Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Nursing in Lubbock offers two Pediatric Nurse Practitioner pathways:
- BSN to MSN – Primary Care, CPNP-PC
- BSN to MSN – Acute Care, CPNP-AC
Both tracks are delivered mostly online, with an on-campus intensive in advanced health assessment and an on-campus skills lab attached to each of the three clinical courses. Both require a BSN, an unencumbered RN license, and two years of pediatric RN experience at the time of application. TTUHSC does not currently list a post-graduate PNP certificate or a pediatric DNP.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN – PC | $18.4K | 2–3 yrs (est.) | 45 |
| MSN – AC | $18.8K | 2–3 yrs (est.) | 46 |
Tuition estimates multiply TTUHSC’s 2026-2027 Texas resident graduate nursing tuition ($288.29/credit) plus the three per-credit fees on the same schedule ($119.51/credit) by the current credit total (45 PC, 46 AC), for a combined $407.80 per credit. Durations are estimates based on 45-46 credits taken at 6-9 credits per term across fall, spring, and summer.
- Why choose it: Pediatric primary and acute care tracks in one MSN, under $19,000 in tuition for Texas residents, with about 765 clinical hours.
- Trade-off: Requires two years of pediatric RN experience, and four courses carry a campus component.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Population Focus | MSN-PC: Primary Care (CPNP-PC) | MSN-AC: Acute Care (CPNP-AC) |
| Format | Mostly online; TTUHSC lists both tracks as hybrid |
| Campus Attendance | Health assessment intensive plus a skills lab in each of three clinical courses |
| Clinical Hours | About 765 per track (est.), from the catalog’s weekly clinical hours |
| RN Experience Required | Two years of pediatric RN experience; AC prefers critical care, ED, or acute care |
| Certifications Required | BLS at application; PALS before the first clinical course |
| Start Terms | Fall (deadline Feb. 15); catalog also lists spring for APRN tracks (deadline Aug. 1) |
| Tuition | $407.80/credit resident; $633.51/credit out-of-state distance (2026-2027) |
| Accreditation | CCNE (master’s program) |
General Admissions
Both PNP tracks use the same MSN application and the same core requirements. The track-specific differences are covered in each pathway section below.
- Valid, unencumbered RN license
- BSN from a regionally accredited institution with CCNE or ACEN nursing accreditation
- Minimum 3.0 GPA on all coursework leading to the BSN; science GPA may be considered
- Undergraduate research and statistics courses with a grade of C or better
- Two years of pediatric RN experience before application
- Personal statement and track-specific essay questions (500-word maximum)
- Three professional references: two from nurse managers or mentors, one from a former faculty member or other health professional
- Resume or CV, official transcripts from all colleges attended
- Current AHA or American Red Cross BLS; PALS required before the first population focus clinical course
- TTUHSC SON Computer Literacy Test completed before applying
- Interviews at the program’s request
- Immunization documentation and criminal background check after an admission offer
- $75 application fee; $175 non-refundable placement/orientation fee on acceptance
- Fall entry: applications open November 1, close February 15. Spring entry for APRN tracks: applications open May 1, close August 1 (per the catalog). No summer admission.
The two-year pediatric experience requirement is the rule most likely to disqualify an applicant. It is a requirement, not a preference, and it applies to both tracks. The program pages currently advertise only the Fall 2027 cycle, while the 2025-2026 catalog also lists a spring intake for APRN tracks.
Out-of-state applicants face a residency screen: TTUHSC states it cannot guarantee acceptance of students from certain states because of changing regulations, and it determines eligibility by state before an application is considered. F-1 and F-2 visa holders are not eligible for online programs.
MSN Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The MSN Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner track requires 45 credits and prepares graduates for pediatric primary care practice and the PNCB CPNP-PC exam. At 45 credits x $407.80, estimated resident tuition and per-credit fees come to about $18,351. Expect roughly two to three years (est.) depending on course load. Applicants need two years of pediatric RN experience in any setting.
A published conflict worth knowing about. TTUHSC Student Business Services’ 2026-2027 tuition estimate still lists the Pediatric Primary Care NP program at 49 credits. That figure matches the degree plan for students admitted before Summer 2026. The catalog’s plan effective Summer 2026 and the program page both list 45 credits, and the catalog’s course list sums to 45. This page uses 45.
MSN-PC Curriculum
The curriculum has three blocks: 12 credits of MSN core courses taken online, 10 credits of advanced practice foundations (health assessment, pharmacology, pathophysiology), and 23 credits of pediatric primary care coursework. The pediatric block opens with two online didactic courses on the well child and the sick child, then moves through three clinical courses of increasing weekly clinical load.
The Summer 2026 revision replaced the older separate role, diagnostic methods, and health assessment courses with a single 4-credit Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning course, and increased the second clinical course from 5 to 6 credits.
Advanced Practice Foundations
- NURS 5430 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning (4, hybrid, on-campus intensive)
- NURS 5343 Pharmacotherapeutics for Nurses in Advanced Practice (3, online)
- NURS 5345 Advanced Practice Nursing: Application of Pathophysiology (3, online)
Pediatric Primary Care Sequence
- NURS 5309 Foundations of the Well Child (3, online)
- NURS 5319 Foundations for Care of the Sick Child (3, online)
- NURS 5580 Pediatric Primary Care I (5, hybrid, on-campus skills lab)
- NURS 5681 Pediatric Primary Care II (6, hybrid, on-campus skills lab)
- NURS 6680 Pediatric Nursing Practicum (6, hybrid, on-campus skills lab)
The MSN core covers population health, scientific foundations of advanced practice, APRN role and leadership, and informatics, quality, and safety (3 credits each). View the MSN degree plans in the TTUHSC catalog.
MSN-PC Clinical Requirements
- NURS 5580: 12.75 clinical hours per week
- NURS 5681: 17 clinical hours per week
- NURS 6680: 21.25 clinical hours per week
- About 765 total clinical hours (est.), based on 12 clinical credits at the catalog’s 1:4.25 ratio over a 15-week term
- Each clinical course requires concurrent enrollment in a clinical section and an on-campus skills lab
- PALS certification required before NURS 5580
An estimated 765 hours sits slightly above the usual 600-750 range for a single-population PNP track and well above the 500-hour certification floor. The weekly load rises sharply across the sequence: the final practicum at 21.25 hours a week is close to three full clinical days, which is hard to combine with full-time work.
MSN-PC Admissions
Beyond the General Admissions requirements, the primary care track asks for two years of pediatric RN experience in any setting, PALS certification, and responses to the track-specific essay questions.
MSN Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
The MSN Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner track requires 46 credits and prepares graduates for practice with acutely, critically, and chronically ill children across emergency, inpatient, intensive care, and subspecialty settings, and for the PNCB CPNP-AC exam. At 46 credits x $407.80, estimated resident tuition and per-credit fees come to about $18,759. Expect roughly two to three years (est.). Applicants need two years of pediatric RN experience, and TTUHSC prefers that it be in critical care, the emergency department, or acute care.
A published conflict worth knowing about. The catalog’s acute care degree plan effective Summer 2026 is headed “Total Credit Hours Required for Completion – 51” and labels the population focus block 22 credits, but its own course list sums to 46 (12 core, 10 foundations, 24 population focus). The program page lists 46 credits with a 24-credit population focus block. Student Business Services’ 2026-2027 estimate also still lists 51. This page uses 46, the figure the course-by-course list supports; the 51 matches the degree plan for students admitted before Summer 2026.
MSN-AC Curriculum
The acute care track shares the same 12 core credits and 10 credits of advanced practice foundations as the primary care track. Its pediatric block replaces the sick-child course with a 4-credit Foundations of Pediatric Acute Care course, which the catalog describes as covering assessment and management of acute and chronic illness and entry-level procedural skill in pediatric acute care. The three clinical courses carry the same weekly clinical loads as the primary care sequence, with an acute care focus.
Pediatric Acute Care Sequence
- NURS 5400 Foundations of Pediatric Acute Care (4, online)
- NURS 5309 Foundations of the Well Child (3, online)
- NURS 5500 Pediatric Acute Care I (5, hybrid, on-campus skills lab)
- NURS 5600 Pediatric Acute Care II (6, hybrid, on-campus skills lab)
- NURS 6690 Pediatric Acute Care III (6, hybrid, on-campus skills lab)
NURS 5600 and NURS 6690 require current PALS certification, and NURS 6690 is a clinical immersion focused on the PNP-AC role and scope of practice. View the MSN degree plans in the TTUHSC catalog.
MSN-AC Clinical Requirements
- NURS 5500: 12.75 clinical hours per week
- NURS 5600: 17 clinical hours per week
- NURS 6690: 21.25 clinical hours per week in the catalog (the program page shows 21.5)
- About 765 total clinical hours (est.), on the same basis as the primary care track
- Each clinical course requires an on-campus skills lab
- Practice settings named by TTUHSC: home, emergency departments, hospitals, subspecialty clinics, and intensive care units
The acute care track carries the same campus pattern as the primary care track: no extra intensives appear on the degree plan. What differs is the setting. Acute care clinical hours need inpatient, emergency, or intensive care exposure, which in practice points toward hospitals with pediatric units rather than outpatient offices.
MSN-AC Admissions
The acute care track uses the General Admissions requirements plus two years of pediatric RN experience, with critical care, emergency department, or acute care experience preferred. A nurse with two years in an outpatient pediatric clinic meets the requirement but may be less competitive for this track than for primary care.
Tuition
TTUHSC’s 2026-2027 Graduate Studies (MSN) estimate builds Texas resident tuition from three per-credit components: statutory tuition ($50), board tuition ($50), and designated tuition ($188.29), for $288.29 per credit. Three more charges are assessed per credit on the same schedule: an education technology fee ($75.00), an information technology fee ($25.11), and a learning resources fee ($19.40). Together they bring the resident rate to $407.80 per credit.
Out-of-state students enrolled in a distance learning program pay a flat $589 per credit plus the learning resources and information technology fees, or $633.51 per credit. Non-residents living in Texas pay statutory tuition of $478 per credit instead of $50, for a combined $835.80 per credit.
Estimated Total Tuition
| Pathway | Texas Resident | Out-of-State Distance | Non-Resident in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN – PC (45 cr.) | $18,351 | $28,508 | $37,611 |
| MSN – AC (46 cr.) | $18,759 | $29,141 | $38,447 |
Calculated from TTUHSC’s 2026-2027 per-credit rates and current catalog credit totals; these are estimates, not university-published program totals.
Fees Beyond Tuition
- Academic Department Assessment Fee: $400 per term
- Student Services Fee: up to $132 per term
- Health Screening and Management Fee: $42.50 per term
- Record processing ($15), ID card ($5), and international education ($4) fees per term
- Student malpractice insurance: $17 per year
- Student health insurance: charged each term (up to $1,509 fall, $2,279 spring, $1,252 summer) unless waived with qualifying coverage
- $75 application fee and $175 placement/orientation fee
Key Cost Takeaways
- The per-term flat fees on the resident schedule total about $599. Over six or seven terms that adds roughly $3,600-$4,200 (est.) to the totals above.
- Student health insurance is the largest avoidable charge. Students without a waiver could pay over $5,000 a year.
- The university’s own 2026-2027 program estimate uses the older 49- and 51-credit plans. Multiplying those totals by the current rate would overstate the resident cost by about $1,631 (PC) and $2,039 (AC).
- Campus skills labs and the health assessment intensive mean travel costs for students who do not live near a TTUHSC campus.
See TTUHSC’s 2026-2027 MSN tuition and fee estimate.
Why Choose This PNP Program?
Best suited for: Texas pediatric nurses with at least two years of experience who want a low-cost MSN in either pediatric primary care or pediatric acute care and can travel for periodic campus labs.
A choice of population inside one MSN
Primary care and acute care share their first 22 credits and differ only in the pediatric block. Applicants pick a track at application, so the decision rests on whether you want to practice in clinics and community settings or in emergency, inpatient, and intensive care settings.
Resident cost under $19,000
At $407.80 per credit including per-credit fees, a Texas resident pays about $18,400-$18,800 for either track before flat per-term fees. Out-of-state distance students pay about $28,500-$29,100, still a moderate figure for an MSN PNP.
Clinical volume that builds toward full-time practice
An estimated 765 clinical hours across three escalating courses gives slightly more supervised practice than many single-population tracks, but the final term’s load of more than 21 hours a week will require most working nurses to cut their schedule.
Drawbacks to weigh
- Two years of pediatric RN experience is required for both tracks.
- Four courses carry a campus component, so the program is not fully online.
- No post-graduate pediatric certificate or pediatric DNP is listed, so there is no in-house route to add the second pediatric population later.
- Out-of-state eligibility depends on the applicant’s state.
The Verdict
TTUHSC makes the most sense for an experienced Texas pediatric nurse who wants an MSN-level PNP at public in-state cost, particularly one weighing acute care, since both populations are available on the same timeline and price. Nurses without two years of pediatric experience, those who need a fully online program with no campus travel, and those who want a BSN-to-DNP pediatric route should compare other options.
Accreditation
The master’s degree program in nursing at TTUHSC is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), as are the school’s baccalaureate, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs. The School of Nursing is also approved by the Texas Board of Nursing.
According to the TTUHSC catalog, graduates of the pediatric tracks are eligible for the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board exams: CPNP-PC for the primary care track and CPNP-AC for the acute care track. See TTUHSC School of Nursing accreditation.
Research More PNP Programs in Texas
- Texas Woman's University - Denton
- The University of Texas at Austin - Austin
- The University of Texas at San Antonio - San Antonio
- University of Texas at Arlington - Arlington