This advanced course of study is designed to prepare nurses who have earned a master's degree for careers as Adult Nurse Practitioners (ANP) with a focus in an area of their choice. Upon program completion, the candidate is eligible to sit for the national certification examination as an Adult Nurse Practitioner with the American Nurses' Association or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Adult Nurse Practitioner students gain advanced comprehensive assessment and diagnostic reasoning skills, and knowledge and skill in management of health problems common to individuals age 13 to end of life. They possess particular knowledge in prevention and management of adult health problems related to a focus area of choice. ANP students will be prepared to implement and evaluate interventions across settings as well as throughout the trajectories of chronic illness. Their practice will be evidence based, collaborative and reflective of understanding of current health care delivery, economic, ethical, and professional issues.
ANP-Oncology Focus:
This advanced course of study is designed to prepare nurses who have an earned master’s degree for a career as an ANP with a clinical focus in Oncology. Students receive advanced comprehensive assessment and diagnostic reasoning skills, and knowledge and skills in both the prevention and management of common health issues in adults and in the care of adults at risk for, or with, cancer.
Graduates of this program are eligible to sit for the American Nurses' Association (ANCC) or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) certification examination for adult nurse practitioners and the Oncology Nursing Certification (AOCNP) examination upon completion of additional hours in oncology after graduation. CCNE approval of this specialty focus is currently in process.
Individuals who have earned a master's degree in nursing from accredited programs, are currently licensed as RNs, and have at least one year's clinical experience are eligible to apply.
In addition, all applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Board of Nursing in the state in which they intend to practice, to determine the procedure (if any) to receive approval to practice as a nurse practitioner with an MPH or a master's in another related field. This procedure varies widely by state.
You will be asked to submit the following documents with your application:
Applicants must complete a Health Assessment course, approved by the School of Nursing, within two years prior to enrollment in the clinical courses (unless the applicant is currently practicing as a nurse practitioner). Please refer to the Post-Master's application instructions (Health Assessment Skills Evaluation Form) for detailed information on this requirement.
The program is approximately 25-30 graduate credits in length, depending on prior coursework, the population and specialty preparation desired, and clinical courses must be completed sequentially. Transcripts of post-master's candidates are reviewed by the Advanced Practice Coordinator in the selected area of study. Additional or alternative coursework may be recommended based on this evaluation, specifically in the areas of health promotion, health care policy and the advanced practice role. Post-master's students who are not nationally certified as master's prepared nurses will be required to take additional coursework and consequently a longer program of study. For applicants currently certified and approved as a nurse practitioner working with adult populations, an individualized program of study will be designed based on the student’s prior educational background and clinical experiences. Courses are taken with graduate students in the Master of Science in Nursing program.
Students are expected to complete the program as planned. Students who drop out are generally not eligible to return in the following year and must reapply.
Upon acceptance to the program, a full time student will enroll in two courses in the fall semester, two in the spring, one in the following fall, and one in the second spring. You will complete one intensive clinical practicum during the summer session between the first and second years. During the fall and spring semesters you will attend classes on campus one to one and a half days per week. Clinical practice requires an additional 8 hours per week in the first three semesters and 16 hours per week in the fourth semester. You also need to plan for ample preparation time each week. In the summer course, four weeks of full-time (40 hours per week, or five weeks of 32 hours per week) clinical practice is required.
Preceptors and clinical placements are selected to give you a broad exposure to adult health problems in a variety of settings, including community-based and hospital settings. Placements enhance the student's management of health and illness across the care trajectory. Clinical practice sites are generally located in central North Carolina but they may extend across the state and require travel. The summer practicum can usually be arranged in or near your home communities. We work with you, the Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program, and the School's Clinical Placement Coordinator to find experiences that fit ANP program expectations and your professional and personal goals.
Adult Nurse Practitioner faculty members are sensitive to students' learning needs by employing a variety of instructional modalities including seminar or classroom settings, on-line and/or Web-enhanced instruction. As a result, the courses may be offered in traditional classroom settings and/or via distance technologies.
For students who begin during the Fall semester, the program is designed to be completed within four semesters and one intervening summer, beginning in the fall semester.
As a non-degree program, the Post-master’s Certificate Program is “housed” within the Department of Part-Time Classroom Studies, part of the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education at UNC-Chapel Hill. Upon acceptance into the program, you will be sent registration instructions for the first semester. Tuition must be submitted at the time of registration. Tuition is subject to annual increases by the University’s Board of Governors. The Post-MSN Program is a part-time program; however, a matriculated student may enroll full-time for one semester over the course of the program.
You may consult the University Cashier’s Office website for costs of attendance for specific information about tuition for the Post-Master’s Program (Refer to the figures for Part-Time Classroom Studies-Graduate). Additionally, all clinical courses are subject to a $150 practicum fee (a listing of these courses can be found on last page of the cost of attendance document).
Note: Students are fully responsible for all expenses for clinical-related travel.
The deadline for applying for fall admission is March 1st. Those applicants whose course plan includes non-clinical courses may apply for spring admission by submitting the application no later than October 1st.
The number of nurse practitioners in North Carolina is expected to continue to grow. Many North Carolina physicians, community health centers, health departments, and hospitals are actively searching for qualified ANPs. Preparation as an ANP increases career opportunities. Upon satisfactory completion of this program, students are eligible for approval by the Joint Subcommittee of the North Carolina Board of Nursing and North Carolina Board of Medical Examiners to practice as an Adult Nurse Practitioner in North Carolina. Students are eligible to sit for the American Nurses' Association or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners certification examination for ANPs.
See Graduate Record for prerequisites or corequisites.
Fall Semester, Year 1:
Spring Semester, Year 1:
Summer Session, Year 1:
Fall Semester, Year 2:
Spring Semester, Year 2:
(Tentative)
For applicants currently certified and approved as a nurse practitioner working with adult populations, an individualized program of study will be designed based on the student’s prior educational background and clinical experiences.
Diane Berry, PhD, RN, CANP
Barb Waag Carlson, PhD, RN
Barbara Germino, PhD, RN, FAAN
Elaine Harwood, MSN, RN, FNP, CS
Jane Kaufman, MSN, RN, CS, ANP
Deborah Mayer, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN
Virginia Neelon, PhD, RN
Mary H. Palmer, PhD, RNC, FAAN
School of Nursing
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Carrington Hall, CB #7460
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7460
For general information on the School of Nursing and application materials, contact:
Office of Admissions and Student Services
(919) 966-4260
nursing@unc.edu
