Grambling State University (GSU) offers two primary care pediatric nurse practitioner pathways:
- MSN
- Post-Master’s Certificate (fast track)
Both prepare graduates for the primary care role; GSU does not offer an acute care pediatric track.
A historically Black public university, GSU built its FNP and PNP programs around a stated mission to deliver primary care to underserved rural and community populations — for PNPs, that means infants, toddlers, school-aged children, and adolescents.
The MSN is structured for working nurses, with Monday classes, small cohorts, and clinical preceptorships arranged in the student’s own geographic area.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program Name | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner | ~$10K–$13K (resident, est.) | ~2 years |
| Post-Master’s Certificate – Pediatric NP (Fast Track) | Varies (fewer credits) | ~1–1.5 years |
Tuition is an estimate built from GSU’s resident per-credit rate; the published schedule available was summer-session only, and per-course nursing clinical fees ($300–$465 each) and other fees add to the base.
Non-residents pay more. Treat these figures as approximate. See the Tuition section.
“Grambling State trains pediatric nurse practitioners to bring primary care to underserved rural and community children — built around working nurses, with Monday classes and preceptorships close to home.”
MSN – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
The estimated cost for the MSN Pediatric Nurse Practitioner option at Grambling State University is roughly $10,000 to $13,000 in base tuition for Louisiana residents (46 credits), and the program follows a two-year, full-time sequence with annual fall admission.
Curriculum
The 46-credit MSN pairs a graduate nursing core with a pediatric-focused nurse practitioner sequence and a required research project or thesis.
The core covers advanced nursing theory, advanced pathophysiology, advanced health assessment, advanced pharmacotherapeutics, nursing research, and health policy for families and communities; the NP role courses (Role I and II) and the pediatric management sequence carry the clinical training.
- NUR 572 PNP: Advanced Health Management I (4 credits)
- NUR 574 PNP: Advanced Health Management II (4 credits)
- NUR 576 PNP: Advanced Health Management III (4 credits)
- NUR 578 PNP: Advanced Health Management IV (5 credits)
- Research option: students choose either NUR 580 Research Project or NUR 590 Research Thesis (6 credits)
- NUR 599 Comprehensive Examination (0 credits)
Graduation requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA, grades of A or B in every clinical course, admission to candidacy, a passing comprehensive exam, and completion of the thesis or research project. More curriculum details are available here.
Clinicals
Full-time traditional NP students complete a minimum of 668 clinical clock hours over the program, validated by clinical preceptors and logged each semester.
All hours for a given clinical course must be completed within that semester. A defining feature is that preceptorships are arranged in the student’s own geographic location rather than requiring relocation to a central campus.
- 668 clinical clock hours minimum (full-time traditional NP track)
- Preceptor-validated, logged per semester; hours must be earned within the course semester
- Preceptorships occur in the student’s geographic location
- Note: GSU’s published per-semester subtotals (236 + 180) do not sum to the stated 668 program minimum; 668 is the figure stated as the requirement
Admissions
Admission is competitive, with limited class sizes and a single fall intake. The application deadline to the School of Nursing is April 15.
- BSN from a nationally accredited School of Nursing; cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or 3.0 in the last 60 hours)
- GRE scores taken within five years — minimum 140 Verbal and 140 Quantitative
- Health assessment course and statistics course, each completed with a C or higher
- Minimum two years of RN work experience; three letters of recommendation; faculty interview; writing sample
- Graduate writing course (NUR 500) or an approved substitute
- Before clinicals: unencumbered Louisiana RN license, NP malpractice insurance, CPR certification, and current health and immunization documentation
Post-Master’s Certificate – Pediatric NP (Fast Track)
For nurses who already hold a graduate nursing degree, GSU offers a Post-Master’s Certificate that adds the pediatric NP role.
Tuition is billed at the same per-credit graduate rate, but the total is lower than the MSN because credits and clinical hours are reduced based on prior preparation.
Curriculum & Clinicals
Fast-track students complete the pediatric management and role courses needed to add the specialty, with foundational courses required only where prior graduate work does not already cover them.
The clinical requirement is a minimum of 500 clinical hours; students may receive credit toward this for documented pediatric clinical practice completed before enrollment, not to exceed the hours GSU requires in the program.
- Minimum 500 clinical hours (fast track)
- Credit awarded for pre-program pediatric practice, capped at GSU’s program requirement
- Note: The certificate’s specific credit total is individualized and not stated as a fixed number
Admissions
The certificate is for master’s-prepared nurses adding the pediatric NP population. Applicants need a graduate nursing degree and a current unencumbered Louisiana RN license, and must meet the School of Nursing’s clinical clearance requirements before placement.
Tuition
Grambling State University bills graduate students by the credit hour. For resident commuting (off-campus) students, charges run about $895 for one to three hours and rise to roughly $1,500 at six hours, which works out to a marginal rate near $200 per credit above the base.
Applied across a 46-credit program, that puts base resident tuition in the rough range of $10,000 to $13,000.
On top of tuition, nursing clinical courses carry a $300–$465 fee each, distance-learning courses add $80 per course, and non-residents pay higher rates.
Based on the summer schedule, resident tuition works out to roughly $198 per credit hour (drawn from the incremental cost of the 4th and 5th credit hours), though the first three hours carry a flat $895.05 charge and fall/spring rates may differ.
Because only summer per-session rates were published in the source, confirm current fall and spring rates on the official schedule here.
Accreditation
Grambling State University’s MSN program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), with continuing accreditation through 2028.
The university’s BSN program is separately accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
The MSN program holds full approval from the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. In 2025, GSU reported an 80% first-attempt MSN certification rate and a 90% job placement rate. Graduates of the pediatric option are prepared to sit for primary care pediatric NP certification through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB CPNP-PC).
Take a Look at More Pediatric Nurse Programs In State
- LSU Health New Orleans - New Orleans
- Northwestern State University of Louisiana - Natchitoches