Go Further With an A.P.R.N. Certificate

Take your nursing career to the next level with a Postgraduate Certificate from Nova Southeastern University's Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing. If you've already earned an accredited M.S.N. degree, apply to our postgraduate certification program to add more focus to your work. Our program offers the NSU edge that can transform your career.

Explore the Possibilities

As a nurse practitioner, your skills are highly respected in your field. Our program will prepare you for national certification in your chosen specialization, and you may even continue your education to the doctoral level. With your evidence-based perspective and expertise, you'll be able to lead other health care professionals and make a real impact in the industry.

Select Your Path

We offer a range of A.P.R.N. certifications to suit your interests and career goals, consisting of:

  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate
  • Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate
  • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate

Each specialization provides you with targeted expertise, preparing you for success in your chosen field.

Why Earn an Advanced Nursing Certificate at NSU?

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A Lifelong Competitive Edge
Learn from nursing leaders, build professional connections, and gain skills to stand out.
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Affordability
We make your education more affordable with financial aid and scholarships.
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Enhanced Skills
Equip yourself with the strategies and insights to handle leadership roles with greater expertise and confidence.

Quick Facts

Tuition
Visit the Tuition and Fees page for more information.
Delivery Options
Coursework varies online and on-site at our Miramar (PMHNP), Palm Beach (AGACNP & FNP) and Tampa Bay (FNP & PMHNP) campuses.
Application Deadlines
Applications for admission are accepted online. The deadline to complete and submit the NursingCAS application for fall admission is August 1 and for winter admission is December 23.

Admission Requirements

 

Admission to the Postgraduate Certificate Advanced Practice Registered Nurse program requires the following:

  • Overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the candidate’s Master of Science in Nursing program.
  • M.S.N. degree from a regionally or internationally accredited university or college. (The M.S.N. degree nursing program must be accredited by the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission [NLNAC] or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education [CCNE]).
  • Current active state of Florida professional nursing (R.N.) licensure. Licensure must remain current in the jurisdiction of the practicum throughout the program.
  • A curriculum vitae.
  • Residence within 150 miles of the program campus.
  • 12 months of active independent clinical practice (not including position residencies or facility operations).
  • For applicants interested in AGACNP current Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certificate is required.

Curriculum

In order to meet graduation requirements applicants must have or obtain the three separate, comprehensive graduate-level course in:

  • Advanced physiology/pathophysiology, including general principles that apply across the life span
  • Advanced health assessment, which includes assessment of all human systems, advanced assessment techniques, concepts, and approaches
  • Advanced pharmacology, which includes pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacotherapeutics of all broad categories of agents

Students with the three separate, comprehensive graduate-level courses

SEMESTER COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE COURSE CREDITS
I *NSG 5620 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care I 6
II *NSG 5630 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care II 6
III *NSG 5650 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care III 6
IV **NSG 5660 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Capstone 6
TOTAL CREDITS 24

*Requires 170 Practicum Hours
**Requires 225 Clinical Hours

Students needing the three separate, comprehensive graduate-level courses will first need to submit a non degree seeking application to complete those courses. 

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE COURSE CREDITS
NSG 5531 Advanced Pathophysiology 3
NSG 5510 Advanced Pharmacology 3
NSG 5502 Advanced Health Assessment 3
TOTAL CREDITS 9

To review course descriptions, please view the HPD Catalog.

In order to meet graduation requirements applicants must have or obtain the three separate, comprehensive graduate-level course in:

  • Advanced physiology/pathophysiology, including general principles that apply across the life span
  • Advanced health assessment, which includes assessment of all human systems, advanced assessment techniques, concepts, and approaches
  • Advanced pharmacology, which includes pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacotherapeutics of all broad categories of agents

Students with the three separate, comprehensive graduate-level courses

SEMESTER COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE COURSE CREDITS
I **NSG 5542 Primary Care: Adult I 6
II **NSG 5550 Primary Care: Adult II 6
III *NSG 5560 Primary Care Women 3
III *NSG 5580 Primary Care Pediatrics 3
IV ***NSG 5590 Family Nurse Practitioner Capstone 6
TOTAL CREDITS 24

*Requires 85 Clinical Hours
**Requires 170 Clinical Hours
***Requires 255 Clinical Hours

Students needing the three separate, comprehensive graduate-level courses will first need to submit a non degree seeking application to complete those courses. 

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE COURSE CREDITS
NSG 5531 Advanced Pathophysiology 3
NSG 5510 Advanced Pharmacology 3
NSG 5502 Advanced Health Assessment 3
TOTAL CREDITS 9

To review course descriptions, please view the HPD Catalog.

In order to meet graduation requirements applicants must have or obtain the three separate, comprehensive graduate-level course in:

  • Advanced physiology/pathophysiology, including general principles that apply across the life span
  • Advanced health assessment, which includes assessment of all human systems, advanced assessment techniques, concepts, and approaches
  • Advanced pharmacology, which includes pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacotherapeutics of all broad categories of agents

Students with the three separate, comprehensive graduate-level courses

SEMESTER COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE COURSE CREDITS
I NSG 5532 Neurobiology Psychopharmacology 3
II *NSG 5710 Psychiatric Management I:  Psychopathology & the DSM V 6
III *NSG 5720 Psychiatric Management II:  Developmental Theories for Child & Adolescent Mental Health 6
IV *NSG 5730 Psychiatric Management III:  Modalities of Psychotherapy 6
V **NSG 5790 Psychiatric Care Management Integration Capstone 6
TOTAL CREDITS 27

*Require 170 Clinical Hours
**Requires 255 Clinical Hours

Students needing the three separate, comprehensive graduate-level courses will first need to submit a non degree seeking application to complete those courses. 

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE COURSE CREDITS
NSG 5531 Advanced Pathophysiology 3
NSG 5510 Advanced Pharmacology 3
NSG 5502 Advanced Health Assessment 3
TOTAL CREDITS 9

To review course descriptions, please view the HPD Catalog.

Ready for the Next Step?

The Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing participates in the centralized applications service called NursingCAS. NursingCAS is used for document verification but does not take part in the student selection.

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Submit a NursingCAS Application

Submit your NursingCAS application online.

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Submit Transcripts & Additional Required Documents to NursingCAS

Request all official transcripts from all previously attended institutions to be sent directly to NursingCAS.

NursingCAS
P.O. Box 9201
Watertown, Massachusetts 02471

International applicants coursework taken at foreign institutions must be evaluated for U.S. institutional equivalence by an approved National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) organization such as one of the services listed below.


It is the applicant's responsibility to have this coursework evaluated. An official course-by-course evaluation with a cumulative grade point average must be sent directly from the evaluation service.

Once your application and all documents have been received, the application will be processed and reviewed.

PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE DISCLOSURE/NOTIFICATION STATEMENT

 

Degree Title (Concentration)

Level

Post-Graduate Certificate

Adult Practice Nurse Practitioner (APRN)

Graduate

PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

This Disclosure is strictly limited to NSU’s determination of whether the Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing, if successfully completed, would be sufficient to meet the educational requirements for licensure or certification in a State, as defined as 34 C.F.R. § 600.2.

 

NOTE: This Disclosure does not provide any guarantee that any particular State licensure entity will approve or deny your application for certification or professional licensure. Furthermore, this Disclosure does not account for changes in state law or regulations that may affect your application for certification or licensure or occur after this disclosure has been made. If your career plans include pursuing professional licensure or certification in your chosen field, it is important to become educated on the credentialing requirements of the state in which you hope to practice by contacting the state’s licensure entity.

 

In accordance with 34 C.F.R. § 668.43, NSU has determined whether the Program satisfies State educational requirements for licensure as follows:

PROGRAM MEETS EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

 

PROGRAM DOES NOT MEET EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia

Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska

Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico,

New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,

South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia

Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming,

Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Virgin Islands

Puerto Rico, Guam

 

 

State licensure or certification requirements can vary from state to state, depending on each State’s laws and regulations. The State licensure entities are responsible for overseeing the educational and non-educational requirements for licensure or certification for their State.

 

We encourage all enrolled students and prospective students to contact their applicable State licensure entities to familiarize themselves with the specific professional licensure or certification requirements. For information on how to contact State licensure entities, please visit the U.S. Department of Education State Contacts webpage at: https://www.ed.gov/contact-us/state-contacts

 

If you have trouble obtaining the information you need, or if you have any other questions regarding certification, please contact Dr. Timothy O’Connor, The Director of Assessment and Accreditation, at (954) 262-1894 OR toconnor@nova.edu for assistance.