General Information for Post-Master’s Certificate Programs

Notice to Students RE: Professional Licensure and Certification 

The School of Nursing offers post-master’s Certificate Programs for nurses who have a master’s degree in Nursing and who would like to take existing courses within the Master of Science degree in Nursing. The post-master’s certificates have different requirements for students admitted with a Master’s degree with a nurse practitioner specialty and who is certified as a Nurse Practitioner compared with those students who hold other nursing master’s degree. At the completion of the course work, individuals who are not currently Nurse Practitioners and complete one of the Nurse Practitioner certificates will qualify to apply to the California Board of Registered Nursing for state certification as nurse practitioners.  All who complete a Nurse Practitioner certificate program will be eligible to sit for a national certification examination in that Nurse Practitioner specialty.  Nurses who are currently Certified Nurse Practitioners and have been working in that role will only be required to take the specialty classes for a new specialty. They will also have to meet the required clinical hours mandated by the national organization that certifies their specialty.  Nurses who are not currently Nurse Practitioners and who wish to pursue one of the Nurse Practitioner options will be required to take the advance practice core prior to taking the specialty courses.

Admission Requirements for all Post-Master’s Certificate Programs:

• Current California Registered Nurse License
• Master’s degree in Nursing (MSN or MN)
• Completion of a second application to the School of Nursing including 2 references and an essay
• Completion of a basic recent (within five years) physical assessment course unless currently certified and practicing as a nurse practitioner
• Satisfactory background check

Prior to entering the first clinical lab, students must have University liability insurance, a satisfactory background check, a current American Heart Association CPR card, a satisfactory annual physical examination, proof of immunity to specified infectious diseases, an initial 2 step Mantoux skin test and a chest X-ray if there is evidence of a positive TB skin test. Drug screening may be requested depending on agency requirements.

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner: Adult Specialty Certificate

The post-master’s Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP): Adult Specialty certificate program is offered for nurses who have a master’s degree in nursing and who would like to take the existing courses within the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner: Adult Program, a specialty within the Master of Science degree in Nursing.

Requirements for the Certificate (22 units)

Students qualify for the post-master’s certificate after they have successfully completed the specialty program courses with a 3.0 or higher GPA. This program consists of 22 units of specialty theory and clinical practice once students have successfully met the requirements for the 12 units of the Advanced Practice Prerequisites and the Common Core course NURS 5020 (3 units). They will then be qualified to sit for the National Professional Adult-Gerontology AGACNP certification examination and to apply for nurse practitioner certification from the California Board of Registered Nursing.