Post-Master’s Certificate - Public and Population Health Nursing Online
Strengthen your professional nursing role to positively impact societal health care outcomes.
Program Overview
Get insights into our Post-Master’s Certificate - Public & Population Health Nursing online program
In the Post-Master’s Certificate - Public and Population Health Nursing online program at Worcester State University, remain on the cutting edge of knowledge and interventions regarding community and global health care trends, issues, and challenges. With public health concerns on the rise, more nurses are needed to engage in community-based intervention and lead the way to a healthier society. This short certificate program is designed to be completed in just a few months, so you can meet this demand as quickly as possible.
As part of the curriculum, you will explore the most relevant issues in today’s large-scale health industry and gain the opportunity to specialize your studies in global and cross-cultural health or health systems transformation. Throughout every course, you will learn from experienced faculty who are experts in their field. In fact, the Dr. Lillian R. Goodman Department of Nursing at Worcester State is one of seven U.S. nursing schools recognized for innovative population health curricula and best practices by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the organizations' Academic Partnerships to Improve Health (APIH) initiative.
This 11-credit academic program prepares you for evidence-based nursing practice with a growing focus on multidisciplinary care and the nurse’s role as leader and manager of the client’s health care. As an MS-level nurse with experience in nursing care, intervention, and advocacy, you will build on your knowledge of larger aggregate populations that you may encounter in your current and future nursing roles.
The innovative post-master’s public health nurse certificate credential leads you to advanced community roles that even an MPH cannot, such as expanded nursing positions, unique teaching opportunities, and global clinical health care service and prepares you for doctoral study.
The master’s degree programs in nursing at Worcester State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
In this certificate in public health nursing, you will:
- Learn to use evidence-informed decision-making models and analytic skills to nimbly respond to pressing societal needs
- Become equipped with leading-edge, interdisciplinary research to lead sustainable change in community and population health practice
- Develop skills to serve vulnerable populations and communities through intensive practicum internship
- Build a professional network from a wide range of disciplines
- Learn to use evidence-informed decision-making models and analytic skills to nimbly respond to pressing societal needs
- Become equipped with leading-edge, interdisciplinary research to lead sustainable change in community and population health practice
- Develop skills to serve vulnerable populations and communities through intensive practicum internship
- Build a professional network from a wide range of disciplines
Public Health Nursing Careers:
- Education: Nursing Faculty, Manager of School Health Services, RN to BSN Program Director
- Health Care: Division Director, Care Manager, Chronic Disease Program Manager, Director of Clinical Services
- Government: Community Health Director, Public Health Nursing Fellow/Advisor, U.S. Public Health Service Nurse, Equity & Environment Program Manager
- Tribal Institutions: Community Health Program Supervisor
- Nonprofit : Program Director, Mental Health Project Manager, Regional Director of Health Equity, Chief Nursing Officer
- Business: Self-Employed Public Health Nurse Consultant, Employee Health Nurse and Program Supervisor
- Education: Nursing Faculty, Manager of School Health Services, RN to BSN Program Director
- Health Care: Division Director, Care Manager, Chronic Disease Program Manager, Director of Clinical Services
- Government: Community Health Director, Public Health Nursing Fellow/Advisor, U.S. Public Health Service Nurse, Equity & Environment Program Manager
- Tribal Institutions: Community Health Program Supervisor
- Nonprofit : Program Director, Mental Health Project Manager, Regional Director of Health Equity, Chief Nursing Officer
- Business: Self-Employed Public Health Nurse Consultant, Employee Health Nurse and Program Supervisor
Also Available:
Tuition
Budget-friendly tuition designed for you
Worcester State tuition is extremely affordable. Plus, you can pay by the course—making it easy to budget. Worcester State is committed to offering a high-quality education that is accessible to students at all levels of financial need.
| Program | Per Credit Hour | Per Program |
|---|---|---|
| Post Master’s Certificate - Public and Population Health Nursing | $504 | $5,544 |
Additional Fees
Application: $50
*Tuition and fees as of Fall 2024. Worcester State reserves the right to change tuition and fees at any time. Accelerated online programs are not eligible for tuition remission benefits, waivers and vouchers.
Calendar
Don’t miss these upcoming deadlines
It's always a good time to earn your certificate in public health nursing from Worcester State University online. We offer several start dates during the year so you can begin your program when it's most convenient. Check out the chart below for important dates.
Now enrolling:
| Session | Start Date | Application Deadline | Registration Deadline | Document Deadline | Tuition Deadline | Last Class Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 1 | 5/19/25 | 5/2/25 | 5/14/25 | 5/9/25 | 5/14/25 | 7/6/25 |
| Summer 2 | 7/14/25 | 6/27/25 | 7/9/25 | 7/4/25 | 7/9/25 | 8/31/25 |
| Fall 1 | 9/8/25 | 8/22/25 | 9/3/25 | 8/29/25 | 9/3/25 | 10/26/25 |
| Fall 2 | 11/3/25 | 10/17/25 | 10/29/25 | 10/24/25 | 10/29/25 | 12/21/25 |
Admissions
Get started today on your application for the public health nursing certificate online program
The admission process is the first step toward earning your online certificate at Worcester State. Please read the admission guidelines to ensure you qualify.
- Master of Science in Nursing degree from a regionally accredited institution
- Grade point average of 2.75 or higher
- Active, unencumbered RN license in the state you would like to complete practicum hours
- Two professional references
- Career essay
Official transcripts may be mailed or emailed directly from the granting institution(s) to:
Mailing Address:
Graduate Admissions Office
Worcester State University
486 Chandler Street
Worcester, MA 01602
Courses
Review the curriculum for this online post-master’s certificate in public health nursing
For the Post-Master’s Certificate - Public and Population Health Nursing online, you are required to take three courses for a total of 11 credit hours.
Upon completion of NU 952 the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate effective communication with individuals, support systems, community resources, and interdisciplinary health care members.
- Apply the core competencies pertinent to community/public health nursing which are community and population focused.
- Apply the mission, vision and goals of Health People 2020 in achieving health equity, eliminating disparity and improving the health of all groups.
- Define the basic concepts of evidence-based decision-making.
- Demonstrate how to locate information on evidence-based approaches in the literature.
- Describe the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to public health.
- Describe several applications within public health practice that are based on evidence.
- Define barriers to evidence-based decision-making in public health settings.
- Discuss emerging public health issues.
- Analyze theories and research as they apply to population health.
Upon completion of NU 963 the student will be able to:
- Utilize complex data to identify population health assets, needs, and risks.
- Interpret surveillance data related to the plan and population health status.
- Identify current theoretical issues relevant to the practice of public/population health nursing at the advanced level, by integrating theory, evidence, clinical judgment, research, and interpersonal perspectives using translational processes to improve practice and associated health outcomes for patient aggregates.
- Apply epidemiologic methods of analysis to public/population health problems.
- Synthesize broad, environmental, global, and social determinants of health; principles of genetics and genomics; and epidemiologic data to design and deliver evidence-based, culturally relevant clinical prevention interventions and strategies.
Upon completion of NU 964 the student will be able to:
- Identify a need and develop an idea from programmatic inception through resource development and implementation.
- Complete a focused literature review in order to support hypotheses and aims of grant proposal.
- Produce a succinct assessment of need, develop a consistent and workable program plan, write clearly defined goals and objectives, and identify appropriate monitoring and evaluation measures.
- Prepare a logic model, to include resources and raw materials in the form of inputs, services and activities in the form of outputs, measurable outputs and impact to address the benefit to community/society.
- Prepare a complete program budget in a grant format.
- Demonstrates an understanding of the different types of funding sources and identifies where to find this information.
- Integrate information from program development, literature review, logic model, budget and funding sources to produce a grant, crafted to provide evidence of an appropriate fit with the funding agency and the fitness of the grant team to fulfill the contract.
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