Villanova University’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing offers two Pediatric Nurse Practitioner pathways, both in primary care:
- MSN – Pediatric Primary Care (CPNP-PC)
- Post-Graduate Certificate – Pediatric Primary Care (CPNP-PC)
Both pathways require a current U.S. RN license. Core courses run online, but clinical courses are in person, and MSN placements are limited to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN – PC | $53K | Not published | 47 |
| Cert – PC | $28K–$39K | 1.5–5 yrs | 25–35 |
Tuition estimates multiply Villanova’s 2026–2027 MSN rate ($1,120/credit) by each pathway’s published credit total. The $157-per-semester general fee is not included.
- Why choose it: Villanova secures every MSN clinical placement, so BSN-prepared nurses never have to recruit their own pediatric preceptors for the 610 required hours.
- Trade-off: Those placements stay inside Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, clinical courses meet in person, and there is no acute care option.
Quick Facts
| Program Types | MSN; Post-Graduate Certificate |
| Population Focus | Primary Care (CPNP-PC) for both pathways; no acute care or dual option |
| Format | Hybrid: core courses online, support courses online or on campus, clinical courses in person |
| Clinical Hours | 610 (both pathways) |
| Clinical Placement | MSN: secured by Villanova. Certificate: not clearly published |
| Clinical Locations | MSN: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware only |
| RN Experience Required | None stated for U.S. applicants; one year of U.S. RN practice for international applicants |
| Minimum GPA | 3.2 |
| Start Terms | Spring, summer, and fall |
| Tuition | $1,120/credit (2026–2027) |
| Accreditation | CCNE (master’s and post-graduate APRN certificate) |
Clinical Education
- 610 clinical hours across three practicum courses taken in consecutive spring, summer, and fall terms
- Preceptors include both physicians and nurse practitioners across a range of clinical agencies
- Villanova secures placements for MSN students; the certificate page does not say who arranges certificate placements
- MSN placements are limited to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware
- Each clinical term pairs a practicum with a Clinical Management course; the university lists both as in-person
- Simulation work takes place in the college’s Simulation and Learning Resource Center, which is accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare
School-secured placement is the main reason to look at Villanova. Many PNP programs leave preceptor recruitment to the student, and pediatric primary care preceptors are hard to find. The catch is geography: an applicant who lives outside the three-state region, or may move during the program, should not count on the guarantee.
The format matters too. Because the Clinical Management courses run in person alongside each practicum, students should plan on campus attendance through all three clinical terms. The university does not publish a meeting schedule, so the exact cadence is not clearly stated.
General Admissions
Both pathways use the same graduate nursing application. The 3.2 GPA minimum is above the 3.0 floor common at other PNP programs.
- Minimum 3.2 GPA and a satisfactory academic record
- Current U.S. RN license (copy submitted)
- Completed statistics course covering descriptive and inferential statistics
- Three references: one academic and two professional (a colleague and a supervisor, or two supervisors), or three academic if professional references are not possible; a doctorally prepared nurse is strongly recommended
- Personal goal statement, plus an essay on how the applicant sees the NP role in clinical practice
- Transcripts from every college attended
- Application fee, waived for Open House attendees (amount not published on the admission page)
- Criminal background check through Complio after acceptance
- International applicants: one year of U.S. RN practice, plus TOEFL iBT 83 (speaking 25) or IELTS 6.5 (speaking 7)
- Up to six graduate credits may transfer, requested in writing after admission, for courses taken before acceptance
- Deadlines: March 1 (summer), August 1 (fall), October 1 (spring)
Three start terms a year means a missed deadline costs a few months, not a full year. No interview or GRE is listed.
MSN – Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner MSN at Villanova is approximately $52,640 (47 credits at $1,120/credit). Villanova does not publish a completion time, though the three clinical terms alone span a full calendar year after the support courses.
The MSN prepares BSN-prepared RNs for pediatric primary care. Graduates can continue into Villanova’s Post-Master’s DNP.
MSN Curriculum
The 47 credits divide into 12 credits of online core courses, 16 credits of support courses (online or on campus), and a 19-credit clinical block. The core is general graduate nursing content (ethics, research, nursing science, leadership) rather than pediatric coursework, so pediatric content is concentrated in the support and clinical blocks.
The clinical block runs in a fixed spring, summer, fall order. Each term pairs a Clinical Management course with a practicum, so classroom content and patient care advance together. The lighter summer term (120 hours) sits between two heavier 245-hour terms.
- NUR 8901 Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr.)
- NUR 8903 Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr.)
- NUR 8910 Advanced Physical Assessment (4 cr.)
- NUR 8863 Health Promotion of the Growing Child (3 cr.)
- NUR 8809 / 8810 Clinical Management and Practicum in Pediatric Primary Care I (3 cr. + 4 cr., spring)
- NUR 8811 / 8812 Clinical Management and Practicum in Pediatric Primary Care II (3 cr. + 2 cr., summer)
- NUR 8813 / 8814 Clinical Management and Practicum in Pediatric Primary Care III (3 cr. + 4 cr., fall)
- One 3-credit elective
More curriculum details are available here.
MSN Clinical Requirements
- 610 total clinical hours
- Spring: 245 hours (NUR 8810)
- Summer: 120 hours (NUR 8812)
- Fall: 245 hours (NUR 8814)
- Placements secured by Villanova in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware
At 610 hours, the MSN sits at the low end of the 600–750 range typical for single-population PNP programs, about 110 hours above the 500-hour certification floor. A 245-hour term over a standard 15-week semester works out to roughly 16 hours a week in clinic (an estimate), which is manageable alongside part-time RN work but hard to pair with full-time shifts.
MSN Admissions
Beyond the shared requirements above, MSN applicants need a BSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program (or equivalent). No pediatric RN experience requirement is published.
Post-Graduate Certificate – Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
The estimated tuition for the Pediatric Primary Care Post-Graduate Certificate at Villanova is approximately $28,000–$39,200 (25–35 credits at $1,120/credit). The program takes a minimum of 1.5 years, and students have up to five years from first enrollment to finish.
The certificate is for nurses who already hold a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing and want to add pediatric primary care. It requires the same 610 clinical hours as the MSN.
Certificate Curriculum
Credit totals range from 25 to 35 depending on transfer credit. The certificate drops the MSN’s graduate core and centers on the support courses and pediatric clinical sequence. Villanova does not publish the certificate course list online; the program plan is provided on request.
- Support courses: offered on campus or online
- Clinical courses: taught on site
- Transfer credit: up to six graduate credits, which explains most of the credit range
Nurses who already completed graduate pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment should expect a plan near the low end of the range.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 610 total clinical hours
- Placement responsibility: not clearly published
- Geographic limits: not separately published for certificate students
The hour total matches the MSN, so certificate graduates get the same clinical volume. The open question is placement: the MSN guarantee is stated on the MSN page only, and certificate applicants should not assume it carries over.
Certificate Admissions
Applicants need a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing. All other requirements match the General Admissions list above.
Tuition
Estimated tuition runs from about $28,000 for the shortest certificate plan to about $52,640 for the MSN.
| Program | Est. Tuition |
|---|---|
| MSN – PC (47 cr.) | $52,640 |
| Cert – PC (25–35 cr.) | $28,000–$39,200 |
Calculated estimates, not university-published totals. Villanova’s 2026–2027 bursar table lists $1,120/credit for the MSN and no separate certificate rate, so this page applies the MSN rate to both pathways.
Key Cost Takeaways
- The per-credit rate rose from $1,080 in 2025–2026 to $1,120 in 2026–2027, adding about $1,900 to the MSN. Expect further annual increases over a multi-year plan.
- A mandatory $157 general fee applies every semester enrolled, so a longer part-time plan costs more in fees.
- The 2026–2027 bursar table does not list a nurse practitioner lab fee or clinical course fees.
- Transfer credit is the main lever on certificate cost: each credit waived saves $1,120.
- Budget for commuting to campus during the three clinical terms.
Villanova is a private university, so there is no in-state discount for Pennsylvania residents. Its per-credit rate is moderate for a private program, and the 47-credit MSN keeps the total in the low $50,000s.
See Villanova’s official tuition and fees page.
Why Choose This PNP Program?
Best suited for: BSN-prepared RNs living in the Philadelphia region, or elsewhere in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware, who want pediatric primary care certification without searching for their own preceptors.
Placements Handled for MSN Students
Villanova secures every MSN clinical placement across all 610 hours. For pediatric primary care, where preceptor shortages routinely delay students, this removes the biggest practical risk in an NP program.
A Regional, In-Person Clinical Phase
Didactic coursework can be mostly online, but the clinical year is not. Clinical Management courses run in person, and placements stay within three states. This works well for nurses who live near the Main Line campus and poorly for anyone farther away.
Flexible Entry
Three start terms a year and no GRE make the timing easy. The 3.2 GPA minimum is the main academic hurdle.
Potential Drawbacks
- Primary care only: no CPNP-AC or dual PC/AC pathway
- MSN placements limited to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware
- In-person clinical courses, with no published campus schedule
- Certificate placement policy not published
- No published MSN completion time
- 3.2 GPA minimum
The Verdict
Villanova makes the most sense for a regional nurse who values placement security over travel-free study. The MSN delivers a standard 610-hour primary care preparation, a guaranteed placement, and a total near $53,000. Nurses outside the three-state region, those who need a fully remote program, and anyone aiming for PICU or inpatient pediatric practice should compare other options.
Accreditation
Villanova’s master’s degree and post-graduate APRN certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The college is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, and the university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The accreditation page does not publish a CCNE review date. Both pathways are primary care, so graduates would sit for the PNCB CPNP-PC exam; Villanova’s program pages do not make a certification eligibility statement.
See Villanova’s accreditation and approvals page.
Other PNP Programs in Pennsylvania
- Drexel University - Philadelphia
- Thomas Jefferson University - Philadelphia
- University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia