Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care

We admit students for the MS and BS-DNP programs once yearly with students beginning in the Fall semester.

Please see the posted program plans.
The PNP-PC MS program is 47 credits and is completed in 2 years and 8 months (8 semesters).
The PNP-PC DNP program is completed in 4 years (13 semesters).

The courses are offered in an online format with some classes having monthly in-class requirements.

Most students can complete the program at a distance online but need to be able to attend on-campus sessions. It is advised students contact student affairs to discuss their specific state requirements prior to applying to the program.

Yes. The PNP-PC program requires 12 credits (equal to 540 hours) of clinical experience.

The University of Colorado College of Nursing is responsible for ensuring adequate and sufficient clinical experiences for students in all programs, including students enrolled in distance programs. Clinical placements are arranged by the College of Nursing for students who live in the Denver Metropolitan Seven-county area (Denver, Jefferson, Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, Broomfield, and Boulder counties).

For those who live outside of the Denver Metropolitan area, the students are asked to take the primary role in identifying their preceptors. The Specialty Director will assess the preceptor qualifications and student learning needs and will make the final determination regarding student- preceptor match.

In the unusual situation that a rural or out-of-state student is unable to find a clinical preceptor, a student may be required to complete clinical experiences in the Denver Metro (seven counties) area to assure timely academic progression.

This process can take several months to achieve an affiliation agreement, so we highly recommend providing information about an institution to your Specialty Director shortly after program admission. However, if a rural or out-of-state student is unable to find a clinical preceptor(s)/site, the College of Nursing will provide a clinical site, which may NOT be in the geographic location of the student but will provide the student an adequate experience to meet the program outcome.

Additionally, if there is a concern of a clinical practice, a student may be asked to complete the clinical time in the Denver Metro area for more direct observation and assessment by the College of Nursing faculty/Specialty Director.

Yes. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to sit for pediatric primary care certification through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.

Yes, you may take up to 12 semester credits as a non-degree student prior to being accepted to the program. You must meet all prerequisite requirements of the course. Non-degree students register on a space available basis during open enrollment just prior to the beginning of the semester.