Pediatric Nursing Clinical Specialty Postgraduate Programs
About This Programme
The Hind Bint Maktoum College of Nursing and Midwifery offers Pediatric Nursing at three levels: a Master of Science, a Postgraduate Diploma and a Postgraduate Certificate. The programmes equip students with the theoretical knowledge and hands-on clinical skills needed to care for children with both acute and chronic health conditions, with a child-centred approach that emphasises the holistic wellbeing of children and their families, and aim to prepare clinical nurse specialists who are both skilled practitioners and compassionate leaders. At every level students can graduate with a clinical concentration in pediatric critical care, pediatric emergency care or pediatric oncology care, taken in the final semester through a specialty course and a semester of clinical placement in that area. The postgraduate programmes are developed for nurses practising at a senior or advanced level. The MSc can be completed in 18 months full time or 24 months part time and combines four core courses and six specialty courses, including practicums, with practice placements, portfolio completion and a thesis. The Postgraduate Diploma (24 credits) and Postgraduate Certificate (18 credits) can each be completed within 12 months, and students who exit at one of these levels and later want the MSc must re-enrol within two years. Courses are delivered through blended learning, combining in-person sessions with interactive online teaching; MBRU's catalog says the online teaching is both synchronous and asynchronous and that at least 50% of instruction is delivered face to face, physically in the classroom. Every exit level requires 540 hours of clinical practice, and the catalog notes that certificate placements can be undertaken in the UAE and/or at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland.
Course Highlights
- Exit with an MSc (36 credits), a Postgraduate Diploma (24) or a Postgraduate Certificate (18)
- MSc in 18 months full time or 24 months part time; diploma and certificate within 12 months
- 540 hours of clinical practice at every level, with a thesis for the MSc
- Concentrations in pediatric critical care, pediatric emergency care or pediatric oncology care
- Fees shown after the 50% MBRU Frontliner Scholarship, available to all students regardless of nationality
What You'll Study
The MSc requires 36 credits: four core courses (12 credit hours), three specialty theory courses (9), three specialty practicums (9) and a 6-credit thesis, completed in 18 months full time or 24 months part time, within a maximum of 2.5 and 4 years. The Postgraduate Diploma requires 24 credits and the Postgraduate Certificate 18, and every level requires 540 hours of clinical practice with all proficiencies and competencies met. Part-time study plans spread the same courses over 24 months for the MSc, 18 months for the diploma and 12 months for the certificate.
MSc, full time: Year 1, Semester 1
- NURS7402 Evidence-Based Nursing, Research, and Statistics4 credits
- NURS7304 Advanced Specialty I: Health Promotion and Primary Care for Children Across the Lifespan3 credits
- NURS7217 Advanced Clinical Pharmacology2 credits
- NURS7303 Organizational Systems Leadership, Policy, and Quality3 credits
MSc, full time: Year 1, Semester 2
Students can start their practicum in the spring semester or take it in the summer.
- NURS7301 Advanced Clinical and Physical Assessment3 credits
- NURS7201 Advanced Clinical Specialty I3 credits
- NURS7305 Advanced Specialty II: Care of the Critically Ill Child3 credits
- NURS7931 Thesis3 credits
MSc, full time: Year 2, Semester 3
- NURS7202 Advanced Clinical Specialty II3 credits
- NURS7203 Advanced Clinical Specialty III3 credits
- NURS7932 Thesis3 credits
Advanced Specialty III (3 credits), by concentration:
- NURS7312 Advanced Care of the Critically Ill Child
- NURS7311 Assessment and Care of Children with Oncological Conditions
- NURS7310 Emergency Care and Management of Children and Young Adults
Postgraduate Diploma, full time: Semester 1
- NURS7402 Evidence-Based Nursing, Research, and Statistics4 credits
- NURS7304 Advanced Specialty I: Health Promotion and Primary Care for Children Across the Lifespan3 credits
- NURS7217 Advanced Clinical Pharmacology2 credits
Advanced Specialty III (3 credits), by concentration:
- NURS7312 Advanced Care of the Critically Ill Child
- NURS7311 Assessment and Care of Children with Oncological Conditions
- NURS7310 Emergency Care and Management of Children and Young Adults
Postgraduate Diploma, full time: Semester 2
- NURS7201 Advanced Clinical Specialty I3 credits
- NURS7305 Advanced Specialty II: Care of the Critically Ill Child3 credits
- NURS7202 Advanced Clinical Specialty II3 credits
- NURS7203 Advanced Clinical Specialty III3 credits
Postgraduate Certificate, full time: Semester 1
- NURS7304 Advanced Specialty I: Health Promotion and Primary Care for Children Across the Lifespan3 credits
- NURS7201 Advanced Clinical Specialty I3 credits
Advanced Specialty III (3 credits), by concentration:
- NURS7312 Advanced Care of the Critically Ill Child
- NURS7311 Assessment and Care of Children with Oncological Conditions
- NURS7310 Emergency Care and Management of Children and Young Adults
Postgraduate Certificate, full time: Semester 2
- NURS7305 Advanced Specialty II: Care of the Critically Ill Child3 credits
- NURS7202 Advanced Clinical Specialty II3 credits
- NURS7203 Advanced Clinical Specialty III3 credits
What You'll Learn
Programme learning outcomes
- Apply advanced clinical reasoning, decision-making and pediatric-specific clinical skills to promote child health, prevent illness and deliver evidence-based, family-centred care
- Communicate and collaborate effectively with interprofessional pediatric care teams to advocate for child and family outcomes, improve healthcare delivery and foster a culture of safety and quality
- Critically appraise, translate and integrate pediatric research evidence to advance nursing practice and improve outcomes for children and families
- Apply leadership, professionalism and accountability in pediatric settings to manage care, influence child health policy and uphold ethical and culturally sensitive practice
- Use technologies and informatics to enhance clinical decision-making, optimise care delivery and improve health outcomes
- Design and evaluate population-focused, ethical nursing care that promotes child health, prevents disease and addresses social determinants and equity in pediatric care
Entry Requirements
Conditional admission may be offered case by case to applicants who do not meet every criterion, with requirements such as English or remedial courses, GPA requirements or credit load limits; students who do not meet them are subject to dismissal. Degrees from outside the UAE need an ECE General with Grade Average evaluation.
Careers
MBRU says a concentration gives graduates a clinical focus beyond general pediatric skills, and that the exit options let nurses with varying preparation, at different stages of their lives, graduate with an academic award and return later to complete the next level.
Accreditation & Professional Recognition
Accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research through the Commission for Academic Accreditation, whose register lists the Master of Science, Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate in Pediatric Nursing as Active. MBRU's catalog dates the MSc accreditation to September 2019, with the first cohort admitted in August 2020, and the diploma and certificate exit pathways to November 2024. The college says it intends to seek international accreditation for its MSc programmes during 2026-27.
Programme Details
Award
Master of Science, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate in Pediatric Nursing
Start Date
August (2026-27 classes started on 27 August 2026)
Typical Offer
Bachelor of Nursing with a GPA of 3.0, an RN licence and a year of full-time experience
Duration
MSc 18 months full time or 24 months part time; diploma and certificate 12 months
Qualification
MSc
Subject Area
Health Sciences
Campus
Dubai Healthcare City
Study Pattern
Full time or part time
Delivery Format
Blended
Tuition Fee
AED 70,000 total
The application deadline on MBRU's page is 1 July 2026. Total programme fees after the MBRU Frontliner Scholarship, which the page says is available to all students regardless of nationality, are AED 70,000 for the MSc, AED 46,667 for the Postgraduate Diploma and AED 35,000 for the Postgraduate Certificate; MBRU's 2026-27 catalog lists the prices before the 50% scholarship as AED 140,000, AED 93,334 and AED 70,000, and the cost per credit after it as AED 1,944. The catalog lists a non-refundable AED 3,000 seat reservation fee for the MSc, due on accepting the offer. Fees can be paid in instalments over the length of the programme, and accepted Dubai Health employees can use a Financial Sponsorship Loan to pay the remaining balance over up to four years.