The Indiana University School of Nursing offers 2 Pediatric Nurse Practitioner pathways, both in primary care:
- BSN to DNP – Primary Care, CPNP-PC
- Post-MSN Certificate – Primary Care, CPNP-PC
Both are based at the IU Indianapolis campus and delivered in a hybrid format, with online coursework, labs at the Fairbanks Simulation Center, and precepted clinicals. There is no MSN or acute care pediatric option. Applicants need an active Indiana or Compact RN license, and both pathways admit once a year for fall.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNP – PC | $48.5K | 3 yrs (4 part-time) | 66 |
| Cert – PC | $11K–$21K | 1–2 yrs (est.) | 17–32 |
Tuition estimates multiply IU Indianapolis 2026–2027 rates ($735 per credit for the DNP, resident and nonresident; $650.25 resident and $1,697 nonresident per credit for graduate nursing) by each pathway’s credit requirement.
Price is where IU stands apart. The DNP is billed at a flat $735 per credit regardless of residency, so the full BSN-to-DNP costs about $48,500 in tuition for Indiana and out-of-state students alike, well under half of what many private doctoral PNP programs charge. IU also publishes outcomes for the track: a 92% on-time graduation rate, a 100% three-year certification pass rate, and 93% of graduates employed as PNPs within six months.
IU offers primary care only, admits once a year, and requires a year of pediatric or NICU nursing before clinicals start. Placements are arranged cooperatively, so students share the work of finding sites, and the hybrid format brings students to Indianapolis for labs on a schedule IU does not publish.
IU charges every DNP student the same $735 per credit, making its pediatric primary care doctorate one of the lower-cost options regardless of where the student lives.
Quick Facts
| Population Focus | Primary Care (CPNP-PC), both pathways |
| Format | Hybrid: online coursework, simulation labs in Indianapolis, precepted clinicals |
| Clinical Hours | DNP: 1,005 (750 direct patient care) | Cert: 525–780 |
| Clinical Placement | Arranged cooperatively by students and faculty |
| RN License Required | Active, unencumbered Indiana or Compact RN license |
| RN Experience Required | 1 year (1,800 hours) in pediatrics or NICU |
| Start Terms | Fall only; three application cycles, July 15 to March 15 |
| Tuition | DNP: $735 per credit, all students | Cert: $650.25 resident, $1,697 nonresident |
| Outcomes | 100% three-year certification pass rate; 93% employed as PNPs within 6 months |
| Accreditation | CCNE (bachelor’s, master’s, and DNP programs) |
BSN-DNP Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The BSN-DNP Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner track costs an estimated $48,510 in tuition for 66 credits, the same for residents and nonresidents, and takes three years full time or four years part time. It prepares graduates for primary care certification (CPNP-PC) through PNCB. Applicants need a year of pediatric or NICU RN experience, but they can complete it after admission as long as it is done before the clinical phase begins.
DNP Curriculum
The IU Indianapolis Bulletin splits the 66 credits into a 41-credit core shared by all four DNP nurse practitioner tracks and a 25-credit pediatric specialty block. The core combines the advanced practice courses, DNP leadership and population health coursework, and the DNP project sequence. The specialty block holds 12 credits of pediatric didactic courses, 10 credits of practicum, and a 3-credit transition-to-practice course. IU does not itemize the pediatric specialty courses on its current program or bulletin pages.
Core Courses (41 credits)
- NURS-Y 623 – Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology (3)
- NURS-Y 625 – Advanced Physical Assessment Across the Lifespan (4)
- NURS-Y 627 – Pharmacology for Advanced Practice (3)
- Eight 3-credit DNP courses, including biostatistics and epidemiology, population health, informatics, performance improvement, and health policy (24)
- NURS-D 755, 765, 775 – DNP Synthesis I–III: project planning, implementation, and evaluation (4)
- NURS-D 780 – DNP Project Practicum (3)
Pediatric Specialty (25 credits)
- Pediatric primary care didactic courses (12)
- Pediatric primary care practicum courses (10)
- NURS-D 785 – DNP Synthesis IV: Transition to Practice (3)
View the DNP requirements in the IU Indianapolis Bulletin.
DNP Clinical Requirements
- 1,005 total clinical hours
- 750 direct patient care hours, supervised by clinical faculty and an experienced preceptor
- The remaining 255 hours go to planning, implementing, and evaluating a population health intervention for the DNP project
- Placements arranged cooperatively by students and faculty
- Graduates work in federally qualified health centers (urban and rural), school-based clinics, tertiary specialty programs, urgent and emergency care, group practices, and private practice
The 750 direct care hours sit at the top of the typical 600 to 750 range for a single-population track. Because placement is cooperative, students should expect to help identify preceptors. IU does not publish which states distance students may be placed in; the Indiana or Compact license requirement limits the pool to Indiana and Nurse Licensure Compact states.
DNP Admissions
- BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program
- 3.0 BSN GPA
- Active, unencumbered Indiana or Compact RN license
- One year of full-time RN experience (1,800 hours) in pediatrics or NICU, completed before the clinical phase
- Resume, a screenshot of the RN license, and two professional references (peers, friends, and relatives are not accepted)
- $70 application fee, waived for IU School of Nursing alumni
- Fall admission only; cycles run July 15–October 15, October 16–January 15, and January 16–March 15
IU fills seats as cycles close and waitlists later applicants, so applying in the first cycle improves the odds. The experience rule is more flexible than it looks: a new BSN graduate can be admitted and gain the pediatric or NICU hours during the didactic years, as long as they are complete before clinical courses begin. Adult-only experience does not count.
Post-MSN Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate
The Post-MSN Nurse Practitioner Certificate in Pediatric Primary Care costs an estimated $11,054 to $20,808 for Indiana residents and $28,849 to $54,304 for nonresidents, depending on an individualized plan of 17 to 32 credits. It prepares APRNs for CPNP-PC certification. It is open only to nurses whose master’s or DNP is in an APRN specialty (NP, CNS, CNM, or CRNA); nurses with non-APRN master’s degrees in education or leadership are directed to the DNP instead.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The IU Indianapolis Bulletin (updated April 2026) sets certificate requirements at 17 to 32 credits and 525 to 780 clinical hours, individualized by prior coursework, clinical hours, APRN experience, and current certification. The School of Nursing certificate page states 22 to 32 credits and 780 clinical hours. This page uses the bulletin’s range as the governing document; applicants should expect a plan near the top of the range unless their prior APRN training closely overlaps pediatrics.
Certificate Curriculum and Clinicals
- 17 to 32 credits and 525 to 780 clinical hours, set by an individualized plan of study
- IU recommends meeting with a graduate advisor before applying to get a draft plan based on prior graduate coursework
- Estimated length: about one year for a plan near 17 credits and up to two years for a plan near 32, based on the DNP’s pace of roughly 22 credits a year and a fall-only start
Even the 525-hour minimum clears the 500-hour certification floor. The spread matters mainly for cost: at the nonresident rate, the difference between the shortest and longest plan is about $25,000.
Certificate Admissions
- MSN or DNP in an APRN specialty from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program
- 3.0 GPA in both the BSN and the MSN
- Active, unencumbered Indiana or Compact RN license, plus APRN certification and prescriptive authority where applicable
- One year of full-time RN or APRN experience (1,800 hours) in pediatrics or NICU, completed before applying
- Two professional references and a resume
- Fall admission only, on the same three cycles as the DNP
- Not eligible for federal student loans; School of Nursing scholarships and assistantships are available
Unlike the DNP, the certificate requires the pediatric experience before applying. An FNP with only adult or family practice experience does not qualify until they have logged a year in a pediatric or NICU setting.
Tuition
IU’s 2025–2027 tuition schedule for IU Indianapolis sets the Doctor of Nursing Practice rate at $735 per credit for both residents and nonresidents, unchanged across all three years it covers. Graduate nursing, the category the certificate falls under, is $650.25 per credit for residents and $1,697 for nonresidents. The schedule also lists per-credit nursing program fees of $55.21 (graduate) and $36.39 (professional) for 2026–2027, without saying which applies to each pathway.
| Pathway | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP (66 credits) | $48,510 | $48,510 |
| Post-MSN Certificate (17–32 credits) | $11,054–$20,808 | $28,849–$54,304 |
Totals are calculated from IU’s published per-credit rates and credit requirements; IU does not publish program totals.
Key Cost Takeaways
- The DNP has no nonresident premium, so out-of-state nurses who can meet the license and placement requirements pay the same as Indiana residents
- The certificate does carry a nonresident premium; a nonresident on a long plan can pay more for the certificate than for the full DNP
- Certificate students cannot use federal loans
- School of Nursing scholarships total nearly $1 million a year, usually $1,000 to $2,500 per student, with applications open October 15 to January 15
See IU School of Nursing graduate costs and fees.
Why Choose This PNP Program?
Best suited for: nurses with pediatric or NICU experience in Indiana or a Compact state who want a pediatric primary care doctorate at public-university cost.
A Doctorate at About $48,500
At $735 per credit for every DNP student, IU’s full BSN-to-DNP costs less in tuition than many master’s-level PNP programs, and the rate has been held flat through 2026–2027.
Published Outcomes
IU reports a 100% three-year certification pass rate, a 92% on-time graduation rate, and 93% of graduates employed as PNPs within six months. Few programs publish all three figures for their pediatric track.
Room to Gain Experience After Admission
DNP applicants do not need the year of pediatric or NICU experience at the time of applying, only before clinicals. A nurse early in a pediatric job can apply now rather than wait a year.
Drawbacks
- Primary care only; no acute care or dual pediatric option
- No MSN route, so the shortest path to PNP practice is a three-year doctorate
- Placement is cooperative rather than school-arranged
- Hybrid format with Indianapolis lab sessions whose frequency IU does not publish
The Verdict
IU is a strong value for any nurse set on pediatric primary care who can reach Indianapolis for labs and hold an Indiana or Compact license; the flat DNP rate makes it competitive even for out-of-state students. Nurses who want acute care, a master’s-level route, or a school that arranges placements for them should compare other programs.
Accreditation
All of the IU School of Nursing’s bachelor’s, master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The accreditation page does not name the post-MSN certificates separately.
DNP graduates are eligible for Pediatric Nurse Practitioner–Primary Care certification through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (CPNP-PC) and can then apply for prescriptive authority from the Indiana licensing board.
Review Additional Indiana PNP Programs
- Purdue University - West Lafayette