Six NP population focuses and an emergency NP add-on through the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, offered as DNP and post-graduate certificate pathways. ASU has no MSN-level NP degree. Coursework is online, but every pathway requires two to three Downtown Phoenix campus visits each semester. Clinical placement is arranged by the university only for students living in Maricopa County.
Quick facts
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Nursing School | Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation |
| Location | Downtown Phoenix campus, Phoenix, AZ |
| NP Specialties | FNP, PMHNP, AGPCNP, AGACNP, PNP-PC, PNP-AC, plus an ENP add-on certificate |
| Degree Options | DNP (BSN or MSN entry); post-graduate certificates in every specialty except AGACNP |
| Format | Mostly Online |
| Campus Visits | Up to 1 week at orientation, then 2–3 per semester |
| Clinical Placement | Arranged in Maricopa County only; self-arranged elsewhere, not guaranteed |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 (last 60 hours of first bachelor’s, or applicable master’s) |
| Entry Points | DNP: fall. AGPCNP certificate: summer. December 15 priority deadline |
| Cost per Credit | $952 resident; $1,622 non-resident (2026-27) |
| Resident Tuition Cap | $6,664 per semester at 7 or more credits |
| Accreditation | CCNE; Arizona State Board of Nursing approval; HLC institutional |
Comparing ASU’s NP programs
Format, campus attendance, placement policy, and admissions are shared across every specialty. Coursework is delivered online through iCourse format, with up to one week of orientation and then two to three Downtown Phoenix visits every semester. The differences worth weighing are credit load, clinical hours, and whether a certificate exists.
| Pathway | Credits | Est. resident tuition | Specialty clinical hours | Entry requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) | ||||
| DNP | 84 | $80K | 585 | BSN or MSN |
| Graduate certificate | 22 | $21K | 585 | MSN + APRN certification |
| Psychiatric-Mental Health (PMHNP) | ||||
| DNP | 85 | $81K | 585 | BSN or MSN |
| Graduate certificate | 28 | $27K | 585 | MSN + APRN certification |
| Adult-Gerontology Primary Care (AGPCNP) | ||||
| DNP | 84 | $80K | 585 | BSN or MSN |
| Graduate certificate | 22 | $21K | 585 | MSN + APRN certification |
| Adult-Gerontology Acute Care (AGACNP) | ||||
| DNP | 86 | $82K | Not published | BSN or MSN |
| Pediatric Primary Care (PNP-PC) | ||||
| DNP | 84 | $80K | 585 | BSN or MSN |
| Graduate certificate | 32 | $30K | 585 | MSN + APRN certification |
| Pediatric Acute Care (PNP-AC) | ||||
| DNP | 85 | $81K | 600 | BSN or MSN |
| Graduate certificate | 20 | $19K | 600 | Primary care PNP certification |
| Emergency (ENP add-on) | ||||
| Graduate certificate | 16 | $15K | 315 | FNP licensure |
On the tuition column: these are estimates, not published program costs. They apply ASU 2026-27 resident tuition of $952 per credit to total program credits, so each figure is a ceiling: residents enrolled in seven or more credits reach a $6,664 semester cap that lowers the total. Fees, non-resident and international rates, transfer credit, and summer terms billed without a cap are excluded. Use the ASU tuition estimator for a figure matched to your own circumstances.
Hours shown are specialty practicum or direct patient-care hours. DNP pathways also include a 12-credit residency, bringing published totals to 1,125 hours (1,170 for Pediatric Acute Care). The PMHNP figure is published for the certificate. ASU publishes only the 1,125-hour total for the AGACNP DNP.
Which ASU NP program fits your goal?
Family Nurse Practitioner
Credits 84 / 22 · Clinical hours 585 · DNP · Certificate
The FNP DNP and FNP certificate share one six-course family sequence, each theory course paired with a practicum. Rotations are in community settings, including urban underserved and rural shortage areas. The certificate is that concentration alone, with no doctoral core or residency. FNP is also the only route into ASU’s ENP certificate.
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Credits 85 / 28 · Clinical hours 585 · DNP · Certificate
The PMHNP DNP adds two psychiatric science courses to the lifespan core: Advanced Neuropsychopathology and Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan. Clinical training pairs medication management with therapy approaches including CBT, DBT, and motivational interviewing. Certificate applicants receive an individual transcript review and a customized study plan.
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
Credits 84 / 22 · Clinical hours 585 · DNP · Certificate
ASU calls this track the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner DNP, which is easy to confuse with the acute care DNP. Clinical settings include ambulatory clinics, private practice, long-term care, and patients’ homes. The certificate is the only ASU NP pathway with summer entry, and it can grow from 22 to as many as 33 credits when gap analysis adds missing prerequisites.
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care
Credits 86 · Clinical hours 1,125 total · DNP only
The AGACNP DNP is ASU’s newest NP track, listed as active from Fall 2026. With no certificate, it is the only ASU acute care route for RNs without an APRN credential. It does not yet appear on Edson’s own DNP menu and is not yet GI Bill approved, so confirm a cohort is running before building an application around it.
Pediatric Primary Care
Credits 84 / 32 · Clinical hours 585 · DNP · Certificate
The Primary Care PNP DNP moves from well-child care through common and then complex and chronic pediatric conditions, with rotations in community settings. The 32-credit certificate is ASU’s largest because it includes pediatric-specific pathophysiology, health assessment, and pharmacotherapeutics rather than lifespan versions.
Pediatric Acute Care
Credits 85 / 20 · Clinical hours 600 · DNP · Certificate
The Acute Care PNP DNP covers infants through young adults with acute, critical, and life-threatening illness, anchored by a Phoenix Children’s Hospital partnership. Both it and the certificate require 600 direct patient-care hours. The certificate has the narrowest eligibility at ASU: national certification as a primary care PNP, or FNP certification with current NP work in a pediatric setting.
Emergency Nurse Practitioner
Credits 16 · Clinical hours 315 · Certificate only
The ENP certificate is an emergency specialty built on the family population focus, not a separate population focus. It is open only to licensed FNPs or students in ASU’s FNP DNP. Coursework covers trauma and multi-system emergencies across ambulatory, urgent, and emergent settings, and prepares graduates for the AANP emergency NP examination.
ASU’s Neonatal NP DNP still appears in Degree Search, but ASU is not currently accepting applications.
Clinical placement
Edson arranges clinical placements for students living in Maricopa County. Students elsewhere find their own sites and preceptors, and ASU does not guarantee placement outside the county. Every site needs Edson approval, and a student who needs added supervision must complete clinicals in the Phoenix area. Edson’s clinical placement page has the full policy.
This matters more than any curriculum difference on the page. Edson admits DNP students based on placement capacity, which gives the December 15 priority deadline real weight. Clinicals are also unavailable to Edson students in Louisiana, New York, and the District of Columbia, so distance applicants should check the state authorization page before applying.
Admissions
Requirements are the same across all specialties unless noted. Edson’s application page covers the process.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nursing degree | BSN or MSN for the DNP; BSN and MSN for certificates |
| APRN certification | Required for certificates, in a different specialty; Pediatric Acute Care and ENP have narrower rules |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 in the last 60 hours of the first bachelor’s, or in an applicable master’s |
| RN license | Unencumbered in the practicum state, plus an Arizona or compact license held throughout enrollment |
| Experience | 1 year with the specialty population preferred, not required |
| Certificate prerequisites | Advanced pathophysiology, health assessment, pharmacotherapeutics, and APRN role within 5 years, unless certified and practicing |
| Transfer credit | Prior graduate coursework may reduce DNP credits, subject to gap analysis and approval |
| Deadline | December 15 priority; later applications reviewed as space allows |
| Other | Goal statement, essay, resume, three recommendations, faculty interview; no entrance exam |
The Arizona or compact license rule catches out-of-state applicants. Nurses licensed in non-compact states need Arizona licensure by endorsement for the length of the program.
Tuition
ASU charges a per-credit rate with a semester cap, so multiplying credits by the rate overstates cost for full-time students. Arizona residents pay $952 per credit, capped at $6,664 at 7 or more credits. Non-residents pay $1,622 per credit, capped at $19,470 at 12 or more credits. Summer terms are billed per credit with no cap.
| Tuition, 7+ credits | $6,664 |
| Required semester fees | $829 |
| Semester total | $7,493 |
2026–27 Arizona resident rates for fall or spring. ASU lists the Nursing DNP among programs with differential tuition without publishing the amount, so run your own figure through the ASU Tuition Estimator.
Who is ASU best for?
May be a strong fit for
- Maricopa County residents who want the university to arrange clinical placement
- RNs choosing between adult and pediatric acute care at the doctoral level
- Board-certified APRNs adding a population focus by certificate
- FNPs adding emergency care preparation
- MSN-prepared nurses who can apply prior graduate credit toward the DNP
Compare other options if
- You live outside Maricopa County and need placement support
- You want an MSN rather than a DNP
- You cannot travel to Downtown Phoenix two to three times each semester
- You hold an MSN but not APRN certification and want a certificate
- You live in Louisiana, New York, or the District of Columbia
Compare more NP programs in Arizona
- Grand Canyon University - Phoenix
- University of Arizona - Tucson