Family Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate
School of Nursing
The WVU School of Nursing offers the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) post-MSN certificate for professional nurses aiming to advance their practice in primary health care for all ages. Graduates will be eligible for national certification and complete at least 600 supervised clinical hours. This program equips you with essential skills in health maintenance, diagnosis, treatment, and care evaluation for individuals within family units in primary care settings.
Cost:
$797 / Cost per credit hour *
Courses and Credits:
10 Courses / 23-32 Credits
Duration:
Two years
Dates:
Next Start: August 20, 2025 Admission Term: Fall
Learning Format:
Online asynchronous and synchronous, low-residency
Program Overview
Provide Advanced Primary Nursing Care Across the Lifespan
This program prepares nurses who have already earned a master’s degree, or higher, in nursing to sit for either the national certification examination offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
The post-graduate FNP certificate program requires 23-32 credits, depending on pre-requisites completed in advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacotherapeutics, and advanced assessment. Course offerings have been carefully tailored for adult learners to meet both synchronously and asynchronously based on student feedback and course-specific content. Students will complete a minimum of 600 supervised clinical hours in their final two semesters.
There will be two separate in-person requirements:
- Students enrolled in the
NSG 705 Advanced Assessment course will be required to come to either
the Morgantown or Charleston campus for a practice session prior to their Physical
Assessment Practicum. The practice session will be held in April of the first
spring semester of the program.
- Students enrolled in
NSG 715 Experiential Learning are required to come to the Morgantown
campus for two days in July of the first summer semester of the program. This
course is comprised of competency-based testing, simulation, additional assessment
demonstrations, and hands-on skills practice.
Additional information for all in-person requirements will be provided upon admission.
Curriculum
Learning Outcomes
At the completion of the Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate, you will be prepared to demonstrate the following outcomes:
- Integrate theories and evidence-based on the art and science of nursing knowledge
as well as other disciplines to make clinical decisions in the delivery of advanced
practice nursing care.
- Formulate and communicate individualized compassionate, ethical, evidenced-based
plans of care, considering the SDOH for individuals.
- Collaborate with interprofessional teams and other stakeholders to formulate initiatives,
influence heath policies, and improve advanced practice nursing health care delivery
and health outcomes for individuals and populations.
- Disseminate evidence-based recommendations to improve advanced practice nursing
health care delivery and patient outcomes for diverse patients.
- Evaluate advanced nursing practice healthcare delivery for the purpose of quality
improvement, improved patient outcomes, reduction of risks to patients and providers,
and reduced fragmentation of care.
- Coordinate healthcare system resources to provide safe, quality, inclusive, equitable
advanced practice nursing care.
- Utilize technologies to provide evidence-based advanced practice nursing care,
gather data to drive clinical decision making, and deliver healthcare services
in accordance with ethical and professional standards.
- Model behaviors that reflect nursing values, accountability, collaborative leadership,
and ethical principles in advanced nursing practice.
- Participate in activities and self-reflection that foster compassionate self-care,
resilience, well-being, lifelong learning and leadership development as an advanced
practice nurse.
- NSG 701: Advanced Pharmacology, 3 credit hours
- NSG 705: Advanced Lifespan Assessment: FNP Focus, 3 credit hours
- NSG 706: Advanced Pathophysiology, 3 credit hours
- NSG 712: Primary Care of Families I, 3 credit hours
- NSG 714: Primary Care of Families II, 3 credit hours
- NSG 715-NP: Experiential Learning, 3 credit hours
- NSG 623: Foundations of the Nurse Practitioner Role and Interprofessional Practice, 3 credit hours
- NSG 626: Lifespan Health Promotion, 3 credit hours
- NSG 720: Family Practicum I, 3 credit hours
- NSG 721: Family Practicum II, 3 credit hours
Admissions Requirements and Eligibility
Eligible applicants are those who:
- Hold a degree of Master of Science in Nursing (or higher) from a nationally accredited
nursing program and regionally accredited institution.
- Minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on graduate degree work
- Provisional admission may be considered if the overall GPA is 2.75-2.99 depending upon space available and other qualifications.
- Hold an active, unrestricted RN license in the state where the student plans to
complete clinical hours.
- Transfer students must provide a letter of good standing from the Nursing program
in which currently enrolled or left incomplete.
In addition, applicants:
To be considered, applicants will be required to meet all WVU admission requirements in addition to program-specific admission criteria.
Students must satisfactorily complete background checks and drug screens upon admission.
New program applicants with a positive drug screen will be ineligible for admission to the program and will forfeit their admission “seat.” Please see the WVU SON Drug and Alcohol Screening Policy and the Health Information and Credential Documentation Policy.
Note: Any student who has been dismissed from the West Virginia University School of Nursing or any other nursing program may be considered for readmission if the dismissal was academic and was followed by successful completion of an additional degree. Any student who has withdrawn from the WVU School of Nursing program may be considered for readmission. Students may apply for readmission in accordance with the following guidelines and criteria but must follow the standard admission procedures. Students must meet all original admission requirements.
Admissions Process and How to Apply
Apply to WVU
Depending on prerequisites completed, entry term into the program will vary from student to student. Students will be reviewed for admission on a rolling basis until July 1. Applicants will be notified of admissions decisions as they are reviewed.
- Click on the Apply Now button below.
- Please select the following options on the New Application screen:
- Type of Student: Certificate
- Which Program: Select your Post-MSN Program
- You will be asked to select a Progression Plan on the Nursing Application. The
Post Graduate certificate is only offered as a full-time program.
- On the Supplemental Materials screen, you will upload the following:
- Current Curriculum Vita or Resume
- It is preferred that official transcripts be sent via an online, secure service such as eScrip-Safe, National Student Clearinghouse, or Parchment to graduateadmissions@mail.wvu.edu.
- Alternatively, sealed, untampered, physical official transcripts can be sent
directly to: WVU Graduate Admissions, P.O. Box 6510, Morgantown, WV 26506-6510.
- Applicants who completed prior education outside of the U.S. must have their transcripts evaluated by World Education Services (WES). Please request a "course-by-course" International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP).
Note: Certificate seeking students, with approval from the certificate program, may transfer up to 6 of the required credits for a graduate certificate from a different institution or applied from another previous or concurrent WVU degree or certificate. Individual course credits may be applied to no more than two degrees, majors, or certificates. Courses applied to a certificate must have been completed no more than seven years prior to certificate conferral.
- Nursing GPA
- Work Experience
- Overall GPA
Clinical rotations with approved preceptors in the final year of your program must be arranged with course faculty. Due to potential preceptor limitations, students may have to travel out of their local areas to their clinical sites and are required to provide their own reliable transportation.
Some students applying to certificate programs may have accrued direct patient care hours prior to admission. Upon request, the student’s program of study will be personalized via gap analyses to determine the number of clinical practicum hours required of each student. Any hours accrued prior to admission must have been academically supervised and completed in a setting and population appropriate to the certificate program in which the student is enrolled. Students must obtain a completed Verification of Qualifying MSN Clinical Hours and Gap Analysis form from the director of their previous program within the first semester of enrollment.
In programs with limited capacity and competitive admissions, the most qualified students are selected among those that meet the minimum requirements. Students who want to appeal the Undergraduate or Graduate Admissions Committee decision as unfair, arbitrary, or capricious may contact the director of Admissions and Enrollment for the School of Nursing. The request will be forwarded to the program director for consideration, and the student will receive detailed information regarding the formal appeal process.
Tuition, Fees and Financial Aid
Tuition and fees are usually not the only educational expenses you may have while pursuing a degree. You may have other costs such as books, supplies, and living expenses. Visit the Estimate Costs and Aid webpage to estimate and plan for other potential expenses.
Tuition per credit hour is listed on the page of your program of interest. Please note, tuition and fees are reviewed and subject to change at the start of each academic year.
Connect with an Admissions Coach
Jessica Carr Online Admissions Coach
(304) 293-6841 jessica.carr1@mail.wvu.edu
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Careers and Employment
It's important to note that the specific benefits may vary depending on factors such as location, practice setting, experience, and individual career goals. Nonetheless, earning an FNP certificate can provide numerous professional advantages and open doors to a rewarding and impactful career in healthcare.
Career Paths
- Nurse Practitioner
- Acute Care Nurse
- Nursing Professor
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Medical and Health Services Manager