Post-Graduate APRN Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate Track

While much of the learning takes place online, students will need to complete their practicum hours in an approved state. Please contact your state board of nursing to verify if this track meets the educational requirements.

All students must submit a “Request to Transfer Credit” form, the course description(s), and a copy of the catalog cover and the course syllabus to the program director/coordinator prior to beginning a graduate program. To determine transferability of credit, please contact the appropriate program director to receive a recommendation for transfer.

• Submit an official transcript from a regionally accredited college or university showing an earned Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree.
• Have attained an MSN GPA of 3.0 or better (4.0 scale).*
• Submit current, unencumbered registered nurse (RN) license in a geographical jurisdiction of the United States.*
• Have successfully completed at least two of the three courses with a grade of B- or above; with the other grade no lower than a C within the last five years Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, Advanced Health Assessment.*
• Students may complete a competency test to fulfill these course requirements as an alternative to repeating the courses if the five-year timeline, according to policy, has elapsed.
• Submit a signed consent regarding criminal background and drug screening requirements.
• Submit evidence of having worked as an RN for at least 2,000 hours.***

*Students who do not meet these criteria, please speak with an Admissions Counselor about a possible conditional enrollment.

** Students who do not meet these criteria, please speak with an Admissions Counselor about a possible conditional enrollment and/or a 3P Competency Assessment test-out option if 3Ps are five years or older.

Graduates of the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) certificate track are prepared for entry level practice as Family Nurse Practitioners, delivering high-quality, evidence-based primary care to individuals and families across the lifespan in diverse healthcare settings. As certified FNPs, individuals may work in primary care, family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, urgent care and community health clinics. Additional opportunities include roles in specialty clinics, retail health settings, telehealth, occupational health and school-based care. FNPs may also pursue leadership, administrative, or academic roles, including clinical education and preceptorship.

Discounts are available for our practice partners, alumni and faculty. For a compiled list of available scholarships click here!

Upon completion of this track, students are educationally prepared to take the national FNP certification examination from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and/or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB).

All courses are delivered online; however, students are required to complete clinical hours in their local area under the supervision of an approved, self-selected preceptor. The Post-Graduate APRN track includes 4 clinical courses, with a cumulative requirement of 750 clinical hours.

Our school is dedicated to supporting students throughout their clinical placement process. Initially, students are encouraged to leverage their personal and professional networks to find a preceptor and practicum site, allowing them the opportunity to choose a location and preceptors with whom they might already be familiar or prefer. This autonomy in selection is highly beneficial, as it allows students to align their practicum experience with their specific interests and geographical preferences.

However, we also recognize that finding a preceptor can be challenging. Our MSN Program provides substantial support in finding a preceptor(s). At this stage, the program works closely with the student, employing the school’s resources and networks to ensure a placement is found. While this collaborative effort prioritizes securing a quality educational experience for the student, it may not always align with the student’s preferred location. The emphasis shifts towards the importance of completing the practicum at a site that offers a comprehensive learning opportunity, even if it means considering locations beyond the student’s initial preferences.

Upon completion of this track, students will be able to:

1. Obtain and perform comprehensive and problem-focused history and physical examinations across the lifespan.
2. Analyze the relationship between normal physiology and alterations that occur in specific systems as a result of disease processes and abnormal health conditions.
3. Select evidence-based pharmacologic and/or non-pharmacologic interventions for the management of health conditions, incorporating individual patient variation, clinical context and principles of cost-effectiveness.
4. Synthesize the appropriate use of diagnostic and screening tests, including laboratory, imaging and other current and emerging technologies, along with health promotion, disease prevention strategies and evidence-based clinical guidelines and standards of care to inform the diagnosis and management of health conditions across the lifespan.
5. Manage patient care by integrating cultural, environmental, ethical, genetic/genomic, legal, political, psychosocial, socioeconomic and spiritual factors to include holistic, person-centered care that considers the complexities of diverse needs and care environments.
6. Demonstrate characteristics and responsibilities of the FNP including relevant professional competencies and interprofessional components in the delivery of care.