Nov 27, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog [Current Academic Year] 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog [Current Academic Year]

Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner [Post-Master’s Certificate]

Location(s): In-person/hybrid


Revised Program [Fall 2024]


The Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate program is a 1-2 year program (based on the individual applicant’s gap analysis*), with most students being able to complete the program within one year (3 semesters) depending on the courses they have completed in their previous Master in Nursing Program. This program prepares students to meet the healthcare needs of the community, as graduates of this program will matriculate as Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioners who can care for patients from adolescence through geriatrics across the continuum from wellness through illness in the primary care setting (community-based, offices, ambulatory care, urgent care, extended care, etc.). Graduates will be prepared to lead and serve in the following capacities: primary care providers, educators, change agents, outcomes managers, and consultants within the healthcare system.

The post-master’s certificate aims to provide an avenue for graduate-prepared nurses (i.e., those already holding an MSN) to transition to an NP role. This program ensures that graduates are well educated across the continuum from wellness through acute care, as the national accrediting agencies require. At the end of this program, the master’s prepared graduate nurse will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination required to practice as an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and will subsequently be eligible for state licensure as a nurse practitioner.

This program will be offered as a hybrid model, with classes available online and in seats through alternative designs (such as one-week immersion or extended weekend programming). Students admitted to this program must travel to campus for a maximum of six days per semester. These on-campus immersion sessions will support student success through instruction and testing of clinical skills utilizing skills labs, simulations, and expert seminars.

The program typically requires 1-3 courses per semester year-round to complete in 1- 2 years (gap analysis* dependent).

Students must have a Master of Science in Nursing from an accredited School of Nursing and be eligible for a Michigan Nursing License.

Program Admission


Admit Terms and Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; students may start the program in the Summer, Fall, or Winter. See Application Deadlines.

The university takes an average of 2-3 weeks to make admission decisions. Therefore, the response time from the School of Nursing may be longer depending upon the submission date and application deadlines.

In addition to the School of Nursing Graduate Admission processes, all acceptance offers will include the Gap Analysis and Summary of Requirements.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

For full admission, applicants must have 1) Earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution, 2) a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program. Conditional admission may be available to applicants not meeting minimum admission requirements.

Program Requirements

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements. Requirements may be more stringent than the minimum graduate school requirements.

  • Documentation of an earned Master of Science in Nursing from an accredited institution.
  • Have at least a cumulative 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) college GPA. (Applicants may seek conditional admission with a GPA of 2.75).
  • Have a current unrestricted license to practice as a professional registered nurse in the U.S. or be eligible to obtain a Michigan license.
  • Have completed an approved basic statistics course that includes descriptive and inferential statistics within the last ten years.

Also, the following documents are required and need to be submitted with the application.

  • Current licensure as a registered nurse in the state in which practice will occur (Applicants who are eligible for a license may apply for conditional admission)
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae
  • A two- to three-page (< 500 words) personal statement describing your desire and preparedness for becoming an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, future plans, and professional goals. Essays will be evaluated based on fit with our program, the ability to express yourself, the degree of scholarly content, spelling, grammar, and use of the current American Psychological Association style.
  • Syllabi for non-EMU courses that meet seven (7) pre-requisite courses.

***All documents above and any transcripts from other universities or colleges previously attended must be submitted with the application.

Gap Analysis

Students pursuing the Post-Master’s Certificate in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner must submit transcripts, syllabi, and verification of clinical hours (if requesting AGPCNP clinical hours’ accommodation) from their previous MSN programs.

A gap analysis will be conducted to ensure that all prerequisites for the certificate program are met within their prior MSN coursework. The purpose of the gap analysis will be to evaluate a student’s previous coursework against current standards. Specifically, students will be required to have completed the following courses or equivalents with a “B” or better within the last ten years (pharmacology within the previous five years).

Under special circumstances, the Associate Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Nursing may grant equivalency if substantial evidence is provided that an individual has met the competency for a particular course.

Application

Your application will be submitted using NursingCAS, a Centralized Application Service (CAS) hosted by Liaison. After reviewing the admission requirements, please review the application instructions  and select the appropriate application.

Domestic Applicants Within the application, follow the instructions to submit an official transcript from all previously attended institutions.

International Applicants Before applying, applicants must review the international application/process deadlines at emich.edu/international as they may differ from general program requirements.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions. 

 

School Information


Nursing 352 Marshall, 734.487.2310

Meghan Eagen-Torkko, PhD, Director

Advisor Information


Dejuana Jackson, Associate Director of Graduate Nursing Studies, 311 Marshall, 734.487.2279

Vicki Washington, Associate Director for Online Nursing Studies, 360 Marshall, 734.487.7671

Degree Requirements: 24 hours


The numbers in parentheses indicate the course’s required clinical practice hours.

Critical Graduation Information


Each graduate student is responsible for fulfilling the requirements or their equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

Graduate Certificate requirements must be completed within three (3) years of first enrollment in a course applicable to the certificate. Dually enrolled students (certificate and master’s program) must complete both degrees within six years of first enrollment in the master’s degree. 

In the event a student does not complete the graduate certificate degree requirements within three years of the date of their original registration, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their degree in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are the minimum requirements for all graduate certificate degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some programs require more than the minimum in one or more areas below.

  • A graduate certificate must require a minimum of 12 credit hours.
  • No more than six credits of independent study courses and 12 credit hours of special topics and independent study courses combined may be applied to a graduate degree.  
  • Residency Requirement - For students admitted to a graduate certificate program, at least nine graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the program must be earned at EMU. Students completing multiple certificate programs must have a minimum of 9 unique credit hours per certificate.
  • Application of completed certificates toward prior degree credit - Only credits from one completed graduate certificate may be applied to a master’s or specialist degree in a relevant field of study, as determined by the Graduate School and with the approval of the degree-granting academic department, and be included in the residency hours of the master’s program.
  • The Graduate School does not permit the use of undergraduate courses (499 and below) to meet degree requirements on graduate programs of study.
  • Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at EMU and in their program of study to remain in good academic standing and be eligible for graduation. Students do not need to be registered for classes during the semester of graduation.