Admission Overview

The Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Nursing Administration is designed for registered nurses who already hold a master’s degree in nursing but completed that degree in a different nursing specialty (such as Nursing Education, Informatics, Clinical Practice, or other advanced nursing fields).

This post‑master’s certificate prepares nurses for administrative and leadership roles in academic, clinical, and healthcare system settings. The program consists of four online graduate‑level courses (12 credits) focused on nursing leadership, organizational management, and strategic decision‑making.

This program enrolls new students in the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit the following materials for admission consideration:

• Graduate degree in nursing (MS or MSN) from a regionally accredited institution
• Cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Active, unencumbered RN license, including expiration date
• $50 nonrefundable orientation fee

Applications are reviewed only when all required materials have been received, including all official transcripts.

How Applications Are Evaluated

Admission decisions are based on a holistic review of:

• Academic history and GPA
• Nursing experience and demonstrated professional practice

Start Terms

This program admits new students in the:

• Fall
• Spring
• Summer

Deadlines

Applications are reviewed regularly throughout the year, but only when all required materials—including all previous college transcripts—have been received. To guarantee review for the term of your choice, all application materials must be submitted before the posted general deadline. 

Applications submitted by the priority deadline will be reviewed first. Applicants who complete their materials early may receive an admission decision sooner and have a better chance of securing a seat in their preferred term.

If an application becomes complete but space is no longer available, the applicant will be considered for the next available term.

Application deadlines do change from term to term. For specific deadlines, please see the Graduate Admissions Deadline page.

How to Apply

To apply, visit the SUNY Empire application portal and select Graduate:

https://www.sunyempire.edu/application.html

Complete the online application, upload required documents and arrange for all official transcripts to be sent to SUNY Empire. Applications are reviewed only when all required materials have been received.

SUNY Empire alumni and current students do not need to request their Empire transcript.

International Applicants

This program may be completed 100% online. International applicants are eligible to apply. In addition to the listed above, international applicants must submit:

• A NACES‑member course‑by‑course evaluation (e.g., WES) for all non‑U.S. transcripts
• Proof of English language proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS), unless exempt

Applicants must also hold an RN license that complies with program and state regulatory requirements.

Additional Information

Please see the Graduate Admission section of this catalog for a complete listing of materials required to complete a graduate application.

Program Requirements

The Advanced Certificate in Nursing Administration is comprised of courses that are currently in our Master of Science Nursing Administration degree program. The 12-credit certificate contains four, three-credit courses and can be completed in two terms.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
NURS 6065	Healthcare Finance and Budgeting	3
NURS 6070	Organizational Theory & Human Resource Management	3
NURS 6075	Innovative Leadership in Healthcare Organizations	3
NURS 7010	Nursing Administration Capstone	3

M.S. IN NURSING EDUCATION AND M.S. IN NURSING ADMINISTRATION CAPSTONE EXPERIENCES

The capstone experience requirements are embedded into the Nursing Education Capstone (NURS 7005) and Nursing Administration Capstone (NURS 7010) courses. These experiences are designed to meet both predetermined and personal course learning objectives. Students arrange the experience with a chosen preceptor within their own community, in consultation with the clinical coordinator and the capstone lead faculty.

The capstone practicum experiences require advance planning in order to integrate the experience and coursework into current employment and family schedules. It is recommended that students begin the planning process at least six months before course registration. Students initiate the planning process by contacting the clinical coordinator to receive instructions on how to upload their clinical paperwork into an online secure database for lead faculty review and approval.

These courses are completed at the end of the program and are offered during the 15-week fall and spring terms. Capstone requests are due by June 1 for a fall experience and October 1 for a spring experience.

Guidelines for Capstone Experiences

The capstone component is fulfilled by completing 45 hours working with a preceptor. The preceptor must be an experienced RN who holds at least an MS degree in nursing or a related field. Preceptors facilitate learning experiences within the primary area of concentration (Education or Administration), and they also provide feedback that faculty use for evaluation of student achievement of learning outcomes.

For the Nursing Education Capstone course, participation in a direct care component is a requirement within the capstone practicum. Direct care refers to a professional encounter between a nurse and a patient (individual, family, groups, community, or aggregate), either face to face or virtual, that is intended to achieve specific health goals or achieve selected health outcomes. Direct care may be provided in a wide range of settings, including acute and critical care, long term care, home health, community-based settings, and telehealth (AACN, 2021; Suby, 2009). Education Track students must explain how they will meet the direct care requirement within their practicum.

Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:

• Evaluate the concepts of quality and accountability within the constraints of healthcare finances.
• Analyze data related to fiscal planning and management of human and physical resources.
• Integrate organizational frameworks and perspectives to guide nursing administrative practices.
• Appraise the impact of challenges in designing innovative and sustainable healthcare organizations.
• Use evidence-based practices that promote effective communication and collaboration.
• Assume a leadership role on interprofessional healthcare teams in complex environments.