Overview

You’ve built a purposeful career caring for patients. Now, your experience points to one increasingly visible factor in the nursing field: a shortage of qualified professionals ready to meet today’s challenges. To help close the gap and empower future nurses, earn a post-master’s nurse educator certificate from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC).

A blended format fits around your existing schedule. You’ll complete most of your course work and sessions online and then attend preceptor and select class sessions in person. Subjects build off your master of science in nursing (MSN) degree, helping you excel along this specialized path. Over 12 credit hours and 180 clinical contact hours, you’ll develop the skills to teach in academic, clinical, nursing practice and community education settings, understand how to create meaningful lesson plans combining teaching and learning theories and continue to expand your knowledge of the nursing profession.

Completion of this post-master’s nurse educator certificate program qualifies you to sit for the National League for Nursing (NLN) Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) Certification Exam.

What to expect

UMKC’s post-master’s graduate certificate programs equip eager, forward-thinking nursing professionals for leadership roles and embody our commitment to advancing the field. Whether you picture yourself instructing undergraduates in a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program or assisting students in a clinical setting, this post-master’s nurse educator certificate:

• Helps you continue to improve health outcomes by growing your skill set
• Allows you to broaden your knowledge base without completing another graduate-level degree program
• Requires you to bridge teaching and learning theories with the goal of becoming an engaging, effective educator
• Instructs you in nursing-specific curriculum development and evaluation methods
• Highlights teaching strategies specific to academic and clinical settings
• Presents opportunities for gaining hands-on experience in objective writing, teaching, clinical instruction, test writing and student management under the guidance of experienced nurse educators 
• Has a required clinical preceptor and practicum component

To take you from a role of interacting with patients to an academic or clinical instruction setting, you’ll learn about:

• The latest teaching strategies for didactic, simulation and clinical environments
• Developing curriculum that aids aspiring nurses through their program and toward certification
• Effectively delivering didactic and clinical instruction
• Addressing students’ diverse learning needs
• The theory and practice of nurse education

Considering these aspects, students must maintain clinical eligibility during the program’s duration to complete all preceptor hours.

Program Structure

The post-master’s nurse educator certificate works around your professional and personal obligations with a blended format. Most courses are held online, and preceptor hours are completed at a location approved by UMKC. Consider coming to campus for orientation, or attend online based on time and location constraints. The typical student takes two courses per semester. 

Along with assignments and lessons, you’ll put your skills into practice through 180 clinical contact hours. During this preceptorship course, you’ll see firsthand what a nurse educator does while testing out various teaching strategies and theories to develop, assess and evaluate curriculum. Understand that you’re responsible for arranging your assignment and obtaining UMKC’s approval.

Course work includes:

• The role of the nurse educator in academic, acute care and outpatient settings
• Developing, reviewing and evaluating nursing curricula
• The principles and techniques for teaching nursing 
• Assessment and evaluation techniques used in nurse education

Courses

On-campus residencies are required for the online programs. Faculty will provide more information prior to each scheduled on-campus residency which occurs during your clinical course work. Online course work may require synchronous online class times. These dates are scheduled in advance and communicated on the schedule for the semester.

There are five courses required for the program with a total of 12 credit hours. All courses must be completed within three years. Note: Students are responsible for arranging their clinical preceptor and site for the practicum course. It is the student's responsibility to maintain clinical eligibility to practice during the program. It is recommended that students maintain active clinical practice in preparation for the practicum course.

Course planner

Required courses
NURSE 5515NE Role of the Nurse Educator 2 credit hours
NURSE 5516 Curriculum Development (3 credit hours)
NURSE 5517 Teaching Strategies 2 credit hours
NURSE 5559 Evaluation Methods 2 credit hours
NURSE 5572NE Synthesis Practicum for Nurse Educators 3 credit hours precepted clinical course

Nondegree-Seeking Enrollment

Prior to acceptance into the program, you may enroll in up to 6 credit hours as a nondegree-seeking (in some cases, post-baccalaureate) student. Enrollment does not guarantee acceptance. Learn more about nondegree-seeking university student admissions.

State Authorization

States require that the University of Missouri-Kansas City be authorized to deliver university-level distance/online education to their residents. Each state handles this process differently.

Please see our state authorization page for more information.

Not authorized

Students residing in some states are not eligible to enroll in this program. See our state authorization page for a full list of states in which this program is not authorized.

Authorized with stipulations

Students residing in some states may be eligible to enroll in this program, but certain stipulations exist. See our state authorization page for a full list of states in which certain stipulations exists for this program.

How to Apply

Fulfill the admission requirements

• Two years of RN experience is preferred but not required
• MSN or DNP from a college or university nationally recognized by a nursing accrediting agency (CCNE or AACN)
• Minimum GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale
• Current unencumbered Missouri licensure or unencumbered licensure in the state in which the student completes clinical requirements
• The following are the common prerequisite graduate level coursework to be completed prior to or as part of the certificate program of study. These courses may be from your MSN/DNP graduate program or completed at UMKC with your certificate hours:
  • Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan
  • Advanced Pharmacology/Applied Pharmacology Across the Lifespan
  • Advanced Health Assessment Across the Lifespan
  • Health Promotion
• A personal interview is required.

Required documents

• Transcripts from each institution attended. Upload your official transcripts to the UMKC Office of Admissions ONLY. Please DO NOT submit official transcripts via NursingCAS.
• Three evaluation forms are required from:
  • Immediate supervisor
  • Faculty professor from your MSN program.
  • Professional reference able to assess your professional characteristics (charge nurse, medical doctor, nurse practitioner, unit director)
  • Please note: No reference from co-workers, patients, friends or family members will be accepted.
• Current résumé reflecting all experiences as an RN
• Proof of RN licensure
• Personal Statement of your professional goals (specific to the role/track to which you are applying) and how this program will help you achieve them (required length: one page maximum)
• Complete an interview.

Complete the online application

The application is a two-step process, applicants must:

1. Submit the online UMKC Application and submit official transcripts from each institution attended to the UMKC Office of Admissions ONLY. Please DO NOT submit official transcripts via NursingCAS.

2. Submit program application and materials through NursingCAS to UMKC’s School of Nursing and Health Studies by deadline stated above. Please review the NursingCAS website for the list of programs offered at UMKC’s School of Nursing and Health Studies.

Domestic application fee: $45.00
International application fee: $75.00

Note: If you were ever enrolled at UMKC as a degree-seeking student, you do not need to resubmit the general UMKC application fee.

Application fee waiver questions: Contact the UMKC Office of Admissions with questions via 816-235-8652 or 1-800-775-8652 or admissions@umkc.edu.

Apply to UMKC

Program Contact

Danny Kopitke Senior Student Recruitment Specialist
Online Programs Phone: 816-235-5693 Email: dkopitke@umkc.edu

Tuition and Fees

The tuition estimates do not include any Nursing clinical fees that may apply to the program. Please refer to UMKC Cashiers for further details.

These estimates are for illustrative purposes only and are based on academic year 2024-2025 information. They include:

• School of Nursing and Health Sciences graduate tuition rate of per credit hour for 12 hours
• Simulation lab fee of per credit hour for 12 hours
• Online course fee of per credit hour for 12 hours