Graduate Certificate

Ways to Study

Distance-Based

Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education

The Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education (GCNE) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill equips registered nurses enrolled in our MSN, DNP or PhD program with the essential knowledge, skills, and confidence to become effective nurse educators in academic, clinical, and professional development settings.

Whether you are an experienced clinician looking to transition into education or a practicing nurse seeking to enhance your teaching competencies, this certificate offers a flexible, high-impact pathway to advance your career.

Why Choose GCNE?

Evidence-Based Curriculum: Grounded in the National League for Nursing (NLN) Nurse Educator Core Competencies

Flexible Online Format: Designed to accommodate working professionals with part-time, asynchronous coursework

Hands-On Practicum: Apply teaching strategies in real-world settings under expert mentorship

Experienced Faculty: Learn from expert educators and academic leaders

Career Advancement: Prepare for roles in academic teaching, clinical instruction, staff development, and more

Program Highlights

9-credit hour program (typically completed in 2 semesters)

Coursework includes curriculum design, teaching methodologies, and assessment strategies

Eligible as preparation toward the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE®) examination

In North Carolina, nursing faculty who teach in academic programs for initial RN licensure must provide of having preparation in teaching and learning principles for adult learning within 3 years of faculty employment. This certificate meets this requirement through 9 credit hours of education coursework.

Whether your goal is to teach in a classroom, clinical setting, or staff development program, our certificate empowers you to become a dynamic, confident, and compassionate nurse educator.

Incoming students: You can enroll in N875 for the fall semester prior to applying for the GCNE.

If you have trouble registering for N875, please contact the sonregistrar@unc.edu

What courses are included in the certificate? + –

Completion of the Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education requires a minimum of 9 credit hours of course work. Courses do not need to be taken in numerical sequence.

Courses include:

NURS 875 Principles of Teaching Applied to Nursing (3 credits)
NURS 876 Innovations in Nursing and Health Care Educational Curricula (3 credits)
NURS 882 Clinical Teaching in Nursing (3 credits) or
NURS 950 Analysis of the Academic Role in Nursing Education (3 credits)

PhD Students Only

NURS 951 Mentored Teaching Practicum (1-3 credits); Must be arranged with a faculty member. If taken for 3 credits, this course could be taken as a variable credit elective or could meet the requirements for one of three courses required for the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) or the Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education (GCNE).

Who can apply to this certificate? + –

Will these courses count as part of my required degree program? + –

Certificate programs are under the 40% rule, meaning that up to 40% of the credit hours in the certificate program may count towards the student’s degree program. That is, three credits of the 9-credit certificate program may count for both the certificate and the student’s degree program. The remaining six credits must be in addition to the student’s degree requirements. Whether you will be able to apply the 40% rule will depend on your program of study and the requirements of the University.

MSN: For MSN students, there are no elective hours, thus, the 9 credits of nursing education courses must be in addition to the required degree requirements. 

DNP (MSN-DNP and BSN-DNP): If you were admitted prior to 2020, you have a 3 or 4 credit elective requirement, therefore the 40% rule may apply. Only one of the 3 credit nursing education courses may count for both the certificate and your doctoral degree. If you were under a 4–credit elective requirement, you will need to take another 1 credit (or more) elective to meet the required program hours for your degree. This additional 1 credit cannot come from another nursing education certificate course.

Beginning in fall 2020, there are no electives in the DNP program, thus, the 9 credits of nursing education courses must be in addition to the required degree requirements.

Info For:

Ways to Study

Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education

What courses are included in the certificate? + –

Who can apply to this certificate? + –

Will these courses count as part of my required degree program? + –

Will successful completion go on my transcript? + –

How do I apply for this certificate program? + –