Best Online Graduate Certificate in Nursing Programs of 2025

We've awarded our Intelligent Pick for the best online graduate certificate in nursing program to the University of Connecticut, which offers a Holistic Nursing Online Graduate Certificate. This nine-credit online graduate certificate teaches students about the core principles of Holistic Nursing, the theories and perceptions of Holistic Nursing, and the skills needed for integrative health approaches. This specialized course can be completed in about one year and is designed for Registered Nurses who already have a bachelor's degree or higher. This course is considered to be specialized owing to the fact that Holistic Nursing is not usually covered by standard nursing programs at other institutions.

The most affordable online graduate certificate in Nursing program on our list is the Advanced Certificate in Nursing Education program offered by the Stony Brook University's School of Nursing. This program is a 20-credit program that costs students $565 per credit. This online certificate program helps prepare nurse-educators to teach both new and advanced nurses. In the program, students will learn skills such as how to integrate scientific research to improve nursing care, how to demonstrate proper leadership, how to utilize data and information to achieve health outcomes, and more. Students must have completed a master's degree in nursing, maintained a GPA of 3.0, and have a current Registered Nurse license.

The Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Master's Certificate program offered by Saint Louis University is the top online graduate certificate in nursing from a private institution. The program helps students prepare to provide health care to patients of all ages. As part of the curriculum, students will learn how to assess and manage acute and chronic health issues, consult and refer patients within the health care system, and help prevent diseases. In order to be admitted to this postgraduate program, students must have completed their master's degree in a nursing specialty, have a cumulative GPA of 3.20, experience in an advanced practice role in nursing, and have completed a graduate-level physiology or pathophysiology course.

Some students want to get their education from an institution that matches their religious beliefs, and Duquesne University, a Catholic institution, offers just that - an online graduate certificate in nursing. The program has several specialization certificates that students can choose from to ensure their education aligns with their career goals. These certificates include subjects like Forensic Nursing, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Executive Nurse Leadership and Health Care Management, Nurse Education and Faculty Role, Family (Individual Across the Lifespan) Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The program is designed to help students build upon their existing nursing education and advance their career in health care.

The postgraduate certificate in nursing offered by Winona State University is the best postgraduate certificate program offered by a public institution. The school offers a wide variety of online certificate options for students to choose from to continue to advance in their nursing careers. Students can choose from six different certificates: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, Nursing and Organizational Leadership, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The university also offers students the chance to take classes before they are accepted and earn up to 12 credits that count toward graduation, as well as the opportunity to earn credit by submitting a portfolio that shows prior learning and professional experiences that fulfill program requirements.

For adult learners who are looking for a part-time certificate in Nursing program, Clarkson College offers a postgraduate certificate program with several options for part-time students. Students who enroll in the program can choose from several verticals within the program, including Nursing Healthcare Administration, Nursing Education, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Family Nurse Practitioner. Each track has its own specialized online curriculum, and students can complete their in-person clinical requirements in their own region. The online program is 33 credit hours and costs students $718 per credit.

The online graduate certificate in Nursing program with the most flexible admissions is the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Kansas University Online. The main goals of this program include teaching students how to apply research skills in various health care systems, to demonstrate professional values in advanced nursing practice roles, to communicate and collaborate with colleagues, and to integrate science-based theories to provide leadership in the health care system. To be eligible for this certificate program, students must have a master's degree in Nursing and a minimum 3.0 GPA. The program can be between 37 and 39 credit hours depending on your speciality and costs students just over $421 per credit.

For adult learners looking to earn their postgraduate certificate in Nursing and who need a flexible program that works for their schedule, the University of Arizona offers a quality program that ranks in the top 1% in the country. This certificate program is a part-time program that takes four semesters to complete and requires 31 credit hours along with 540 clinical hours. The cost for the program is $1,053 per credit, and a Master of Science in Nursing is required for admission to the program. Courses in the curriculum for this program include health assessment, pediatric health assessment, advanced primary care, and more. The goal of the certificate course is to prepare students to take a Family Nurse Practitioner national board-certifying examination.

The postmaster's certificate in Nursing online program offered by Ball State University is the best online graduate certificate in Nursing program in the Midwest. Students in this program will learn how to diagnose and treat acute illnesses, infections, and injuries; write prescriptions; educate patients about managing their health; design patient treatment plans; and order and read diagnostic tests. In order to qualify for this program, students must have completed a master's degree in Nursing. The course consists of between 13 and 23 credit hours, and students must complete supervised clinical hours in a primary care setting.