Post Graduate Certificate Application Information

Qualifications

To be considered, applicants will be required to meet all WVU admission requirements in addition to program-specific admission criteria.

  • 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).

    • A minimum overall nursing GPA of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

  • 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.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Applicants

Students must provide evidence of completion of three separate comprehensive graduate-level course courses in advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacotherapeutics, and advanced physical assessment.

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) Exam Requirements

Please see the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) site for additional information.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Exam Requirements

As part of the admission process, program faculty will review PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENTS (i.e. syllabi and course descriptions) from the time of student completion in order to assure evidence of completion three separate comprehensive graduate-level courses in APRN Core Courses (3P’s) Successful completion of the of the 3 P’s that include the following criteria (as defined by the ANCC) are required to sit for the ANCC Certification Exam:

  • Advanced physiology/pathophysiology, including general principles that apply across the lifespan; lifespan is defined as prenatal through old age and death.

  • Advanced health assessment, which includes assessment of all human systems, advanced assessment techniques, concepts and approaches.

  • Advanced pharmacology, which includes pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapeutics of all broad categories of agents.

  • For more information, please review Clarifying 3 P's from the APRN LACE Network.

Additionally, applicants must provide evidence of national certification and licensure as an APRN.

National certification requires a minimum 500 clock hours of direct patient care in the advanced role and population. However, some students may have accrued appropriate supervised academic clinical hours prior to admission. Therefore, the program will be personalized via gap analyses (see "Gap Analyses" below under "Acceptance") 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 an appropriate psychiatric mental health setting (as detailed above). The number of practicum hours required to complete this program are equal to 9 academic credits (540 clock hours), based upon the gap analysis. Students will be responsible for committing to and scheduling clinical hours each semester with guidance from the track coordinator, taking into consideration his or her home and work commitments.

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 Drug and Alcohol Screening Policy and the Health Information and Credential Documentation Policy.

Course offerings have been carefully tailored for adult learners to meet synchronously or asynchronously based on student feedback and course-specific content.

Note: Students who have been dismissed from any nursing program (WVU or otherwise) 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.

Apply Now

Once you have reviewed the qualifications and tuition information, you can begin the application process. To get started you'll first need to create an account. Once you have done so, click "Start Application" and review your admission type prior to completing enrollment information.

  1. Please select the following options on the New Application screen:

    • Type of Student: Certificate

    • Which Program: Select your Post-MSN Program

  2. 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.

  3. On the Supplemental Materials screen, you will upload the following:

    • Current curriculum vita or resume

Depending on prerequisites completed, entry term into the program will vary from student to student. Applicants will be notified of admissions decisions as they are reviewed. Acceptance is dependent upon space available in the program.

Request Official Transcripts from All Colleges and Universities Attended

While unofficial transcripts are accepted for application review, official transcripts are required before an admission decision can be finalized. We strongly recommend submitting your official transcripts as soon as possible to help ensure a smooth and timely admission process.

Request an official transcript of records from each college or university attended. 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 to WVU Graduate Admissions, 1 Waterfront Place, PO Box 6009, Morgantown, WV 26506.

Current or former WVU students do not need to have transcripts sent from the Morgantown, Beckley, or Keyser campuses.

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.

Acceptance

Candidates for admission are evaluated on the entire admission packet. The school accepts new students on a rolling admission basis and will review all qualified applications based on admission criteria. Acceptance is dependent upon space available in the program with the most qualified applicants being accepted at the time of review. Decisions will be emailed to students. Accepted students will receive information regarding orientation and course registration.

Enrollment in nursing courses is based upon readiness, availability of space and other essential resources.

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.

Gap Analyses

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 Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Clinical Hours and Gap Analysis form from the director of their previous program within the first semester of enrollment.

If an application for admission into a graduate program is denied, the applicant may request the reasons for refusal of admission by writing to the specific graduate program coordinator (see WVU Gradute Admissions). Note that meeting the minimum requirements for admission into a graduate program does not ensure admission.

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 admission decision as unfair, arbitrary, or capricious may contact the Associate Dean of Curriculum and Graduate Programs. The request will be forwarded to the program director for consideration, and the student will receive detailed information regarding the formal appeal process.

Orientation

Students are required to attend an online orientation session prior to the start of the semester.

Have More questions?

Further information like Tuition, Progression Plans, and more can be found on the Post-Graduate Certificate program page.