Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Professional Certificate

  • Graduate Certificate
  • Ellmer College of Health Sciences
  • Ellmer School of Nursing

Program Overview

  • 23-24 credit hours, including practicums
  • Hands-on training in Norfolk or Virginia Beach
  • Limited number of seats available each year

Why ODU for a post-professional nursing certificate?

This post-professional certificate is targeted to licensed, registered nurses with an APRN MSN who wish to gain new skills and knowledge for national certification as an advanced practice nurse in the area of family care.

There are a limited number of seats available each year. Practicums are a vital component of this post-professional certificate program; admission is based partly on practicum capacity.

You will learn about illnesses and conditions across the lifespan and develop knowledge in the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic illnesses. Our courses emphasize health promotion and disease prevention. Practicums will help you apply your knowledge to provide advanced nursing care to patients from childhood to older adulthood.

Upon completing the program, you will earn a graduate certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner. This program can be completed in 1.5 years. New students start in January.

For over 30 years, Old Dominion University’s family nurse practitioner program has been a leader in nurse practitioner education. Our curriculum includes online courses, live-streamed lectures, utilization of standardized patients, on-campus skills training, telehealth education, and caring for underserved communities.

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    • 23-24 credit hours
    • Clinical practicums at a physical location
    • Hands-on training in Norfolk or Virginia Beach

    In certain courses, you will be required to travel to ODU's Virginia Beach campus (usually once in the semester) for training or testing.

  • Access course materials online from any location. Some courses have live, online meetings, while some do not. Teaching faculty may schedule assignments, office hours, and exams at specific times. All courses for this degree program follow ODU's regular academic calendar. 

    Clinical practicum experiences are facilitated in a variety of medical locations and are negotiated on an individual basis.

    In certain courses, you will be required to travel to Norfolk or Virginia Beach (usually one visit per semester). These two-day visits include work with standardized patients in cooperation with Eastern Virginia Medical School, instructional workshops, and other scheduled activities.

  • In-state Virginia Residents
    $620 per credit hour*
    Out-of-state Students
    $642 per credit hour

    Rates are effective Fall 2024 and subject to change.
    * In-state rate assumes residency requirements are met.

This certificate has been developed to provide licensed, registered nurses with knowledge and practical experiences to obtain national certification as an advanced practice nurse (nurse practitioner) in the area of family care.

Licensure requirements may vary by state. Use the links here to see if we have determined whether this program will prepare you for nursing certification or licensure in your state.

We encourage you to check your state's professional nursing requirements before applying to ODU.

You'll have a dedicated academic advisor for this program.

Contact us if you have questions about admission requirements, transferring credits, or application deadlines.

  • There are a limited number of seats in this program. To apply, you must be a licensed, registered nurse and have earned a Master of Science in Nursing from a regionally accredited institution or foreign equivalent.

    You also must have earned a grade of A- or better in these core MSN courses within the last five years:

    • Advanced Pathophysiology
    • Advanced Physical Assessment
    • Advanced Pharmacology
    • Health Promotion

    Application deadline is August 1. Admission to ODU does not guarantee admission to this certificate program. Additional application materials are required. Please visit the department's website for complete details.