How do I apply for the Post-Graduate Certificate programs?

Admission to the Post-Graduate Certificate is limited to advanced practice registered nurses with a master’s or doctoral degree from a Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education- or National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission-accredited program and who have current national certification in their specialty.

To be considered for admission to the Post-Graduate Certificate program, an applicant must:

• Submit a university application and a curriculum vitae or resume. Click “start a graduate certificate application” to apply.
• Hold a master’s degree in nursing from an accredited college or university.
• Possess a current unrestricted license to practice nursing as a registered nurse in the applicant's state or country and specialty certification. 
• A minimum grade-point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) for the Master of Science in Nursing.
• Possess current certification from a U.S. National Certifying Board as an NP, CNS, CRNA or CNM.
• Have a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) for total credits completed during the graduate nursing program.
• Submit a written essay. This should address the applicant’s career goals and motivations for additional graduate study in the selected area of specialty nursing practice; nurse practitioner, or adult-gerontology clinical nurse.
• Submit three letters of recommendation. The reference letters must be from a source that has direct knowledge of the applicant’s work and educational experience.
• Complete an admission interview with the College of Nursing faculty. 
• Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). For the paper-based test (PBT), a minimum average score of 550 is required, with no sub-score below 52. For the internet-based test (iBT), applicants must achieve a minimum average score of 80, with no sub-scores below 19 in reading, listening, and speaking, and no writing sub-score below 22. All test scores must be sent directly to the Michigan State University Office of Admissions by the testing agency.

A gap analysis will be conducted to assess competency and prior course work in the three core APRN clinical courses (3Ps). These must cover the lifespan (prenatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and older adult / geriatric).

• NUR 907: Advanced Pathophysiology for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
• NUR 908: Advanced Physical Assessment for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
• NUR 909: Advanced Pharmacology for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse

Applicants may choose to take any of the above courses for refresher. Faculty will assess compatibility of previous courses in these areas and may require one or all before enrolling in the graduate certificate. The student must demonstrate pharmacology course work (credit and/or continuing education credit) within the past five years.

Validation form (post-master's students only):

Applicants are required to submit a validation form to the administrator of their APRN program to verify the total number of clinical hours completed in the program as well as curriculum content for three APRN courses.  

All forms must be received by the final application deadline.

Applicants are responsible for uploading the completed validation form directly to the application or submitting to the Office of Student Affairs either via​​​ email or fax.

Out-of-state applicants

Students who reside outside the state of Michigan who are considering an online nursing program should contact the appropriate board in their state of residency to confirm whether the course or program meets requirements for professional licensure in the student’s state of residence prior to beginning a course of study. MSU has an up-to-date, state-by-state summary available online.