Graduate Certificate in
Nursing Education
Advance Your Career
The College of Nursing’s graduate certificate in Nursing Education prepares nurses to take the next step in their careers by providing the essential skills and experience to confidently teach and lead in academic and healthcare settings. Building on prior graduate nursing preparation, this program examines the nurse educator role, innovative, evidence-based teaching methods, and effective methods for evaluating learners and educational programs. Students gain practical experience through a precepted practicum, applying what they learn in real-world clinical and classroom environments.
Designed for working nurses, this flexible, part-time hybrid program combines online coursework with hands-on practicum experiences that bring teaching to life in real clinical and classroom settings, developing the expertise to inspire and educate the next generation of nurses. In just 3–4 semesters, you’ll gain the knowledge and experience needed to pursue national certification in Nursing Professional Development through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or in Academic Nursing Education through the National League for Nursing (NLN).
Program Information
The graduate certificate in Nursing Education equips advanced-degree nurses (MSN, DNP, or PhD) with the skills to teach nurses across all levels of practice in academic and clinical practice settings.
To qualify for entry into the Nursing Education Certificate Program (NECP), you must hold a current, unencumbered RN license and have at least one year of full-time practice experience.
- Master’s or higher-level degree from a regionally accredited institution
- GPA 3.0 or above in the last 60 units of graduate education.
- Unencumbered RN license within the U.S.
- Computer literacy
View the recommended course schedule for applicants with a graduate degree in nursing. Students should meet regularly with the NECP coordinator to discuss specific course selections and practicum placements.
Once admitted to the NECP, you must submit proof of application for a Fingerprint Clearance Card from the Arizona Department of Public Safety as a condition of final acceptance. Complete information about the statute can be found at the following websites:
Graduate certificate students are generally not eligible to receive federal financial aid. College of Nursing scholarship opportunities are limited for graduate certificate students.
APPLY NOW
APPLICATION PROCESS
Step 1:
Please review all the prerequisites and experience requirements for your specialty listed above.
Step 2:
Apply to the College of Nursing through NursingCAS, the centralized application service for nursing programs.
Step 3:
Send official transcripts from all institutions attended to NursingCAS. Instructions can be found at NursingCAS Help with Transcripts.
Step 4:
FINAL STEP: If you are recommended for admission after completing steps two and three, you will receive an email from the College of Nursing with instructions to complete the GradApp through the U of A Graduate College. Please do NOT complete the graduate college application until you have received a recommendation for admission EMAIL from the College of Nursing.
NOTE: You may only apply to ONE specialty per application year. Please do NOT submit multiple applications.
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Deadlines
- Application Opens: August 15, 2025
- Priority Deadline: Applications submitted on or before November 1, 2025 (11:59 PM EST)
- Applications Accepted: November 2, 2025, through March 1, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)
- Final Deadline: March 1, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)
Notification of Admission
- Applications submitted by the Priority Deadline will be notified of the admissions decision in mid-December.
- Any Applications Submitted AFTER the Priority Deadline will be notified of their admissions decision in mid-April.
Program Start
If admitted, students will start in Fall 2026.
For more information contact:
Layla Salazar
Enrollment Coordinator, Doctoral Programs
CON-OSAA@arizona.edu