Thomas Jefferson University Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs

High Job Placement and Above-Average Certification Pass Rates

Jefferson College of Nursing offers two Pediatric Nurse Practitioner tracks:

  • MSN – PNP-PC (45 credits, BSN entry, 750 clinical hours, hybrid, 2–5 years)
  • Post-Graduate Certificate – PNP-PC (18–27 credits, MSN/DNP entry, online, gap analysis determines credit count)

All MSN NP tracks at Jefferson share a common 18-credit graduate core curriculum — specialty content is layered on top.

Program Tracks Overview

ProgramEst. TuitionEst. Duration
MSN – PNP-PC$62,550 2–5 years
Post-Graduate Certificate – PNP-PC$25,020 Not clearly stated

Individual plans of study are created at the mandatory new student orientation. Up to 6 MSN semester credits may be transferred from another regionally accredited institution.

Clinical placement is a joint student-faculty partnership — students play an active role in securing sites.

Program Tracks Overview

MSN – Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

The MSN PNP-PC at Jefferson College of Nursing is estimated at approximately ~$62,550 in tuition (45 credits × $1,390/credit) plus a departmental fee of $1,096/term and prorated IT and library fees. Program duration is 2–5 years depending on pace.

Students complete 750 clinical hours across three sequential specialty clinical courses, with a minimum requirement of 16 clinical hours per week during those courses. The program is delivered in a hybrid format — online with required on-campus components.

Graduates are eligible for the CPNP-PC exam through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). Jefferson reports pass rates above the national average and 98% job placement among graduates who pursue employment.

MSN Curriculum

The MSN PNP-PC totals 45 credits across 12 courses, organized across three components. All Jefferson NP tracks share the same 18-credit graduate core and 9-credit APRN core — specialty content is unique to each track.

  • Graduate core curriculum (18 cr.): Health and social policy, research for advanced practice nursing, philosophy and evidence-based practice foundations, role of the advanced practice nurse, leadership and critical decision-making, and digital transformation in healthcare.
  • APRN core curriculum (9 cr.): Advanced pathophysiology, advanced health assessment and clinical decision-making, and advanced pharmacotherapeutics.
  • Specialty curriculum (18 cr.): Three sequential 6-credit diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making courses specific to the pediatric advanced practice nurse.

Graduate Core Curriculum (18 cr.):

  • NU 717 – Health and Social Policy (3 cr.)
  • NU 603 – Research for Advanced Practice Nursing I (3 cr.)
  • NU 704 – Philosophy, Foundations, and Methods for Evidence-Based Practice (3 cr.)
  • NU 605 – Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse (3 cr.)
  • NU 696 – Leadership and Critical Decision Making (3 cr.)
  • NU 713 – Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Trends and Opportunities (3 cr.)

APRN Core Curriculum (9 cr.):

  • NU 570 – Pathophysiology of Human Disease (3 cr.)
  • NU 673 – Comprehensive Assessment for Clinical Decision-Making (3 cr.)
  • NU 560 – Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics (3 cr.)

Specialty Curriculum (18 cr.):

  • NU 640 – Diagnostic Reasoning and Clinical Decision-Making for Pediatric Advanced Practice Nurse I (6 cr.)
  • NU 641 – Diagnostic Reasoning and Clinical Decision-Making for Pediatric Advanced Practice Nurse II (6 cr.)
  • NU 642 – Diagnostic Reasoning and Clinical Decision-Making for Pediatric Advanced Practice Nurse III (6 cr.)

Students from accelerated baccalaureate programs will have their transcripts evaluated upon matriculation by the Chair of Graduate Programs for potential transfer credit. Up to 6 MSN semester credits may be transferred from regionally accredited institutions following Chair approval.

View more curriculum details in the Jefferson catalog.

MSN Clinicals

Students complete 750 clinical hours across the three sequential specialty clinical courses. Clinical placement is a joint partnership — faculty assist in securing sites, but students are expected to actively participate in the process.

  • NU 640 – Diagnostic Reasoning for Pediatric APN I (clinical hours embedded)
  • NU 641 – Diagnostic Reasoning for Pediatric APN II (clinical hours embedded)
  • NU 642 – Diagnostic Reasoning for Pediatric APN III (clinical hours embedded)
  • Total: 750 clinical hours at program completion
  • Minimum 16 clinical hours per week required during each of the three clinical courses
  • Clinical settings include clinical practice, school-based health, home health, public health, acute and long-term care
  • Clinical placement is a joint student-faculty partnership — students actively participate in securing sites

MSN Admissions

Mandatory one-day on-campus orientation required before the program begins. All students create an individual plan of study at this orientation. Specific deadlines and full admissions requirements not published in available source materials — contact Jefferson College of Nursing directly.

  • BSN from an accredited program required
  • Students from accelerated baccalaureate programs may receive transfer credit upon transcript evaluation
  • Students may take more than two courses per term; pace is individualized
  • Mandatory one-day on-campus orientation required before program start
  • Full admissions requirements, deadlines, GPA minimums, and experience requirements not published in available source materials — contact Jefferson College of Nursing for current requirements
  • Contact: Jefferson College of Nursing program page

Post-Graduate Certificate – Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

The Post-Graduate Certificate PNP-PC at Jefferson College of Nursing is available to nurses holding a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing. The program is delivered 100% online.

Tuition is estimated at ~$25,020 minimum (18 credits × $1,390) if the three prerequisite “Ps” are waived by gap analysis, or ~$37,530 (27 credits × $1,390) if all prerequisites are required.

A gap analysis of each applicant’s academic and practice portfolio determines which courses may be waived. Graduates are eligible for the CPNP-PC exam through PNCB.

The program page states 18 credits; the catalog curriculum shows 27 credits. The likely explanation is that 18 credits represents the specialty-only minimum (three 6-credit clinical courses after waiving all three “Ps”), and 27 credits is the maximum when pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment must all be completed. Confirm your specific credit requirement through a gap analysis inquiry before applying.

Certificate Curriculum

The Post-Graduate Certificate PNP-PC baseline totals 18 credits in specialty clinical courses. Up to 9 additional credits may be required based on gap analysis.

Specialty Clinical Courses (18 cr. — required for all students):

  • NU 6XX – Specialty Clinical Course I (6 cr.)
  • NU 6XX – Specialty Clinical Course II (6 cr.)
  • NU 6XX – Specialty Clinical Course III (6 cr.)

Additional Courses by Gap Analysis (up to 9 cr.):

  • NU 560 – Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr.)
  • NU 570 – Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology (3 cr.)
  • NU 673 – Advanced Health Assessment (3 cr.)

View more curriculum details in the Jefferson catalog.

Certificate Clinicals

  • Clinical hours embedded in the three specialty clinical courses
  • Total clinical hours for the certificate are not explicitly published — likely similar to the MSN’s 750 hours given the same three-course clinical sequence; confirm with the program
  • Clinical settings include clinical practice, school-based health, home health, public health, acute and long-term care
  • Clinical placement follows the same joint student-faculty partnership model as the MSN

Certificate Admissions

  • Master’s or doctoral degree in nursing required
  • Gap analysis of academic and practice portfolio conducted to determine credit requirements
  • Full admissions requirements, deadlines, GPA minimums, and experience requirements not published online — contact Jefferson College of Nursing for current requirements
  • Contact: Jefferson College of Nursing program page

Tuition

Jefferson College of Nursing charges graduate nursing students on a per-credit basis. Rates below apply to all College of Nursing programs except the DNP Nurse Anesthesia program.

  • Tuition rate (all CON programs except DNP Nurse Anesthesia): $1,390/credit
  • Departmental fee: $1,096/term
  • IT and library fees: prorated — see the Jefferson prorated fee chart for current amounts

Estimated total tuition by program:

  • MSN PNP-PC (45 cr.): ~$62,550 in tuition + $1,096/term departmental fee + prorated IT and library fees
  • Post-Graduate Certificate PNP-PC:
    • Minimum (18 cr., three Ps waived): ~$25,020 in tuition
    • Maximum (27 cr., three Ps required): ~$37,530 in tuition

The departmental fee of $1,096/term is in addition to per-credit tuition — the total number of terms depends on your individual pace and plan of study (2–5 years for MSN). IT and library fees are prorated and not shown in available source materials — consult the Jefferson tuition page for current amounts. These estimates reflect tuition only and do not include books, living expenses, or clinical compliance costs.

See the official tuition page for more details.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate and master’s programs at Jefferson College of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Graduates of both the MSN PNP-PC and Post-Graduate Certificate PNP-PC programs meet the academic eligibility requirements to sit for the Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care (CPNP-PC) exam offered by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). The program reports certification pass rates consistently above the national average. Jefferson MSN graduates in the NP tracks report a 98% job placement rate among those who pursue employment following graduation.

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