Graduate Programs
Certificate Programs
Nursing Informatics
The School of Nursing offers a Graduate Certificate in Nursing Informatics. Nursing informatics is a nursing specialty that draws from computer science, information science, cognitive and decision sciences, and nursing science. Students in nursing informatics gain knowledge and skills to enhance patient-care delivery, promote consumer health, utilize nursing research, and provide education through information technology. Completion of the certificate program fulfills the educational requirements for eligibility for the AACN certification as an Informatics Nurse. (Note: Eligibility for certification has the additional requirement of 1,000 hours of clinical informatics practice). The certificate meets the educational requirements of nurses who want to expand their current knowledge base or develop new skills in nursing informatics and meet the growing needs of clinical enterprises that are seeking nurses to fulfill roles in clinical and consumer (e-health) roles. The certificate (12 credit hours) requires completion of three core courses and an additional elective selected by the learner from a list of recommended courses.
Admissions Requirements and Procedures
Admission to the certificate program requires a bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited institution with a recommended minimum GPA of 3.0. Appropriate work experience also will be taken into account in making decisions about admission. Students will be required to submit a statement of interest and three letters of recommendation. Students already admitted into the Indiana University or Purdue University graduate program are automatically eligible to earn a certificate. Such students must declare their participation in the degree program and also submit a statement of interest.
Minimum Overall GPA
Students will be required to receive a final overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher to be awarded the certificate. The minimum grade accepted in any single course is B.
Maximum Number of Credits That Can Be Transferred from Another Institution
If a student is able to document appropriate graduate course work at another institution, the student can request that the transfer of a maximum of 3 credits. The faculty that oversees the program will approve all waivers and substitutions. No undergraduate courses can be applied to this certificate program.
Maximum Time for Completion
Maximum time for program completion is four years with no significant breaks (i.e., more than two semesters) between courses. (This field and its underlying technology change too rapidly to allow for longer breaks.) Most students enrolled in this program will be part-time students, employed full time. Thus four years may be needed for the completion of all courses if students take one course per semester.
Number of Credit Hours Taken Prior to Admission to the Certificate Program That May Be Counted to Completion of the Degree
There is no limit to the number of graduate courses that can be taken prior to admission to the certificate program, provided that all course work is completed within a four-year period.
Required Nursing Informatics Courses
- NURS I630 Introduction to Nursing Informatics (3 cr.)
- NURS I631 Clinical Information Systems (3 cr.)
- NURS I579 Nursing Informatics Practicum (3 cr.)
Nursing Informatics Electives
- NURS I635 Consumer Health Informatics (3 cr.)
- NURS L650 Data Analysis for Clinical and Administrative Decision Making (3 cr.)
- NURS T619 Computer Technologies for Nurse Educators (3 cr.)
