The Ohio State University College of Nursing offers 7 Pediatric Nurse Practitioner pathways across two population foci:
Primary Care (CPNP-PC)
- MSN
- BSN-DNP
- Graduate Entry MSN
- Post-MSN Certificate
Acute Care (CPNP-AC)
- MSN
- BSN-DNP
- Post-MSN Certificate
The two populations are delivered differently. Primary care is an on-campus specialty in Columbus and requires an Ohio RN license. Acute care is offered online (with short campus visits) or on campus, and requires a year of pediatric acute care RN experience.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Res / Non-Res) | Est. Duration | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN – PC | $54K / $132K | 2 yrs FT | 57 |
| MSN – AC | $44K / $45K (online) | 5 semesters FT | 59 |
| DNP – PC | Up to $98K / $238K | 3 yrs FT | Not published (79–92 range) |
| DNP – AC | $82K / $84K (online) | ~4 yrs PT | 85 |
| Grad Entry – PC | $98K / $238K | 3 yrs FT | 96–116 |
| Cert – PC / AC | Individualized | Varies | Individualized |
Estimates use Ohio State’s 2026–2027 graduate nursing rates ($1,021.13 instructional + $33.94 general fee per credit; $1,949.44/credit non-resident surcharge on campus; $200/term non-resident rate online), billed at the 8-credit full-time cap per term, plus mandatory semester fees.
- Why choose it: Ohio State offers both PNP populations at the MSN and BSN-DNP levels, and its online acute care track charges non-residents only $200 more per term than Ohio residents.
- Trade-off: Primary care is campus-only in Columbus and costs non-residents about 2.4 times the resident price; acute care requires a year of in-hospital pediatric acute care experience.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MSN, BSN-DNP, Graduate Entry MSN (PC only), Post-Master’s Study Option |
| Population Focus | Primary Care (CPNP-PC) and Acute Care (CPNP-AC); no dual PC/AC track |
| Format | PC: Hybrid (on-campus specialty). AC: Mostly Online, or on campus. Grad Entry: Campus |
| Clinical Hours | 600 precepted hours (both populations); DNP adds 412.5 immersion hours (AC plan) |
| Clinical Partners | Nationwide Children’s Hospital, OSU Wexner Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic (AC), community practices |
| RN License | PC: Ohio RN license by Aug. 1. AC online: license in your clinical state |
| RN Experience | PC: none required. AC: 1 year full-time pediatric acute care |
| Start Term | Autumn only (Grad Entry starts summer); two application rounds |
| Tuition | $1,055/credit resident; flat full-time rate at 8+ credits per term |
| Accreditation | CCNE (MSN, DNP, Post-Graduate APRN Certificate) |
Clinical Education at Ohio State
Both populations require 600 precepted clinical hours across a three-course practicum sequence. That sits at the low-to-middle of the typical 600–750 range for a single population.
- Clinicals run at approved sites across Ohio and, for online students, in other authorized states.
- Named partners include Nationwide Children’s Hospital, OSU Wexner Medical Center, private practices, and community health centers; the acute care track also names Cleveland Clinic.
- The college runs a Graduate Clinical Placements office. Its pages do not state whether placement is guaranteed or whether students must recruit their own preceptors.
- Expect roughly 12–20 clinical hours per week during practicum terms; the final clinical year generally requires three to four days a week.
- Online acute care students attend scheduled on-campus sessions for skills and simulation (1–2 days per visit in the BSN-DNP’s last four semesters).
The Columbus location matters most for primary care students. Their practicums are placed in Ohio, so out-of-state applicants should plan to relocate for the full program, not just the campus courses.
General Admissions
Requirements are shared across the MSN, BSN-DNP, and post-master’s pathways. Track-specific gates appear in each pathway section.
- BSN or MSN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or CNEA-accredited program
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in the last relevant degree (lower GPAs reviewed holistically)
- Active, unencumbered RN license by August 1 before enrollment
- Purpose and goals statement (up to three pages), resume or CV, three letters of recommendation
- Recorded HireVue video interview, completed before the deadline
- Official transcripts and $60 application fee; no GRE
- Autumn entry only, two rounds. For autumn 2027, Round 1 closes October 16, 2026; Round 2 opens October 17, 2026
- Decisions: late December (Round 1; early December for BSN-DNP) and late April (Round 2). Deferrals are not permitted
MSN – Pediatric Primary Care NP
The estimated tuition for the Pediatric Primary Care NP MSN at Ohio State is approximately $54,497 for Ohio residents and $132,475 for non-residents (five full-time terms at the 8-credit cap, plus fees). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years full-time or 3 years part-time.
It prepares graduates for PNCB CPNP-PC certification. Specialty courses are taught on campus in Columbus; core courses can be taken online.
MSN – PC Curriculum
The 57 credits split into 13 core credits, 19 other required credits, and 25 practicum credits. Year one covers the core and pediatric foundations; year two is the practicum sequence. Two specialty courses go beyond a standard primary care plan: a dedicated child and adolescent mental health course and a separate pediatric pharmacology course.
- Nursing 7330: Pediatric Advanced Physical Assessment
- Nursing 7331: Assessment and Management of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Issues
- Nursing 7333: Advanced Pediatric Pharmacology
- Nursing 7415: Clinical Reasoning with Diagnostic Methods
- Nursing 7338.01–.03: Pediatric Primary Care Practicum I–III (7, 9, 9 credits)
- Nursing 8895: Final Professional Seminar
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN – PC Clinical Requirements
- 600 precepted hours: 150 (Practicum I), 225 (II), 225 (III)
- Must include well-child care, common acute illness, and stable chronic conditions
- Settings include pediatric primary care, subspecialty ambulatory clinics, urgent care, fast-track ER, and community sites serving underserved families
- Placements are in Ohio
The hour total is standard. The range of settings, including subspecialty clinics and fast-track ER rotations, is broader than many primary care programs list.
MSN – PC Admissions
No pediatric RN experience is required. The one added gate is licensure.
- Proof of Ohio RN licensure by August 1 (on-campus specialty rule)
- Prior pediatric experience counts as a strength in holistic review
MSN – Pediatric Acute Care NP
The estimated tuition for the online Pediatric Acute Care NP MSN at Ohio State is approximately $43,943 for Ohio residents and $44,943 for non-residents (five full-time online terms, plus distance fees). The program can generally be completed in about 5 semesters full-time or 7 semesters part-time.
It prepares graduates for PNCB CPNP-AC certification. Students may also take it on campus, where pricing matches the primary care MSN ($54K resident, $132K non-resident).
MSN – AC Curriculum
The 59 credits break into 13 core, 19 other required, and 27 practicum credits. The pediatric foundation courses (assessment, mental health, pharmacology, diagnostic reasoning) are shared with the primary care track; the practicum sequence is where the tracks split. Online classes are usually synchronous on Eastern time.
- Nursing 7330: Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment
- Nursing 7331: Child and Adolescent Mental Health
- Nursing 7333: Advanced Pediatric Pharmacology
- Nursing 7483: Quality Improvement and Informatics
- Nursing 7218.01–.03: Pediatric Acute Care Practicum I–III (6, 11, 10 credits)
- Nursing Practice 8895: Final Professional Seminar
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN – AC Clinical Requirements
- 600 precepted hours: 112.5, 262.5, and 225 across the three practicums
- The MSN handbook lists the first 112.5-hour practicum as a pediatric primary care rotation; the remaining 487.5 hours are acute care
- Scheduled on-campus skills and simulation sessions for online students
600 hours is at the bottom of the usual single-population range. The primary care rotation adds breadth, but it does not lead to CPNP-PC eligibility; this is not a dual track.
MSN – AC Admissions
The experience gate decides eligibility for most applicants.
- At least one year of full-time RN experience in a pediatric acute care setting; ICU or other high-acuity experience preferred
- Online students: RN license in the state where clinicals take place; residence in an authorized state
A published timing difference. The program pages require the year of experience before applying. The MSN handbook requires it before the acute care practicums begin. This page uses the program pages’ rule because it is stricter and more current.
BSN-DNP – Pediatric Primary Care NP
The estimated tuition for the BSN to DNP, Pediatric Primary Care NP at Ohio State is up to about $98,095 for Ohio residents and $238,454 for non-residents (nine full-time terms at the 8-credit cap, plus fees). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years full-time or 4 years part-time, including summers.
Students earn the MSN partway through and can sit for the CPNP-PC exam, typically in the second-to-last year, before finishing the DNP.
BSN-DNP – PC Curriculum
Phase one is the full primary care MSN sequence above. Phase two adds doctoral coursework in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, implementation science, informatics, healthcare economics, a four-course systems application sequence, and the DNP project. Ohio State publishes 79–92 credits across all BSN-DNP specialties but no PC-specific total on its program page.
BSN-DNP – PC Clinical Requirements
- 600 precepted hours in the same Practicum I–III sequence as the MSN
- Additional DNP immersion hours in the systems application courses; the PC-specific total is not clearly published
BSN-DNP – PC Admissions
- Statistics course with B- or higher, completed before the deadline and within five years
- Ohio RN license by August 1 (on-campus specialty)
BSN-DNP – Pediatric Acute Care NP
The estimated tuition for the online BSN to DNP, Pediatric Acute Care NP at Ohio State is approximately $81,903 for Ohio residents and $84,103 for non-residents (85 credits on the published 11-term part-time plan). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years full-time or just under 4 years on that part-time plan.
It prepares graduates for PNCB CPNP-AC certification and is Mostly Online: students attend 1–2 day campus visits during the last four semesters.
BSN-DNP – AC Curriculum
The published plan front-loads doctoral coursework. Year one is DNP foundations (evidence-based practice, quality improvement, policy, leadership). Pediatric specialty courses start in year two, the acute care practicums run summer of year two through spring of year three, and year four is the DNP immersion and project.
- Nursing 7330 and 7333: pediatric assessment and pharmacology (year two)
- Nursing 7218.01–.03: Pediatric Acute Care Practicum I–III
- Nursing 7331: Child and Adolescent Mental Health
- Nursing Practice 8898.01–.02 and 8998.01–.02: DNP immersion and project (year four)
BSN-DNP – AC Clinical Requirements
- 600 clinical hours (27 credits) plus 412.5 DNP immersion hours (11 credits)
- Heaviest term: 16 credits in spring of year three, during Practicum III
Clinical volume matches the MSN. The DNP adds immersion hours, not more acute care practice.
BSN-DNP – AC Admissions
- At least one year of full-time, in-hospital pediatric nursing experience
- Statistics prerequisite (B- or higher)
- Residence in an authorized state
Graduate Entry MSN – Pediatric Primary Care NP
The estimated tuition for the Graduate Entry MSN with the Pediatric Primary Care specialty is approximately $98,095 for Ohio residents and $238,454 for non-residents (nine full-time terms at the 8-credit cap, plus fees). The program can generally be completed in about 3 years of full-time study, including summers.
It is for applicants with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree and leads to RN licensure and CPNP-PC eligibility. Acute care is not offered through this pathway. Students must live in the Columbus area.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The Graduate Entry page lists 96–116 credits in its overview and 79–92 in its time-to-degree section. The 79–92 figure matches the BSN-DNP range and appears to be copied text, so this page uses 96–116.
Graduate Entry – PC Curriculum
Years one and two are pre-licensure nursing (adult, child, women’s, psychiatric, and community health) plus graduate core courses. Students take the NCLEX after six quarters of full-time study. Year three is the primary care practicum sequence described under the MSN. No BSN is awarded; graduates receive the MSN only.
Graduate Entry – PC Clinical Requirements
- Pre-licensure clinicals embedded in years one and two
- 600 precepted PNP hours in year three, in Ohio
Graduates enter practice with no RN work experience. That is common for direct-entry programs but worth weighing for a specialty where employers often value bedside pediatric experience.
Graduate Entry – PC Admissions
- Non-nursing bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution, conferred before the start term
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
- B- or higher in Human Anatomy (lab), Human Physiology, Human Nutrition, Microbiology (lab), and Pharmacology, completed before the deadline; no AP credit
- Deadlines: October 16 (Round 1) and March 1 (Round 2); decisions late January and late April
- Summer start; applications for the 2027 cohort opened August 3, 2026
Post-Master’s Study Option – Primary Care and Acute Care
Tuition for the Post-Master’s Study Option is individualized and depends on how many courses are waived. Program length also varies by plan.
It is open to certified APRNs adding a pediatric population. The primary care option is on campus only; the acute care option can be taken online or on campus. It does not award a degree, and post-master’s students are not eligible for financial aid.
Post-Master’s Curriculum
After admission, faculty review syllabi from prior graduate coursework and may waive core or specialty requirements. Students complete the remaining courses from the PC or AC specialty list above and the practicum sequence for their chosen population.
Post-Master’s Clinical Requirements
- Practicums not waived by prior coursework, up to the 600-hour population requirement
- Clinical courses generally require three to four days a week
Post-Master’s Admissions
- MSN and current APRN certification, both finalized by August 1
- Acute care: the specialty page lists one year of full-time pediatric acute care RN experience
- Ohio RN license for the on-campus primary care option
Tuition
Estimated tuition runs from about $44,000 (online acute care MSN) to about $98,000 (BSN-DNP or Graduate Entry, primary care) for Ohio residents. Non-resident cost depends almost entirely on delivery: online is near the resident price, on campus is roughly 2.4 times it.
| Pathway | Est. Resident | Est. Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| MSN – PC (campus) | $54,497 | $132,475 |
| MSN – AC (online) | $43,943 | $44,943 |
| BSN-DNP – PC (campus) | Up to $98,095 | Up to $238,454 |
| BSN-DNP – AC (online) | $81,903 | $84,103 |
| Graduate Entry – PC | $98,095 | $238,454 |
| Post-Master’s | Individualized | Individualized |
Calculated by this site from the registrar’s 2026–2027 graduate fee tables, not published by Ohio State. On-campus terms include the $2,000 nursing program fee, $259.04 learning technology fee, and student activity, recreation, COTA, and union fees. Online terms include the $248 nursing distance learning fee and $100 distance learning program fee.
Key Cost Takeaways
- Full-time pacing is cheaper. Per-credit charges stop at 8 credits per term. A part-time primary care MSN billed per credit, with the $250-per-credit program fee below 8 credits, could reach about $78,000 for residents, versus $54,497 full-time.
- Non-residents should look at online acute care. Online students pay a flat $200 per term instead of the $1,949.44-per-credit surcharge.
- Primary care has no online discount. It is campus-only, so non-residents pay the full surcharge on every pathway.
- The $2,000 program fee is per semester. It applies to on-campus nursing students at 8+ credits and adds $10,000 to a five-term MSN.
- Post-master’s students cannot use federal financial aid.
- Online acute care students should budget travel for the required campus skills sessions.
The 8-credit cap makes Ohio State’s sticker price misleading in both directions. Multiplying credits by the per-credit rate overstates full-time cost and understates part-time cost.
See Ohio State’s official 2026–2027 graduate tuition and fees.
Why Choose This PNP Program?
Best suited for: experienced pediatric hospital nurses anywhere in the U.S. who want an affordable online acute care program, and Ohio nurses or career changers who can attend campus in Columbus for primary care.
Both Populations, Four Entry Points
Ohio State covers primary and acute care at the MSN and BSN-DNP levels, plus post-master’s options for each. Primary care adds a Graduate Entry route for non-nurses. Applicants can choose population and degree level independently.
Delivery Decides the Price
The same 600-hour pediatric curriculum costs a non-resident about $45,000 online for acute care and about $132,000 on campus for primary care. If you live outside Ohio, your population choice is also a cost decision of nearly $90,000.
Children’s Hospital Clinical Network
Named partners include Nationwide Children’s Hospital and OSU Wexner Medical Center, with Cleveland Clinic listed for acute care. Primary care rotations include subspecialty clinics and fast-track ER settings. The college does not publish whether placements are guaranteed.
Potential Drawbacks
- Primary care requires campus attendance in Columbus and an Ohio RN license; there is no online option
- Acute care requires a year of full-time pediatric acute care RN experience
- No dual PC/AC track; adding the second population means a post-master’s option later
- 600 clinical hours is at the low end of the typical range
- Autumn-only entry with no deferral; missing Round 1 means competing in Round 2 or waiting a year
The Verdict
Ohio State is effectively two programs. Its online acute care MSN gives experienced pediatric hospital nurses outside Ohio a near-resident price, short campus visits, and access to Nationwide Children’s and Cleveland Clinic partnerships. Its primary care track is a campus program for nurses who already live in or will move to Columbus. Ohio residents get reasonable full-time pricing on either. Nurses who want dual PC/AC preparation in one plan should compare Case Western Reserve; those who want online primary care should look elsewhere, starting with Wright State.
Accreditation
The MSN, DNP, and Post-Graduate APRN Certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Ohio State lists the MSN term through December 31, 2029. Its accreditation page still shows a June 30, 2026 term end for the DNP and certificate programs and has not posted a renewed date. Graduates of the primary care track are eligible for PNCB CPNP-PC certification; acute care graduates for PNCB CPNP-AC.
View Ohio State’s accreditation details.
More Pediatric Nursing Programs in Ohio
- Case Western Reserve University - Cleveland
- Wright State University - Dayton