Spring Arbor University’s School of Nursing, Health, and Sciences offers three Pediatric Nurse Practitioner pathways, all in primary care:
- BSN to MSN – Primary Care
- RN to MSN – Primary Care
- Post-Master’s Certificate – Primary Care
Coursework is online and asynchronous, taken one seven-week course at a time. Both MSN pathways require one four-day residency on the Spring Arbor, Michigan campus. SAU does not offer an acute care PNP track, and it cannot enroll nursing students living in Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, or New York.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN – PC | $40.5K | 2 yrs 5 mos | 50 |
| RN-MSN – PC | $54.6K | 4 yrs | 82 |
| Cert – PC | $19.4K–$26.7K | 18–24 mos | 24–33 |
Tuition estimates use SAU Online’s published 2025-2026 rate of $810 per graduate credit ($499 per undergraduate credit in the RN bridge) and published credit totals. They exclude the $345 MSN residency fee and $160 in technology and registration fees per semester.
- Why choose it: the only Michigan PNP pathway on this site open to ADN and diploma nurses, the lowest published Michigan tuition ($40,500 for the BSN-entry MSN), and one seven-week course at a time.
- Trade-off: you find your own preceptors, the 500 clinical hours are the PNCB minimum, and there is no acute care track.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | BSN to MSN, RN to MSN, Post-Master’s Certificate |
| Population Focus | Primary Care (CPNP-PC) for all three pathways |
| Format | MSN pathways: Mostly Online (one 4-day residency). Certificate: Online |
| Course Pacing | One 7-week course at a time, 1-week break between courses |
| Clinical Hours | 500 for every pathway |
| Clinical Placement | Student-arranged; you choose your preceptor in your home state |
| RN License | Unrestricted, unencumbered license from your state of employment |
| RN Experience | No minimum published |
| Class Size | Typically 20–25 students |
| Excluded States | Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, New York |
| Tuition | $810/credit graduate; $499/credit undergraduate (2025-2026) |
| Accreditation | CCNE (nursing); Higher Learning Commission (institution) |
Clinical Education
All three pathways share the same clinical model, so it is covered once here.
- Hours: 500 supervised clinical hours, completed in two 4-credit practicum courses (NUR 770K and NUR 780K)
- Setting: pediatric primary care, newborns through adolescents
- Placement: SAU’s FAQ states that students choose their own preceptor in their home state
- Residency: a four-day practicum on the main campus in Spring Arbor, tied to the Advanced Health Assessment course, for hands-on physical exam practice; SAU arranges discounted rates at nearby hotels
- Course load: students take one course at a time, though clinical and residency courses can overlap with didactic courses
Five hundred hours is the PNCB floor for CPNP-PC eligibility. Many single-population PNP programs require 600 to 750, so SAU graduates enter practice with roughly 100 to 250 fewer supervised hours. That shortens the program but leaves less room to recover if a placement falls through.
Self-placement is the bigger practical issue. Pediatric preceptors are often harder to find than family practice preceptors, and SAU does not publish any placement assistance. Applicants should line up likely preceptors before they enroll, especially if their area has few pediatric NPs or pediatricians.
General Admissions
Admissions requirements are nearly identical across pathways. The main difference is the entry degree, covered in each pathway section.
- 3.0 GPA calculated from the most recent 60 academic credits
- Unrestricted, unencumbered, current RN license from your state of employment, kept current throughout the program
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
- Short personal statement
- Online application; SAU advertises a free application
- No GRE, interview, or minimum RN experience listed on current program pages
- Transfer credit: up to 12 graduate credits, accepted only on a course-for-course match
- Start dates: the RN bridge offers four intakes per year; certificate start dates depend on prerequisites; BSN-entry start dates are not published
There is no pediatric experience requirement and no published application deadline. That makes SAU easier to enter than most PNP programs, but it also means no admissions screen checks whether you can realistically secure pediatric preceptors.
BSN to MSN – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care
The estimated tuition for the Online MSN – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care at Spring Arbor University is approximately $40,500 (50 credits at $810/credit). The program can be completed in as few as two years and five months while working full-time. It prepares BSN-prepared RNs for the PNCB CPNP-PC exam.
MSN Curriculum
The 50 credits split into 24 credits of MSN foundation courses shared with SAU’s other nursing concentrations and 26 credits of pediatric specialty work. The specialty sequence runs through three primary care management courses, moving from well-child care to acute illness to complex, chronic, and disabling conditions, before the two practicums. SAU describes the program as faith-based; students of any faith background are admitted.
Pediatric Specialty Sequence
- NUR 628 – Advanced Pharmacology for Nurse Practitioners (3)
- NUR 702 – Advanced Pediatric Physical Assessment and Pharmacotherapeutics (3)
- NUR 703 – Advanced Primary Care of Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Their Families I (3)
- NUR 704 – Advanced Primary Care of Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Their Families II (3)
- NUR 705 – Advanced Primary Care of Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Their Families III (3)
- NUR 770K and NUR 780K – PNP-PC Clinical Experience I and II (4 each)
- NUR 781 – Advanced Integration of Evidence-Based Practice (3)
Foundation Courses
Foundation courses cover ethics, nursing theory, role development and leadership, applied research methods, population health, and the advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment core. The 0-credit MSN residency (NUR 602R) attaches to Advanced Health Assessment.
More curriculum details are available in the SAU academic catalog.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 500 clinical hours across NUR 770K and NUR 780K
- Pediatric primary care settings, newborns through adolescents
- One four-day campus residency in year two
- Student-arranged preceptor in your home state
The hours match the certification minimum. For a nurse already working in pediatrics, that is usually workable. A nurse with no pediatric background gets less supervised exposure here than in a 600- to 750-hour program.
MSN Admissions
The only pathway-specific requirement is the entry degree.
- BSN from a regionally accredited institution and a CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA-accredited nursing program
- All shared requirements listed under General Admissions
RN to MSN – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care
The estimated tuition for the RN to MSN – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Spring Arbor University is approximately $54,602 (82 credits at $499 or $810/credit, depending on course level). The program can be completed in as few as four years. ADN and diploma nurses earn a BSN and an MSN and finish prepared for the PNCB CPNP-PC exam.
SAU publishes the $54,602 total but not the credit split. The figure reconciles exactly to 38 undergraduate credits at $499 and 44 graduate credits at $810. Forty-four is six fewer than the 50-credit BSN-entry MSN, consistent with two 3-credit graduate courses counting toward both degrees.
RN-MSN Curriculum
The first portion completes BSN-level coursework at the undergraduate rate. Students then move into the same MSN foundation and pediatric specialty sequence as the BSN-entry pathway. The pediatric courses, practicums, and clinical hours are identical.
RN-MSN Clinical Requirements
- 500 clinical hours, structured the same as the BSN-entry MSN
- One four-day campus residency in year three
Four years is long, but no BSN credit is wasted on a separate degree. For an ADN nurse, the alternative is an RN-to-BSN followed by a roughly two-and-a-half-year MSN.
RN-MSN Admissions
This is the only Michigan PNP pathway on this site open to nurses without a BSN.
- Associate degree or diploma in nursing leading to RN licensure
- All shared requirements listed under General Admissions
- Four intakes per year
Post-Master’s Certificate – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care
The estimated tuition for the Post-Master’s Certificate – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care at Spring Arbor University is approximately $19,440 to $26,730 (24 to 33 credits at $810/credit). The program can be completed in 18 to 24 months, depending on prior coursework. It prepares MSN-holders for the PNCB CPNP-PC exam.
A published rate conflict worth knowing about. The certificate page lists $782 per credit in its Fast Facts and $810 per credit in its tuition box. SAU’s tuition page uses $810, which this page also uses. The gap is $672 to $924 across the full credit range.
Certificate Curriculum
The base certificate is 24 credits: a 1-credit post-graduate foundation course plus the full pediatric specialty sequence and both practicums. SAU reviews each applicant’s transcript to decide how many of up to 9 additional prerequisite credits apply. The program pages do not list which courses those are.
- NUR 610 – Foundation of Post-Graduate Nursing (1)
- NUR 628 – Advanced Pharmacology for Nurse Practitioners (3)
- NUR 702 – Advanced Pediatric Physical Assessment and Pharmacotherapeutics (3)
- NUR 703, 704, 705 – Advanced Primary Care of Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Their Families I–III (3 each)
- NUR 770K and NUR 780K – PNP-PC Clinical Experience I and II (4 each)
The curriculum list on SAU’s certificate page currently shows PMHNP courses, such as psychopharmacology and a PMHNP practicum. That appears to be a copy error. Use the SAU academic catalog for the PNP course list.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 500 clinical hours across NUR 770K and NUR 780K
- No campus residency listed on the certificate page
- Student-arranged preceptor in your home state
Current SAU pages list 500 hours for every certificate student and no longer describe a reduced-hour option for practicing NPs. If you need the Advanced Health Assessment course as a prerequisite, expect the residency attached to it to apply as well.
Certificate Admissions
Applicants need a master’s in nursing; APRN certification is not required.
- MSN from an accredited program
- Official graduate transcripts
- All other shared requirements listed under General Admissions
- Start date set after the prerequisite review
Tuition
SAU Online publishes one graduate rate for all three pathways: $810 per credit, labeled 2025-2026. The RN bridge bills its undergraduate courses at $499 per credit. There is no in-state or out-of-state difference.
| Pathway | Est. Tuition | With Residency Fee |
|---|---|---|
| MSN – PC | $40,500 | $40,845 |
| RN-MSN – PC | $54,602 | $54,947 |
| Cert – PC | $19,440–$26,730 | Not listed |
Totals are calculated from SAU’s published rates and credit totals, not university-quoted program costs, except the RN bridge total, which SAU publishes.
Fees Beyond Tuition
- Technology fee: $115 per semester
- Registration fee: $45 per semester
- MSN residency fee: $345 (both MSN pathways)
- Travel and lodging for the four-day residency in Spring Arbor, Michigan
Key Cost Takeaways
- The rate is labeled 2025-2026; the 2026-2027 rate was not posted at the time of this update, so budget for a possible increase
- SAU says eligible online students can receive federal, state, and institutional aid; certificate aid eligibility is not separately addressed
- The certificate’s final cost depends on how many prerequisite credits SAU assigns, a swing of up to $7,290
- SAU lists military discounts and a free application
A flat national rate and published program totals make SAU one of the easier PNP programs to budget. Most of the real cost risk sits outside tuition: residency travel and the time spent securing your own preceptors. See SAU’s tuition and fees page for current rates.
Why Choose This PNP Program?
Best suited for: working pediatric RNs, including ADN nurses, who want a low-cost, self-paced route to CPNP-PC certification and can arrange their own pediatric preceptors.
Entry Without a BSN
The RN-to-MSN bridge is the main reason to choose SAU over other Michigan options. ADN and diploma nurses reach a primary care PNP master’s in one program, with BSN-level courses billed at $499 per credit.
One Course at a Time
The 7-1-7 model means one seven-week course at a time, no set login times, and a week off between courses. It suits nurses working full-time or rotating shifts better than cohort programs with weekly live sessions.
Low, Predictable Tuition
The BSN-entry MSN costs about $40,500 in tuition. Michigan’s other PNP programs on this site start above $50,000. The only campus cost is one four-day residency.
Potential Drawbacks
- You must find your own preceptors; SAU publishes no placement assistance
- 500 clinical hours is the certification minimum
- Primary care only; no acute care or dual PC/AC pathway
- No enrollment for residents of Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, or New York
- Both MSN pathways require travel to Michigan for the residency
- Faith-based program; Christian perspective is integrated into coursework
The Verdict
Spring Arbor makes the most sense for ADN nurses who want to become pediatric primary care NPs without a separate BSN, and for BSN nurses who value low tuition and one-course-at-a-time pacing. It works best for nurses already employed in pediatrics who have access to pediatric preceptors.
Nurses who want placement support should compare Wayne State University, which coordinates clinical placements and also offers acute care. Those who want more clinical hours or a larger research university should compare the University of Michigan, at a substantially higher price.
Accreditation
SAU’s master’s and post-master’s certificate programs in nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. CCNE conducted an on-site review on March 11–13, 2026, for continued accreditation of the MSN, DNP, and post-graduate certificate programs; SAU had not posted the outcome at the time of this update.
All three program pages state that graduates are prepared for the PNCB certification exam (CPNP-PC). SAU’s FAQ reports a 100% first-time pass rate for its PNP graduates but labels it an ANCC result; ANCC closed its pediatric primary care exam to new candidates in 2020, so treat that figure as unverified.
SAU’s pages disagree on Washington. Its accreditation page lists Washington approval for the PNP-PC program, while its state authorization page covers the MSN programs but omits the PNP certificate. Washington residents applying to the certificate should confirm their eligibility in writing.
Other PNP Programs in Michigan
- University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
- Wayne State University – Detroit