Registered Nurses in Primary Care Certificate
Become a leader in primary care nursing.
Program overview
Ready to move beyond the bedside and maximize your impact? As a Registered Nurse, this certificate program is your pathway to step into an expanded leadership role in the evolving landscape of community-based primary care.
This program strengthens your skills in chronic disease management, health coaching, triage and care transitions while addressing critical areas such as mental health and substance use disorders. You will develop the knowledge needed to lead patient-centered care teams and manage complex patient needs across the lifespan.
Through instruction from expert faculty and a curriculum focused on real-world application, this certificate prepares you to practice to the full scope of your license in interprofessional primary care teams, providing vital care coordination and seamlessly managing transitions in care delivery.
Application deadlines
Spring 2027
Opens: June 22, 2026
Deadline: Nov. 2, 2026
Applications for summer 2027 will open on Nov. 4, 2026.
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Online
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11 credit hours
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1 year
Admission requirements
- Completion of a registered nurse education program
- Degree must be conferred before beginning the program
- Unencumbered license as a registered nurse
- Must have license before beginning the program
- Minimum Cumulative GPA 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all coursework attempted at the undergraduate level
- GPAs are calculated by Ohio State’s Graduate and Professional Admissions Office
- Residence in an authorized state
Program length
- Three to four semesters
- Most students take one class per semester, but may take two depending on course offerings.
Credit hours
- 11
Delivery format
- Online and asynchronous
Required Courses (3 Credits)
- RN Practice in Primary Care (3 credits)
Elective Coursework Options (8 Credits Required)
Select courses totaling 8 credits:
- Health Assessment Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
- Palliative and End of Life Care (3 credits)
- RN Practice in Primary Care and Substance Use Disorder (3 credits)
- Care Coordination and Transition in Care (3 credits)
- Evidence-based Health Coaching in Interprofessional Practice (3 credits)
- Telehealth Assessment and Management in Primary Care (3 credits)
- Cultural Competence in Healthcare: U.S. and Global Context (2 credits)
- Interprofessional Concepts (2 credits)
- Evidence-based Nursing: Transforming Clinical Practice (3 credits)
Applicants can track their application status through their Applicant Center. Allow up to five business days for material status updates to be reflected.
Direct questions about application materials to gpadmissions@osu.edu.
- Deadline
- The application and all required materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on the due date.
- Decision
- Within a month after the deadline
- The application status will show as “pending” until a decision is posted. Applicants will be notified through their Applicant Center and by email from Graduate and Professional Admissions.
- Accept
- Four weeks post decision to accept online
- Admission cannot be deferred. Students unable to start in the admitted term must reapply for a future term.
The healthcare landscape is rapidly evolving, making this certificate a powerful asset for career growth by enabling you to practice top of scope, in other words, to the fullest extent of your education, training, and license, to bring better health outcomes to your patients. Primary care is the foundation of patient health, and with this certificate, you will be prepared for immediate entry and advancement in roles where you can make a significant difference in chronic disease management and health promotion.
- Care Coordinator or Case Manager: Leading the oversight and management of patient panels, particularly those with complex or chronic conditions.
- Health Coach or Patient Educator: Utilizing skills like motivational interviewing to help individuals and families reach their maximum wellness goals.
- Team Leader or Clinical Expert: Working in a truly interdisciplinary environment (alongside MDs, NPs, PAs, and social workers) to bring the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities of the nursing profession to the forefront of patient care.
- Telehealth Specialist: Implementing new technologies for monitoring and managing patient health remotely.
- Primary care provider offices and clinics
- Community health centers nurse-led clinics
- Pediatric provider offices and clinics
- Internal medicine clinics
- Family practice offices
- Geriatric clinics
- Clinics within schools
How to apply
Apply online through Ohio State’s Graduate and Professional Admissions. A $60 application fee is required at the time of submission.
We require the state board license verification document from the website in the state where you hold your license. This document must clearly indicate that your license is unencumbered no board action. Submit this summary as a PDF file using the admissions uploader at the time of application submission. The document must contain the following information:
- Your Full Name
- License Number
- Expiration Date
- State of Authorization
- Board Action Status
Documents missing any of this required information will not be accepted.
You must submit official transcripts from all previously attended undergraduate and graduate colleges. This includes transcripts for any post-secondary courses taken during high school or of coursework that appears as transfer credit on another transcript. You do not need to submit Ohio State transcripts.
Transcripts should be sent directly by the sending institution by mail or electronic transfer to be considered official. Refer to this website for instructions on how to submit your transcripts. Direct all transcript related questions to the Graduate and Professional Admissions office at 614-292-9444 or to gpadmissions@osu.edu. You may also upload a copy of an official transcript at the time of application or after by way of the Admissions Uploader.
- Initial Submission: You may upload an unofficial copy (not a web-based document) for application review purposes.
- Official Requirement: If admitted, you must submit official transcripts sent directly from your previous institutions. Request these early to meet the deadline.
Refer to Graduate and Professional Admissions for acceptable tests, score requirements and submission instructions.
Applicants must submit all application materials by 11:59 p.m. ET on the deadline to be considered for admission.
Contact
FAQ
You can review anticipated program costs by visiting Ohio State Online. Students may pay instructional fees, general fees, distance learning fees, and nursing distance learning fees each term of enrollment. Full-time employees at Ohio State may be eligible for tuition assistance, which can aid in the costs of this certificate.
Yes. Additional fees include the $100 distance learning fee and a non-resident fee for students living outside Ohio. There is also a one-time $60 application fee. Visit Ohio State online for complete cost details.
Yes. The courses in this certificate are offered in synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (self-paced) formats. All class attendance and course requirements can be completed entirely online.
Yes. You may be able to use these courses to apply for recertification for CCCTM (Certified Chronic Care/Triage Management) or Ambulatory Care certification. You can learn more about the recertification process on the respective CCTM website and Ambulatory Care website.
Students are admitted for every semester (spring, summer and autumn). The following are the application cycles:
- Spring
Open: June 20
Deadline: Nov. 3 - Summer
Open: Nov. 4
Deadline: Feb. 3 - Autumn
Open: March 2
Deadline: May 19