FAQs

Nursing Specialty Advanced Certificate Program

• What courses do you offer in the Nursing Specialty Advanced Certificate Program?

  • We offer three academic credit courses: Wound Course, Ostomy Course, and Foot & Nail Course.

• When are the courses being offered?

  • The wound and ostomy courses are being offered twice a year, in the spring and fall semesters. The foot and nail course is offered in the fall semester only.

• During the fall semester, can I take the Foot and Nail Course concurrently with other courses in the program? 

  • Yes, but if there is a conflict of class schedules, you will need to view the recordings.

• Is the advanced certificate equivalent to the WOCN-certification board issued certificates?

  • No. The advanced certificate is issued by SJSU, upon completion of at least 9 semester credits in graduate level courses within a 7-year period. Students will be eligible to take the board exams offered by the WOCN Certification Board after completing any one or combination of the courses in the Nursing Specialty Advanced Certificate Program. Students do not need to have the advanced certificate to apply for the WOCN-CB exams.

Academic Credit Courses

• What are the benefits of taking an academic credit course?

  • Students will receive a letter-graded course transcript with graduate academic credits. Students may need the course transcript to request for tuition reimbursement from their employers. For students planning to advance their education in the master or doctoral programs, they may be able to transfer the academic credits. Veteran students can be covered under the GI Bill eligibility to receive education benefits.

• I took the wound/ostomy course before Spring 2022. Can the courses be converted into academic credits retrospectively?

  • Any courses taken prior to Spring 2022 were in the category of continuing education courses. Only courses taken in Spring 2022 and onwards are considered advanced academic credit courses.

• I plan to take the wound course in Spring 2025 and the ostomy course in Fall 2026. Do I still qualify to obtain an academic advanced certificate?

  • Yes, you may enroll in spring 2025 for one course and return to enroll in Fall 2026 for a second course. You will still be able to earn the advance certificate from SJSU. However, those who wish to continue in the program after 2 skipped semesters must reapply to SJSU using Cal State Apply.

• If I only plan to take the wound course, do I get a CE certificate?

  • None of the three courses offer CE contact hours. Taking any one of the three courses will earn you five units of advanced academic credits.

• Do I receive an official transcript upon completion of a course?

  • Students can order transcripts by visiting the Registrar's website[BROKEN LINK].

• When I renew my nursing license, can I use academic credit units in lieu of CE contact hours?

  • Yes, earning college credits will satisfy RN license renewal requirements on continuing education. According to the California Board of Registered Nursing, one semester unit equals 15 CE contact hours. Completion of one academic credit course (five semester units) is equivalent to 75 CE contact hours.

• What happens if I cannot complete the course due to extenuating circumstances?

  • You may file an incomplete status for the course but you must complete the course within one year.

Application

• Besides paying $70 and submitting my application through CalStateApply, do I need to pay an additional application fee to the Program?

  • Yes, additional application fees of $100 per course should be paid to the Nursing Specialty Advanced Certificate Program via Cashnet Market. The additional application fee should be paid after you receive the letter of acceptance from the University.

• Do I need to be accepted into SJSU first before applying for the Program?

  • No, but you need to meet the minimal graduate student eligibility requirements. GRE is not required.

    For the Nursing Specialty Advanced Certificate Program, please submit your resume and the application information sheet.

    For the Nursing Specialty Advanced Certificate Program eligibility requirements, please check our admissions information page.

• Is there any financial assistance offered?

  • The program is not eligible for Federal or State Aids.

• Can I use the GI benefits when taking the courses?

  • Yes, please visit the Veterans Resource Center for more information.

Practicum

• I will be doing preceptorship at my own employment agency, do I still need to complete all the pre-clinical requirements?

  • Most clinical agencies will require students to complete all pre-clinical requirements, whether the student is an employee or not. Please check with your student clinical placement coordinator at your employment agency. 

• Can I start preceptorship while completing the didactic portion of the courses?

  • No. Students must complete the didactic portion of the course and pass all exams with at least a 80% score before starting preceptorship.

• I submitted all the pre-clinical documents to CastleBranch but my clinical site is asking for more labs and screening. What should I do?

  • We only list generic pre-clinical requirements for most clinical sites in the Bay Area. You should fulfill the individual clinical site’s specific requirements at your own expense. 

• Do all clinical sites recognize CastleBranch as a vendor for collecting and verifying pre-clinical documents? What if the clinical site uses a different vendor?

  • The School of Nursing selected this vendor to keep track of student clinical documents. Some clinical sites may have their own vendors. You will have to upload documents to the clinical site’s vendor website. The vendor may also require a nominal fee that the student has to pay.

• Do I need to pay for preceptorship?

  • There are a few clinical sites that charge students for preceptorship. Most of the payments are tax-deductible.

• How long will I be able to delay preceptorship?

  • Preceptorship must be completed within one year.

• How soon can I start preceptorship after completing the didactic portion of a course?

  • Usually, you have to be cleared of the onboarding process by the clinical site before you can contact the preceptor to schedule your clinical hours.

International Students

• Does the university issue I-20 for international students to attend this program?

  • SJSU currently does not sponsor F1 visa seeking students for certificate programs.

Admission Deferrals

• Can I defer my enrollment after I have been accepted into the program?

  • Under personal hardship, the University allows deferral of graduate admission for one semester. Deferral instructions (for new admits) can be found on the Graduate Admission Deferral Information page.

Other Topics

• Is student housing provided for the onsite parts of the program?

  • No, the Valley Foundation School of Nursing does not provide housing during the onsite days.