1. 24 Credit hours: Adult-Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner:  AHN 568, AHN 571, AHN 572, AHN 573, AHN 574, AHN 575, AHN 576, AHN 577

2. 24 Credit hours:  Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner:  AHN 581, AHN 588, AHN 591, AHN 592, AHN 593, AHN 594, AHN 595, AHN 596, HSC 601, HSC 602, HSC 603

3. 17 Credit hours:  Adult-Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist:  NU 515, NU 516, NU 517, AHN 516, AHN 517, AHN 518. Elective AHN 519

4. 15 Credit hours:  Clinical Nurse Leader:  NU 535, NU 536, NU 537, NU 538

5. 36 Credit hours:  Dual Role (Family NP/Adult-Gerontological Acute Care NP):  AHN 538, AHN 548, AHN 549, AHN 550, AHN 551, AHN 552, AHN 553, AHN 554, AHN 555

6. 36 Credit hours:  Dual Role (Family NP/Emergency NP): NU 580, NU 581, NU 582, NU 583, NU 584, NU 585, NU 586, NU 587, NU 588

7. 15 Credit hours:  Emergency Nurse Practitioner:  NU 570, NU 571, NU 572, NU 573, NU 574, NU 575, NU 576, NU 577
   May be added to Family NP, Dual Role (Family NP/Adult-Gerontological Acute Care NP), Dual Role (Family NP/Emergency NP), or taken as a Post Graduate Certificate if already Family NP certified.

8. 24 Credit hours:  Family Nurse Practitioner:  CMN 568, CMN 571, CMN 572, CMN 573, CMN 574, CMN 575, CMN 576, CMN 577

9. 24 Credit hours:  Neonatal Nurse Practitioner:  MCN 568, MCN 571, MCN 572, MCN 573, MCN 574, MCN 575, MCN 576, MCN 577

10. 24 Credit hours:  Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner: MCN 558, MCN 562, MCN 563, MCN 564, MCN 565, MCN 566, MCN 567, MCN 571

11. 24 Credit hours:  Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner:  MCN 548, MCN 551, MCN 552, MCN 553, MCN 554, MCN 555, MCN 556, MCN 557

12. 24 Credit hours:  Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner:  CMN 548, CMN 551, CMN 552, CMN 553, CMN 554, CMN 555, CMN 556, CMN 557

13. 24 Credit hours:  Women's Health Nurse Practitioner:  MCN 538, MCN 541, MCN 542, MCN 543, MCN 544, MCN 545, MCN 546, MCN 547

Non-Clinical Concentrations (8 Courses, 25 Credit Hours)

1. 25 Credit hours:  Executive Nursing Administration:  HSC 571, NU 539, NU 561, NU 553, NU 554, NU 565, NU 566, NU 567, NU 568

2. 25 Credit hours:  Nursing Informatics: ISC 550, ISC 555, NU 539,  NU 553, NU 554, NU 556, NU 557, NU 558, NU 559, NU 565 

NURSING POST-GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

The Nursing Post-Graduate Certificate Program is designed for registered nurses with a graduate degree in nursing who seek academic preparation in a new specialty or subspecialty area of advanced practice nursing. Nursing Post-graduate certificate students can select any of the specialty options offered by the program. Each certificate program is designed to be in compliance with national certification requirements including required support courses, didactic specialty courses, and clinical hours.

Nursing Post-Graduate Certificate Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Nursing Post-Graduate Certificate Program, graduates should be able to:

1. Integrate advanced knowledge and theories from nursing and related disciplines into a specialized area of advanced nursing practice.
2. Demonstrate competence in advanced nursing roles to meet current and emerging health needs of a specific population or system.
3. Use scientific inquiry to identify problems within an organization or specific patient population to improve care outcomes.
4. Apply advanced knowledge of leadership and management to transform care delivery systems in a specialized area of advanced nursing practice.
5. Contribute to the focus and direction of the nursing profession within a specialized area of advanced nursing practice.
6. Demonstrate professional skills through collecting, organizing, and communicating information in professional writing and presentations.

Admission Criteria

Graduate of an approved regionally accredited master's or doctoral program with a major in nursing.

1. Current registered nurse licensure with no restrictions. Nurses with any restrictions on their license, including participation in a voluntary disciplinary alternative program, cannot be admitted.
2. A minimal grade-point average of 3.0 on all graduate work (A=4.00). Enrollment in selective courses may not be available to non- degree students due to class size or required prerequisite.
3. Submission of a résumé which documents clinical experience. Prior to enrolling in nurse practitioner clinical course, students are required to have at least 2 years of experience in an area appropriate to the specialty track.
4. Submission of Health Data Forms and evidence of health insurance required upon admission.
5. Admission will be contingent on a negative drug screen and results of an acceptable background check. 

Application Procedures

Admission to the program is limited and selective. Application forms and other information may be obtained from the College of Nursing's website at https://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/con/dnp/dnpapplic.html or by contacting the college directly at College of Nursing, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama 36688; condnpadmit@southalabama.edu; Telephone: (251) 445-9400.

To be considered for admission to the Post Graduate Certificate program, the applicant must meet the following requirements:

1. Citizen or Permanent Resident of the United States of America.
2. Current registered nurse licensure with no restrictions.  Nurses with any restrictions on their license, including participation in a voluntary disciplinary alternative program, cannot be admitted.
3. Completion of Primary and Supplemental Applications is required.
   1. Primary Application submitted through Nursing Centralized Application System (NursingCAS) at www.NursingCAS.org. Official transcripts of all college and university studies, regardless of the outcome of enrollment, must be sent directly from the home institution to the NursingCAS. These documents become the property of the NursingCAS and will not be returned to the applicant. Applicants are responsible for any fees required by NursingCAS for their services.
   2. Supplemental Application submitted directly to the DNP Office at the USA College of Nursing. This application requires a non-refundable processing fee of $100.00, a Personal Goal Statement, and a résumé /CV documenting clinical experience.
4. Applicants to the Nursing Post Graduate Certificate pathways must have minimal GPA of 3.0 on all graduate work (A=4.0).
5. Students are admitted to a specialty track and may not change their track without permission.
6. Students must be in good standing with all academic institutions/nursing programs that they have attended in order to be admitted to the Nursing Post Graduate Certificate program.
7. MSN or DNP degrees must be from regionally accredited institution. 

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted year round, and must adhere to the following application deadlines:

• Fall Semester Deadline is March 1
• Spring Semester Deadline is July 15
• Summer Semester Deadline is December 1

Academic Progression Requirements For The nursing Post-Graduate Certificate

Students in the Nursing Post-Graduate Certificate program must meet the following requirements to progress in the program:

1. Maintain an overall GPA of 3.0. Any term in which a graduate student drops below a 3.0 Program GPA, the student is placed on probationary status and has a period of two terms to attain a 3.0 Program GPA or be dismissed.
2. Students in these programs can have a maximum of two “C”s.
3. A maximum of two (2) courses with a grade of "C" can be counted towards a degree; however, only one (1) "C" is permitted in support or specialization courses. If a second "C" or lower is earned in a support or specialization course, the course in which the second "C" or lower is obtained must be repeated before a student may move forward with a specialty course. All corresponding specialty clinical and didactic courses must be taken in sequence.
4. A student earning a third "C" or lower will be academically dismissed from the program.
5. A student earning two grades of "F" in the program will be academically dismissed.
6. Failure to show good ethical and moral character including but not limited to any of the following may result in dismissal from the program: (a) conviction of a crime, (b) disciplinary action against a nursing license in Alabama or any other state, (c) positive drug test, (d) adverse background check, or (e) disruptive behavior, including online behavior.  All student must notify the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Dean of the College of Nursing immediately or no later than 48 hours of any of the above stated incidents.
7. All students must notify the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Dean of the College of Nursing immediately or no later than 48 hours following an arrest. Failure to report an arrest may result in removal from the program.
8. All students are subject to testing for controlled substances and must submit to random drug testing as requested.  A positive test or refusal to submit to testing will result in removal from the program.
9. All students are subject to a background check and must submit to additional background checks as requested. An adverse finding or refusal to submit to a background check may result in removal from the program.
10. A student who has been academically dismissed is not eligible for readmission to the College of Nursing Graduate programs.

Program Completion

Students in the Nursing Post Graduate Certificate Pathway are required to complete all specialty courses and any support courses not previously completed.  Nursing Post-Graduate certificate students are not required to complete graduate core or research courses (see the previous section on MSN Curriculum for the BSN-prepared RN for a listing of courses for each specialty area). The Nursing Post-Graduate Certificates Program must be completed within 2 years from the semester the specialty option coursework begins.