University of Louisville offers the pediatric nurse practitioner credential in one focus only — pediatric acute care (PAC-NP) — across four formats:
- MSN – Acute Care
- BSN-DNP – Acute Care
- MSN-DNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate – Acute Care
There is no primary care pediatric track at Louisville; every pathway prepares nurses for the sickest children, in hospital-based pediatric acute care units, PICUs, pediatric cardiac ICUs, emergency departments, and pediatric specialty practices.
Admission runs through a holistic review, and clinical placement requires a Kentucky or compact-state RN license.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program Name | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MSN PAC-NP | ~$38K (resident) | ~2 years |
| BSN-DNP PAC | ~$58K | ~3 years |
| MSN-DNP | ~$23K | ~2 years |
| Post-Grad Certificate PAC-NP | ~$23K | ~1–2 years |
“Louisville trains pediatric nurse practitioners exclusively for the toughest settings — the PICU, the cardiac ICU, and the emergency department — from the bachelor’s level through the doctorate.”
MSN PAC-NP
The estimated cost for the MSN Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner at University of Louisville is about $38,000 in tuition for Kentucky residents.
The program requires a minimum of two years of full-time study.
MSN Curriculum
The MSN totals 51 credits: a 34-credit APRN core plus a 17-credit pediatric acute care specialty.
The core covers evidence-based practice, quality and safety, health promotion, the three APRN sciences (pharmacology, pathophysiology, physical assessment), the business of healthcare, the professional NP role, four NP clinical practicums, and clinical seminars.
- NURS 754 Clinical Reasoning in Advanced Practice Nursing
- NURS 761 Pediatric & Adolescent Well Child Theory
- NURS 762 Diagnosis & Management of Pediatrics in Primary Care
- NURS 800 Pathophysiology for Pediatric Acute Care
- NURS 801 Pharmacology for Pediatric Acute Care
- NURS 802 Procedures for Pediatric Acute Care
- NURS 803 Diagnosis and Management for Pediatric Acute Care I: Special Needs in Chronic Illness
- NURS 804 Diagnosis and Management for Pediatric Acute Care II: Acute Illness
- NURS 805 Diagnosis and Management for Pediatric Acute Care III: Critical Illness
- NURS 806 The Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Role
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinicals
The MSN requires a minimum of 672 direct patient care clinical hours plus 84 professional role hours (756 total), delivered across four NP clinical practicums of 168 hours each and an advanced practice role practicum.
Placements sit in pediatric acute care settings.
- 672 direct patient care hours + 84 professional role hours
- Four NP clinical practicums at 168 hours each
- Optional extra clinical hour (84 hours) for states requiring 750 hours for licensure
- Settings: hospital-based pediatric acute care, PICU, cardiac ICU, ED, and pediatric specialty practices
MSN Admissions
Applicants apply through NursingCAS with a BSN from a CCNE-, ACEN-, or NLN-accredited program; admission uses a holistic review.
- BSN from a CCNE/ACEN/NLN-accredited program; recommended 3.0 undergraduate GPA
- Two recommendations (nursing supervisor, preceptor, clinical supervisor, or faculty)
- Resume or CV; responses to NursingCAS questions
- Unencumbered RN license (Kentucky or compact state required before clinicals); criminal background check
- Pediatric Acute Care: one year of RN experience in an acute care setting, or a commitment to complete it before clinical courses
DNP PAC
The estimated cost for University of Louisville’s Doctor of Nursing Practice pediatric acute care tracks is about $58,000 for the 77-credit BSN-DNP and about $23,000 for the 30-credit MSN-DNP completion, both for Kentucky residents;.
The BSN-DNP requires a minimum of three years full-time and the MSN-DNP a minimum of two years part-time.
DNP Curriculum
The BSN-DNP (77 credits) pairs a 61-credit doctoral core with a 16-credit pediatric acute care specialty.
Beyond the APRN sciences and NP practicums, the core adds leadership and health policy, epidemiology, finance, program development and evaluation, applied statistics, legal and professional topics, and a three-course DNP project.
The MSN-DNP (30 credits) is a leadership and population-health completion for nurses who already hold a master’s; those not already certified as an APRN, or APRNs adding a specialty, also complete the APRN sciences and the pediatric acute care coursework.
- NURS 761 Pediatric & Adolescent Well Child Theory; NURS 762 Diagnosis & Management of Pediatrics in Primary Care
- NURS 800–802 Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, and Procedures for Pediatric Acute Care
- NURS 803–805 Diagnosis and Management for Pediatric Acute Care I–III (chronic, acute, and critical illness)
- NURS 806 The Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Role
More curriculum details are available here.
DNP Clinicals
The BSN-DNP requires a minimum of 1,000 clinical, professional, and project hours, concentrated in the final two years.
The MSN-DNP totals 1,000 post-baccalaureate hours, with clinical hours varying by prior master’s preparation; students with fewer than 670 documented MSN clinical hours enroll in a clinical completion course.
- BSN-DNP: minimum 1,000 clinical, professional, and project hours (final two years)
- MSN-DNP: 1,000 post-baccalaureate hours total; minimum 330 project/professional hours
- Clinical completion course required if prior MSN clinical hours are under 670
- DNP project sequence: 110 hours each across three project courses
- Settings: PICU, cardiac ICU, ED, and pediatric specialty practices
DNP Admissions
Both entry points apply through NursingCAS plus a $40 supplemental fee and use holistic review.
- BSN-DNP: BSN from a CCNE/ACEN/NLN-accredited program (recommended 3.0 GPA)
- MSN-DNP: master’s degree, with BSN and MSN from accredited programs (recommended 3.0 graduate GPA)
- Two recommendations, resume/CV, and goal-statement essays
- Unencumbered RN license (Kentucky or compact state before clinicals); criminal background check
- Pediatric Acute Care: one year of RN experience in an acute care setting, or a commitment to complete it before clinical courses
Post-Graduate Certificate PAC-NP
The estimated cost for University of Louisville’s Post-Graduate Pediatric Acute Care Certificate is roughly $23,000 in tuition for Kentucky residents.
Exact credits and length are set by a gap analysis of prior coursework, so most students finish in about 1 to 2 years.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is open to RNs who already hold an MSN or a terminal degree (PhD, EdD, DNP). A program of study is built from a gap analysis; the pediatric acute care sequence runs up to 31 credits, with three prerequisite core courses (advanced pharmacology, pathophysiology, and physical assessment, 10 credits) required if not already completed.
- Prerequisites: Advanced Pharmacology, Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Physical Assessment (10 cr)
- Pediatric acute care sequence: NURS 800–806 (pathophysiology, pharmacology, procedures, the three Diagnosis & Management courses, and the PAC role)
- NP clinical practicums (NURS 726–729) and clinical seminars
- Some courses are waived for APRNs adding a second specialty or holding PNP/FNP certification
More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Clinicals
Clinical hours are set by gap analysis against prior training. APRNs adding a specialty complete fewer hours than nurses entering without an APRN background.
- APRNs seeking an additional specialty: minimum 504 population-specific clinical hours
- Other students: minimum 672 patient care hours + 84 professional role hours
- Pediatric acute care: minimum 588 hours if there is no documented well-child care in the primary certification
- Hours and plan of study individualized by gap analysis
Certificate Admissions
Only RNs holding an MSN or a terminal degree are eligible; admission uses holistic review.
- MSN or terminal degree (PhD, EdD, DNP) from a CCNE/ACEN/NLN-accredited program
- Recommended 3.0 graduate GPA
- Two recommendations; resume/CV including RN license number; goal statement
- Unencumbered RN license (Kentucky or compact state before clinicals); criminal background check
- Pediatric Acute Care: one year of RN experience in an acute care setting, or a commitment to complete it before clinical courses
Tuition
University of Louisville charges Graduate Nursing Program tuition at $750 per credit hour for Kentucky residents and $989 for non-residents (or $6,746 versus $8,899 per semester at full-time enrollment of nine or more credits); active-duty and qualifying military pay $250 per credit hour. A doctoral/master candidacy program fee of $1,700 per semester also applies.
The estimates above multiply the resident per-credit rate by each program’s credit total, and non-resident totals run roughly 30% higher.
Students seeking licensure in states that require 750 clinical hours can add a credit hour at standard rates.
See the official tuition page for more details here.
More Pediatric Nursing Programs to Consider
- University of Kentucky - Lexington