Skip to main content

Post-APRN Licensure Certificate

Certificate Overview

Post-APRN licensure certificates are available to advanced practice nurses who are certified in one area of practice and wish to expand their area of advanced practice to another population. Students who fulfill the course and practicum requirements will be issued a certificate of completion of training, leading to eligibility to sit for national certification in the new area of care. 

We offer APRN certificates in the following areas:

  • Adult/Geron Acute Care
  • Certified Nurse-Midwifery
  • Family
  • Women's Health
  • Psychiatric/Mental Health

Certificate programs of study are individualized and variable for each student based on a gap analysis identifying the courses and clinical hours required for the new area of care. Faculty will develop an individualized program of study after an offer of admission has been extended. Not all courses are offered each semester, therefore, certificates may be 4-6 semesters in length.

Based on sample programs of study, certificates can be between 22-32 credit hours. Graduate Nursing Tuition information can be found HERE. Post-APRN certificate programs are not matriculated (degree seeking) programs so federal financial aid is not available to certificate students.

APRN Admissions & Application

Applicants to the Post-Advanced Practice RN graduate certification program must hold a previous advanced practice nursing degree and national certification in another population foci. Applicants to the Post-APRN certification program follow the same application process as those applying for the full Doctor of Nursing Practice program and are reviewed equally.

Applications are due on December 1 for the following fall semester. Applicants will be notified of next steps in late-January, with final admissions decisions posted in late February

Minimum Requirements

  • Completion of a graduate degree in nursing from a regionally-accredited university/college, or concurrent enrollment in a University of Utah College of Nursing graduate program
  • Verification of licensure as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in at least one of the jurisdictions of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing
  • Minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Completed Application Includes

  1. Statement of Interest/Goal Statement. Please articulate your desire to pursue certification in the new area of care, and what you expect to achieve and learn.
  2. Resume
  3. PDF copies of all college transcripts Copy of APRN certification
  4. Three (3) letters of recommendation from professional sources

Expected Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Post-Graduate APRN Certificate will:

  • Integrate nursing science with knowledge from ethics, the biophysical, psychosocial, analytical, and organizational sciences to provide the basis for advanced nursing practice in the new population foci.
  • Provide, manage and evaluate the care of individuals and populations using evidence-based concepts related to physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, as well as community, environmental, cultural and socioeconomic dimensions of health in the new population foci.
  • Demonstrate advanced levels of clinical judgment and decision-making, and accountability in designing, delivering, and evaluating evidence-based care in the new population foci.
  • Actively engage in interdisciplinary collaborations aimed at improving healthcare delivery and care coordination.
  • Demonstrate professionalism and value lifelong learning.
  • Meet the requirements for board certification eligibility in the new population foci.