
- Personal statement explaining the reason for pursuing the certificate
- Interview by video or in person
The certificate follows the same fall-only cycle as the degree programs, with a slightly later term start.
Tuition
Estimated tuition for Chaminade’s PNP pathways ranges from about $21,690 for the post-doctoral certificate to roughly $81,940 for the full BSN-to-MSN-to-DNP. As a private university, Chaminade charges one rate to all students regardless of residency.
| Program | Est. Tuition |
|---|---|
| MSN – Primary Care (46 credits) | $55,430 |
| BSN-MSN-DNP – Primary Care (68 credits) | $81,940 |
| Post-Doctoral Certificate – Primary Care (18 credits) | $21,690 |
All figures are estimates derived from Chaminade’s published rate of $1,205 per credit hour, which applies identically to MSN and DNP coursework as of July 1, 2026, and covers instruction only.
Key Cost Takeaways
- A $93 online course fee applies to every graduate course, adding roughly $1,500 to the MSN, $2,000 to the DNP, and $560 to the certificate. Material, but not decisive.
- The single largest unbudgeted expense is the mandatory annual immersion in Honolulu. Mainland students should plan for airfare, lodging, and time off every year of the program — potentially thousands of dollars not reflected in any tuition figure.
- Chaminade offers a $5,000 graduate scholarship, which is worth confirming applies to nursing before budgeting.
- Doctoral tuition matches master’s tuition exactly, so continuing to the DNP costs about $26,510 in tuition for the extra 22 credits — no doctoral rate premium.
- Rates are published as effective July 1, 2026 and are subject to annual revision; multi-year totals will likely exceed these estimates.
- Chaminade’s doctoral tuition page lists the DNP at 36–66 credits, but the PNP concentration is published at 68. The per-credit rate is unaffected; confirm the final credit count with the program.
What makes Chaminade’s pricing unusual among PNP programs is the flat rate across degree levels. At most schools, continuing from master’s to doctoral coursework triggers a higher per-credit charge, which is part of why nurses stop at the MSN. Here the doctoral extension is priced at the same rate and, because the MSN confers first, can be paid for partly with NP-level earnings. That structure narrows the real cost gap between the two pathways considerably — though at $1,205 per credit, Chaminade remains a private-tuition option well above what a public in-state program would charge a resident elsewhere.
Why Choose This PNP Program?
Best For
- Nurses in Hawai‘i who want a PNP credential without enrolling in a mainland program
- Applicants with a GPA between 2.75 and 3.0 who are screened out elsewhere
- New BSN graduates without RN experience, or nurses whose license is still pending
- Students who want to certify and start practicing before finishing a doctorate
- MSN graduates who may want to return for the DNP within three years
- Doctorally prepared, board-certified NPs adding pediatric primary care
- Nurses committed to serving Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities
Biggest Strengths
Certification before completion. The BSN-MSN-DNP confers the master’s at roughly the two-year mark, making students eligible for the CPNP-PC exam and APRN licensure while doctoral coursework continues. Combined with flat tuition across degree levels, this lets students earn NP wages during the final stretch and reduces the practical cost of the doctorate more than the sticker price suggests.
A genuinely low entry barrier. A 2.75 GPA minimum, no GRE, no RN experience requirement, and an RN license deadline that falls at the end of the first semester together make this one of the more accessible PNP pathways in the country. For qualified nurses whose undergraduate transcript is holding them back, that access is the whole value proposition.
Clinical hours above the norm. 750 hours in the degree tracks and 630 in the certificate both exceed the PNCB minimum by a comfortable margin, and the practicum sequence runs parallel to the management coursework rather than after it.
Potential Drawbacks
- Primary care only. No acute care track, no dual PC/AC option, and nothing in the curriculum leading to CPNP-AC eligibility.
- NOTE: Chaminade’s accreditation page names the BSN, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate as CCNE-accredited but does not name the standalone MSN. Anyone planning to finish at the master’s level should get written confirmation before enrolling, since accredited program completion is required for PNCB certification and Hawai‘i APRN licensure.
- Clinical placement responsibility is not clearly stated, which is a serious unknown for a distance program in a state with a small pediatric provider pool.
- Annual travel to Honolulu is mandatory and unbudgeted, and it is a costly requirement for anyone outside O‘ahu.
- The certificate excludes MSN-prepared NPs entirely — a doctorate and existing NP board certification are both required.
- One fall intake per year. A missed deadline costs twelve months.
- No published cohort sizes, employment outcomes, or certification pass rates.
Bottom Line
Chaminade occupies a position no other school in Hawai‘i does: it is the state’s only route to a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner credential, and it is built for working nurses who cannot relocate. The strongest reasons to choose it are structural rather than reputational — a low admissions bar that admits capable nurses other programs reject, above-average clinical hours, and a doctoral pathway that hands over the MSN and certification eligibility partway through so students can practice while they finish. The biggest limitations are the absence of any acute care option and two unresolved questions that deserve direct answers from admissions: who arranges clinical placements, and whether the standalone MSN carries CCNE accreditation. Nurses on the mainland comparing Chaminade against a home-state program will usually find lower tuition and clearer placement support closer to home.
Accreditation
Chaminade University of Honolulu is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. The School of Nursing and Health Professions states that its Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), alongside the baccalaureate program; no expiration date is published.