As a nurse practitioner, you already have advanced clinical training and experience. If you want to expand into family practice and care for patients across the lifespan without completing another degree, this program is designed for you.
The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Advanced Certificate program at the Touro School of Health Sciences (SHS) provides a direct path to FNP certification for practicing NPs. Through focused coursework and clinical training, you’ll strengthen your ability to deliver evidence-based care, manage complex conditions, and improve health outcomes for individuals and families.
Program Snapshot
With new cohorts starting every Spring, here are some quick facts about the program:
- Degree type: Advanced Certificate (Post-Graduate)
- Length: 1.5 years (4 semesters)
- Structure: 33 credits and 765 clinical hours
- Format: Hybrid with day and evening classes
- Location: Brooklyn, New York
About the Program
The FNP Advanced Certificate program is for licensed NPs currently working in areas like gerontology, pediatrics, or women’s health who want to expand their expertise and move into family practice as a family nurse practitioner.
The program’s curriculum builds on your prior graduate training, while focusing on the knowledge and clinical skills required for working with patients across the lifespan. Throughout the program, you’ll apply evidence-based practice, integrate advanced clinical reasoning, and strengthen your ability to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care in diverse settings.
Didactic Coursework
You’ll complete focused coursework in primary care, spanning pediatrics, adult, and complex care, guided by faculty with clinical and academic expertise. The curriculum builds on your prior training to strengthen clinical judgment, evidence-based decision-making, and patient management.
Clinical Training
As part of the FNP Advanced Certificate program, you’ll complete 765 supervised clinical hours in a range of family and primary care settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, and physician practices.
Clinical placements are designed to align with your training, experience, and professional goals whenever possible, and the Touro School of Health Sciences works with students to identify appropriate clinical experiences.
Certifications
Upon completion of the program, you’ll be eligible for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and/or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) certification exams.
Curriculum
The 33-credit FNP Advanced Certificate curriculum focuses on advanced primary care, with an emphasis on evidence-based practice and clinical decision-making.
Spring 1 (9 credits)
NUR 600: Advanced Pharmacology (3 credits)
This course provides an in-depth understanding of pharmacology across all physiological systems. Mechanism of general drug actions provides a framework for discussion of content- specific drugs. Includes 3 hours of required laws and prescription writing.
NUR 601: Advanced Pathophysiology (3 credits)
This course examines abnormal biological processes that result in health deviations affecting individuals and families as a basis for nursing primary care management.
NUR 602: Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits)
This course presents theories and methods of comprehensive assessment of clients across the lifespan, including physical, psychosocial, and pathophysiological signs and symptoms; refinement of ability to utilize sophisticated techniques to assess, identify, and differentiate deviations from normal; incorporate cultural and developmental variations and needs of clients. (2 credits, didactic; 1 credit, 45 hours lab)
Summer (9 credits)
NUR 681: Advanced Family Nursing Practice 1 — Children (6 credits)
Using a Nursing Science Framework, this course stresses promotion and maintenance of levels of wellness, protection of health, and prevention of illness of children in families, groups and communities, as well as early detection, treatment and symptom management of selected minor and major health problems. Intervention and health care protocols emphasizing the control and/or resolution of the acute phase are included. Supervised practicum in a variety of primary health care and acute care settings provides for implementing clinical decision making and intervention strategies within the context of advanced practice. (2 credits, didactic; 4 credits, clinical 240 hours) Prerequisites: NUR 600, NUR 601, NUR 602
NUR 610: Transcultural Health Promotion & Disease Prevention (3 credits, online)
This course emphasizes the understanding of cultural differences, values, belief systems and practices that are specific to various populations and cultures. Models of health promotion/disease prevention are analyzed. Strategies to enhance global awareness of diverse health populations in order to provide culturally competent and culturally sensitive Nursing care are discussed.
Fall (9 credits)
NUR 605: Advanced Genomics (3 credits)
This course provides for in-depth review and analysis of genetic influences and determinants affecting the health of individuals, families, and communities. It familiarizes the student with the scientific study of complex diseases and diagnostic methods, treatments, and therapies for these conditions. The course focuses on the use of data to support decision making to improve the health of individuals and populations. Approaches to generating clinically relevant data and utilizing data from clinical information systems are addressed. Ethical, legal, and social implications of genomic knowledge are appraised.
NUR 682: Advanced Family Nursing Practice 2 — Adults/Elderly (6 credits)
Using a Nursing Science Framework, this course stresses promotion and maintenance of levels of wellness, protection of health and prevention of illness of adults and older adults in families, groups and communities, as well as early detection, treatment, and symptom management of selected minor and major health problems of adults and older adults in families, and groups and communities. Intervention and health care protocols emphasizing the control and/or resolution of the acute phase are included. Supervised practicum in a variety of primary health care and acute care settings provides for implementing clinical decision-making and intervention strategies within the context of advanced practice. (2 credits, didactic; 4 credits, clinical 240 hours) Prerequisite: NUR 681
Spring 2 (6 credits)
NUR 683: Advanced Family Nursing Practice 3 — Acute, Chronic, Rehab (6 credits)
This course equips advanced practice nursing students with the knowledge and skills to deliver evidence-based acute, chronic and rehabilitation care across the lifespan. Content stresses assessment of functional needs, development of acute, long-term, and rehab strategies and protocols, and recovery support for children, adults, and elderly experiencing injury, chronic illness, or age-related decline within their families, groups and communities. A preceptor-supervised practicum, emphasizing multidisciplinary collaboration, case management, and culturally responsive, patient -centered care, provides for rich experiences in clinical decision making, intervention, and management strategies within the context of the advanced practice nursing role. (2 credits, didactic; 4 credits, clinical 240 hours) Prerequisite: NUR 681, NUR 682
All coursework aligns with competencies established by AACN for FNP education, and students must pass a final cumulative exam with a score of at least 80% to graduate.
Admissions & Requirements
Applicants must hold a graduate degree in nursing (MSN), be a licensed nurse practitioner, and meet all Touro School of Health Sciences general admissions requirements. Students admitted to the FNP Advanced Certificate program start the program in the Spring semester.
As part of the FNP Advanced Certificate admissions process, your prior coursework and clinical experience are reviewed to determine your individualized plan of study. Eligible credits may be applied toward the 33-credit requirement, allowing you to complete only the coursework needed for FNP certification. Additionally, students complete 12–24 credits at Touro SHS to meet New York State requirements.
Curious about the doctoral path? The FNP Advanced Certificate is designed for practicing NPs who want to add an FNP specialty. If you’re interested in a full doctoral pathway, explore the DNP program at Touro SHS, which is an 80-credit full-time program over three years.
Accreditation
The FNP Advanced Certificate program at Touro University SHS is pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. Applying for accreditation does not guarantee that accreditation will be granted.
Get Your FNP Advanced Certificate at Touro
If you want to broaden your clinical and career options, apply to the Family Nurse Practitioner Advanced Certificate Program at Touro SHS now.
