Admission Requirements and Application Procedures
Requirements for admission include current Connecticut R.N. licensure, a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, a master’s degree in nursing in a specialty area, and at least one year of post-master’s clinical nursing experience (preferred). Applicants to the Post-Master’s Certificate program must be licensed advanced practice nurses or certified nurse midwives. The duration of study for a post-master’s certificate for full-time study can be one or two years and is determined by the specialty directors, course requirements, and the incoming student’s graduate academic record. Part-time study is available; the duration of study is determined in the same manner as for full-time study.
The Post-Master’s Certificate admissions application is an online application only, accessible at https://apply.nursing.yale.edu/apply. Program information can be found by visiting http://nursing.yale.edu/admissions; writing to the Office of Admissions, Yale School of Nursing, Yale University West Campus, PO Box 27399, West Haven CT 06516-0974; or telephoning 203.737.1793.
The following materials are required:
- Online application form
- Nonrefundable application fee ($100) (Note: The application fee is waived for current YSN students.)
- Résumé/curriculum vitae
- Personal statement/essay
- Official transcript from your master’s degree in nursing program (Note: Applicants with an international degree transcript must submit a course-by-course evaluation conducted by a credentialing agency such as World Education Services [www.wes.org] or Educational Credential Evaluators [www.ece.org]. In addition, a certified English translation must accompany all non-English transcripts.)
- Three letters of recommendation
- TOEFL or IELTS for applicants whose native/primary language is not English (see below for additional information)
The deadline for Post-Master’s Certificate applications is November 1. All application materials must be received by the YSN Office of Admissions no later than November 1. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered for admission in the upcoming fall term. The application procedure and deadlines are the same for both part-time and full-time study.
Applications will be reviewed only after all application materials are received by the above deadline. Incomplete applications are not forwarded to the Admissions Committee for consideration. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all materials are received by the Office of Admissions by November 1.
Following the initial review of written credentials, qualified applicants are asked to participate in a Zoom interview with a faculty member. Interviews are generally held in late November or early December.
Tuition is calculated at a rate of $1,735 per credit. Students are not charged for courses that are waived by either transcript or challenge examination. Post-Master’s Certificate students are not eligible for scholarship aid, but may be eligible for loan assistance based on individual need. For more information, contact Enrollment Services at the School.
English as a Foreign Language
Applicants whose native/primary language is other than English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the academic version of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as one of the admission requirements. This requirement cannot be waived based on college or university attendance in the United States or other English-speaking country. The following scores are required for admission to the Post-M.S.N. program:
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) minimum score: 100/120 total, with minimum section scores of Reading, 22/30; Listening, 22/30; Writing, 22/30; and Speaking, 24/30.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) minimum score: Band 7.0/9.0 total, with no section score below Band 6.5/9.0.
Arrangements to take the TOEFL must be made online at www.ets.org/toefl.
Arrangements to take the academic IELTS must be made online at www.ielts.org.
It typically takes a month from the date of administration for the official transcript of scores to reach the School. Prompt arrangements for taking an English examination should be made in order to meet the application deadline for receipt of scores.
Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
The Post-Master’s Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) Certificate option is intended to prepare the master’s-prepared clinical nurse specialist who desires formal education and clinical training in acute care in order to become eligible to apply for certification and advanced practice licensure as an adult/gerontology acute care nurse practitioner. The Post-Master’s Certificate option builds on the existing curriculum of the Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specialty. Upon completion, students will be eligible to take the Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner examinations from the American Nurses Credentialing Corporation and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
The plan of study includes all the required courses currently offered in the AGACNP specialty except for the research courses. For purposes of student eligibility for certification, all AGACNP required courses must be taken at the Yale School of Nursing or challenged by either examination or demonstration of similar course content in the student’s previous master’s program. A plan of study may be obtained from the specialty director.
Required courses for all post-master’s AGACNP students will be determined based on the incoming student’s graduate academic record.
Family Nurse Practitioner
The Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Certificate option is intended to prepare the master’s-prepared clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner who desires formal education and clinical training in family-focused primary care in order to become eligible to apply for certification and advanced practice licensure as a family nurse practitioner. This Post-Master’s Certificate option builds on the existing curriculum of the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty.
The plan of study includes all the required courses currently offered in the FNP specialty except for the research courses. For purposes of student eligibility for certification, all FNP required courses must be taken at the Yale School of Nursing or challenged by either examination or demonstration of similar course content in the student’s previous master’s program. Plans for full-time and part-time study may be obtained from the specialty director.
Clinical courses are supervised by the Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty faculty.
Required courses for all post-master’s FNP students will be determined based on the incoming student’s graduate academic record.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
The Post-Master’s Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) Certificate option is intended to prepare the master’s- or doctoral-prepared advanced practice nurse—such as pediatric clinical nurse specialist, pediatric acute care nurse practitioner, neonatal nurse practitioner, or family nurse practitioner—who desires formal education and clinical training in pediatric primary care in order to become eligible to apply for certification and advanced practice licensure as a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner. This Post-Master’s Certificate option builds on the existing curriculum of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner specialty and assumes that the entering student has a master’s degree in nursing and a specialty in some aspect of pediatric, family, or parent-child nursing.
The plan of study includes all the required courses currently offered in the PNP specialty except for the research courses. For purposes of student eligibility for certification, all PNP required courses must be taken at the Yale School of Nursing or challenged by either examination or demonstration of similar course content in the student’s previous master’s program. A plan of study may be obtained from the specialty director.
Required courses for all post-master’s PNP students will be determined based on the incoming student’s graduate academic record.
Psychiatric–Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
The Post-Master’s Psychiatric–Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certificate option is intended for the master’s or doctoral-prepared advanced practice nurse who desires formal education and clinical training as a Psychiatric–Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
The Post-Master’s Certificate option builds on the existing curriculum of the Psychiatric–Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty. The plan of study includes all the required courses currently offered in the PMH specialty and is determined through completion of a gap analysis. A plan of study is available on the YSN website. Required courses for all post-master’s PMHNP students will be determined on the gap analysis and review of the incoming student’s graduate academic record.
The Post-Master’s Psychiatric–Mental Health Certificate option is intended to prepare students to apply for certification as a psychiatric–mental health nurse practitioner with a life-span focus through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.