Maryville University offers four Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) tracks:
- Master of Science in Nursing – Pediatric Primary Care NP (MSN PNP)
- BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice – Pediatric Primary Care NP (BSN-DNP PNP)
- Doctor of Nursing Practice with NP Concentration – Pediatric Primary Care NP (DNP-NP PNP)
- Post-Master’s NP Certificate – Pediatric Primary Care NP
All four programs are delivered 100% online with no campus visits required, no GRE or GMAT needed for admission, and no waitlist once accepted. Clinicals are completed locally in the student’s preferred setting, and six annual start dates offer maximum scheduling flexibility. Maryville’s PNP graduates achieve a 92% certification pass rate — 11% above the 2023 PNCB national average.
Program Comparison
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN – PNP | ~$42,300 (47 cr. × $900) | 20–32 months |
| BSN-DNP – PNP | ~$73,630–$76,615 (74–77 cr. × $995*) | 40 months |
| DNP-NP – PNP | ~$67,660–$70,645 (68–71 cr. × $995) | 36 months |
| Post-Master’s Certificate – PNP | ~$31,500 (35 cr. × $900) | 12–24 months |
*BSN-DNP tuition is split: MSN-level credits billed at $900/cr., DNP-level credits at $995/cr. Estimates above use $995 for simplicity. A $775/semester technology fee and $75–$120 background check fee apply to all graduate nursing programs. Tuition subject to change.
Program Tracks Overview
Master of Science in Nursing – PNP (MSN PNP)
The estimated cost for the MSN PNP program is approximately $42,300 (47 credits × $900/credit) and would take approximately 20 months to complete on a full-time basis, or up to 32 months part-time.
MSN Curriculum
The MSN PNP requires 47 credit hours across three course groups: Graduate Nursing Core (12 credits), Nurse Practitioner Core (17 credits), and Pediatric Primary Care Concentration (18 credits).
Graduate Nursing Core (12 credits):
- NURS 600 – Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice
- NURS 601 – Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing
- NURS 602 – Health Care Policy
- NURS 619 – Leadership and Quality
Nurse Practitioner Core (17 credits):
- NURS 611 – Advanced Pathophysiology
- NURS 612 – Advanced Health Assessment
- NURS 615 – Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics
- NURS 603 – Professional Role Development: Advanced Practice Nurse
- NURS 610 – Health Promotion/Disease Prevention
Pediatric Primary Care NP Concentration (18 credits):
NURS 650 – Health Promotion of the Pediatric Population (3 credits)
This course examines pediatric growth, development, and age-based milestones using nursing theory and evidence-based practice. Students learn anticipatory guidance, health promotion, and illness prevention strategies for infants through adolescents while respecting cultural, ethnic, and spiritual needs.
NURS 651 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis I (3 credits)
This course begins a two-course pediatric primary care sequence focused on clinical decision-making for children and adolescents. Students assess common acute and chronic conditions and use primary care data to form differential diagnoses and initial management plans.
NURS 653 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis II (3 credits)
This course continues the pediatric primary care sequence with expanded focus on acute and chronic pediatric problems. Students strengthen diagnostic reasoning and refine management planning for children and adolescents across primary care settings.
NURS 655C – Pediatric Health Promotion Practicum (3 credits)
This practicum places students in pediatric primary care settings with emphasis on preventive well-child visits. Students apply health promotion concepts from NURS 650 by performing age-appropriate assessments, patient education, and prevention-focused care planning.
See the official curriculum page for more details.
MSN Clinicals
The MSN PNP requires 750 clinical hours (effective Spring 2024), completed locally in the student’s preferred setting. Practicum courses are embedded directly in the concentration curriculum, covering health promotion and pediatric assessment across two supervised clinical sequences.
- 750 total clinical hours required
- Clinicals completed in student’s local community
- Practicum courses: NURS 652, NURS 654, NURS 655C
MSN Admissions Requirements
- BSN from a regionally accredited institution with CCNE/ACEN/CNEA-accredited nursing program
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale)
- Minimum one year of professional RN experience
- Current, unencumbered U.S. RN licensure
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
- Transfer credit request form (if applicable)
- No GRE, GMAT, or statistics course required
BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice – PNP (BSN-DNP PNP)
The estimated cost for the BSN-DNP PNP program is approximately $73,630–$76,615 and would take approximately 40 months to complete on a full-time basis.
Estimate based on 74–77 credits; MSN-level credits at $900/cr., DNP-level credits at $995/credit.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
The BSN-DNP PNP spans 74–77 credit hours and combines MSN core coursework, NP core competencies, the 18-credit PNP concentration, and DNP doctoral coursework. Students complete both master’s and doctoral-level content in a single integrated pathway.
MSN & NP Core Courses (shared with MSN track):
- NURS 600 – Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice
- NURS 601 – Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing
- NURS 603 – Professional Role Development: Advanced Practice Nurse
- NURS 610 – Health Promotion/Disease Prevention
- NURS 611 – Advanced Pathophysiology
- NURS 612 – Advanced Health Assessment
- NURS 615 – Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics
PNP Concentration (18 credits):
- NURS 650 – Health Promotion of the Pediatric Population
- NURS 651 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis I
- NURS 652 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum I
- NURS 653 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis II
- NURS 654 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum II
- NURS 655C – Health Promotion Practicum
DNP Doctoral Coursework (33 credits):
- NURS 700 – Principles of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- NURS 701 – Foundations of Clinical Scholarship
- NURS 702 – Integrating and Synthesizing Research
- NURS 704 – Quality and Patient Safety in Advanced Nursing Practice
- NURS 705 – Clinical Inquiry I
- NURS 706 – Clinical Inquiry II
- NURS 707 – Clinical Inquiry III
- NURS 708 – Organizational and Systems Leadership
- NURS 709 – Advanced Health Policy
- NURS 711 – Nursing Informatics
- NURS 712 – Evidence-Based Practice/Research Utilization
See the official curriculum page for more details.
BSN-DNP Clinicals
The BSN-DNP PNP requires 750 clinical hours, completed locally. Practicum sequences are integrated into the PNP concentration, and doctoral clinical inquiry courses support the scholarly project component.
- 750 clinical hours (effective Spring 2024)
- Clinicals completed in student’s local preferred setting
- Practicum courses: NURS 652, NURS 654, NURS 655C
- Doctoral clinical inquiry via NURS 705, 706, 707
BSN-DNP Admissions Requirements
- BSN from a regionally accredited institution with CCNE/ACEN/CNEA-accredited nursing program
- Cumulative GPA of 3.25 (4.0 scale)
- Minimum one year of professional RN experience
- Current, unencumbered U.S. RN licensure
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
- Transfer credit request form (if applicable)
- No GRE or GMAT required
Doctor of Nursing Practice with NP Concentration – PNP (DNP-NP PNP)
The estimated cost for the DNP-NP PNP program is approximately $67,660–$70,645 (68–71 credits × $995/credit) and would take approximately 36 months to complete on a full-time basis.
DNP-NP Curriculum
Designed for MSN-prepared nurses, the DNP-NP PNP program combines 17 NP core credits, 18 PNP concentration credits, and 33 DNP doctoral credits for a total of 68–71 credit hours. Graduates earn both their PNP certification eligibility and a terminal DNP degree.
NP Core Courses (17 credits):
- NURS 603 – Professional Role Development: Advanced Practice Nurse
- NURS 610 – Health Promotion/Disease Prevention
- NURS 611 – Advanced Pathophysiology
- NURS 612 – Advanced Health Assessment
- NURS 615 – Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics
PNP Concentration (18 credits):
- NURS 650 – Health Promotion of the Pediatric Population
- NURS 651 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis I
- NURS 652 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum I
- NURS 653 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis II
- NURS 654 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum II
- NURS 655C – Health Promotion Practicum
DNP Doctoral Coursework (33 credits) – same as BSN-DNP doctoral component above.
DNP-NP Clinicals
The DNP-NP PNP requires 750 clinical hours completed in the student’s local preferred setting, with practicum courses embedded in the PNP concentration and doctoral inquiry coursework supporting the scholarly capstone project.
- 750 clinical hours required
- Local clinical placement — no travel required
- Practicum courses: NURS 652, NURS 654, NURS 655C
DNP-NP Admissions Requirements
- MSN from a regionally accredited institution with CCNE/ACEN/CNEA-accredited nursing program
- APRN board certification not required for DNP-NP option
- Cumulative GPA of 3.25 (4.0 scale)
- Minimum one year of professional RN experience
- Current, unencumbered U.S. RN licensure
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
- No GRE or GMAT required
Post-Master’s NP Certificate – Pediatric Primary Care NP
The estimated cost for the Post-Master’s PNP Certificate program is approximately $31,500 (35 credits × $900/credit) and would take approximately 12 months to complete on a full-time basis, or up to 24 months part-time.
Certificate Curriculum
The Post-Master’s PNP Certificate totals 35 credit hours, divided across graduate nursing core, NP core, and the PNP specialty concentration. This track is ideal for MSN-prepared nurses seeking to add a pediatric specialty without enrolling in a full degree program.
Graduate Nursing Core (6 credits):
- NURS 603 – Professional Role Development: Advanced Practice Nurse
- NURS 610 – Health Promotion/Disease Prevention
Nurse Practitioner Core (11 credits):
- NURS 611 – Advanced Pathophysiology
- NURS 612 – Advanced Health Assessment
- NURS 615 – Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics
PNP Concentration (18 credits):
- NURS 650 – Health Promotion of the Pediatric Population
- NURS 651 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis I
- NURS 652 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum I
- NURS 653 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis II
- NURS 654 – Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum II
- NURS 655C – Pediatric Health Promotion Practicum
See the official curriculum page for more details.
Certificate Clinicals
Certificate students complete 750 clinical hours (effective Spring 2024) locally, with practicum sequences embedded in the PNP concentration coursework.
- 750 clinical hours required
- Local, self-arranged clinical placement
- Practicum courses: NURS 652, NURS 654, NURS 655C
Certificate Admissions Requirements
- MSN from a regionally accredited institution with CCNE/ACEN/CNEA-accredited nursing program
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale)
- Minimum one year of professional RN experience
- Current, unencumbered U.S. RN licensure
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
- Transfer credit request form (if applicable)
Tuition
Graduate nursing programs are billed at $900 per credit hour for MSN-level coursework and $995 per credit hour for DNP-level coursework. A $775 per semester technology fee applies to all online graduate programs.
A background check fee of $75–$120 per submission is also required for all graduate nursing students.
See the official tuition page for more details.
Application Deadlines
Maryville offers six start dates per year across three terms. All programs share the same deadlines below.
| Term | Application Deadline | Start Date |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 1 2026 | Dec. 26, 2025 | Jan. 12, 2026 |
| Spring 2 2026 | Feb. 27, 2026 | March 9, 2026 |
| Summer 1 2026 | April 24, 2026 | May 4, 2026 |
| Summer 2 2026 | June 19, 2026 | June 29, 2026 |
| Fall 1 2026 | Aug. 14, 2026 | Aug. 24, 2026 |
| Fall 2 2026 | Oct. 9, 2026 | Oct. 19, 2026 |
Accreditation
All baccalaureate, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at Maryville University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Maryville is also accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and has been recognized as one of America’s Best Colleges by both U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.