School Nurse Certificate Program
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do nurses who complete the UIC School
Nurse Certification
Program get jobs as Certified School Nurses?
Yes. The vast majority report that they do.
2. What are the School Nurse Courses?
NUPH 501 - Education Perspectives in School Health (4 graduate hours), NUPH 502 - School Nurse Theory and Trends (3 graduate hours)
and NUPH 519 - School Nurse Internship (3 graduate hours).
These courses are taken together and are offered online in
the Fall (Sept-Dec), Spring (Jan-May) and Summer of each
year (subject to change). You need to allow for 300 hours in
a school setting during the internship. Some of the hours can
be earned while working in a school nurse position.
3. Can classes be transferred?
If an applicant has successfully completed Educational Psychology and recently completed Exceptional Child prior to applying to the program, and a grade of A or B was earned, the courses will qualify that student for the Type 73 Certificate issued by the state. Since NUPH 501 Education Perspectives in School Health is offered as a part of the Online School Nurse Certificate Program, UIC will not provide advisement on locations or transferability of education courses at other institutions of higher learning.
4. Do I need to come to the University of Illinois College of
Nursing at Chicago for the course work?
Only twice. The course work is web based. The online course overview
and first session (mandatory) is held on a Saturday at the UIC
College of Nursing (845 South Damen, Chicago) and a class presentation
is held during the last session. Arrangements can be made in
lieu of attending on-campus sessions for out-of-state students.
5. Do I need a bachelor’s degree
in nursing to qualify for the program?
The state school nurse standards content requirements assume
a BSN. If you are an RN and have a BA in another major, three
bridge courses are required:
- Health Assessment
- Nursing Leadership
- Public Health Nursing
If you do not have a BA or BS, contact the UIC Quad Cities campus for online RN-BSN information.
6. How long does it take to complete the program?
If taking all three School Nurse Certificate Program courses, it typically takes 2-3 semesters (see Program Plans).
7. Is the Illinois State Board of Education Test of Basic Skills
required before admission into the school nurse program?
Yes. Prospective applicants must check the test information available
from Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) or by
phone (800-845-8749). A copy of your scores should be submitted
to UIC by the testing agency or directly to the director by fax
or mail.
8. What is the GPA required for admission?
A minimum of 2.75 GPA for the last 60 hours of your BSN is required.
Masters or post-baccalaureate credits will be considered.
9. Should I have my transcripts sent directly from my undergraduate
program to UIC?
No. Have transcripts sent to you and send all the application
materials in one package to the College of Nursing:
Kate Diana, Graduate Admissions - School Nurse
College of Nursing (MC 802)
University of Illinois at Chicago
845 South Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60612-7350
