The Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate program allows Master’s-prepared nurses to expand their scope of practice to include care of all age groups. The program features an array of didactic and clinical experiences that focus on the primary care needs of patients, families, and communities. Through the coursework, family theory is integrated into students' program of study to develop their abilities in recognizing and managing family issues in health care.

Program content includes pathophysiology, pharmacology, as well as health assessment for those students with Master’s degrees in areas other than advanced practice. Health maintenance and promotion, anticipatory guidance, and diagnosis and management of common primary care health concerns are at the core of the primary care education and experiences. These provide the theoretical and practical foundations for nurses to expand their scope of practice.

Completion of the certificate requires 30 credits of coursework, but an advanced, 17-credit track for certified nurse practitioners is also available.

The program’s versatile distance-based format allows professional nurses to advance their education while working, but also provides students with a rigorous curriculum and access to the resources and experts at GW. Selected on-campus experiences invite students to campus to interact with faculty and other students.