Nursing Education Certificate FAQs

Completing the NEC would be extra credentials for any nurse who is interested in moving into a nurse educator role or is interested in teaching nursing in a nursing program. The content of these classes illustrates developing knowledge in the areas of curricular development, curricular evaluation, the science of teaching and learning, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Some nurses with the NEC teach in clinical settings as a Nurse Educator. Some nurses with the NEC teaching in formal nursing programs. Some nurses with NEC teach in settings outside of the hospital setting, in clinicals or community settings.

No, all nursing education certificate courses are offered online.

The College of Nursing previously offered two graduate-level courses in teaching: NURS7866 Practicum in Evidence-Based Teaching and NURS 7867 Evidence-based Teaching & Curriculum Design. The competencies and content of the two previous courses are now significantly realigned and expanded into 4 new 3-credit graduate-level courses to provide additional professional development opportunities for RNs interested in or engaged in nurse preceptor, clinical educators, or academic nurse educator roles.

A conversation with the Director of the Nursing Education Certificate Program will help you determine any redundancy in content.

Students must meet all eligibility requirements outlined in the current National League of Nurses Candidate Handbook. A Master’s degree is required. For those who meet eligibility requirements, the courses/certificate will serve as a relevant resource for review. The certificate is designed with the content and competencies of the NLN CNE examination as a guiding framework.

No. There is a 3-credit practicum elective, which is available by permission of the instructor for students who seek a preceptor, hands-on immersion. The practicum is optional and not required for the NEC and may not be substituted for one of the 3 required courses in the NEC series.

Yes! However, you should consult with an enrollment advisor before registration. See our non-degree program page for information.

It is possible to register for one course through the non-degree enrollment option.