Female BSN student in the skills lab

Graduate Certificates

Application Requirements

Application Deadlines

Fall Semester

Application Opens: August 15
Deadline: March 15

Education

  • Applicants are required to have either:
    • A bachelor’s degree in nursing, OR
    • a bachelor’s degree in another field AND a master’s degree in nursing from an accredited program
  • Official transcripts from ALL colleges and/or universities attended.
    • Please note that if you wish to transfer in any coursework from another institution, your coursework will not be evaluated prior to admission.
  • Minimum GPA of 3.0
  • Successful Completion of a general statistics course
  • Applicants from a country where English is not the primary language: Additional Graduate School requirement of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Practice & Professional

  • Proof of registered nurse (RN) licensure
    • NOTE: We will make special accommodations for international students. Please contact us at nursing.grad.apps@wsu.edu if you will be an international student.
  • Minimum 1 year of nursing practice preferred
  • Curriculum vitae or résumé
  • 3 professional references

Step 1 – Gather Application Materials and Documents

  • Update your professional curriculum vitae or resume.
  • Determine three references willing to provide a recommendation for you.
    • You will need to provide names and emails of your references on your application. We recommend (but do not require) your references include:
      • A current or past faculty member from a nursing program you attended.
      • Two professional references from a work setting (head nurse, provider, NP/PA, etc.)
    • The reference will be asked to discuss your leadership, academic standards, and skills as they pertain to your primary interest area.
    • Your references will be contacted directly by NursingCAS via email after you have saved their information to your application. Each reference will receive instructions for submitting their recommendation online. NursingCAS requires you to add a Due Date for the reference – set that date as 7 days after the day you are submitting your application (i.e. If you submit August 20, set the due date as August 27).
  • Prepare to complete the following Programmatic questions that you will submit within your application. All answers must be limited to 9999 characters including spaces, which equates to around 1,500 to 2,500 words. The questions asked for each Certificate program are slightly different, so be sure to review the questions below for the program you intent to apply to. 
    • Nurse Educator Certificate
      • Please outline your long- and short-term professional goals and how they fit with the health care needs of your community.
      • How do you envision the Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education influencing your professional goals?
      • What has been your experience with teaching and learning in nursing?
      • Identify reasons for increasing workforce diversity in nursing.
      • Describe two strategies that you’ve used to improve understanding when communicating with people who are different (ethnicity, culture, background) from you.
    • Nurse Leader Certificate
      • Please outline your long- and short-term professional goals and how they fit with the health care needs of your community.
      • Describe how obtaining a Graduate Certificate in Nursing Leadership will facilitate you in meeting your career goals.
      • Describe an experience in which your leadership philosophy and style made a positive impact on clients, their families, colleagues, or an organization.
      • Describe the community or population that you want to study or work with during your post-master’s education. Identify a health issue for this community or population that you wish to address while completing your courses toward your graduate certificate.
      • Discuss two strategies you believe nursing leaders must develop and promote to better ensure continuing health in our increasingly diverse society.
    • Public Health Certificate
      • Please outline your long- and short-term professional goals and how they fit with the health care needs of your community.
      • Describe how obtaining a Graduate Certificate in Public Health will facilitate you in meeting your career goals.
      • Describe an experience in which your leadership philosophy and style made a positive impact on clients, their families, colleagues, or an organization.
      • Describe the community or population that you want to study or work with during your post-master’s education. Identify a health issue for this community or population that you wish to address while completing your courses toward your graduate certificate.
      • Discuss two strategies you believe public health leaders must develop and promote to better ensure continuing health in our increasingly diverse society.

Step 2 – Complete the NursingCAS Application

Starting Your Nursing CAS Application

  • Review the application support documentation below.
    • Additionally, we have tutorial videos that were made for our prelicensure program. There are some exceptions to the graduate application process, but it may prove helpful to see how NursingCAS works.  
  • Select the ‘Apply Now!’ button at the bottom of this section and select the term that you are applying for (Fall 2024 or Spring 2025). Click apply to set up your account. Check your junk mail and spam folder for the initial account confirmation to ensure that NursingCAS emails are safely going to your inbox. NursingCAS application is open from 8/15 through 3/15 for a Fall 2024 start or 11/1 for a Spring 2025.
  • Use the following link to view all available WSU College of Nursing Applications.
    • There are multiple applications for the Graduate Certificates based on specialty and start term, so be sure to review the names of each to ensure you’re selecting the correct one.
  • Select the My Application tab to begin filling out your application.
  • The application fee is $80 and non-refundable. The NursingCAS application is open from 8/15 through 3/15 for Fall 24 applications and through 11/1 for Spring 25 applications. Note that the deadline time is 11:59 pm EST/EDT (which is 8:59 pm PST/PDT) of that date.

Personal Information

  • Fill out all 7 sections. Make sure you click “save and continue” at the bottom of each section.
  • Ensure that your contact info is accurate – your email is what we use to contact you for issues and info.
  • This section is run by NursingCAS – anything that is optional you are welcome to skip without it affecting your application.

Academic History

  • Fill out all sections other than standardized test.
  • For Colleges Attended, click “add a college” and input every institution of higher education you have ever attended. Complete the questions asked for each institution you added. This section will likely take you the most time, though our tutorial videos have an overview to assist.
    • PLEASE NOTE: You must input every institution of higher education in which you have been enrolled AND provide a transcript for each. NursingCAS will reject your application if coursework from an unreported institution shows on a submitted transcript, or if a transcript for an attended institution is not submitted. Note that this includes coursework taken as part of a study abroad program.
  • You will need to order official transcripts for every college/university you have attended, including for your undergraduate degree. We recommend ordering an electronic transcript if possible. If your school does not offer electronic transcripts through one of the 3 companies that NursingCAS uses, please follow the instructions for “Option 2: Order a Mailed Paper Transcript.”
  • For Transcript Entry, input every course exactly as it appears on that institution’s transcript. NursingCAS will reject an application if the transcript entry does not match the transcript.
  • We recommend pulling up an unofficial transcript so you can copy over the classes accurately.
    • Note: If you use the Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) function, please allow a large amount of time for CAS to finish that process. If you are late on a deadline or miss something due to PTE, the responsibility is still with you. After you receive notification from NursingCAS that the PTE is complete, you must log back into your application and approve the coursework entry before your application will be submitted.
    • Note: do your best with the course subject drop-down. It will not cover every option possible, and as long as it is close enough, we will know what you are going for. It is the other components that are blank fields (grades/credits) that are the most important to us.
  • Once you have completed the transcript entry, choose to review and finalize your transcripts.
  • Ensure that you accurately indicate repeated classes. Type out exactly what is on your transcript.

Supporting Information

  • You can opt out of all these sections, as you instead upload a resume/CV later on.

Application Questions

  • Respond to all questions to the best of your ability following the directions provided for each question section.
  • When you are completing the Programmatic questions, answers must be limited to 9999 characters including spaces which equates to around 1,500 to 2,500 words.

Program Materials

  • Review the home tab first, then fill out the remaining 3 tabs (Documents, Questions, Prerequisites).
  • For Questions, thoroughly read through each and answer appropriately – if you answer yes to a question, and later it turns out you should have answered no, you risk ineligibility.
  • For Documents, upload your CV/Resume, Scholarly Work option, License, as well as any of the optional documents that apply.

Submitting Your Application

  • Navigate to “Submit Application” on the top of the page and pay application fee. Note that the deadline time is 11:59 pm EST on that date.
  • Wait – we will send updates via email.

Tips for submitting your application

  • Email us early on if you anticipate any issues! We are happy to help clarify anything on the application process.
  • Use Nursing CAS with an email address you check regularly. Most contact during the admissions process will be done via email. Failure to respond may jeopardize your chances for admission.
  • Make sure your official transcripts are received by NursingCAS by the deadline. Please note that a copy of a transcript from every college and/or university you have attended will be required.

Application Review Process

  • You will receive email notification upon submitting your application.
  • We begin reviewing completed applications upon submission.
  • You will be notified via email if you are accepted, wait-listed, or denied.
  • Admission questions? Email nursing.admissions@wsu.edu.

Are Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores required for graduate nursing programs?

No, the GRE is not required.

Are reference letters required?

Yes, you will need to provide names and emails of your references on your application. We recommend (but do not require) your references include:

  • A current or past faculty member from a nursing program you attended.
  • Two professional references from a work setting (head nurse, provider, NP/PA, etc.)

The reference will be asked to discuss your leadership, academic standards, and skills as they pertain to your primary interest area.

Your references will be contacted directly by NursingCAS via email after you have saved their information to your application. Each reference will receive instructions for submitting their recommendation online. NursingCAS requires you to add a Due Date for the reference – set that date as 7 days after the day you are submitting your application (i.e. If you submit August 20, set the due date as August 27).

You do not need to provide a paper recommendation. Please contact references prior to applying to ensure they are willing to respond to your recommendation request; ask them to discuss your leadership, academic standards, and skills as they pertain to your primary interest area.

Where do I have my transcripts sent?

Have your transcripts sent directly to CAS from your application portal.  For more information on ordering transcripts through NursingCAS visit the NursingCAS Applicant Help Center webpage on transcripts.

Program Requirements

Nursing Leadership

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students at the WSU College of Nursing take the required course work for this certificate as part of their studies; they may apply for the certificate at the same time they apply to graduate. Other graduate students or working nurses may apply to take part in the program. Please contact the Graduate Education program office for more information.

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
NURS 553*Practicum in Organizational Systems and Leadership3
NURS 565Information Management for Clinical Practice3
NURS 576Organizational Systems and Leadership3
NURS 591Mixed Methods for Program Planning, Implementation and Outcome Evaluation3
Total12

Please note that transfer courses will not count towards certificate completion
(i.e. if you transferred in a course that fulfills NURS 565, you will still have to take NURS 565 for the certificate)

  • Students will be able to recognize the need to address ethics, diversity & inclusiveness through community engagement.
  • Students will be able to develop collaborative community relationships to address resource scarcity.
  • Students will be able to apply change theory and data informatics systems to policy development and best practices.
  • Students will develop a philosophy of leadership that guides the foundation for leadership skill applications across the health care systems.
  • Students will demonstrate an understanding of how to incorporate steps for strategic, long-term success in an ever-changing healthcare environment.

Nursing Education

Master of Nursing (MN) students at the WSU College of Nursing take the required course work for this certificate as part of their studies; they may apply for the certificate at the same time they apply to graduate. Other graduate students or working nurses may apply to take part in the program. Please contact the Graduate Education program office for more information.

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
NURS 521*Teaching, Learning, and Evaluation in Nursing3
NURS 523*Educational Issues and Curriculum Analysis3
NURS 533*Issues and Trends in Healthcare Education: Workforce Diversity & Delivery Methods3
NURS 542Advanced Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, and Assessment for Population Healthcare Professionals4
NURS 583**Advanced Population Practicum -OR- Internship2
Total12

*All students must complete 2 graded courses (6 credits) from menu of 3 Nurse Ed courses – NURS 521, NURS 523, or NURS 533.

**Practicum courses require the completion of a minimum of 2 credits (120 hours) of experience with a preceptor who has completed a master’s degree in nursing or a related field.

Please note that transfer courses will not count towards certificate completion
(i.e. if you transferred in a course that fulfills NURS 542, you will still have to take NURS 542 for the certificate)

  • Students will have gained an overall perspective on course development and learning evaluation strategies.
  • Students will develop skills in the use of educational tools and learning management systems.
  • Students will be able to apply pedagogical and educational theories to course and curriculum development that are in line with diverse cultural backgrounds and learning needs.
  • Student will be able to integrate program and course competencies with processes that are required by accreditation agencies and state regulatory requirements.

Program Contacts