This 18-credit post graduate Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Graduate Certificate is designed to provide advanced practice nurses with preparation as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Upon completing the certificate requirements, students will be eligible to sit for national certification exams offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners National Certification Board (AANPCB). Once nationally certified the FNP is eligible to apply for licensure in all fifty states.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Application
- Students wishing to obtain this certificate must declare their intention by applying to the program office or director.
- All graduate certificate applicants—even those already enrolled in a UWM graduate program—must apply to the Graduate School through the Panthera Admission Application.
- Graduate degree and previously admitted graduate non-degree students who decide to pursue a certificate program must submit the Panthera application before completing 6 credits in the certificate sequence.
- Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree and have a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average to be admitted into a certificate program.
Admission
The admission requirements of the FNP Post Graduate Certificate are consistent with those requirements specified by the Graduate School of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition, students must also meet the following requirements for the College of Nursing:
- A master’s or doctoral degree in Nursing from an accredited program providing preparation as a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse midwife, or certified registered nurse anesthetist.
- Certification in their current advanced practice registered nurse specialty as applicable.
- Completion with a grade of B or better-of a graduate-level course in physiology/pathophysiology, pharmacology, and comprehensive assessment. Evidence of prescriptive authority in the state of Wisconsin will be accepted in place of graduate pharmacology.
- Current registration as a professional nurse in the state of Wisconsin.
- Three (3) letters of recommendation, two (2) of which are from persons most knowledgeable about the applicant’s recent academic and work experiences.
- Personal interviews with a faculty member may be requested.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- Personal statement that includes rationale for certificate study and career goals.
- One year of clinical experience relevant to the chosen specialty.
Credits and Courses
The Post Graduate FNP certificate is designed to provide advanced practice nurses with preparation as a Family Nurse Practitioner. The Certificate is 18 credits; six courses are required. Theory courses are taken concurrently with practicum courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Theory Courses | ||
| NURS 767 | Family Nurse Practitioner Theory I | 3 |
| NURS 768 | Family Nurse Practitioner Theory II | 3 |
| NURS 769 | Family Nurse Practitioner Theory III | 3 |
| Practicum Courses | ||
| NURS 757 | Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum I | 3 |
| NURS 758 | Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum II | 3 |
| NURS 759 | Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum III | 3 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Additional Requirements
Allowance for Transfer Credit
If approved by the FNP Option Coordinator, one 3-credit course from an accredited institution other than UWM may be transferred to meet requirements of the certificate program.
Completion Requirements
Certificate program progression requirements will be consistent with the College of Nursing requirements for progression in graduate level programs. Students must complete all courses with at least a B- or better and a cumulative GPA of a 3.00 or greater.
Time limit
It is expected that students will complete the certificate in one year from time of enrollment.
Certificate Conferral
The certificate will be awarded upon successful completion of the requirements (i.e. once all grades for the certificate courses are officially recorded with cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater). Successful completion of the certificate program will be noted on the student’s transcript.
Articulation with Degree Programs
- Credits and courses required for a certificate may double count toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions:
- Degree programs must approve the courses from certificates that can double count toward the degree.
- All credits taken in completion of certificate requirements may count towards a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree. (Note: Students in PhD programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements)
- Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit.
- Courses completed for a degree may be counted toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements.
- A course may count toward no more than one certificate and one degree.
- Students may not earn a certificate subsequent to a concentration in the same area.