The University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Nursing offers five pediatric nurse practitioner pathways, with primary care, acute care, and a dual primary/acute care option:
Primary Care (CPNP-PC)
- BSN-DNP
- BSN-DNP (Dual)
- Post-Graduate Certificate
Acute Care (CPNP-AC)
- BSN-DNP
- BSN-DNP (Dual)
- Post-Graduate Certificate
Coursework is online, with a required orientation and five short on-campus intensives in St. Louis. There is no MSN entry point: BSN-prepared nurses enter the DNP. UMSL cannot enroll online students from every state, so non-Missouri applicants should check its state authorization list first.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident / Non-Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNP – PC | $70.6K / $137.9K | 3 yrs FT, 4 yrs PT | 70 |
| DNP – AC | $70.6K / $137.9K | 3 yrs FT, 4 yrs PT | 70 |
| DNP – Dual | $74.7K / $145.8K (est.) | Not published | 74 (est.) |
| Cert – PC / AC | $12.1K–$31.3K / $23.6K–$61.1K | Not published | 12–31 |
Tuition estimates multiply UMSL’s 2026–2027 College of Nursing DNP/PGC rate ($1,009/credit resident, $1,970/credit non-resident), which consolidates tuition and course fees into one per-credit figure, by the bulletin credit total.
- Why choose it: UMSL is the only Missouri PNP program offering a dual primary/acute care DNP, and Illinois residents pay the Missouri resident rate.
- Trade-off: It is DNP-only with no MSN option, acute care and dual require a year of inpatient pediatric nursing, and non-residents outside Illinois pay nearly double.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | BSN-DNP, post-graduate certificates |
| Population Focus | DNP: Primary Care, Acute Care, or Dual PC/AC | Certificate: Primary Care or Acute Care |
| Format | Mostly Online: online coursework, 2-day fall orientation, five 2–3 day St. Louis intensives |
| Clinical Hours | DNP: 1,000 practice hours (600+ direct care) | Certificates: 600 |
| Clinical Placement | Placement responsibility not clearly published |
| Pediatric RN Experience | 1 year inpatient pediatric nursing for Acute Care and Dual; none stated for Primary Care |
| Start Term | Fall only; priority deadline January 15 |
| Tuition | $1,009/credit resident (incl. Illinois); $1,970 non-resident; $1,514 MSEP |
| Accreditation | CCNE (DNP and post-graduate APRN certificate) |
Clinical Education at UMSL
These rules apply to every pediatric pathway, so they are covered once here.
- Practicum credit converts at 75 clinical hours per credit.
- Every student completes at least 8 practicum credits (600 hours).
- On-campus immersives are built into Health Assessment (NURSE 6524) and Practicum I–III. Sessions use standardized patients, OSCEs, oral diagnostic readiness checks, and procedural skills labs.
- The 2026 schedule shows five intensives of 2–3 days each, spread across program years 2 through 4.
- Background check and drug screen are required before entry.
- UMSL does not publish who secures preceptors or sites.
A published conflict worth knowing about. UMSL’s DNP program profile (revised September 2025) lists four required BSN-DNP intensives. The College of Nursing’s current graduate student services page lists five, with 2026 dates. This page uses five because it is the newer source. Budget for five St. Louis trips plus orientation.
Without a published placement policy, plan as if you may need to find pediatric preceptors yourself. That matters most for acute care and dual students, who need inpatient pediatric sites. Those are concentrated in children’s hospitals and scarce in rural areas.
General Admissions
All pathways admit once a year for fall. Missing the January 15 priority deadline does not end your chances, but seats go to priority applicants first.
- Apply through UMSL Nursing CAS; holistic review
- Priority deadline: January 15 (notification in March)
- Rolling admission after that until the class fills or July 31 (notification in about four weeks)
- Current, unencumbered RN license
- Two letters of recommendation
- Required orientation the Thursday and Friday before fall term
BSN-DNP – Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Nursing DNP, Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Emphasis is about $70,630 for residents (70 credits at $1,009/credit) or $137,900 for non-residents (70 credits at $1,970/credit). The program takes three years full-time (nine semesters) or four years part-time (12 semesters). It prepares graduates for primary care (CPNP-PC) and is the only pediatric pathway with a Direct Admit option and no pediatric experience requirement.
DNP – PC Curriculum
The plan has four blocks: a 30-credit DNP foundation (systems, policy, epidemiology, informatics, quality, biostatistics), a 12-credit advanced practice core, an 11-credit pediatric sequence, and practicum plus a three-part DNP project. The foundation is heavier than in MSN-entry PNP programs, which is the cost of earning the doctorate in one plan.
The pediatric sequence is compact. A foundations course leads into acute and chronic care, then a comprehensive primary care course. A required Social Determinants of Health for Underserved Populations course is less common in PNP plans.
- NURSE 6424 – Social Determinants of Health for Underserved Populations (3)
- NURSE 6530 – Introduction to Diagnostic Reasoning (3)
- NURSE 6723 – Foundations of Pediatric Health (3)
- NURSE 6743 – Pediatric Health I: Acute and Chronic Care (4)
- NURSE 6744 – Pediatric Health II: Comprehensive Primary Care (4)
- NURSE 6954, 6955, 7954 – Advanced Practice Nursing: Practicum I–III (1–4 each)
- NURSE 7291–7293 – DNP Clinical Scholarship Project I–III (2 each)
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP – PC Clinical Requirements
- 1,000 post-baccalaureate practice hours minimum
- At least 600 of those hours in direct patient care
- The 70-credit total implies 11 practicum credits, about 825 clinical hours (derived; UMSL lists practicum as a variable 1–4 credits per course)
- Direct Admit students without RN experience must keep working as RNs throughout the program
Roughly 825 practicum hours sits above the common 600–750 range for single-population PNP programs. The 1,000-hour total includes DNP project hours, so it is not all patient care.
DNP – PC Admissions
This is the one pediatric pathway new graduates can enter, through Direct Admit.
- BSN from a nationally accredited program
- 3.0 GPA on the last 60 hours of BSN coursework
- General statistics course, grade of C or higher
- U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or visa
- Direct Admit (selective): UMSL BSN or UMSL externship completer, 3.75 GPA, essay
Direct Admit is selective. It requires a UMSL BSN (or completion of the UMSL College of Nursing summer externship), a 3.75 GPA on the last 60 BSN hours, and an essay. Spaces go first to guaranteed applicants. Students admitted this way must maintain a 3.0 GPA.
BSN-DNP – Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Nursing DNP, Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Emphasis is about $70,630 for residents (70 credits at $1,009/credit) or $137,900 for non-residents. The program takes three years full-time or four years part-time. It prepares graduates for acute care (CPNP-AC) and requires at least one year of inpatient pediatric nursing experience before admission.
DNP – AC Curriculum
The acute care plan matches the primary care plan except for one course. NURSE 6745, Pediatric Health II: Complex Acute Care, replaces the comprehensive primary care course. Everything else, including the DNP foundation, practicum sequence, and project, is shared. The procedural content shows up mainly in the on-campus immersives (the 2026 Practicum I session included lumbar puncture).
- NURSE 6723 – Foundations of Pediatric Health (3)
- NURSE 6743 – Pediatric Health I: Acute and Chronic Care (4)
- NURSE 6745 – Pediatric Health II: Complex Acute Care (4)
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP – AC Clinical Requirements
- Same hour structure as primary care: 1,000 practice hours, 600+ direct care, about 825 practicum hours (derived)
- Required inpatient or acute pediatric settings: not specifically published
The hour volume is solid for a single acute care population. The harder question is site access: acute care rotations need PICU, pediatric ED, or inpatient units, which most applicants reach only through a children’s hospital.
DNP – AC Admissions
The experience gate is firm, and Direct Admit is not available.
- At least one year of inpatient pediatric nursing experience
- BSN, 3.0 GPA on last 60 hours, statistics course (same as primary care)
- No Direct Admit option
BSN-DNP – Dual Track Acute and Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Nursing DNP, Dual Track Acute and Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Emphasis is about $74,666 for residents (74 credits at $1,009/credit) or $145,780 for non-residents. UMSL does not publish a completion time. The track prepares graduates for both primary care (CPNP-PC) and acute care (CPNP-AC) and requires one year of inpatient pediatric nursing experience.
A published gap worth knowing about. The bulletin does not state a total credit figure for the dual track. Its requirement blocks sum to 66–75 credits depending on practicum credits. This page assumes 74, which is the single-track plan’s 11 practicum credits plus the 4 extra pediatric credits. UMSL also does not publish a separate clinical hour total for the dual track.
DNP – Dual Curriculum
The dual plan takes both second-level pediatric courses, the comprehensive primary care course and the complex acute care course. That adds 4 credits to the single-population plan. All other coursework is shared.
- NURSE 6723 – Foundations of Pediatric Health (3)
- NURSE 6743 – Pediatric Health I: Acute and Chronic Care (4)
- NURSE 6744 – Pediatric Health II: Comprehensive Primary Care (4)
- NURSE 6745 – Pediatric Health II: Complex Acute Care (4)
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP – Dual Clinical Requirements
- 1,000 post-baccalaureate practice hours and 600+ direct care hours (DNP-wide)
- Dual-track clinical hour total: not published
- Practicum courses cap at 4 credits each, so practicum tops out at 12 credits (900 hours)
Dual PC/AC programs typically require 900–1,200 clinical hours. Based on the bulletin’s practicum credit limits, UMSL’s dual track appears to reach at most 900 practicum hours, at the low end of that range. Ask how hours are split between primary and acute care sites before committing.
DNP – Dual Admissions
- At least one year of inpatient pediatric nursing experience
- No Direct Admit option
- Other requirements match the primary care DNP
Post-Graduate Certificates – Primary Care or Acute Care
The estimated tuition for the Primary Care or Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Post-Graduate Certificate ranges from about $12,108 (12 credits at $1,009/credit) to $31,279 (31 credits) for residents, or $23,640 to $61,070 for non-residents. UMSL does not publish a completion time. Each certificate prepares one population: primary care (CPNP-PC) or acute care (CPNP-AC).
Credits are set by gap analysis. Practicing NPs adding pediatrics may need only the 12-credit minimum. An MSN-prepared nurse without NP coursework would take the full 31-credit list. The acute care certificate’s admissions criteria also reference a dual PNP-AC/PC certificate, but UMSL publishes no separate curriculum for it.
Certificate Curriculum
- NURSE 6518, 6520, 6524 – Advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment (3 each, if not already completed)
- NURSE 6530 – Introduction to Diagnostic Reasoning (3)
- NURSE 6723 – Foundations of Pediatric Health (3)
- NURSE 6743 – Pediatric Health I: Acute and Chronic Care (4)
- NURSE 6744 (Primary Care) or NURSE 6745 (Acute Care) – Pediatric Health II (4)
- Practicum I–III – 8 credits required
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 8 practicum credits at 75 hours per credit: 600 clinical hours
- Certificate students attend the same on-campus immersives as DNP students
Six hundred hours sits at the low end of the 600–750 single-population range and comfortably above PNCB’s 500-hour floor.
Certificate Admissions
- MSN or DNP from a nationally accredited nursing program
- 3.0 graduate GPA
- Acute Care: one year of inpatient pediatric nursing experience required
Tuition
UMSL charges a single consolidated per-credit rate for College of Nursing doctoral and post-graduate certificate students in 2026–2027: $1,009 resident, $1,970 non-resident, and $1,514 under the Midwest Student Exchange Program. Tuition and course fees are rolled into that figure.
| Pathway | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| DNP – PC or AC (70 cr) | $70,630 | $137,900 |
| DNP – Dual (74 cr, est.) | $74,666 | $145,780 |
| Certificate (12–31 cr) | $12,108–$31,279 | $23,640–$61,070 |
Figures are calculated from published credit totals and rates, not published by UMSL.
Key Cost Takeaways
- Older figures citing $548/credit plus separate DNP and online fees are outdated. The 2026–2027 rate is a single $1,009/credit figure.
- Illinois residents qualify for the resident rate under UMSL’s Metropolitan Rate Program, saving about $67,000 on a 70-credit DNP.
- Students from Midwest Student Exchange states pay $1,514/credit, about $106,000 for a 70-credit DNP.
- Online enrollment does not, on its own, earn the resident rate. UMSL publishes no online tuition exception for nursing.
- Travel for orientation and five St. Louis intensives is not included.
For Missouri and Illinois residents, UMSL lands near other public DNP-entry PNP programs. For everyone else, the non-resident rate makes it one of the more expensive public options, and a flat-rate online program elsewhere will usually cost less. See UMSL’s official 2026–2027 tuition and fees.
Why Choose This PNP Program?
Best suited for: Missouri or Illinois pediatric nurses who want a DNP and either acute care or both pediatric credentials, and can travel to St. Louis a handful of times.
Dual Primary and Acute Care in One DNP
UMSL’s dual track adds just one 4-credit course to the single-population plan, so the second credential costs about $4,000 at the resident rate. No other Missouri PNP program on this site offers dual preparation. UMKC offers acute care and primary care, but as separate tracks.
Resident Pricing That Reaches Illinois
The Metropolitan Rate Program puts Illinois nurses on the Missouri resident rate. For nurses on the Illinois side of the St. Louis metro, that also makes the campus intensives a short drive.
A Direct Path for Primary Care Newcomers
Primary care has no pediatric experience requirement, and strong UMSL BSN graduates can enter through Direct Admit. Few DNP-level PNP programs accept nurses this early in their careers.
Potential Drawbacks
- No MSN option. BSN nurses must commit to a 70-credit DNP.
- Acute care and dual require a year of inpatient pediatric nursing.
- Non-residents outside Illinois and MSEP states pay $1,970/credit.
- Placement responsibility is not published.
- Dual-track credit and clinical hour totals are not stated.
- Not available to online students in every state.
The Verdict
UMSL makes the most sense for an experienced inpatient pediatric nurse in Missouri or Illinois who wants both PNP credentials and a doctorate in one plan. The dual track’s small credit premium is the strongest reason to apply. Out-of-state nurses outside the MSEP region, and BSN nurses who want an MSN rather than a DNP, should compare other options first, starting with UMKC.
Accreditation
The DNP and post-graduate APRN certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). UMSL is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. UMSL’s bulletin does not publish a certification statement; each pathway’s population focus corresponds to PNCB’s CPNP-PC or CPNP-AC exam, or both for the dual track. Non-Missouri applicants should confirm UMSL is authorized in their state through its DNP program page.
Other PNP Programs in Missouri
- Maryville University - St. Louis
- University of Missouri-Kansas City - Kansas City
- University of Missouri - Columbia