UW PNP Programs (Pediatric Nurse)

University of Washington (UW) School of Nursing offers four Pediatric Nurse Practitioner tracks across two degree/certificate levels:

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Tracks:

DNP – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care (PNP-PC)
DNP – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Acute Care (PNP-AC)

Post-Graduate Certificates (APRN entry):

Graduate Certificate – PNP-PC
Graduate Certificate – PNP-AC

All four tracks are delivered full-time and in-person on the UW Seattle campus, with Year 1 of the DNP offered in a hybrid format (50% in-person, 50% distance).

Program Tracks Overview

Program	Est. Tuition (Autumn 2026+ cohort)	Est. Duration
DNP PNP-PC	$98,766–$100,890	3 years (9 quarters)
DNP PNP-AC	$98,766–$100,890	3 years (9 quarters)
Certificate PNP-PC	$46,752–$58,440 resident	12–15 months
Certificate PNP-AC	$46,752–$58,440 resident	12–15 months

A standout feature across all tracks: UW manages all clinical placements — a deliberate differentiator from the majority of DNP programs nationally. UW is ranked #1 among public schools offering a Doctor of Nursing Practice by U.S. News & World Report, and is the only nursing school in the WWAMI region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) offering the PNP-AC track. In 2024–25, UW awarded 180 DNP scholarships totaling $2.1 million.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Tracks

Doctor of Nursing Practice – PNP-PC

The DNP PNP-PC program is a full-time, in-person, 3-year (9-quarter) program leading to the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.

Beginning with the Autumn 2026 cohort, tuition is $1,062 per credit (fee-based, same rate for all students regardless of residency), with estimated total tuition of approximately $98,766–$100,890 based on a comparable 93–95 credit load to the AC-PNP track.

DNP PNP-PC Curriculum

The three-year curriculum begins with a shared first-year core taken alongside all DNP tracks, covering leadership, evidence appraisal and application, health equity, health systems and policy, wellness and health promotion, and quality improvement.

Year 1 is hybrid (50% in-person, one day per week on campus).

Year 2 establishes the foundation of advanced practice with pathophysiology, advanced physical assessment, and pharmacology — then builds into track-specific advanced assessment, diagnosis/management, and specialty pharmacology, with clinical placements beginning in spring quarter.

Year 3 continues clinical training and culminates in a DNP Final Project completed in collaboration with a local clinical agency, presented as a final examination.

⚠️ A detailed course-by-course curriculum plan for the PNP-PC DNP track is not publicly available. The course sequence below reflects the shared DNP core; specialty courses are published separately by the program.

Year 1 — DNP Core (shared across all tracks, 31 cr.):

NSG 555 – Research Implementation in Advanced Nursing (3 cr.)
Explores multidisciplinary research models and methods for advanced nursing practice. Emphasizes translating science into practice, ethical inquiry, and scientific accountability.

NSG 530 – Leadership, Communication & Professional Identity (3 cr.)
Focuses on leadership development, professional identity, and transition into advanced roles. Builds communication, collaboration, and conflict-resolution skills for interprofessional teams.

NSG 553 – Health Systems & Economics Foundations (3 cr.)
Introduces health system design through the lens of business, finance, and economics. Applies cost-effectiveness principles to improve care and organizational performance. Prerequisite: instructor permission.

NMETH 535 – Nursing Inquiry for Evidence-Based Practice (4 cr.)
Covers ethical, conceptual, and practical aspects of quantitative and qualitative research. Develops analytic and data management skills for evidence-based nursing inquiry. Prerequisite: NSG 555 or instructor permission.

NSG 551 – Health Policy and Political Action (3 cr.)
Examines the political dimensions of U.S. health policy and the nurse’s role in advocacy and leadership to improve health outcomes. Offered: Winter.

NSG 552 – Social Determinants & Health Equity (3 cr.)
Analyzes how social and environmental factors influence health outcomes across populations. Highlights equity, justice, and socio-ecological frameworks for addressing disparities.

NMETH 533 – Evidence Appraisal & Practice Translation (5 cr.)
Enhances ability to assess research, apply findings to clinical practice, and measure outcomes. Includes guideline development, technology use, and dissemination of results. Prerequisite: NMETH 535 or instructor permission.

NURS 552 – Wellness, Health Promotion & Prevention (3 cr.)
Focuses on strategies for promoting wellness and preventing disease at individual and community levels through education and risk reduction.

NMETH 536 – Program Evaluation & Quality Improvement (4 cr.)
Teaches evaluation and quality improvement methods for healthcare programs. Covers design, data use, and informatics tools to improve safety, efficiency, and outcomes. Prerequisite: NMETH 535 or instructor permission (may be concurrent).

See the official curriculum page for more details.

DNP PNP-PC Clinicals

All clinical placements are pre-arranged by UW’s Office of Clinical Placements in collaboration with an expansive network of clinical and community partners, including the UW Medicine system.

Students do not need to self-arrange placements. Clinical experiences are available in both urban and rural settings and may include primary care pediatric practices, public health settings, school-based clinics, pediatric subspecialty services, medically underserved and rural settings, U.S. Armed Forces, and international health settings.

Clinical placements begin in spring quarter of Year 2.

Placements arranged across the full UW Medicine system and regional clinical partners
Urban and rural settings available
Access to the Barnard Center for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health for specialized pediatric resources
Clinical training begins spring quarter of Year 2 and continues through Year 3

DNP PNP-PC Admissions Requirements

In-process or earned BSN or MSN from a nationally accredited nursing program (CCNE, NLN, or ACEN); degree must be completed before beginning the program
Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA or 3.0 GPA for last 60 semester/90 quarter graded credits
Graded, for-credit statistics course (3 credits minimum): for Autumn 2026 entry, completed between January 2021 and September 2026
Active, unrestricted Washington state RN license by program start
If holding an ARNP license, must also be active and unrestricted in Washington state
International applicants: active unrestricted U.S. RN license required at time of application
Online application through UW Graduate School + non-refundable application fee
Unofficial transcripts from every college/university attended (official required if admitted)
Current resume (education, clinical and professional experience, leadership, certifications, research, community involvement)
Required admissions essays (prompts within application)
Three letters of recommendation (clinical expertise, leadership potential, academic readiness, professional integrity)
Proof of English proficiency if native language is not English
Optional statement for context on academic challenges, breaks in education/employment, or life circumstances
U.S. citizenship, legal U.S. residency, or valid visa required; F-1/J-1 sponsorship not available
Autumn 2026 priority deadline: January 15, 2026 | Extended deadline: May 1, 2026

Doctor of Nursing Practice – PNP-AC

The DNP PNP-AC program is a full-time, in-person, 3-year (9-quarter) program leading to the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, with estimated total tuition of approximately $98,766–$100,890.

Estimate based on ~93–95 cr. × $1,062.

UW is the only nursing school in the WWAMI region offering this track.

It is highly recommended that applicants have at least one year of recent direct patient care experience as an RN in acute, critical, emergency, or similar care.

DNP PNP-AC Curriculum

Year 1 consists of the shared DNP core (see PNP-PC section above, 31 credits). Years 2 and 3 introduce the advanced practice nursing core and AC-PNP specialty sequence. Track-specific courses build expertise in acute and critical illness management, pediatric pharmacology, advanced assessment, and specialty care across multiple clinical practicum courses. A DNP Final Project with a local clinical agency is completed in Year 3. The curriculum below reflects the Autumn 2025 plan (effective Autumn 2025).

Advanced Practice Nursing Core:

NSG 557 – Physiology & Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan (4 cr.)
NCLIN 500 – Comprehensive Health Assessment (3 cr.)
NSG 520 – Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 cr.)

PNP-AC Specialty Didactic Courses:

NURS 514 – Physiologic Adaptations in Women & Children (2 cr.)
NURS 529 – Childhood Common Behavioral & Developmental Issues (2 cr.)
NCLIN 502 – Pediatric Diagnostic Health Assessment (4 cr.)
NURS 539 – Management of Patients with Acute/Critical Illness and Injury (4 cr.)
NURS 515 – Common Adolescent Health Problems (2 cr.)
NURS 569 – Management of Patients with Acute/Critical Illness and Injury II (2 cr.)
NURS 535 – Pharmacotherapeutics for Acute/Critical Illness (3 cr.)
NURS 500 – Child Management II (3 cr.)
NURS 517 – Pediatric Pulmonary Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology (2 cr., elective)
NSG 569 – Pediatric Cardiac Anatomy, Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Management (2 cr., elective)
NURS 573 – Foundations of Advanced Practice Nursing (1 cr., elective)

Clinical Practicum Courses:

NCLIN 516 – Advanced Clinical Practicum I (4 cr.)
NCLIN 517 – Advanced Clinical Practicum II (5 cr.)
NCLIN 518 – Advanced Clinical Practicum III (7 cr.)
NCLIN 801 – Practice Doctoral Clinical Immersion (8 cr.)

DNP Project:

NMETH 801 – Practice Doctorate Project (3 cr. × 2 terms = 6 cr.)

See the official curriculum page for more details.

DNP PNP-AC Clinicals

All clinical placements are pre-arranged by UW’s Office of Clinical Placements — students do not self-arrange. UW partners with the UW Medicine system and a broad network of clinical partners.

Clinical experiences span ambulatory pediatric subspecialty care, hospitalist settings, inpatient and outpatient pediatric specialty services (gastroenterology, infectious disease, neurology, endocrinology, nephrology), pediatric emergency departments and urgent care, and pediatric intensive/critical care. Placements are available in both urban and rural settings.

NCLIN 516 – Advanced Clinical Practicum I (4 cr.)
NCLIN 517 – Advanced Clinical Practicum II (5 cr.)
NCLIN 518 – Advanced Clinical Practicum III (7 cr.)
NCLIN 801 – Practice Doctoral Clinical Immersion (8 cr.)
Access to the Barnard Center for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
Settings include PICUs, emergency departments, inpatient units, and outpatient specialty clinics

DNP PNP-AC Admissions Requirements

In-process or earned BSN or MSN from a nationally accredited nursing program (CCNE, NLN, or ACEN); degree must be completed before beginning the program
Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA or 3.0 GPA for last 60 semester/90 quarter graded credits
Highly recommended: at least 1 year of recent direct patient care experience as an RN in acute, critical, emergency, or similar care setting
Graded, for-credit statistics course (3 credits minimum): for Autumn 2026 entry, completed between January 2021 and September 2026
Active, unrestricted Washington state RN license by program start; ARNP license if held must also be active and unrestricted
International applicants: active unrestricted U.S. RN license required at time of application
Online application through UW Graduate School + non-refundable application fee
Unofficial transcripts from every college/university attended (official required if admitted)
Current resume, required admissions essays, three letters of recommendation
Proof of English proficiency if native language is not English
U.S. citizenship, legal U.S. residency, or valid visa required; F-1/J-1 sponsorship not available
Autumn 2026 priority deadline: January 15, 2026 | Extended deadline: May 1, 2026

Post-Graduate Certificate Tracks

Graduate Certificate – PNP-PC

The Graduate Certificate PNP-PC program takes 12 to 15 months (approximately 4–5 quarters) to complete on a full-time, in-person basis, with estimated total tuition of approximately $46,752–$58,440 (WA resident) / $66,716–$83,395 (non-resident).

⚠️ These are estimates — because each student’s curriculum is determined by an individual gap analysis after admission, actual credit loads and total costs will vary. Students with more overlapping prior graduate coursework may complete the program in fewer quarters at lower cost.

Certificate PNP-PC Curriculum

The curriculum is fully individualized. After admission, a faculty adviser conducts a formal gap analysis of prior education and experience to determine each student’s course plan.

Many core PNP-PC courses require weekly in-person classroom attendance plus additional clinical practicum hours. Clinical practice experiences are available in both urban and rural settings.

⚠️ No published course-by-course certificate plan is available — curriculum is determined entirely through gap analysis after admission.

See the official curriculum page for more details.

Certificate PNP-PC Clinicals

Clinical hours are individualized based on the gap analysis. UW arranges clinical placements in collaboration with its clinical partner network. Experiences are available in both urban and rural settings.

Upon completing the certificate, graduates are eligible to apply for certification through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner or Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Certificate PNP-PC Admissions Requirements

Current APRN license (CNS, NP, or CRNA) required — this certificate is not available to non-APRN nurses
Admission is on a space-available basis; check the UW Apply page before beginning an application
Minimum 3.0 GPA
Active, unrestricted Washington state RN and APRN license
Online application through UW Graduate School
Transcripts, resume, admissions essays, and three letters of recommendation
Proof of English proficiency if native language is not English
Winter 2026 start: October 15 | Spring 2026 start: January 15 | Autumn 2026 start: May 1

Graduate Certificate – PNP-AC

The Graduate Certificate PNP-AC program is designed for currently licensed APRNs who want to expand their scope of practice into pediatric acute care.

The program takes 12 to 15 months (approximately 4–5 quarters) full-time and in-person, with estimated total tuition of approximately $46,752–$58,440 (WA resident) / $66,716–$83,395 (non-resident).

⚠️ These are estimates — because curriculum is determined through an individual gap analysis after admission.

Certificate PNP-AC Curriculum

The curriculum is fully individualized following a formal gap analysis conducted with a faculty adviser after admission. Many core PNP-AC courses require weekly in-person attendance plus clinical practicum hours.

Clinical experiences are available in both urban and rural inpatient, emergency, and specialty care settings.

⚠️ No published course-by-course certificate plan is available — curriculum is determined through gap analysis after admission.

See the official curriculum page for more details.

Certificate PNP-AC Clinicals

Clinical hours are individualized based on gap analysis. UW arranges clinical placements through its clinical partner network, including UW Medicine and regional specialty hospital partners.

Experiences span inpatient, emergency, and specialty care settings in urban and rural environments. Upon completing the certificate, graduates are eligible for the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) Acute Care certification examination.

Certificate PNP-AC Admissions Requirements

Current APRN license (CNS, NP, or CRNA) required
Admission is on a space-available basis; check the UW Apply page before beginning an application
Minimum 3.0 GPA
Active, unrestricted Washington state RN and APRN license
Online application through UW Graduate School
Transcripts, resume, admissions essays, and three letters of recommendation
Proof of English proficiency if native language is not English
Winter 2026 start: October 15 | Spring 2026 start: January 15 | Autumn 2026 start: May 1

Tuition

DNP Programs: Beginning with the Autumn 2026 cohort, both PNP DNP tracks are fee-based at $1,062 per credit — the same rate for Washington residents and non-residents.

Based on an estimated 93–95 credit program load, total DNP PNP tuition for Autumn 2026+ cohorts is approximately $98,766–$100,890.

For cohorts entering Autumn 2025 and earlier, state tuition applied at $11,688/quarter (WA resident) and $16,679/quarter (non-resident), totaling approximately $105,192 (resident) and $150,111 (non-resident) over 9 quarters.

Post-Graduate Certificates: Certificate tuition follows the same state vs. fee-based cohort split as the DNP tracks. Both certificate programs run 12–15 months, which translates to approximately 4–5 quarters.

Based on this range, estimated total certificate tuition is approximately $46,752–$58,440 for WA residents and $66,716–$83,395 for non-residents.

⚠️ These are estimates — because each student’s curriculum is determined by an individual gap analysis, actual credit loads and costs will vary. Students with more overlapping prior graduate coursework may complete the program in fewer quarters at lower cost.

More tuition details are available here.

Accreditation

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program and the post-graduate APRN certificate programs at the University of Washington School of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Graduates of the PNP-PC tracks (DNP and certificate) are eligible to apply for certification through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner or Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist. Graduates of the PNP-AC tracks are eligible for PNCB Acute Care certification. UW is ranked #1 among public schools offering a Doctor of Nursing Practice by U.S. News & World Report.