The Post-graduate Certificate Program allows nurses who have a MSN/DNP degree from an accredited nursing program to become certified as a Nurse Practitioner in a second concentration, including:

• Adult Gerontology Primary Care
• Family Primary Care
• Psychiatric-Mental Health Care
• Women’s Health Care

Upon completion of the Post-graduate Certificate curriculum, students are eligible to take the associated advanced practice nurse practitioner population-focused certification examination (i.e., ANCC, AANP, NCC).

Application Requirements

• 2.8 GPA (inclusive of all college transcripts)
• MSN from an accredited nursing program in advanced practice patient care (e.g., Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwifery).  Non-APN MSN program graduates are welcome to apply and can be offered a modified academic plan pending transcript review.
• NJ Registered Nurse (RN) licensure
• English-language proficiency (see https://www.fdu.edu/admissions/international/english-proficiency/)
• Substantive healthcare experience

*** NURS6615, NURS7702, NURS6620, or 3-credit course equivalents (for advanced pharmacology, advanced pathophysiology, and advanced health assessment) must be identifiable on the transcript from the applicant’s advanced practice patient care MSN/DNP program in order to be eligible to apply for certification examination upon program completion.  In addition, students who completed their 3-credit pharmacology course more than five (5) years prior to graduation, and will be filing an application for advanced practice nurse certification in New Jersey (and certain other states), must either repeat the pharmacology course or produce CE program certificate(s) for 30 contact hours per N.J.A.C.

Optional/Preferred Requirements

• Letter(s) of recommendation
• Substantive healthcare experience with population of interest

Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Concentration

Curriculum 

• NURS6632 Advanced Nursing: Primary Care of the Adult Gerontology I
• NURS6633 Advanced Nursing: Primary Care of the Adult Gerontology II
• NURS6634 Advanced Nursing: Primary Care of the Adult Gerontology III
• NURS7755 Advanced Practice Nursing Synthesis
• NURS7756 Advanced Practice Nursing Synthesis Practicum

Total credits: 24. May be pro-rated after gap analysis of prior education and certification.

Total clinical hours: 750.  May be inclusive of select prior MSN clinical hours.

Note: NURS6615 must have been taken within five years of entry into the Program; NURS7702, NURS6620, NURS6621 must have been completed within ten years of entry into the Program.

Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration

Curriculum 

• NURS6632 Advanced Nursing: Primary Care of the Adult Gerontology I
• NURS6633 Advanced Nursing: Primary Care of the Adult Gerontology II
• NURS7796 Advanced Nursing: Family Primary Care Women and Children
• NURS7755 Advanced Practice Nursing Synthesis
• NURS7756 Advanced Practice Nursing Synthesis Practicum

Total credits: 24. May be pro-rated after gap analysis of prior education and certification.

Total clinical hours: 750.  May be inclusive of select prior MSN clinical hours.

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration

Curriculum 

• NURS6701 Psychopharmacology
• NURS6501 Advanced Psych/MH Nursing Theory I: Families and Children
• NURS6503 Advanced Psych/MH Nursing Theory II: Adults
• NURS6505 Advanced Psych/MH Nursing Theory III: Geriatrics
• NURS7755 Advanced Practice Nursing Synthesis
• NURS7756 Advanced Practice Nursing Synthesis Practicum

Total credits: 25. May be pro-rated after gap analysis of prior education and certification.

Total clinical hours: 750.  May be inclusive of select prior MSN clinical hours.

Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration

Curriculum

• NURS6632 Advanced Nursing: Primary Care of the Adult Gerontology I
• NURS7797 Advanced Nursing: Women’s Health GYN
• NURS7798 Advanced Nursing: Women’s Health OB
• NURS7755 Advanced Practice Nursing Synthesis
• NURS7756 Advanced Practice Nursing Synthesis Practicum

Total credits: 24. May be pro-rated after gap analysis of prior education and certification.

Total clinical hours: 750.  May be inclusive of select prior MSN clinical hours.

To apply for this program:

Apply for graduate nursing programs either online or by completing the graduate application document (with instructions).