Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate

Applicants must currently hold national certification in one of the following advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) specialties:

• Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP)
• Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
• Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AG PCNP)
• Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG ACNP)
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
• Geriatric Nurse Practitioner (GNP)
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
• Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner (WHCNP)
• Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

The following are also required for all applicants:

• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from a college accredited by the appropriate accrediting association (i.e., NLN or CCNE) with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
  • Undergraduate introductory course in statistics with grade of C or better
  • Undergraduate health appraisal/physical assessment course with grade of C or better
• The MAT or GRE is not required for admission

Post-MSN certificates begin in the fall. The following completed admission application materials must be received by March 1 for admission consideration:

• Complete College of Graduate Studies online application with payment of required fee
• Georgia Southern University Health Services Form
• Three letters of recommendation. Forms in the online application are acceptable, or you can attach three recommendation letters to the application.
• Proof of American Heart Association or American Red Cross Level C (2 person-BLS) CPR certification
• Proof of Georgia RN licensure or compact license (write COPY over any replication of license submitted)
• Resume or CV with work history

Applicants will be pooled for admission consideration. Interviews with individuals under consideration may be conducted prior to admission.

Upon acceptance, applicants must also provide:

• Nursing Student Health forms
• Proof of current RN malpractice liability insurance (policy cover page) with name, dates of coverage, and amount (1 million incident/3 million aggregate)
• Proof of “Student NP” malpractice insurance before entering any clinical NP courses that require clinical hours or involve direct patient care

Note: NP students will be required to complete all clinical practicums with a qualified preceptor in either Georgia or South Carolina. NP students must be proactive and secure preceptors for the clinical practicums.

The post-graduate APRN certificate program at Georgia Southern University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Please consult the Graduate Student Handbook:

• SLO 1: Integrate core knowledge from the liberal arts, sciences, and nursing as the foundation for advanced level professional practice.   
• SLO 2: Use knowledge of organizational systems, leadership principles, and resources to become responsible, safe, and accountable advanced level professional nurses that demonstrate professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct.
• SLO 3: Demonstrate advanced level clinical judgment/decision making by using health care information, technology, scholarship, inquiry, and current evidence to improve individual and population health care outcomes.
• SLO 4: Collaborate using advanced inter-professional communication to develop partnerships with other members of the health care team that improve patient health outcomes.

Upon completing the Post-MSN Certificate curriculum, you will be fully prepared for educational eligibility for certification in your given area of study.

Upon completing the program, you can also apply for admission to the Post-MSN-DNP program. The purpose of our DNP program is to prepare advanced practice nurses and leaders to evaluate and improve primary health care. Our ultimate goal is to improve health care and the health of populations and individuals, with a special focus on rural and underserved communities.

Tuition and fees charged by Georgia Southern University are approved by the University System of Georgia annually. For a comprehensive costs and affordability analysis, please visit here.

The School of Nursing anticipates that graduates of this program will seek certification as family nurse practitioner (FNP) and state licensure as an APRN.

The School of Nursing has determined that the required classes and educational activities of this online academic program will qualify a graduate of this program to take the board examinations listed above, which are used by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

The School of Nursing only supervises clinical placements in Georgia and South Carolina. All students enrolling in the program must have an active Georgia or South Carolina nursing license or an eNLC compact license. The program cannot enroll any student physically residing in AL, AZ, CO, ID, LA, MO, NE, ND, NY, OH, PA, SD, TN, or WA. Before enrolling, students physically residing in states other than Georgia or South Carolina, must attest that they will complete clinical hours in Georgia or South Carolina and that they will seek initial licensure as an APRN in Georgia or South Carolina.

Georgia Southern makes every effort to ensure information about educational requirements for licensure or certification is current; however, state requirements may change. Separate from educational requirements, state licensure boards may require applicants for jurisprudence examinations, background checks, proof of RN license, proof of clinical hours, or additional training. For more information, as well as for a list of applicable state boards, visit the Georgia Southern State Authorization and Professional Licensure web page.

For all Online Programs:
Federal Law requires colleges and universities to make certain disclosures to prospective students of these programs. These disclosures include information on the University’s authority to operate outside of Georgia, the complaint processes, adverse actions, refunds, and program closure.
For required disclosures about online programs offered by the University, visit the Georgia Southern State Authorization and Professional Licensure Webpage.

Many of the clinical programs offered by the Waters College of Health Professions require a clinical internship or practicum experience to fulfill degree requirements.  Pursuant to the University’s legal agreements, participants in clinical experiences are required to abide by the workplace rules of the clinical site. Sometimes these rules include vaccination requirements. As always, WCHP will continue to make every effort to place students at clinical sites. However, please be aware that we may be unable to locate a site to accept unvaccinated students, which may cause a delay or inability to progress and complete the program of study.