AC PNP Certificate Program Overview
AC PNP Program
Application Deadline: September 1
Application Available: May 1
Program Start: Spring, once a year only
Length of Program: 4 consecutive semesters, part-time study (Post-MSN Certificate awarded upon completion)
Program Format: Hybrid
AC PNP Certificate Information Sessions
About the AC PNP Certificate Program
The acute care pediatric nurse practitioner (AC PNP) post master’s certificate is a 24-30 credit hour program that focuses on the knowledge and skills required to care for chronically and critically ill children. This program is designed as a hybrid program spanned over four semesters aimed to educate full time working individuals. Through weekly synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences as well as individually assigned clinical rotations in various pediatric settings, the student will learn the critical elements involved in caring for pediatric patients. Students complete 540-720 hours of supervised clinical practice.
The educational experiences are led by doctorally prepared nurses. Education includes skills labs, simulation experiences, and lectures given by experts in the field which are then supplemented by the clinical rotations to provide a wholistic understanding of acute care pediatrics.
This certificate is for students who have obtained a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in another specialty. By completing this program, the student will be able to take the Pediatric Nurse Certification Board (PNCB) certification exam for AC PNP. A second master’s degree will not be awarded, rather a post master’s certificate for the body of work. The program meets the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty's curriculum guidelines. The curriculum also includes coursework required by the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) to be qualified as an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). Additional requirements and experiences for APN status are available from the BON.
Applicants to the AC PNP post master’s certificate program must be graduates of a Master of Science in Nursing degree and have at least two years of full-time clinical experience as a registered nurse in a pediatric setting.
A gap analysis of previous master’s level courses will be completed upon admission to determine exact course requirements to complete this program. For more information, visit our graduate information sessions webpage.
In addition to the required courses, clinical rotations are a critical part of the APRN curriculum at UT Austin School of Nursing. The clinical placement student services team works collaboratively with the program faculty to find and assign preceptors and clinical sites for all students. Faculty evaluate both the clinical sites and preceptors to verify that clinical experiences are consistent with course and certification requirements, ensuring students have a productive clinical experience.
Advanced Practice Nursing (APN): Visit Advance Practice Nursing to learn about APN programs.
Degree Plans
AC PNP Resources
Admission Requirements
All students interested in applying for graduate study in Nursing at the University of Texas at Austin must meet the admission requirements established by the University’s Graduate School and the School of Nursing. Applicants are expected to be graduates of accredited colleges or universities. Below are the minimum requirements for admission.
- Degree: Master of Science in Nursing or a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from an accredited institution and all applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- GPA: 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or comparable GPA in upper-division work (junior- and senior- level courses) and in any graduate course work completed
- Recommendations: 3 required
- Statement of Purpose
- Curriculum Vitae/resume
- Nursing License: Current Texas RN licensure or a multi-state license from "Nurse Licensure Compact" state, if admitted.
- APN Certification Required: Must have current licensure and certification as an advanced practice provider in another specialty.
*Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required.
Application Procedures
All students applying for admission to the Advanced Practice Certificate programs must complete the online application and submit the following application materials by September 15 (AC PNP).
Application for Admission
AC PNP: Complete online application for admissions and pay application fee using the Graduate School Application for Admission. The application is only open between May 1st and September 15th. The online application is data entry only. All supporting application documents are uploaded on the My Status page after the application is paid and submitted.
*Recommendation: Complete online application, at minimum, 2 weeks prior to the deadlines noted above. This allows time for all required documents to be completed and uploaded by the deadline.
Supporting Documents
- Official transcripts dated one year or less, from all college/universities attended.
- Official transcripts dated one year or less, for Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), if applicable. See Post-MSN ACPNP Certificate Application Checklist for transcript upload procedures.
- Curriculum Vitae: Readable font, 12-point
- Personal Statement: Maximum two (2) pages. Readable font, 12-point, double spaced, 1-inch margins
- Recommendations: 3 required / 3 maximum
- Using our secure, personalized form, three (3) professional recommendations that attest to the applicant's academic ability, professional competency and personal character must be submitted electronically by each recommender.
- Written recommendations are not accepted.
For additional details on how to prepare your graduate application materials and personal statement instructions, please view Post-MSN ACPNP Certificate Application Checklist (PDF).
All materials are to be submitted electronically to the My Status Check application page (available approximately 72 hours after online application submission) after completion of the Graduate School Application for Admission.
Acceptance to Graduate Programs in Nursing
The School of Nursing Graduate Admissions and Progression Committee (GAPC) begin preliminary admission reviews after the November 1st deadline. All application materials are required to be submitted by the program’s application deadline; files that remain incomplete will not be reviewed or acted upon by GAPC.
If admitted, applicants will be notified of the admission decision by early January. Decisions are communicated in the following ways:
- Offers of admission are sent via email by the School of Nursing.
- Admission decisions are noted on the application MyStatus application page.
Acceptance by both the School of Nursing and the Office of Graduate Studies are necessary before enrollment is permitted. Please be aware, if admitted, completion of all compliance requirements is required at least one month prior to the first day of class.
NOTE: Email is the official means of communication for all university business.
Please feel free to email Graduate Student Services Office if you have questions about the admission process.
Financial Support
Certificate program students needing financial assistance are eligible for federal financial aid and may be eligible for private education loans. Private loans are available from various lending institutions (e.g. banks, credit unions, etc.). The university is prohibited by federal law from recommending any private loans to certificate program students, but we encourage you to shop competitively before choosing a particular private loan to help meet educational expenses. The interest rates on these loans vary, as do other terms and conditions. Also, most private lenders require loan certification from the school in order to verify enrollment and Cost of Attendance amounts. Click here for more information about loans.
The median amount of debt for students completing the program is shown below:
- Private education loans*
- Institutional financing plan*
For more details about the University of Texas at Austin tuition, please visit the UT Tuition.