Columbia University Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs

Most Prestigious PNP Program in the Northeast

Columbia University School of Nursing offers three Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:

  • Post-BS DNP – PNP-PC
  • Post-MS DNP – PNP-PC
  • Post-Graduate Certificate – PNP-PC

All programs are full-time and based at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Clinical placements are arranged across 35+ active sites in the NYC tri-state area and beyond.

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. Duration
Post-BS DNP – PNP-PC~$194,910 total tuition 2.5 years full-time
Post-MS DNP – PNP-PC$77,964/year2–3 years full-time
Post-Graduate Certificate – PNP-PC~$2,293/credit Not clearly stated

The program uses a DNP portfolio and intensive practicum model for clinical synthesis and competency demonstration.

NY State RN licensure or eligibility is required for all tracks.

Post-BS DNP – Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

The Post-BS DNP PNP-PC at Columbia University School of Nursing is estimated at approximately ~$194,910 in total tuition over 2.5 years based on the published annual rate of $77,964 (2025-2026).

University fees add approximately $3,279/year, bringing estimated total direct costs to approximately ~$203,108 over 2.5 years.

Post-BS DNP Curriculum

The Post-BS DNP PNP-PC totals 85 credit hours organized across 2.5 years. The curriculum builds in three phases:

  • DNP foundation and clinical science core: Advanced physiology and pathophysiology (two-course sequence), advanced pharmacology, advanced clinical assessment, evidence-based practice, epidemiology and environmental health, health promotion and disease prevention, health and social policy, informatics, and scholarly writing.
  • PNP specialty sequence: Pediatric-specific pathophysiology, pediatric physical assessment and differential diagnosis, pediatric and neonatal pharmacology, pediatric assessment simulation, genetics and genomics, pediatric emergencies, interpersonal violence and abuse, and five progressive levels of pediatric primary care didactic and clinical courses.
  • DNP synthesis and leadership: Practice leadership and quality, health policy and advocacy, translation and synthesis of evidence, DNP portfolio advisement, DNP seminars in pediatric primary care (I and II), and a DNP intensive practicum with portfolio advisement seminar.

DNP Foundation and Clinical Science Core:

  • NURS7001N – Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan I (3 cr.)
  • NURS7002N – Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan II (3 cr.)
  • NURS8102N – Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr.)
  • NURS8685N – Advanced Clinical Assessment Across the Lifespan (3 cr.)
  • NURS7000N – Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice (3 cr.)
  • NURS9910N – Translation and Synthesis of Evidence for Optimal Outcomes (3 cr.)
  • NURS9672N – Principles of Epidemiology and Environmental Health (3 cr.)
  • NURS7003N – Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (3 cr.)
  • NURS7005N – Health and Social Policy in the Context of Practice (3 cr.)
  • NURS9412N – Informatics for Practice (3 cr.)
  • NURS9150N – Scholarly Writing and Dissemination I (1 cr.)
  • NURS9151N – Scholarly Writing and Dissemination II (1 cr.)

PNP Specialty Sequence:

  • NURS6122N – Pathophysiology of the Child (3 cr.)
  • NURS6612N – Pediatric Physical Assessment and Differential Diagnosis (3 cr.)
  • NURS8661N – Advanced Pediatric and Neonatal Pharmacology (3 cr.)
  • NURS6613N – Advanced Pediatric Clinical Assessment Simulation (1 cr.)
  • NURS9290N – Incorporating Genetics and Genomics in Advanced Practice Nursing (3 cr.)
  • NURS6638N – Pediatric Emergencies (1 cr.)
  • NURS6930N – Interpersonal Violence and Abuse: Prevention, Assessment, and Intervention (1 cr.)
  • NURS6620N – Pediatric Primary Care Nursing I: Didactic (3 cr.)
  • NURS6614N – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Clinical Practicum (1 cr.)
  • NURS6622N – Pediatric Primary Care Nursing I: Clinical (2 cr.)
  • NURS6630N – Pediatric Primary Care Nursing II: Didactic (2 cr.)
  • NURS6632N – Pediatric Primary Care Nursing II: Clinical (4 cr.)
  • NURS8670N – Pediatric Primary Care Nursing III: Didactic (2 cr.)
  • NURS8673N – Pediatric Primary Care Nursing IIIA: Clinical (4 cr.)
  • NURS8677N – Pediatric Primary Care Nursing IV: Clinical (1 cr.) — taken twice across two semesters
  • NURS6624N – Clinical Seminar in Pediatric Primary Care Nursing I (1 cr.)

DNP Synthesis, Leadership, and Portfolio:

  • NURS9405N – Practice Leadership and Quality (3 cr.)
  • NURS9481N – Health Policy and Advocacy (2 cr.)
  • NURS6940N – Management and Advanced Practice Nursing (1 cr.)
  • NURS6623N – DNP Seminar in Pediatric Primary Care I (1 cr.)
  • NURS6627N – DNP Seminar in Pediatric Primary Care II (1 cr.)
  • NURS9735N – DNP Portfolio Advisement (3 cr.)
  • NURS9731N – DNP Intensive Practicum (5 cr.)
  • NURS9736N – DNP Intensive Portfolio Advisement Seminar (1 cr.)

View more curriculum details on the official program page.

Post-BS DNP Clinicals

Clinical training is woven throughout the program across six levels of clinical coursework, culminating in a DNP Intensive Practicum. Columbia’s program offers access to both permanent and rotating clinical sites throughout the tri-state area and beyond, spanning hospitals, outpatient clinics, home care, and school-based settings. Total supervised clinical hours are not published in available source materials — contact the program for specifics.

  • NURS6614N – Pediatric NP Clinical Practicum (1 cr.) — first clinical experience; history and physical assessment focus
  • NURS6622N – Pediatric Primary Care Nursing I: Clinical (2 cr.) — newborns through early adolescents; well-child care
  • NURS6632N – Pediatric Primary Care Nursing II: Clinical (4 cr.) — school-age children and adolescents; health promotion and episodic problems
  • NURS8673N – Pediatric Primary Care Nursing IIIA: Clinical (4 cr.) — episodic illness care; ambulatory and hospitalized pediatric patients
  • NURS8677N – Pediatric Primary Care Nursing IV: Clinical (1 cr.) — acute and chronic conditions; interprofessional collaboration (taken twice across two semesters)
  • NURS9731N – DNP Intensive Practicum (5 cr.) — comprehensive, evidence-based care with full integration of clinical assessment, differential diagnosis, and therapeutic intervention
  • Total clinical hours not explicitly published — contact nursingadmissions@cumc.columbia.edu for specifics

Active clinical sites include:

  • NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
  • NewYork-Presbyterian (general)
  • Columbia University Irving Medical Center
  • Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Montefiore Medical Center
  • Montefiore — New Rochelle
  • Mount Sinai / Mount Sinai Beth Israel
  • Weill Cornell Medical Center
  • Bellevue Hospital Center
  • Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center
  • Westchester Medical Center
  • Morristown Medical Center
  • NYC Health + Hospitals: Gouverneur, Jacobi, Lincoln, Woodhull
  • New York City Department of Education School-Based Health Centers
  • Children’s Aid Society | Elizabeth Seton Children’s | St. Mary’s Hospital for Children
  • Covenant House | New Alternatives for Children, Inc. | SCO Family of Services
  • Multiple private pediatric practices throughout the New York metro area and beyond
  • Active clinical sites list is subject to change

Simulation Center: The Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation Center is a 16,000 sq ft, 14-room facility equipped with 10 patient examination rooms, two inpatient hospital rooms, a labor and delivery suite, an operating room, and interview rooms. Every room features the same equipment and furnishings found in real clinical environments, video recording for debriefing, and electronic medical record access. The center has been accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in the area of Teaching/Education since 2021.

Post-BS DNP Admissions

Holistic review. No GRE required. Priority deadline December 1; final deadline December 15. Program starts in June. Decisions posted in January.

  • BSN from an accredited program (official transcripts from all institutions required prior to enrollment)
  • NY State RN licensure or eligibility for NY State RN licensure
  • Statistics course completed within 5 years of anticipated program start — must cover measures of central tendency, dispersion, chi-square, normal distribution, sampling distributions, t-tests, and correlation; eligible course types include Introduction to Statistics, Biostatistics, Applied Statistics, Business Statistics, Probability Theory, and Statistical Design
  • Health/Physical Assessment course
  • All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of B- or better — grades below B- are not sufficient
  • No GRE required
  • Priority deadline: December 1 | Final deadline: December 15 | Decisions: January | Start: June
  • Contact: nursingadmissions@cumc.columbia.edu | 212-305-5756

Post-MS DNP – Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

The Post-MS DNP PNP-PC at Columbia University School of Nursing is available to registered nurses who hold an MS degree and wish to pursue advanced practice at the doctoral level. Tuition is $77,964/year (2025-2026).

The program is 2–3 years full-time and starts in June.

Total credits and the specific curriculum are not detailed separately on the school website — contact the program for an individualized plan of study. Graduates are eligible for NY State APRN licensure and national certification in the PNP-PC specialty.

View more program details on the official program page.

Post-MS DNP Admissions

Same prerequisites and deadlines as the Post-BS DNP track apply.

  • MS degree in nursing from an accredited program
  • NY State RN licensure or eligibility
  • Statistics course (within 5 years; same requirements as Post-BS DNP)
  • Health/Physical Assessment course; all prerequisites require grade of B- or better
  • Priority deadline: December 1 | Final deadline: December 15 | Start: June

Post-Graduate Certificate – Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

The Post-Graduate Certificate PNP-PC at Columbia University School of Nursing is designed for DNP-prepared APRNs who want to expand into a different population focus than the one in which they were originally trained and certified.

Tuition is approximately ~$2,293/credit (derived from the Post-BS DNP annual rate). Total credits are determined by a gap analysis of each student’s transcripts. Program duration is not clearly stated.

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate curriculum is individualized through a gap analysis. Three prerequisite courses must be completed prior to or alongside the certificate program of study:

  • Advanced physiology/pathophysiology
  • Advanced pharmacology
  • Advanced physical assessment

Students complete the required didactic and clinical courses in the PNP-PC program of study as determined by the gap analysis. Previously completed courses that meet program requirements may be transferred in, reducing the total credit load.

View more program details on the official program page.

Certificate Clinicals

Certificate students have access to the same 35+ clinical site network as the DNP tracks. Clinical hours are determined based on the individualized plan of study developed through the gap analysis.

  • Access to 35+ active clinical sites across NYC, tri-state area, and beyond
  • Access to the Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation Center
  • Clinical hours determined by gap analysis — contact program for specifics

Certificate Admissions

  • DNP degree as an advanced practice nurse
  • NY State RN licensure or eligibility
  • Advanced physiology/pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, and advanced physical assessment completed prior to or alongside certificate coursework (grade of B- or better required)
  • Gap analysis of transcripts conducted upon admission
  • Priority deadline: December 1 | Final deadline: December 15 | Start: June
  • Contact: nursingadmissions@cumc.columbia.edu | 212-305-5756

Tuition

Columbia University School of Nursing charges DNP students on an annual basis. Rates below are for 2025–2026 and represent direct costs only — indirect costs (food and housing, books, transportation, personal expenses) are additional.

  • Annual tuition: $77,964
  • Annual university fees: $3,279
  • Annual total direct costs: $81,243
  • Estimated total tuition over 2.5 years (Post-BS DNP): ~$194,910
  • Estimated total direct costs over 2.5 years: ~$203,108
  • Derived per-credit rate: ~$2,293/credit ($194,910 ÷ 85 credits)

For MDE/DNP track students, an additional $343 NCLEX fee is added in Fall 2025.

See the official tuition page for more details.

Accreditation

Columbia University School of Nursing’s DNP and post-graduate APRN certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation Center has been accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in the area of Teaching/Education since 2021. Graduates of the PNP-PC tracks are eligible for NY State APRN licensure and are prepared to sit for the Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner national certification exam.

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