Post-Master’s Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner

Program Description and Goals

The University of North Georgia (UNG) offers a Post-Master’s Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program. To receive the certificate, students must successfully complete up to 46 semester hours of family nurse practitioner coursework, including all clinical courses plus core courses if not already satisfied at the graduate level. An individualized plan of study is developed based on the student’s previously earned master’s degree.

Accreditation

For specific information on program accreditation, refer to the Accreditations and Compliance section.

Program Requirements

• Completion of designated semester hours in an approved plan of study.
• Cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher with no grade of C or lower.
• Completion of at least 27 semester hours in residence.
• Completion of all certificate-related course requirements within a six-year period. 

Method of Delivery

In person; Dahlonega

Time to Completion

46 hours

Admission Procedures

Application materials may be obtained from Graduate Admissions or from the Certificate website. Applicants must pay a non-refundable application fee. At the University of North Georgia Nursing Graduate Program, we operate on a rolling acceptance basis process, meaning you can submit your application whenever it is completed within our application period, up to and including the due date, and receive an admissions decision shortly after. In some instances, the applicant may be requested to come to Dahlonega for an interview or testing.

Students who are admitted to UNG but do not enroll within three semesters of acceptance must reapply to the program by submitting to Graduate Admissions a new application for readmission. Students who were previously enrolled but have not been in attendance within three semesters must also reapply to the program by submitting to Graduate Admissions a new application for readmission. All documents and materials submitted to fulfill the application requirements for entry to a program at UNG become the property of the university and will not be returned. Materials are kept for one year for incomplete application files and for three years for complete application files.

Students enrolled in certificate only programs at UNG are not eligible for federal financial aid (contact UNG Student Financial Aid for more information).

Regular Admission

Requirements

• Master of Science in Nursing from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog) with a nationally accredited school of nursing.
• One year post-licensure clinical work experience in the United States (preferred).
• Current unencumbered Georgia registered nurse license.
• Graduate Admissions application.
  • Non-refundable application fee.
  • Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended. International transcripts must have a course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE). Official evaluations must include certification that the applicant’s course work and degrees earned are equivalent to course work and degrees earned from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog) and include a cumulative grade point average.
  • Current professional resume or vitae.
  • Proof of lawful presence in the United States, if applying for in-state tuition.

Supplemental Documents

The following documents must be received prior to the first day of the initial semester for which the student is enrolled:

• Copy of Georgia registered nurse (RN) license.
• Completed accident/illness waiver form.
• Evidence of current CPR certification.
• Criminal background check.
• Completed Department of Nursing medical form. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure all requirements are up to date.

Students who have not submitted all of the above documentation prior to the first day of the semester will not be allowed to attend until all documentation has been received.

Students are responsible for all course material and for all announcements and assignments. The decision to permit students to make up work that is required in any missed class resides with the instructor.

Appeal of Graduate Admission

An applicant whose admission is denied may appeal the decision, regardless of the basis for denial. To submit an appeal, email a signed letter of appeal as a PDF attachment to the Office of Graduate Admissions at grads@ung.edu.

Your letter must present substantial evidence supporting the basis of your appeal. The information provided should go beyond what was previously submitted in your application and clearly demonstrate your potential for success in graduate-level study.

Graduate programs at the University of North Georgia grant appeals for provisional admission status only. If admitted under provisional status, your academic record will be reviewed post enrollment to determine eligibility for regular status. Timelines and requirements vary by program. While enrolled provisionally, you may register only for the maximum number of credit hours permitted for provisional students in your program and must maintain the GPA required by your program each term to continue enrollment. Students admitted under provisional status are not eligible for federal financial aid. Additional program-specific restrictions can be applied.

If your appeal is approved, the Graduate Admissions Office will notify you of your admission status. 

Academic and Professional Integrity

Code of Conduct

At the end of each semester, the program faculty or the Nursing graduate coordinator may intervene to establish a plan of action for any student in the program whose competency is in question for reasons including unprofessional, disruptive, or unethical behavior in the classroom or applied setting. The plan should be signed by the student and the Nursing graduate coordinator with copies forwarded to the Dean of the College of Health & Wellness.

Academic Integrity

The University of North Georgia recognizes honesty and integrity as being necessary to the academic functioning of the university. UNG graduate students are expected to uphold the university regulations addressed in the Student Code of Conduct, Article 3, Rule 2.

Professional Integrity

The Post-Master’s Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner program adheres to the university’s definition of professional integrity as described in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog.

Academic Information and Policies

Academic Progression

Graduate nursing students progress through the program of study as long as a minimum of a B is earned in each graduate course. Some course grades are comprised of a theory or didactic component as well as a preceptorship component. A satisfactory (S) in preceptorship must be achieved for the student to earn a course grade of B or higher. Also, exams must average a minimum of 75 prior to other grades being added or averaged into the course grade. If less than a 75 average on exams is earned, the student will receive a grade of C or lower for the course and must repeat the course, if eligible to do so.

Academic Standing

Graduate nursing students whose academic performance is unsatisfactory will be subject to the following:

• Probation — A student will be placed on probation for any of the following reasons:
  • Student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0.
  • Student earns a U or any other grade of C or lower.

No student may be a candidate for the degree or sit for the comprehensive examination while on probation due to a grade point average below 3.0. Probation will be removed when the student’s grade point average reaches 3.0 or higher. In cases where the student is placed on probation due to grade(s), probation will be removed when the course(s) is/are repeated and the grade is S or B or higher, and the overall grade point average is 3.0 or greater. Students who are on probation may not register until advised.

• Suspension — A student will be placed on suspension for any of the following reasons:
  • Student earns two grades of C or lower.
  • Student earns two Us.
  • Student has already served three consecutive semesters on academic probation.

The suspension period is three semesters. No student may enroll in graduate courses at UNG while on suspension. Courses taken at another institution during the period of suspension will not be recognized for transfer credit. If suspended, a student must apply to Graduate Admissions for readmission. A student seeking to reapply to the program who has been suspended must submit a new application to Graduate Admissions and a letter written to the Dean of the College of Health & Wellness presenting a rationale for readmission. The student will be readmitted only upon approval of the Dean of the College of Health & Wellness and the Nursing graduate coordinator. 

Those students who believe that their academic progress was affected by extenuating circumstances may appeal such suspensions to the Nursing Progression and Retention committee. 

Transfer Residency Requirement

To be awarded a Post Master’s Certificate in FNP, students must earn a minimum of 27 semester hours of graduate degree requirements in residence. The Coordinator of the FNP Program and the Department Head of Nursing must approve all exemption credits. Exemption credits will not be given for any course in which a grade of C or lower was earned.

Incomplete Grades

The FNP program adheres to the uniform grading system in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog. No student carrying two Incomplete grades may enroll in additional course work without the written consent of the Coordinator of NP Programming. No degree will be conferred on a student who has an unresolved Incomplete grade remaining on his/her transcript.