The University of Kentucky College of Nursing offers pediatric nurse practitioner preparation in both primary care and acute care through six pathways, all at the doctoral or post-graduate level:
- BSN to DNP – Primary Care, CPNP-PC
- BSN to DNP – Acute Care, CPNP-AC
- MSN to DNP – Primary Care, CPNP-PC
- MSN to DNP – Acute Care, CPNP-AC
- Post-Graduate APRN Certificate – Primary Care, CPNP-PC
- Post-Graduate APRN Certificate – Acute Care, CPNP-AC
Nursing courses are delivered online, and every specialty course requires one to six days on the Lexington campus each semester. Applicants need an unencumbered RN license, and the College states that it does not admit students from all states.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition (Resident) | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP – PC or AC | $70K–$82K | 3–5 yrs | 74 |
| MSN-DNP – PC or AC | $55K–$56K | 2–3 yrs | 51+ |
| Cert – PC or AC | $25K–$35K | About 2.5 yrs (est.) | 23–32 |
Tuition estimates multiply UK’s 2026-2027 Professional Practice Doctoral rate for the Lexington campus ($1,103/credit resident, $2,912.50/credit non-resident, mandatory fees included) by each sample plan’s credits; the lower BSN-DNP figure applies the flat full-time semester rate to the full-time plan.
Kentucky runs pediatric primary care and pediatric acute care as separate specialties at every entry point, so a nurse can choose the population first and the degree route second. Within each route, the two populations carry identical credit totals and the same 780 direct-care clinical hours. They differ only in the APRN seminar and clinical course sequence: NUR 956, 957, and 950 for primary care, NUR 959, 958, and 952 for acute care.
There is no master’s-level PNP. A BSN-prepared nurse commits to a 74-credit doctorate, and an APRN adding pediatrics chooses between a 51-credit DNP and a 23-to-32-credit certificate. The acute care track publishes no PICU or pediatric inpatient experience requirement, which opens it to nurses outside critical care but also means the university sets no acute care floor at admission.
Kentucky offers pediatric primary care and acute care preparation at three entry points, each built on 780 direct-care clinical hours and a few Lexington campus days per semester.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Population Focus | Every route: Primary Care (CPNP-PC) or Acute Care (CPNP-AC), chosen at application |
| Format | Mostly online; specialty courses meet in Lexington 1–6 days per semester |
| Campus Attendance | Up to 3 days at start and 3 days at end of each specialty term; core courses 1 hour |
| Clinical Hours | 780 direct care (all routes); DNP routes total 1,020 with DNP project hours |
| RN Experience Required | Clinical nursing experience before the first DNP clinical course; no pediatric or PICU gate stated |
| Start Terms | Fall; spring entry listed for part-time applicants only |
| Tuition | $1,103/credit resident, $2,912.50/credit non-resident (2026-2027) |
| State Availability | Cannot enroll students located in Louisiana or American Samoa |
| Accreditation | CCNE (DNP and post-graduate APRN certificate) |
Clinical Education
All three routes use the same clinical progression: a 60-hour introductory practicum (NUR 930), two 180-hour specialty clinicals paired with APRN Seminars II and III, then a 240-hour and a 120-hour NUR 930 practicum. The 240-hour course includes what the plans call a required immersive experience. That sums to 780 direct-care hours, above the 600-750 range typical of single-population PNP programs.
The heaviest term carries 360 clinical hours (NUR 930 plus DNP project hours in the full-time DNP plan), roughly 24 hours a week over a 15-week semester (est.). Working nurses should plan for reduced hours that term.
UK’s program pages do not say whether the College or the student arranges clinical sites and preceptors. The certificate admissions page requires an RN license, and an APRN license where applicable, in every state where clinical experiences occur.
A curriculum revision worth knowing about. The 2026-2027 Graduate Catalog says the DNP core is being revised, with two core courses added, two removed, and some credit values changed, without raising the maximum required credits. The College’s downloadable plans of study are still dated 2024, so individual core course names below may change. The pediatric seminar and clinical sequence is not named in the revision.
BSN to DNP: Pediatric Primary Care or Pediatric Acute Care
The BSN-DNP Option is 74 credits in either pediatric specialty and runs three years full time, with published four-year and five-year part-time plans. Estimated resident tuition is about $81,600 at the per-credit rate, or about $70,100 on the full-time plan where most fall and spring terms bill at the flat semester rate. Primary care graduates are eligible for the PNCB CPNP-PC exam; acute care graduates for the PNCB CPNP-AC exam. Applicants select one specialty in NursingCAS.
BSN-DNP Curriculum
Year one covers the advanced practice sciences and research methods, then the first APRN seminar and a 60-hour practicum in summer. Year two is the specialty year: two pediatric seminars alongside two 180-hour clinicals, plus biostatistics and the DNP project proposal. Year three is almost entirely practicum and DNP project work. The plans list NUR 922 under a “Family” section title even on the pediatric sheets; the five-year plan describes it as specific to the student’s specialty population.
- NUR 921 Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology (3)
- NUR 922 Advanced Pharmacology for Advanced Practice Nurses (4)
- NUR 923 Applications of Advanced Health Assessment (3)
- NUR 955 APRN Seminar I (3)
- Primary care: NUR 956 and 957 APRN Seminars II and III (3 each), NUR 950 Clinical (3, taken twice)
- Acute care: NUR 959 and 958 APRN Seminars II and III (3 each), NUR 952 Clinical (3, taken twice)
- NUR 930 Problems in Advanced Practice Nursing (1, 4, and 2 credits across three terms)
- EPE 557 Gathering, Analyzing and Using Educational Data (3); NUR 903 and 906 biostatistics and epidemiology (3 each)
- NUR 909, 918, and 910 DNP project sequence (2, 1, and 2+2)
Sample plans: primary care (full time), acute care (full time), four-year part time, and five-year part time.
BSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- 1,020 total clinical hours, 780 of them direct patient care
- The remaining 240 hours come from NUR 910 DNP Project (four credits)
- Full-time distribution: 60 (year 1 summer), 180, 180, 360, 240
- Part-time plans reach the same 1,020 hours over four or five years
The direct-care total is the same as the certificate’s, so the extra DNP hours are project work rather than additional pediatric patient contact.
BSN-DNP Admissions
- BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program
- Undergraduate GPA of 3.0; provisional admission possible below 3.0 with a B or better required in the first nine DNP credits
- Current, unencumbered, unrestricted RN license
- Clinical nursing experience before the first DNP clinical course
- Three references, preferably a doctorally prepared nursing faculty member and a current supervisor, with no more than one peer
- Personal statement, scholarly writing sample, and CV
- Interview with graduate nursing faculty
- NursingCAS application, $80 fee
- Background check, drug screen, immunizations, and CPR after admission
A published conflict worth knowing about. UK’s pages give four different DNP deadlines. The DNP Admissions page’s Important Dates list says the fall application opens October 15, with a January 15 preferred deadline and later applications considered until May 15 as space permits; a footer on the same page says September 15 to February 15. The BSN-DNP page says September 15 to January 15 in its body and September 15 to April 30 in its sidebar. This page uses the Important Dates list, the most specific statement, and treats January 15 as the practical deadline. The admissions page also lists a part-time spring entry (applications June 15 to September 15), while the BSN-DNP page says the program does not admit a spring class.
MSN to DNP: Pediatric Primary Care or Pediatric Acute Care
The MSN-DNP Option lets an MSN-prepared nurse either continue in a current specialty or add pediatric primary care (CPNP-PC) or pediatric acute care (CPNP-AC). The pediatric sample plans run 51 credits over three years; the College says its specialty options can also be finished in two years full time. Estimated resident tuition is about $56,300 for the 51 credits. Faculty run a gap analysis at admission that can add or remove courses.
MSN-DNP Curriculum
The 51 credits combine the DNP core with the full pediatric specialty sequence, including NUR 927 Special Topics in Pharmacology taught for the chosen population. Several courses must be completed before the fall start if they were not in the applicant’s MSN: EPE 557 (or equivalent statistics), NUR 902 Nursing Leadership, and NUR 915 Evidence-Based Practice. Applicants without separate three-credit pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, and advanced health assessment courses must take those before the specialty courses. Those additions could push the total toward 70 credits (est.), based on the credit values of the listed prerequisites.
- NUR 955 APRN Specialty Seminar I (3) and NUR 927 Special Topics in Pharmacology (1)
- Seminars II and III (3 each) with two 3-credit specialty clinicals, by population as in the BSN-DNP
- NUR 930 Problems in Advanced Practice Nursing (1, 4, and 2 credits)
- NUR 903 and 906 biostatistics and epidemiology (3 each)
- NUR 907 Population Health, NUR 778 Health Policy, NUR 919 Quality and Safety, NUR 914 Health Care Finance (3 each)
- NUR 909, 918, and 910 DNP project sequence
Sample plans: primary care and acute care.
MSN-DNP Clinical Requirements
- 1,020 total clinical hours, 780 direct care
- Distribution: 60 (year 1 summer), 180, 180, 360, 240
The plan carries the full 780 pediatric direct-care hours even for experienced APRNs, because the hours must be in the new population. An FNP adding pediatrics repeats the full clinical sequence.
MSN-DNP Admissions
Requirements match the BSN-DNP list, plus an MSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program and an APRN license where applicable. The DNP overview describes post-MSN entry as for nurses already prepared in an APRN role. Deadlines follow the DNP schedule above.
Post-Graduate APRN Certificate: Pediatric Primary Care or Pediatric Acute Care
The Postgraduate APRN Certificate is 23 to 32 credits, set by a gap analysis of the student’s transcripts, with estimated resident tuition of $25,400 to $35,300. The sample plan spans seven terms, about two and a half years (est.). It prepares graduates for the PNCB CPNP-PC or CPNP-AC exam and is intended for nurses who already hold an advanced practice graduate degree (MSN, DNP, or PhD) and want a different population focus.
Certificate Curriculum
The 23-credit core is the pediatric specialty sequence alone: 10 didactic and 13 clinical credits. The upper end of the range adds advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment for students whose prior degree lacks them.
- Prerequisites if needed: NUR 921 (3), NUR 922 (3–4), NUR 923 (3)
- NUR 927 Special Topics in Pharmacology (1)
- NUR 955 APRN Seminar I (3)
- Primary care: NUR 956 and 957 Seminars II and III, NUR 950 Specialty Clinical I and II (3 each)
- Acute care: NUR 959 and 958 Seminars II and III, NUR 952 Specialty Clinical I and II (3 each)
- NUR 930 Problems in Advanced Practice Nursing (1, 4, and 2 credits)
Sample plans: primary care and acute care.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 780 clinical clock hours, all direct care
- Distribution: 60, 180, 180, 240 (immersive experience), 120
- RN license, and APRN license where applicable, in each state where clinicals occur
Certificate Admissions
- Master’s or doctoral degree in nursing (listed as preferred on the admissions page)
- Current, unencumbered RN license and APRN license if applicable
- Two references: current supervisor, plus a graduate program advisor or nursing faculty member
- Interview with graduate faculty
- TOEFL for non-native English speakers (550 paper, 79 iBT)
- NursingCAS application, $80 fee; CV required
- Fall entry: opens October 15, January 15 preferred deadline, considered until May 15 as space permits; part-time spring entry June 15 to September 15
The certificate landing page gives a September 15 to January 15 window; this page uses the dated schedule on the certificate admissions page. The landing page describes the certificate as for APRN graduate-degree holders, while the admissions page lists a nursing graduate degree only as preferred.
Tuition
The College of Nursing bills DNP and post-graduate certificate students at the Professional Practice Doctoral rate. For 2026-2027 the Lexington campus rate, mandatory fees included, is $1,103 per credit for Kentucky residents and $2,912.50 for non-residents. Full-time students (nine or more credits) pay a flat $10,047.50 resident or $26,319.50 non-resident per semester, which is why the full-time BSN-DNP plan costs less than 74 credits at the per-credit rate.
A second published rate. The same table lists a UK Online version of the Professional Practice Doctoral rate, $1,067.50 per credit for residents and non-residents alike, for students enrolled exclusively in distance education courses. UK’s fee schedule counts hybrid classes as distance learning, but neither the College nor the bursar says whether immersion-based DNP students are billed at the online rate. This page uses the campus rate. For a non-resident, the difference on the BSN-DNP is large: about $79,000 at the online rate versus $184,000 to $216,000 at the campus rate (est.).
Estimated Total Tuition
| Pathway | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| BSN-DNP, full-time plan | $70,092 | $184,023 |
| BSN-DNP, part-time (per credit) | $81,622 | $215,525 |
| MSN-DNP (51 credits) | $55,271–$56,253 | $145,732–$148,538 |
| Certificate (23–32 credits) | $25,369–$35,296 | $66,988–$93,200 |
These totals are estimates calculated from the 2026-2027 campus rate and each sample plan, not university figures. Full-time figures bill fall and spring terms of nine or more credits at the flat semester rate and summer credits per credit. MSN-DNP figures exclude any prerequisite courses.
Fees Beyond Tuition
- Distance Learning Fee: $10 per credit for classes delivered online or hybrid, about $740 on the BSN-DNP (est.)
- NursingCAS application: $80
- Background check, drug screen, immunization, and CPR documentation (student-paid)
- Travel and lodging for up to six Lexington campus days per specialty semester
- Some courses carry lab or materials fees listed in the course catalog
The College offers a limited number of graduate assistantships with stipends of $10,000 to $20,000 for 10 to 20 hours of weekly service. See the 2026-2027 program-specific tuition table and the College financial resources page.
Why Choose This PNP Program?
Best suited for: Kentucky nurses who want a doctorate or post-graduate certificate in either pediatric primary care or pediatric acute care and can travel to Lexington a few days each semester.
Both Pediatric Populations at Every Entry Point
Primary care and acute care are available through the BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, and certificate alike, with the same credit and hour totals. A nurse who starts in primary care can later return for the acute care certificate, or the reverse, through the same school.
780 Direct-Care Hours
Every route requires 780 pediatric direct-care hours, above the typical 600-750. The DNP routes add 240 project hours on top.
Residency Drives the Price
Kentucky residents pay about $70,000 to $82,000 for the BSN-DNP. Non-residents at the campus rate pay roughly 2.6 times as much, unless the lower UK Online rate applies to them.
Drawbacks
- No MSN-level PNP; BSN-prepared nurses must take the 74-credit DNP
- Up to six Lexington campus days in every specialty semester
- Admission is limited by state; Louisiana and American Samoa residents cannot enroll
- Deadlines and spring entry are stated inconsistently across UK’s own pages
The Verdict
Kentucky residents who want a pediatric DNP, particularly in acute care, and who can reach Lexington for short immersions each term have the strongest reason to apply. Non-residents should weigh the campus-rate tuition against programs in their own states, and BSN-prepared nurses who do not want a doctorate should compare MSN-level PNP programs.
Accreditation
The College of Nursing’s baccalaureate, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Primary care graduates are eligible for the PNCB CPNP-PC exam and acute care graduates for the PNCB CPNP-AC exam.
UK’s state licensure disclosures list the DNP and APRN certificates as meeting educational requirements in 53 states and territories. Louisiana and American Samoa are listed as not determined, and the university cannot enroll students located there. See the authorization and licensure page.
More Pediatric NP Programs to Consider
- University of Louisville - Louisville