University of Delaware (UD) School of Nursing offers three Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PNP) tracks:
- Master of Science in Nursing – PNP (BSN entry, online)
- Doctor of Nursing Practice – PNP (BSN entry, online)
- Post-Master’s Certificate – PNP (MSN/APRN-prepared nurses, online)
All three tracks are delivered 100% online with occasional on-campus intensive experiences, and all maintain a 100% board pass rate.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN PNP | $38,984 | 2–3 years (part-time) |
| DNP PNP (BSN entry) | $78,120 | 3 years (full-time) / 5 years (part-time) |
| Post-Master’s Certificate PNP | $886/credit | 1–2 years (part-time) |
A key differentiator is UD’s collaborative clinical placement model — unlike most programs that leave students to find their own preceptors, UD’s dedicated team partners with students to locate and secure qualified preceptors anywhere in the country. All PNP tracks focus exclusively on primary care for children from birth through young adulthood (up to age 21).
Master of Science in Nursing – PNP
The MSN PNP program has an estimated tuition of approximately $38,984 (44 credits × $886/credit with Dean’s Scholarship) and would take approximately 2 to 3 years to complete on a part-time basis. There are no additional university fees beyond tuition for online students.
MSN Curriculum
The program totals 44 credit hours and 816 practicum hours, organized across NP core courses, MSN-NP core courses, and PNP concentration courses. Core coursework covers advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment, diagnostic reasoning, evidence-based practice, the NP role, and clinical role immersion. PNP concentration courses build pediatric-specific knowledge across three progressive theory and practicum sequences, plus advanced concepts in pediatric development and a financial management seminar.
NP Core Courses (18 cr.):
NURS 618 – The Role of the Nurse Practitioner
Examines the nurse practitioner role within today’s healthcare environment, including social determinants of health, financial realities, ethical and legal issues, and the LACE model.
NURS 620 – Advanced Health Assessment
Develops advanced assessment skills for culturally responsive, patient-centered care across the lifespan, with emphasis on history taking and physical examination.
NURS 621 – Advanced Pathophysiology
Explores pathophysiologic processes of common disorders across the lifespan using a body systems approach. Emphasizes evidence-based practice, population health, and the impact of disease on outcomes.
NURS 622 – Advanced Pharmacology
Prepares nurse practitioner prescribers to deliver safe, effective pharmacologic care across the lifespan. Covers pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, adverse effects, interactions, and population-specific considerations.
NURS 630 – Advanced Diagnostic Reasoning
Focuses on advanced diagnostic reasoning for nurse practitioners through case-based analysis of acute and chronic conditions. Emphasizes differential diagnosis, symptom evaluation, and the use of advanced procedures when indicated.
NURS 667 – Seminar
Provides a flexible seminar format for approved advanced topics in nursing.
NURS 921 – Clinical Role Immersion
Serves as the final clinical course for nurse practitioner students transitioning to independent practice. Integrates informatics, policy, leadership, and care coordination in primary care and mental health settings.
MSN-NP Core Courses (6 cr.):
- NURS 628 – Nursing Research / Evidence-Based Practice Research and Theory (3 cr.)
- NURS 619 – Seminar: Financial Management for Healthcare Practitioners (2 cr.)
- NURS 667 – Seminar: Approved Topics (1 cr.)
PNP Concentration Courses (20 cr.):
NURS 650 – Advanced Concepts of Pediatric Development
Examines pediatric growth and development across childhood, with attention to normal and abnormal patterns from infancy through young adulthood. Emphasizes comprehensive care for children and families.
NURS 651 – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner I
Focuses on comprehensive care for newborns and infants, including assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and family education. Emphasizes growth and development, health promotion, and disease prevention.
NURS 652 – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner II
Addresses common primary care concerns in toddlers, school-age children, and pre-adolescents. Emphasizes assessment, diagnosis, treatment, health promotion, and patient education.
NURS 653 – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner III
Focuses on primary care management of adolescents and young adults. Emphasizes screening, risk identification, health promotion, disease prevention, and family- and community-centered assessment.
NURS 654 – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Practicum I
Provides supervised clinical experience in assessing and managing common health conditions in newborns and infants. Students apply advanced assessment, diagnostic, pharmacologic, and education skills in primary or specialty care settings.
NURS 655 – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Practicum II
Provides supervised clinical experience focused on care for toddlers, school-age children, and pre-adolescents. Students apply advanced assessment, diagnostic, pharmacologic, and education skills in primary or specialty care settings.
NURS 656 – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Practicum III
Provides supervised clinical experience focused on adolescents and young adults. Students apply advanced assessment, diagnostic, pharmacologic, and education skills in primary or specialty care settings.
See the official curriculum page for more details.
MSN Clinicals
Students complete 816 direct practicum hours distributed across three practicum courses (204 hours each) plus the Clinical Role Immersion course (204 hours). UD’s dedicated clinical placement team partners with students to find and secure preceptors — placements can be arranged anywhere in the country, making the program viable for nurses nationwide.
- NURS 654 – PNP Practicum I (204 hrs)
- NURS 655 – PNP Practicum II (204 hrs)
- NURS 656 – PNP Practicum III (204 hrs)
- NURS 921 – Clinical Role Immersion (204 hrs)
MSN Admissions Requirements
- BSN from an accredited college or university
- RN licensure in the United States
- Minimum 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA
- Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
- TOEFL or IELTS results (non-native English speakers only, within last 2 years)
- Application submitted through NursingCAS; UD supplemental application required after notification
- No additional university fees for online students beyond tuition
- Students admitted in cohorts into three-year part-time plans; all coursework must be completed within seven years
- Application deadlines: Fall — July 1 | Winter — November 15 | Spring — December 10 | Summer — April 1
Doctor of Nursing Practice – PNP (BSN Entry)
The DNP PNP program has an estimated tuition of approximately $78,120 (70 credits × $1,116/credit) and would take approximately 3 years full-time or 5 years part-time to complete. This is UD’s terminal practice degree for PNP preparation and requires 1,016 total clinical hours (816 direct care / 200 indirect).
DNP Curriculum
The BSN-to-DNP totals a minimum of 69–70 credits organized across NP core courses, DNP core courses, and PNP concentration courses. In addition to the full NP clinical specialty sequence, doctoral coursework adds biostatistics, population health, healthcare policy and finance, health informatics, integrated healthcare delivery, evidence-based practice methods and translation, and a four-course DNP Project sequence culminating in implementation and evaluation. Students work with experienced faculty and practice experts on evidence-based practice projects, functioning as healthcare change leaders.
NP Core Courses (18 cr.) — same as MSN:
- NURS 618 – The Role of the Nurse Practitioner (2 cr.)
- NURS 620 – Advanced Health Assessment (3 cr.)
- NURS 621 – Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr.)
- NURS 622 – Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr.)
- NURS 630 – Advanced Diagnostic Reasoning (2 cr.)
- NURS 667 – Seminar: Approved Topics (2 cr.)
- NURS 921 – Clinical Role Immersion (3 cr.)
DNP Core Courses (31 cr.):
- EPID 603 – Biostatistics for Health Sciences I (3 cr.)
- NURS 813 – Leadership and Innovation in Population Health (3 cr.)
- NURS 843 – Policy & Finance for Healthcare Delivery (3 cr.)
- NURS 844 – Population Health Informatics (3 cr.)
- NURS 852 – Integrated Healthcare Delivery (3 cr.)
- NURS 870 – Writing for Dissemination (2 cr.)
- NURS 873 – DNP Project I: Problem Identification (1–3 cr.)
- NURS 874 – DNP Project II: Planning & Development (1–3 cr.)
- NURS 881 – Advanced Population Health (3 cr.)
- NURS 883 – Evidence-Based Practice I: Methods (3 cr.)
- NURS 886 – Evidence-Based Practice II: Translation (3 cr.)
- NURS 900 – DNP Project III: Implementation (2–3 cr.)
- NURS 910 – DNP Project IV: Evaluation (1 cr.)
PNP Concentration Courses (20 cr.) — same as MSN:
- NURS 650 – Advanced Concepts of Pediatric Development (2 cr.)
- NURS 651 – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner I (3 cr.)
- NURS 654 – PNP Practicum I (3 cr. / 204 hrs)
- NURS 652 – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner II (3 cr.)
- NURS 655 – PNP Practicum II (3 cr. / 204 hrs)
- NURS 653 – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner III (3 cr.)
- NURS 656 – PNP Practicum III (3 cr. / 204 hrs)
See the official curriculum page for more details.
DNP Clinicals
DNP PNP students complete 1,016 total clinical hours — 816 direct care hours across the practicum and clinical role immersion courses, plus 200 indirect hours embedded in the DNP project sequence. UD’s clinical placement team partners with students to secure preceptors anywhere in the country.
- NURS 654 – PNP Practicum I (204 direct hrs)
- NURS 655 – PNP Practicum II (204 direct hrs)
- NURS 656 – PNP Practicum III (204 direct hrs)
- NURS 921 – Clinical Role Immersion (204 direct hrs)
- DNP Project Courses (NURS 873, 874, 900, 910) – 200 indirect hrs
DNP Admissions Requirements
Post-Baccalaureate Applicants:
- BSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited School of Nursing
- Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA
- At least one year of clinical experience as an RN
- Copy of active RN license in Delaware, a compact state, or demonstrated eligibility before starting
All Applicants:
- Written statement identifying career goals and how the program will facilitate professional objectives
- Three letters of recommendation (one or two academic at the doctoral level; one or two professional from an employer or practice leader)
- Successful interview with graduate leadership and DNP faculty
- Writing sample demonstrating competence in written communication
- Curriculum vitae or resume
- Copy of RN license in the state of active practice
- TOEFL or IELTS results (non-native English speakers only, within last 2 years)
- Application through NursingCAS
- All coursework must be completed within seven years
- Application deadline: July 1 (Fall entry only)
Post-Master’s Certificate – PNP (Primary Care)
The Post-Master’s Certificate PNP program is available at $886/credit (with Dean’s Scholarship). Credit hours range from 24 to 40 credits depending on the gap analysis, with an estimated cost of approximately $21,264–$35,440. The program can generally be completed in 1 to 2 years of part-time study and provides more than 500 clinical hours. A free gap analysis is conducted at matriculation to determine each student’s individualized plan of study.
Certificate Curriculum
The Post-Master’s Certificate plan of study is fully individualized based on a gap analysis of prior graduate coursework and clinical hours. Students complete the required NP core courses and PNP concentration courses not already satisfied by prior graduate work. The certificate prepares students to take the PNCB certification exam. Post-master’s students who hold NP certification and seek certification in an additional population focus must apply for dual enrollment in the DNP and a Post-Master’s Certificate program.
Core and concentration courses mirror the MSN PNP program:
- NP Core: Advanced Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, Health Assessment, Diagnostic Reasoning, Role of the NP, Clinical Role Immersion
- PNP Concentration: Advanced Concepts of Pediatric Development, PNP I, II, III (theory and practicum)
⚠️ Final course requirements are determined individually at matriculation. Contact UD admissions for a free gap analysis before applying.
See the official curriculum page for more details.
Certificate Clinicals
The program provides a minimum of 500 clinical hours; the exact total depends on the gap analysis of prior clinical experience. UD’s clinical placement team partners with students to identify and secure qualified preceptors, with placement available nationwide.
Certificate Admissions Requirements
- MSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited School of Nursing
- Minimum 3.5 graduate GPA
- Multi-state compact RN license
- Current certification/licensure as a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist
- Application through NursingCAS
- TOEFL or IELTS results (non-native English speakers only)
- No additional university fees for online students beyond tuition
- Application deadlines: MSN with NP (Spring start only) — December 10 | MSN without NP: Summer — April 1; Fall — July 1
- ⚠️ GPA requirement is higher for certificate applicants (3.5) than for MSN applicants (3.0)
Tuition
UD’s MSN and Post-Master’s Certificate PNP programs are priced at a discounted rate of $886 per credit for all students, thanks to a College of Health Sciences Dean’s Scholarship.
The BSN-to-DNP program is priced at the standard graduate rate of $1,116 per credit.
Online graduate students are exempt from the Student Center Fee, Student Wellbeing Fee, Graduate Recreation Fee, and Registration Fee. Books and course materials are estimated at $70 per credit for online students. There are no additional program-specific fees beyond tuition for online students.
More tuition details are available here.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at the University of Delaware are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Graduates of all PNP tracks are prepared to sit for the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) certification examination. UD is also a member of the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence and an NLN Center of Excellence in Nursing Education.