Graduate School Nurse Certificate Program

Certification
Photo of I am a School Nurse sign

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This is a Certificate Program.

The Graduate School Nurse Certification program at NJCU is a robust, fully online stepwise graduate-level certificate program designed to prepare bachelor’s-prepared registered nurses for the specialty practice of school nursing. 

Students who apply for the Graduate school nurse certificate program can select either the non-instructional or instructional certificate option. The total number of courses for the first step, which qualifies students to become eligible to apply for the non-instructional certificate, is 5 classes (15 credits).

Students who opt to complete the coursework to become eligible to apply for the Standard Instructional Certificate will "step" upward through the course track and complete two additional classes (6 credits). All coursework taken in the certificate program applies to “step” into the Master of Science (MS) in Nursing with a Specialization in School Nursing.

Admission Criteria for the School Nurse Certificate Program

  • Completed online application and non-refundable $55 application fee
  • Official transcripts from all previous U.S. colleges attended or official NACES course-by-course evaluation of any foreign transcripts*
  • Submission of a 250-500-word essay discussing goals and objectives for pursuing admission to the intended program
  • Professional Resume or CV
  • Copy of current, unencumbered NJ nursing license

Pre-Requisites

  • BSN degree from an ACEN or CCNE-accredited institution that is also a regionally accredited college/university
  • Undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0-point scale
A banner that reads 'FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions'

All courses within the Graduate School Nurse program are completely online. Courses are taught using the educational platform Blackboard.  
 
Through this platform, students will have access to assignments, discussion boards, messaging (other students, faculty, and staff), syllabi, and the graduate nursing community which will include all necessary resources, important information, updates, and announcements for their time as a student within the program.  
 

The Graduate School Nurse program follows the NJCU Graduate Academic Calendar linked below:  
 
Graduate Academic Calendar | New Jersey City University (njcu.edu).  
 
Fall and Spring semesters follow 13 – 15 Week schedules while Summer courses are 10-week sessions.  
 
While the courses are completely online, lesson modules and assignments are posted weekly through Blackboard and will have assigned due dates.  
 
Following the start of each semester, if a student has not yet submitted assignments, communicated within the course discussion boards, or contacted their instructor to make them aware of personal circumstances, a wellness check email will be sent with a reminder to complete any missing coursework and to communicate with the course instructor.  

The program does not follow a set schedule, but there are specific classes that are offered during certain semesters. Below is a table showing current course offerings per semester. Please note that there are no winter session course offerings. 

List of courses for the graduate school nurse program

*Pre-requisite Courses: Please be aware of the following: 

NURS 616: Pre-requisite course – NURS 614 
NURS 672: Pre-requisite courses – NURS 600, 614, 616, 642
NURS 673: Pre-requisite courses – NURS 600, 614, 616, 622, 642

  • NURS 672 and 673 can be taken during the same semester if all pre-requisite requirements have been met; it is very challenging taking these two courses together. You can speak with your academic advisor if you are considering this option. 
  • Enrollment into School Nurse Practicum courses is restricted, and you must apply for and be approved for enrollment by the Program Coordinator or Program Assistant. Additionally, all pre-requiste course requirements must be met before the semester you intend to enroll in a practicum course.

NURS 679: Pre-requisite courses – NURS 600, 601, 609, 610, 614, 616, 622, 630, 642, 672, and 673 

  • No courses can be taken during the same semester as capstone. All course pre-requisite requirements must be met before seeking approval to be enrolled in the Capstone.  
  • Enrollment into School Nurse Capstone is restricted, and you must email your academic advisor for permission. apply for and be approved for enrollment by the Program Coordinator or Program Assistant. 

Non-Instructional Certification allows you to serve as a school nurse within a New Jersey school district. 
 
Standard Instructional Certification allows you to serve as a school nurse as well as teach health education.

The School Nurse and Health Education Practicum courses (NURS 672 & NURS 673) allow for full-time nurses to complete their Practicum hours at the schools where they are currently employed.  
 
At the time of applying to the Practicum courses, students submit signed workplace request forms and, if accepted for enrollment, have placement contracts completed by their district-level administrators. Full details and instructions are provided weeks in advance of Practicum admission cycles. 

The School Nurse and Health Education Practicum courses (NURS 672 & NURS 673) allow for full-time nurses to complete their Practicum hours at the schools where they are currently employed.  
 
At the time of applying to the Practicum courses, students submit signed workplace request forms and, if accepted for enrollment, have placement contracts completed by their district-level administrators. Full details and instructions are provided weeks in advance of Practicum admission cycles. 

The Graduate School Nurse program has rolling admission, and you can apply at any time to begin classes at the start of an upcoming semester/session.  
 
For example, if you apply during the Spring, you could begin your classes as early as Summer, or if you apply during the Summer, you could begin in the Fall, etc. 
 
Please be mindful that while we do have rolling admission, course registration becomes available by the university months in advance to the start of an upcoming semester. 
 
Certain courses and semester start terms are more popular than others which means you may find yourself added to course registration waitlists the later you wait to apply for admission to the program.  
 
When applying for the program, it’s possible to select a future semester as your start-date. For example, if you submit an application in Spring, it is possible to choose to apply for a Fall start and be registered for your first class much earlier.

While the NJDOE reviews transcripts for emergency certification and provides recommendations for coursework, the NJCU school nurse program is at the graduate level and the NJDOE evaluation does not always align with our official transcript evaluation process. 

Transcripts would need to be evaluated via the NJCU graduate transcript evaluation process upon admission to the Graduate School Nurse program. Unofficial transcripts cannot be evaluated by the Nursing department or program coordinator. Only official transcripts submitted with a completed application to Graduate Admissions can be reviewed. Some BSN programs are bridge to MSN programs and include 500 and/or 600-level courses. 

If you have 500/600-level courses on your Master’s transcript from an ACEN or CCNE accredited program (institution must be regionally accredited) with an earned grade of “B” or above, those courses may be evaluated for course equivalent/transfer credit. 

Undergraduate courses will not be reviewed for course equivalent or transfer credit as the School Nurse program at NJCU is a Graduate-level program. 

Graduate Tuition Rates

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Contact Us

Rossey Hall, Room 405
SchoolNurse@njcu.edu
(201) 200-3157

Nelda Ephraim, Ph.D., MSN Ed. RN, CCRN, NJ-CSN
Department Chairperson, Graduate School Nurse Program Coordinator
E-mail: nephraim@njcu.edu
Phone: 201-200-3272