Online Family Nurse Practitioner PGC

Admission Requirements

Procedure for Admission to the Post Graduate Certificate Programs

Note: Not all Online Program offerings are available to residents of all U.S. states.   Please contact an admissions representative for further information.

Consistent with the requirement for admission to the MSN program, the requirements for admission to the Post Graduate Certificate programs are as follows:

• Completion of the application for admission.
• A master's or doctoral degree in nursing from an ACEN, CCNE or CNEA accredited nursing program with a GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale.
• Submission of official transcripts from every college or university attended within 5*/10 weeks after the initial start date. *Effective March 22, 2022 - Students beginning classes at the Montgomery campus or High Point Off Campus Instructional Site will have five weeks to submit acceptable documentation. ​*Effective April 1, 2022 - Students beginning classes at the Richmond and West Palm Beach campuses will have five weeks to submit acceptable documentation.  *Effective May 31, 2022 - Students beginning classes at the Tampa and Orlando campuses will have five weeks to submit acceptable documentation. *Effective July 12, 2022 - Students beginning classes at the Austin and Columbia campuses will have five weeks to submit acceptable documentation. *Effective August 16, 2022 - Students beginning classes at the Savannah and Virginia Beach campuses will have five weeks to submit acceptable documentation.
• A valid and unencumbered license as a registered nurse in all US states or territory in which the student is licensed, including the state in which the student completes all assignments for the program. (Note that military, federal, and foreign educated nurses must meet this state requirement for nursing licensure).

Note: An unencumbered license(s) must be maintained throughout the program.

Additional Admission Requirements for Post-Graduate Certificate Family Nurse Practitioner or Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Programs**

Applicants are required to show evidence of the following:

• Master of Science in Nursing degree or higher from a CCNE/ACEN  (formerly NLNAC) or CNEA nursing program
• The accredited MSN program includes separate courses in advanced pathophysiology, advanced health assessment and advanced pharmacology. Note: Applicants, whose MSN program, did not require these courses must take them as part of the PGC program of study.
• Applicants with previous Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) specialization must show evidence of:
  • Unencumbered licensure to practice as an APRN
  • National certification as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
  • Admitted applicants may not substitute previous specialty clinical courses (didactic or practicum) for the new specialization or in the PGC program.
  • Admitted applicants will be required to complete all of the specialty practicum courses in the new specialization program or in the PGC program.

Course Requirements

Outcomes

Offered at Columbia, Online Programs, Richmond, Savannah, Tampa and Virginia Beach.

Note: Not all Online Program offerings are available to residents of all U.S. states. Please contact an admissions representative for further information.

Program Description

The Post Graduate Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner is a 42-credit hour program designed for individuals who hold a master's degree in nursing that has prepared them for practice in another advanced role or in an advanced nursing specialty. The certificate program provides students the knowledge and decision making skills to provide direct advanced practice nursing health care services to individuals across the life span.

Post-master's students must successfully complete graduate didactic and clinical requirements of the master's specialization and are expected to master the same outcome competencies as master's students pursuing an MSN with a specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner, including the master's core competencies and the specialization competencies.

Courses may be waived if the individual's master's transcript indicates that s/he has successfully completed the required course or its equivalent. Waivers and exceptions will be determined for individual students through a gap analysis as determined by the Program Director or College Dean.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates should be able to:

1. Synthesize theories and concepts from nursing and other disciplines for application in advanced nursing roles.
2. Analyze current scientific research for application of findings to initiate change and to improve practice.
3. Create comprehensive plans of action that address the health promotion and disease prevention needs of individual, family, and community populations.
4. Formulate a plan for ongoing contributions to improvement of healthcare delivery and development of health policy in a cost-effective manner.
5. Apply an ethical decision-making process in professional practice and an analysis of systems of healthcare.
6. Model a professional leadership role that fosters improvement of healthcare and advocates scholarly activities to advance self and profession.
7. Employ informatics and technology in various aspects of the advanced nursing leadership role.
8. Practice within ethical-legal guidelines, professional policies and regulations, and standards of practice associated with a specialty area of advanced nursing practice.

Specialized Program Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Integrate specialty standards of advanced practice nursing to deliver culturally competent, quality health care services to individuals, families, populations and systems.
2. Exercise effective leadership, critical thinking and communication skills in the development and implementation of advanced nursing practice services in Primary Care.
3. Integrate professional nursing standards, values and accountability into role and self-development as an advanced practice nurse.
4. Utilize information technology and an evidence-based research approach development of nursing knowledge and design of health care services for clients, populations and systems.
5. Ensure advanced levels of clinical judgment, systems thinking, and accountability in the implementation and evaluation of evidenced based care to diverse individuals and populations.

Online Classroom

Haven’t experienced online learning before or wondering what it’s like to earn your degree online at South University? While the mode of learning is different from the traditional classroom experience with added convenience and flexibility, we hold the same high standards of academic excellence in the online classroom. 

South University’s online programs combine a curriculum designed for student outcomes and a classroom designed for flexibility and engagement. Our online classroom learning platform, Brightspace, provides you with a host of features to enhance your learning experience, including:

• Advanced media content
• Personalized navigation
• Simplified online learning atmosphere
• Access to digital books
• Emailing and instant messaging options

We provide more than just an online classroom, bringing a range of campus experiences and services online. In addition, the online classroom is accessible on the go via mobile devices and with tools like the Pulse App. Pulse helps you stay connected and on track with your course by providing a number of features such as course calendars, readings and assignments, feedback and grades, and announcements.

Read more about online requirements here. 

Comments and Concerns

All Fields Are Required

The purpose of this form is to provide a process for the general public to submit comments, concerns, or complaints regarding their interaction with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, Post Graduate Certificate, or Doctor of Nursing Practice program. A record of all complaints will be maintained and secured by campus administration. If you are a South University student, please submit your comments, concerns, or complaints according to the process outlined in the University Catalog or programmatic handbook. Please contact your Program Director or Academic Counselor if you need additional guidance.