Certificates

Apply for a Teaching in Nursing or Post-master's graduate certificate

Our certificate programs offer you the opportunity to hone your nursing expertise and elevate your career options. The Teaching in Nursing graduate certificate prepares you to teach in schools of nursing or clinical settings, while our post-master's graduate certificate program is available in six advanced practice nursing specialties:

  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Review certificate program details

Length of program

  • The Teaching in Nursing graduate certificate can be completed in as few as 12 months.
  • The Post-master's graduate certificate can be completed in as few as 16 months, depending on the coursework completed in your prior nursing graduate degree programs.

To apply for either certificate program, you must first:

The following are examples of appropriate professional references:

  • Current or former nurse manager or other clinical supervisor (i.e., house supervisor, shift coordinator, etc.)
  • Nurse working in the role you wish to pursue with whom you have a professional relationship (i.e., CNS, NP, educator, leader)
  • Clinical educator
  • Physician who has supervised you

References from co-workers who are peers, close friends, or relatives are not appropriate.

You will enter your reference contact information into the application. Electronic evaluation requests will be sent to your references once you submit their information into the application. (Note: You do not have to wait until you have all items of the application complete and ready to submit—if the application deadline is nearing, we recommend submitting your evaluation requests ASAP to give your references adequate time to respond while you work on completing the other components of the application.)

Be sure to return to your application to verify that your references have submitted their evaluation—it is your responsibility to ensure that you have two completed evaluations by the deadline. Applications must be complete by the deadline in order to be forwarded to faculty for review.

Your résumé should include, if applicable:

  • Clinical RN/APRN experience
  • Other healthcare related work experience
  • Significant prior careers
  • Certifications and professional development
  • Leadership and/or committee roles in your place of employment
  • Awards, nominations, or other recognition
  • Preceptor experience
  • Healthcare-related volunteer experience
  • Membership to nursing organizations (including nursing student organizations, if a recent graduate)—denote leadership roles held

There is no page limit - please feel free to use as much space as you need to in order to convey to the admission committee who you are as a nurse and potential graduate student. IUSON does not provide a resume template—you may use whatever resume format you prefer.

You must possess an active, unencumbered Indiana or Compact RN license at the time you apply. Please take a screenshot from the licensing board (PLA if in Indiana) website showing your full name, license number, and the expiration date.

Criteria for admission:

  • BSN or graduate nursing degree from a CCNE or ACEN accredited program, or foreign equivalent
  • BSN or graduate nursing degree GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), or equivalent
  • A current, unencumbered Indiana or Compact RN license
  • Knowledge, skills, and abilities to use computer technologies to communicate

  • A graduate degree in nursing from a CCNE or ACEN accredited program
  • Cumulative graduate nursing degree GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
  • Active, unencumbered Indiana or Compact RN license
  • A minimum of 1,800 hours (equivalent to one year, full-time) of RN experience with the appropriate patient population/setting.
  • GRE is not required

Admissions deadlines

Teaching in Nursing Graduate Certificate

Admission offered each semester.

  • Fall start– applications open February 1 through July 1
  • Spring start– applications open July 1 through November 1
  • Summer start– applications open November 1 through March 1
  • Notifications sent to students: Approximately four weeks following application deadline

Post-Master's Graduate Certificate

Admission to the Post-master's graduate certificate is offered one time per year, for the fall. Applications open November 1 and are due by February 1. Late applications are accepted until May 1 if space allows.