This 18-credit post graduate Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG ACNP) certificate prepares students for certification and licensure as Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (AG ACNP). Upon completing the certificate requirements, students will be eligible to sit for the AG ACNP national certification exam offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).  Once nationally certified the AG ACNP 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 AG ACNP 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 advanced physiology/pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, and advanced health assessment. Evidence of current prescriptive authority in the state of Wisconsin will be accepted in place of advanced pharmacology.
  • Current registration as a Registered 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. 
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV).
  • Personal statement that includes rationale for certificate study and career goals.
  • Personal interview with a faculty member may be requested.
  • One year of clinical experience relevant to the chosen specialty, such as adult medical surgical units, ICU, PACU or ED.

Credits and Courses

The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Post Graduate Certificate includes three theory courses (3 credits each) and three practicum courses (3 credits each) for a total of 18 credits. The six required courses are:

Theory
NURS 702Advanced Practice Nursing Adult-Gerontology Chronic Illness3
NURS 703Advanced Practice Nursing Adult-Gerontology Acute Illness3
NURS 704Advanced Practice Nursing Adult-Gerontology Critical Illness3
Practicum
NURS 822Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum I3
NURS 823Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum II3
NURS 824Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum III3
Total Credits18

Additional Requirements

Transfer Credit

If approved by the AG ACNP faculty, one 3-credit course from an institution other than UWM may be transferred in 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 in order to progress in program.

Time Limit

It is expected that students will complete the certificate within 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 a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or more). Successful completion of the certificate program will be noted on the student's official transcript.

Articulation with Degree Programs

  1. 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.
  2. Courses completed for a degree may be counted toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements.
  3. A course may count toward no more than one certificate and one degree.
  4. Students may not earn a certificate subsequent to a concentration in the same area.