Admissions

Post Graduate Certificate 

Prerequisite Courses 

The following are prerequisite graduate level courses to be completed prior to or as part of the certificate program of study: 

  • Advanced Pathophysiology (offered spring and summer)
  • Advanced Pharmacology* (offered summer and fall. Prerequisite Pathophysiology) 
  • Advanced Physical Assessment* (offered during the fall term only)

*Not required for the Neonatal specialty 

APRNs that have completed the above prerequisites may be admitted directly into a specialty. Upon receipt of your official college transcript and gap analysis review, your program of study will be created based on your previous academic coursework and professional credentials. 

Application Information 

To apply to take the prerequisites complete a Graduate Admission Application and select non-degree nursing.  

Questions regarding admission requirements should be directed to nursinginfo@louisville.edu.

Application Deadlines

Rolling admission on a monthly basis until specialty is full. Applications must be complete by the below dates to be considered for the term start. 

  • April 15 for summer start
  • July 15 for fall start
  • November 1 for spring start

 **Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and Pediatric Acute Nurse Practitioner specialty admits in even years only. 2026 will be the next admission cycle.

Admission Requirements for the APRN Certificate

A holistic review process is used when considering applications for admission to the Post Graduate Certificate program. The holistic review considers multiple criteria for admission, including the applicant’s professional career goals, academic capabilities, GPA, work experience, leadership and community engagement.

Neonatal specialty applicants: Minimum of one year of RN experience in a Level III or Level IV NICU recommended prior to admission. All NNP applicants must have the equivalent of 2 years of full-time clinical practice experience (within the last 5 years) in Level III and/or IV NICU inpatient settings before a student begins clinical courses.

Adult-Gerontology Acute specialty applicants: One year of RN experience in the ICU or one year of RN experience in any area and a commitment to complete one year in the ICU prior to starting program clinicals.  Applicants that do not have one year of RN experience at the point of application, but will complete one year prior to starting the program, will satisfy the work requirement.   

Pediatric Acute specialty applicants: One year of RN experience in an acute care setting or one year of RN experience in any area and a commitment to complete one year in an acute care setting prior to starting program clinicals.

To the Graduate School:

  • Official transcripts representing all college course work. Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing degrees must be from a regionally accredited institution and a NLN, CCNE or ACEN accredited nursing program. Recommended undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Recommended minimum cumulative graduate GPA of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
  • Applicants who have attended a college or university outside the United States are also required to submit a course-by-course evaluation of their transcript through World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). 
  • Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to your academic and/or professional capabilities and potential.
  • Upload a goal statement answering the following questions:
    • Describe your reasons for applying to the selected program, including your short and long-term professional goals.
    • What is your motivation for choosing your selected specialty?
    • Explain your professional growth and development that has specifically prepared you for the specialty for which you have applied.
  • Professional resume or curriculum vitae (CV).
  • Unencumbered RN license verification from a U.S. state board of nursing.
  • Students for whom English is not their primary language must show English Proficiency