Eligibility and How to Apply

Admission to the Post-Graduate Certificate program is necessarily a selective process. Meeting the posted criteria does not ensure admission. The Committee considers a myriad of factors including: the quality of performance in previous undergraduate and graduate study (as applicable), success in previous employment and related experiences, and personal qualifications including suitability for advanced study. The Admissions Committee weighs the applicant’s accomplishments and potential for success in the program. Diversity in student backgrounds and scholarly interests is desired. Using an objective review procedure, the Admissions Committee recommends selected candidates to the dean of The Graduate School.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, national origin, age, religion, sexual preference, or handicap. Members of racial or ethnic minority groups and males are encouraged to apply.

To start your application, go to applynow.unc.edu and create an account. After establishing your Apply Now account, start a new application and select “Certificate”.

Please be sure to select the correct application for your program of interest.

1. Under “Select a Program” select the APA of your interest (Adult-Gerontology NP, Family NP, etc).

• Students may apply to only one program and one specialty per application cycle at UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing.

2. Under “Term of Entry” select Fall 2025″

• Submit one letter of recommendation from your current immediate supervisor supporting your potential for success in the Post-Graduate Certificate program.

The Professional Statement offers the Admission Committee insight into your professional goals and graduate school expectations and helps us get to know you. Carefully follow the instructions and respond to the following prompts provided in the application. 

1. When applying to a graduate nursing program, your work experience (both paid and voluntary) should align with the advanced practice area you are pursuing and inform your readiness for the advanced practice role. Explain why you have chosen the specific advanced practice area in the PGC program. Respond to the prompt below for the program in which you are applying.  (500 word limit)

• AGPCNP: The patient population in adult-gerontology primary care practice includes adolescents and young, middle, and older adults. Describe your work experience and how an AGPCNP impacts care in this population that focuses on wellness, preventative care, and or chronic disease management.
• FNP: The population in primary care family practice includes newborns, infants, children, adolescents, adults, pregnant and postpartum women, and older adults. Describe how an FNP impacts care in this population that focuses on wellness, preventative care, or chronic disease management. If you are lacking nursing experience in lifespan (for instance, if you do not have pediatric nursing experience), please address how you plan to gain experience in preparation for the FNP program, or how your life/work/volunteer experience has provided you with proficiency in these areas.  
• PMHNP: This specialty provides mental health care to individuals, families and populations across the lifespan in a wide range of clinical settings. Please discuss how your nursing experience relates to your career goals and why you have chosen this specific advanced practice area. Include in your discussion ways in which you incorporate psychiatric-mental health nursing principles in your current delivery of patient care. If you do not have nursing experience in a psychiatric-mental health setting, please address how you plan to gain experience in preparation for the PMHNP program, or how your life/work/volunteer experience has provided you with proficiency in these areas.    
• PNP-PC: The population in pediatric primary care practice includes newborns, infants, children, adolescents, and their families. Describe how a PNP impacts care in this population including screening, wellness care, preventative care, specialty care, or chronic disease management.   

2. List and describe your professional goals and how this graduate nursing program will contribute to achieving them.  (250 word limit) 

3. Provide a description of your involvement in evidence-based projects or research, including work towards an academic degree (e.g. BSN, MSN, DNP, PhD, etc) or in a clinical setting, if applicable. Activities might include, but are not limited to, managing or implementing quality improvement projects or original research and/or disseminating findings through publication in professional journals, podium or panel presentations, and poster presentations. (250 word limit) 

4. Only if applicable, identify any aspect of the UNC-CH graduate nursing program’s admission criteria for which you do not meet the minimum requirements. Provide an explanation you feel is unique to your life experience. (For example, an explanation is required if your GPA falls between 2.75 and 3.0). (250 word limit)  

Upload a copy of your Curriculum Vitae or Resume. This document should detail your career path, explaining any gap in employment greater than one year. Full disclosure of your complete education background including a list of all colleges and universities you’ve attended is required.

See resume guidelines for more information.

Documentation substantiating you hold a current unrestricted/unencumbered license as a registered nurse must be uploaded into the application. An “unencumbered license” means neither the license, the licensee’s practice, nor the licensee is associated with any type of restriction, encumbrance, or probationary limitations imposed by the applicable Board of Nursing or any judicial entity. NC License or compact state equivalent is needed by matriculation. The Information provided by the Board of Nursing website of your state is sufficient. Print and scan or save a screenshot to upload into the application.

Applicants must provide verification of current certification as an advanced practice registered nurse. Please upload your APA certification.

We welcome international applicants to our PGC program. We strongly recommend that international applicants have clinical experience in the United States and have a thorough understanding of the APRN role in the United States. It is essential that you be fluent in English. Presently, the University (including the School of Nursing) does not offer English as a Second Language programs or an English language institute.

For this reason, candidates interested in attending the University must be able to understand rapid, idiomatic English as spoken in lectures, group discussions, and clinical settings by individuals of widely varying accents. Students from non-English-speaking countries must be able to communicate quickly and clearly in spoken and written English.

All applicants must hold RN Licensure and APRN Certification in the US.

International students must provide a full credit evaluation of all courses completed at a foreign institution through World Education Services, Inc. (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.

• NOTE: As part of the transcript submission, degree credentials are also reviewed by the Graduate School. Assessment of a foreign degree, including those conferred from institutions participating in the Bologna Accord, is based upon the characteristics of a national system of education, the type of institution attended, its accreditation and the level of studies completed. The following guidelines indicate the level of study expected of international applicants prior to graduate enrollment:
  • British patterned education bachelor’s degree with honours
  • French patterned education degree of diplme requiring four years of post baccalauréat study
  • Germany university Diplom Applicants with very strong academic records may be considered if they have completed the Staatsexamen, a bachelor’s degree after a 13-year Abitur, or at least one year of full-time study beyond Vorprfung, Zwichenprfung, Vordiplom, or any other bachelor’s degree
  • Other European countries: university degree requiring a minimum of four years of study
  • Canada university degree requiring a minimum of four years of study
  • Latin America university degree requiring a minimum of four years of study
  • India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal bachelor’s degree in engineering or medicine; master’s degree in all other fields
  • Philippines five-year bachelor’s degree or four-year bachelor’s degree plus one year of graduate course work
  • Other Asian countries: university degree requiring a minimum of four years of study

TOEFL or IELTS:

The School of Nursing Post-Graduate Certificate program requires a higher level of English proficiency than The Graduate School due to the clinical requirements. Applicants must enter their TOEFL/IELTS test information including date test was taken and scores in their application. The UNC supplemental application requires official scores reported directly from ETS (ETS.org) and/or IELTS (IELTS.org). Standardized test scores must be official and are reportable for a period of two years from the date of the exam. Exam results more than two years old cannot be considered. The UNC Graduate School Institution Code is 5816 (no department code). International applicants must achieve a minimum total score of 575 (with a minimum of 50 in each section) on the written version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or minimum of 90 on the internet-based test with the following minimum section requirements: Reading, 21; Listening, 22; Speaking, 25; Writing, 22. Standardized test scores that are submitted to this institution are kept on file for only one year. Refer to The Graduate School for more information.

This is not a requirement of applicants who are residents of a country where English is the sole official language of instruction or if applicants hold a degree from an accredited United States institution of higher education.

Meeting the minimum total score on TOEFL does not guarantee admission to the School of Nursing.  Admission decisions are made on the basis of multiple factors including: scholastic performance; English proficiency; essays; letters of recommendation; the appropriateness of the requested advanced practice area to the applicant’s goals and clinical experiences; and verification of financial support to ensure proper visa status.

A score of 8 is required on IELTS which is higher than The Graduate School requirement.

Interview: An interview is required of all international applicants who are non-native English speakers. The interview (personal, telephone, Skype) will be conducted by faculty who teach in the candidate’s clinical area of interest. The interview has two distinct foci: part one will focus on information provided in the application materials (for example, essay and future goals); the second part will evaluate the interviewee’s English proficiency.

Additional resources for international applicants:

UNC Global International Student and Scholar Services
North Carolina Board of Nursing

A $95 application fee to the UNC School of Nursing is required for your application. Please submit your fee with your application.

• You may check the status of your application by logging on to your application status page. Check your application carefully to ensure no required items are missing. The Admissions Committee will only review completed applications.

• If information outside of the application documentation is required, the School will contact you directly.

• Notification of Decision: The School of Nursing will notify you with a decision as soon as decisions are made. If your address changes during this time, please update it in the “Update Profile” section of the application.

• After acceptance: If accepted, you’ll be asked to pay a $250 deposit and submit official transcripts. Instructions on how to do so will be included in your acceptance letter. If you’re seeking residency for tuition purposes, apply at this site.