The graduate certificate in Clinical Research Management (CRM) is for bachelor’s prepared individuals seeking a new career path in the healthcare field.

Individuals who complete the certificate program are prepared to lead and manage research teams in implementing clinical trials research while ensuring compliance with federal regulations for patient safety and the efficacy of the research findings.

Admission is limited to Fall entry only.
Fall 2025 deadline: May 1, 2025

Specific Admission Requirements:

• Have a bachelor’s degree.
• An undergraduate (or graduate) GPA of at least 3.0 overall (based on a 4.0 scale) or in the last 60 hours of earned credit.
• Applicants should submit an official transcript from every college or university they have ever attended (even if for only one semester). Transcripts may be:
  • Emailed electronically by the issuing institution to the UAB Graduate School at gradschool@uab.edu, or
  • Mailed to UAB Graduate School at LHL G03, 1720 2nd Ave. South, Birmingham, AL 35294-0013

For more information, contact:

Jacqueline Lavier, M.Ed

Program Manager
Office of Student Success

jlavier@uab.edu 205.975.7529

Sample Program of Study¹

¹Program of study is subject to change.
²Admitted students will be required to complete the required Practicum course hours in a clinical research facility.

The Nurse Executive Certificate prepares nurses at the highest level in executive leadership in healthcare and to address complex health system issues. Those who complete the Nurse Executive Certificate lead population and community based health services with an emphasis on improving access and quality for diverse populations.

The curriculum is offered in a distance accessible format that combines core courses offered via an online program with required on-campus intensives (4 days each).

Admission is limited to Spring entry only.
Spring 2026 deadline: October 15, 2025

Specific Admission Requirements:

• Evidence of an unencumbered and unrestricted licensed as a registered nurse.
• Have a DNP or PhD in nursing and currently working in a mid-level or senior leadership role in a practice or academic setting
• A graduate GPA of at least 3.0 overall (based on a 4.0 scale) or in the last 60 hours of earned credit.
• Applicants should submit an official transcript from every college or university they have ever attended (even if for only one semester). Transcripts may be:
  • Emailed to the UAB Graduate School at gradschool@uab.edu, or
  • Mailed to UAB Graduate School at LHL G03, 1720 2nd Ave. South, Birmingham, AL 35294-0013
• Submission of three favorable evaluations by persons who have knowledge of the applicant’s potential for success in graduate nursing studies and executive leadership.
• Submission of a personal goal statement that is congruent with the Nurse Executive Certificate (300 words or less).
• Resume/CV
• If admitted to the DNP program, students must show proof of completion of a descriptive statistics course, equivalent to UAB’s MA-180, before starting the program.

For more information, contact:

Jacqueline Lavier, M.Ed

Program Manager
Office of Student Success

jlavier@uab.edu 205.975.7529

Heather Nelson-Brantley, PhD, RN, NEA-BC

Certificate Coordinator

hvnelson@uab.edu 205.934.6835

Sample Program of Study¹

¹Program of study is subject to change.

The UAB School of Nursing offers individuals with a minimum of an earned MSN degree and current APRN certificate and licensure to apply to complete a second nurse practitioner specialty as a nursing non-degree seeking student. The Post-Graduate APRN Certificate can be completed in four semesters and upon completion of the pathway the individuals is prepared to apply to sit for certification in the specialty area.

The Post-Graduate APRN Certificate is available for Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

Admission is limited to Summer entry only.
Summer 2025 deadline: October 10, 2024
Summer 2026 deadline: October 9, 2025

Specific Admission Requirements:

• Hold an MSN degree from a regionally accredited institution, equivalent to the one offered by the UAB School of Nursing.
• Possess an unencumbered / unrestricted nursing license to practice in the state where you plan to conduct your clinical practicum.
• Cumulative graduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or on the last 60 semester hours.
• Graduate Exam Requirement:
  • WAIVER CRITERIA: Applicants who have successfully completed a graduate degree from a regionally accredited academic institution may receive a waiver for this requirement if they achieved a GPA of 3.0 or higher in their previous graduate degree program.
  • NOTE: The following individuals are not eligible for the GRE waiver process. International applicants, non-native English speaking applicants, and Dual degree-seeking applicants (e.g. MSN/MP). Minimum required scores are a combined 297 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE or score of 480 on the GMAT. For more information on the Test Score Waiver process click here.
• Submit three letters of professional reference attesting to the applicant's potential for graduate study.
• Applicants should submit an official transcript from every college or university they have ever attended (even if for only one semester). Transcripts may be:
  • Emailed electronically by the issuing institution to the UAB Graduate School at gradschool@uab.edu, or
  • Mailed to UAB Graduate School at LHL G03, 1720 2nd Ave. South, Birmingham, AL 35294-0013

CORE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

For more information, contact:

Charlene Bender, MPH

Program Manager
Office of Student Success

cbender@uab.edu 205.975.7529

Plan for Coursework

To best accommodate the needs of the nursing workforce, the curriculum is offered via part-time program of study delivered through a distance accessible format that combines asynchronous and synchronous didactic coursework. The curriculum consists of 27 credit hours of coursework (at a minimum), but all Post-MSN APRN students must undergo an evaluation and GAP analysis of previously completed advanced practice core and support coursework after they are admitted and before enrollment. This process ensures that all previously completed course work meets the current standards for post-masters education as required by our certifying bodies to sit for certification.

The GAP analysis process will review a Post-MSN APRN student's previous course work against the following UAB core and support course work. If the course or an equivalent course has not been successfully completed, those course(s) will be added back to the plan for coursework below.

NUR 737: Interprofessional Leadership and Role Development for Practice Excellence - 3 credit hours
NUR 735: Population Health in Advanced Practice Nursing - 3 credit hours
NUR 729: Evidence-Based Practice Design and Translation - 3 credit hours
NUR 612: Advanced Pathophysiology - 3 credit hours
NUR 614: Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning for Adv Nursing Practice - 3 credit hours
NUR 613: Pharmacology and Therapeutics - 3 credit hours**

**Students must have successfully completed NUR 613 (or any course deemed equivalent) within 2 years of starting advanced specialty coursework OR be a currently practicing as a nurse practitioner and provide sufficient evidence that they are prescribing medications in the population of interest (e.g. adult, pediatrics, etc.).

Sample Plan for Coursework^1,2

^1. Program of study is subject to change following the results of the GAP analysis.
^2. Students will take at a minimum of 27 credit hours; however, if the GAP analysis results require core or support course work to be re-taken then credit hours totals will increase and length of plan for coursework.

Out-of-state applicants to any of our distance-accessible programs should become familiar with their state’s regulations governing distance accessible programs. Prospective students residing in states other than Alabama should contact their state’s Board of Nursing and Department of Education for specific rules and regulations pertaining to students enrolled in out-of-state programs and are planning to conduct UABSON distance education in their home state. Only those students who reside in Alabama or those states where the UAB School of Nursing programs are available will be eligible to receive an offer of admission.

More information is available at the State Approval Website for Online Degree Programs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Upon completion of the Post-Graduate Certificate, students will be able to:

• Synthesize research, theoretical formulations, and principles of scientific inquiry to provide evidence-based practice.
• Assume leadership in managing and evaluating continuous quality improvement processes.
• Use information systems/technology to evaluate programs of care, outcomes of care, and care systems.
• Advocate and implement health-care policies that improve access, equity, efficiency, and social justice in the delivery of health care.
• Provide ethical, culturally sensitive care in an advanced nursing role independently and collaboratively with professionals from multiple disciplines.
• Monitor the quality of one's own nursing practice based on professional practice standards and relevant statutes and regulations.
• Apply theories and principles of marketing, economics, consultation, management, and leadership to comprehensively perform an advanced nursing role.

The following tuition and fees are valid for the 2024-2025 academic year. Tuition and fees and are SUBJECT TO CHANGE annually based on approval from the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees and/or university.

The estimates below are based on the costs listed at the UAB Office of Planning and Analysis website.

Each student’s costs will vary depending upon a number of factors including state of residence, the number of credits taken in a semester, or whether the student attends class live or through a distance-accessible format. Fees vary by program and course.

NOTE: Prospective International students must first contact UAB International Admissions to determine eligibility to study in the U.S. and/or submit an application for admission to UAB.

The table below provides information on eligibility requirements for the Post-Graduate Certificate Programs.

Application Requirements

• Prospective students must have a bachelors degree in nursing equivalent to that offered by a U.S. regionally accredited educational institution.
• For Graduate Clinical Programs such as the Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program, prospective students must also be licensed as a registered nurse in the U.S., in the state in which they will reside while completing the program.
• International applicants must, as part of their application, provide a detailed course by course evaluation of their academic transcripts and verification of their academic credentials. Students may use one of the following firms for transcript evaluation; a report of the evaluation must be submitted directly to the UAB School of Nursing prior to admission decisions.
  • Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
    P.O. Box 514070
    Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470 USA
    Website: www.ece.org
  • World Education Services
    Bowling Green Station
    P.O. Box 5087
    New York, NY 10274-5087 USA
    Website: www.wes.org
• Applicants must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on prior college/university course work.
• Applicants must complete and submit their scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as part of the application process. If the GRE was completed prior to application, only scores completed within the previous 5 years are accepted.
• Completion of a formal admission interview.
• Meet English language requirements. Students must submit scores on Tests of English Language (TOEFL or IELTS) and achieve the following minimum scores:
  • TOEFL iBT 80 and minimum of 18 in each of the 4 test sections, or
  • IELTS 6.5 and minimum of 6.0 in at least 2 of the 4 test sections.