Advanced Nursing Practice Graduate Certificate—Post Master’s

General Program Information

Registered nurses who already hold a Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree are eligible to apply to the post-master’s certificate program and complete courses which qualify them to take a national credentialing examination for certification as nurse practitioners. Prospective students must submit a completed application to the School of Graduate Studies which includes official transcripts from all previous undergraduate and graduate coursework, a completed personal essay, a vitae/résumé, and three (3) professional letters of recommendation. GRE reports are not required. Criteria for admission includes:

1. A Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) from a program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE);
2. A “B” average (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) in the nursing major; and
3. Licensure in the United States as a registered nurse and eligibility for licensure in Tennessee or compact state.

Admission to the post-master’s certificate program will be accomplished in the same manner as for the master’s nursing degree program. A minimum of nineteen (19) credit-hours is required for the certificate in Advanced Nursing Practice. Required courses for the Family, Adult, Psychiatric Mental Health, or Gerontological Nurse Practitioner post-master’s certificate include: ALNU 5009/10 Health Assessment Throughout the Lifespan; PMNU 5004 Seminar in Professional Roles; two (2) or more of the specialty didactic and practica course combinations; and FCNU 5950 Internship in Advanced Nursing Practice. In addition, all nurse practitioner students will be required to take ALNU 5016 Pathophysiology for Nursing Diagnoses and Interventions, and ALNU 5018 Advanced Clinical Pharmacology, if not previously taken for academic credit. Adult and Gerontological Nurse Practitioner students will take ALNU 5038, Pharmacology and Therapeutics for Older Adults and Family Nurse Practitioner students will take PMNU 5402  Behavioral Health Concepts for Adults. An individualized program of study will be designed for each student admitted to the master’s certificate program.