Overview

The College of Nursing offers a MSU Certification in College Teaching Program AND a College of Nursing Teaching in Nursing Certificate Program. Completion of the certificate programs will be noted on the student’s transcript.

Options for the College Teaching Certification:

1.   The CON coordinates MSU Certification in College Teaching in Nursing. This program is designed to prepare a novice teacher with college teaching certification. It includes six credits of course work, an internship and portfolio. This certification will appear on the student’s MSU transcript.

2.   The CON offers a College of Nursing Certificate in Teaching in Nursing. This option provides the student with a CON Teaching Certificate in Teaching in Nursing on their transcript and prepares them to sit for the National Teaching Certification in Nursing. This option requires nine credits, an internship, and e-portfolio. Following completion of the program, the student is eligible to sit for the National Certification as a Nurse Educator (CNE). The National certification must be renewed every 5 years.​​​​​​

College of Nursing Teaching in Nursing Certificate Program

This is a 9 credit online program designed to prepare graduate and post- graduate nurses with nurse educator competencies in preparation for teaching in a variety of clinical and academic settings. The program offers theoretical and experiential learning activities to provide students with the specialized knowledge and skills for teaching.

Completion of the 9 credit certificate program will prepare nurses to meet the academic qualifications to sit for NLN Nurse Educator Certification (CNE®) or the Nurse Educator Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE®cl). The National League for Nursing (NLN) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) recognize the need for nurse educators to have formal education to teach in an academic environment in addition to graduate education and experiential practice. A growing number of academic programs and specialty practices are requiring educators to have some formal coursework to teach or to be certified as nurse educators as a condition of employment.

The program includes 3 – 3 credit theory courses and a total of 90 hours of  student teaching under the direct supervision of a College of Nursing preceptor. *Clinical placement will take place near the student’s geographic area.

Program Outcomes 

Participants enrolled in the certificate program will:

• Create a learning environment to facilitate student achievement of psychomotor, cognitive, and affective learning outcomes.
• Facilitate learner development and professional socialization of values and norms.
• Use a variety of strategies to assess and evaluate achievement of learner outcomes.
• Participate in curriculum development, self‐study activities, and program review for currency in health care trends.
• Demonstrate leadership skills in promoting advancement of nursing education and practice.
• Develop a plan for continuous educator role development and improvement.
• Participate in scholarly activities related to teaching and learning. 
• Participate in the full scope of the nurse educator role.

CON Teaching in Nursing Trajectory

NUR 861 (3 credit) - Curriculum Design in Nursing Education
Analysis and application of theories, principles, and concepts associated with curriculum development, design, and evaluation. 

Objectives: 1) Synthesize teaching‐learning theories in a nursing curriculum design. 2) Integrate the components of performance‐centered instruction in nursing curriculum. 3) Evaluate a program, course, and project in addition to peer evaluation. 4) Develop a personal philosophy of education.

NUR 868 (3 credit) - Topics in Nursing Education
Synthesis and application of concepts to facilitate development of the advanced practice nurse as scholar, teacher, and collaborator.

Objectives: 1) Integrate the nurse educator role in the planning, development, design and assessment of student learning within the academic and clinical environments. 2) Utilize a variety of theoretical and empirically based strategies to develop, implement and evaluate a teaching plan designed for a diverse group of learners. 3) Integrate and evaluate technology and information literacy skills within nursing education. 4) Apply teaching strategies that foster a positive academic climate and facilitates student learning 5) Evaluate teaching effectiveness through peer, preceptor, faculty and self‐evaluation processes. 6) Assume a leadership role in the development, design, delivery, and evaluation of an innovative evidence‐based teaching/learning methodology to inform practice. 7) Development of a philosophy of teaching statement and professional portfolio.

**NUR 866 (3 credit) - Academic and Clinical Teaching Internship
^{(861 & 868 pre-requisite courses) 90 hours student teaching}
Guided field internship within an academic or health care setting.

Objectives: 1) Apply principles of adult learning in an interactive setting. 2) Analyze organizational issues and trends shaping the education of nurses. 3) Examine nurse educator role expectations and requirements within higher education and health care environments in relation to career development. 4) Analyze legal, ethical, and socio‐cultural factors that influence nursing education and teacher/student role expectations. 5) Examine the role of research and scholarship within academic and health care settings related to nursing education.

**Compliance
Students enrolled in NUR866 must complete all compliance requirements prior to enrollment. Clinical Compliance

Lifelong Student Enrollment
NUR861 and NUR868 may be independently enrolled as lifelong learning students.

Application

To be considered for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Teaching in Nursing an applicant must:

• Be enrolled in an MSU College of Nursing graduate program; an accredited graduate nursing   program; OR graduated from an accredited graduate program in nursing with a minimum 3.0 grade- point average on a 4.0 scale.
• Have completed a bachelor’s in nursing degree from an accredited program with a minimum 3.0 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.
• Submit a university application and a curriculum vitae or resume. Click “start a graduate certificate application” to apply.
• Submit the admission application for the certificate program and CV/resume on the College of Nursing Web site.
• Provide transcripts from all previous institutions of higher education.
• If the applicant’s native language is not English, the applicant must complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum average score of 550, no subscore below 52 on the paper-based test (PBT). If the applicant completes the Internet-based test (iBT), no subscore below 19 for reading, listening, and speaking; no writing subscore below 22 and a minimum average score of 80. Applicants should have all test scores sent from the testing agency directly to Michigan State University Office of Admissions.

MSU Certification in College Teaching (CCTP)

The CON Certification in College Teaching Program (CCTP) helps doctoral students develop teaching competencies and experience a broad range of faculty roles and responsibilities in preparation for an academic career. Students complete graduate level coursework in college teaching, participate in a mentored teaching experience, and document achievement of core teaching competencies. Upon successful program completion, the Graduate School will award a certification of college teaching in Nursing, which will be noted on the student’s transcript. For additional guidance, please access the Graduate School’s webpage and the Coordinator of the College Teaching Program, Dr. Kathleen Poindexter, in the CON.

CCTP Requirements and Coursework

Requirements:

• Mentored Teaching Experience
• Teaching project
• Academic course work (6 credits, 800 level) related to teaching in nursing
• Portfolio
• Workshop (seminar, or conference) in core teaching competencies
• Reflection papers for core competencies (minimum of 5, one in each category)
• Philosophy of Teaching Statement

Academic Coursework (6 credits):

NUR 866 (3 credit): Academic and Clinical Teaching in Nursing Education: Spring Semester. Description: Guided field internship within an academic and health care setting. Synthesis and application of concepts to facilitate development of the advanced practice nurse as scholar, teacher, and collaborator. Course activities include:

• 90 Hours Mentored Teaching Experience*
• Portfolio Development*
• Philosophy of Teaching Statement*
• Teaching Project*

NUR 861 (3 credits): Curriculum Design (Recommended) offered fall semester. Description: Analysis and application of theories, principles, and concepts associated with curriculum development, design, and evaluation. Course activities include:

• Curriculum Development group project*
• Teaching Philosophy Statement*

Optional Alternate Course related to Academic Teaching in area of interest: Requires approval of major professor and Program Director.

*Required Elements required for CCTP

Additional Required Elements: 5 Core Competencies
Demonstrated competency in the five core areas described below are the responsibility of the student. Participation in a Lilly or similar workshop, seminar, specific courses, professional conferences or other activities may fulfill requirements in each core area. Approval of the student’s major professor or CCTP director is encouraged to assure the activity meets criteria. A minimum of participating in one activity in each of the 5 core competency areas is required (in addition to course work).
Documentation of workshop participation, agenda, and completion of a 2 – 3 page reflective paper will be required for each of the core competencies.

Note: Students who are enrolled in a College of Nursing doctoral program may attend workshops in any of the 5 core teaching competencies prior to formal acceptance into the CCTP.

CCTP Procedures

PhD Student Procedures:
If a student chooses to earn this certification, they must complete an approval form that is signed by their faculty advisor and submitted to the PhD Program Secretary and the CON Coordinator of the College Teaching Program. Second, the student must include the Coordinator of the College of Teaching Program in their annual guidance committee meeting held in January or February of each year. The rationale being to facilitate a clear understanding of the student’s plan related to certification and how this coordinates with the required PhD program plan. 

DNP Student Procedures:
If a student chooses to earn this certification, they must consult with their program director and the CON Coordinator of the College Teaching Program (CCTP) for integration into program of study. The CON Coordinator of the CCTP will provide the student with the appropriate application form for acceptance into the program. 
CCTP CON Coordinator: Kathleen Poindexter, poindex9@msu.edu

For more information see: MSU Grad School expectations. https://grad.msu.edu/CCTP