Advanced practice post-master's course offerings respond to the increased need for nurse practitioners and health care system specialists, generally, and the increased need for health care delivery in rural and underserved areas in the state. Applicants are nurses with master's or doctoral degrees who desire additional preparation in an advanced practice area that their original master's program did not include.

The UNC William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education serves as the conduit for the clinical courses in the post-master's program. The School of Nursing Office of Admissions and Student Services coordinates the application process for post-master's courses and the Office of Academic Affairs oversees advisement of post-master's students and evaluation of their courses and teaching. Enrollment is limited by the availability of faculty, clinical preceptors, classroom space and clinical sites after resources are committed to students in the master's program.

By taking a selected group of courses from the Master of Science in Nursing program, students become eligible to sit for appropriate national certification examinations and to be approved to practice as nurse practitioners in the state of North Carolina as either adult nurse practitioners (ANP), family nurse practitioners (FNP), pediatric nurse practitioners (PNP) or women's health nurse practitioners (WHNP). In addition, a post-master's program in Psychiatric Mental Health is designed to train students for careers in psychiatric/mental health advanced practice roles both as a Clinical Nurse Specialist or as a combined CNS-NP; a post-master's program in Health Care Systems is offered to train students for careers as administrators, clinical nurse leaders, and nurse educators.

While the courses are taken with students in the master's program, these courses do not constitute a degree-granting program. However, post-master's students follow the honor code, participate in course and teacher evaluation, have academic advisors, are subject to health and safety regulations, have library privileges and are assigned mailboxes and lockers. Post-master's students do not pay a Graduate Student Fee and are thus not eligible for Student Health Service.

Postmaster's students who are already nationally certified NPs in another speciality area and have been actively practicing (within 2 of the last 3 years) will meet with the Coordinator of their speciality area to develop an individual plan of study.

A postmaster's student will be unable to proceed in their program of study if he or she receives a grade of F, or if he or she receives a grade of L in more than 20% of the total credits in the student's plan of study.