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Beginning your career can start today, on your time and schedule. Allowing you to take your prerequisites to apply toward an associate’s degree in nursing, this certificate is ideal for those interested in pursuing a nursing career in a virtual, Christ-centered community while balancing work, life, and other commitments.
Introducing
Locked-In Tuition.
Our Locked-In Tuition program guarantees you’ll pay the same price for your entire certificate program.
About the Program
Nursing is a great calling for anyone looking to care for patients in a variety of settings. Through our online Pre-Health Professions Certificate, you can take the prerequisite courses needed to fulfill the requirements to enter an associate degree in Nursing (ADN) program or other healthcare-related undergraduate program in Texas. This program also significantly improves your success in transferring into a nursing program upon completion. This certificate will help you get into the workforce sooner, regardless of whether you have little or no college credit.
Program Structure
ALL THE DETAILS ON YOUR CERTIFICATE
Throughout the certificate, you will take the necessary courses required of applicants for most Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs in Texas. Within three semesters, the program features coursework related to the various science credits needed to excel in an associate’s degree program, including anatomy, physiology, and microbiology, along with social science coursework, such as composition, psychology, and human growth and development. The focus of this certificate is to prepare you to serve and lead in your careers and communities while simultaneously developing a patient-care mindset.
Required Hours
33 hours
16 Months
Example Coursework
Biology: Human Perspective
Introductory Chemistry
Anatomy & Physiology
Introduction to Ethics
Department
UPCOMING START DATES
August 20, 2024
October 15, 2024
Curriculum and Format
Complete Your Pre-Nursing Courses Online
Helping you become the health professional you want to be, ACU’s online Pre-Health Professions Certificate program is designed to equip you to enter any nursing program in Texas. In the program, you will learn a variety of skills and information to further expand your knowledge of the nursing field:
- Identifying and explaining anatomical structures of and physiological processes that occur within the body, including exploring musculoskeletal, nervous, endocrine, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and genitourinary systems.
- Understanding how to use professional language and medical terminology to communicate clearly and ethically with patients, physicians, and other healthcare professionals.
- Discussing the physical, social, and cognitive domains in relation to biological, cognitive, moral, and psychosocial development.
Refine and broaden your career opportunities in a shorter time frame with this certificate. It is a fantastic solution to meet your needs as a student, maximize your time and education, and ultimately prepare you to earn an ADN at any program in the state.
Meet the Program Director
Dr. Marcia Sotelo, Pre-Health Professions Certificate
Dr. Marcia Sotelo is the program director for the Pre-Health Professions Certificate and is also an Associate Professor for Abilene Christian University’s online BSN to DNP program and Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Having earned her Baccalaureate Degree in Communications from Baylor University, she decided to return to school and pursue nursing after the birth of her first daughter. She received her ADN from Austin Community College, her BSN from The University of Texas at Arlington, her MSN from Western Governors University, and her DNP from Samford University. All of these nursing education programs were completed online. This has enabled her to understand both the benefits and the challenges of learning in the online setting.
Professionally, Dr. Sotelo has worked in a wide variety of clinical areas, including medical-surgical, outpatient surgery, GI lab, PACU, and Women’s Services. As a National League of Nursing Certified Nurse Educator, she has extensive experience teaching in and leading both traditional and online programs at all educational levels. She loves her job of guiding students as they pursue further education and looks forward to working with each student as they achieve their personal and professional goals by pursuing their BS in Nursing all the way to their doctorate.
SPOTLIGHT
ACU Named Among America’s Top Online Colleges by Newsweek
For the third consecutive year, Abilene Christian University has been named one of America’s Top Online Colleges for 2024. The award is presented by Newsweek and Statista Inc., the leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.
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Our world needs qualified, competent, service-oriented individuals in this industry now more than ever. In light of this, the question then just becomes: what kind of healthcare career should I pursue?
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According to the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies, the demand for registered nurses will increase by 38.8% while the supply will only grow by 30.5%. In 2023, over 250,000 people were employed in the state of Texas as registered nurses with an average salary of $79,000. However, in Texas – as elsewhere throughout the U.S. – there remains a significant and critical need for nursing professionals.
To be considered for admission, students must:
- Submit official high school and/or college transcripts.
- Complete the online program application accompanied by a non-refundable processing fee
- Submit a 250-word (minimum) purpose statement addressing your career goals and which nursing school(s) or health-related program you intend to apply to once you complete the certificate.
Students are not required to submit ACT or SAT test scores.
Abilene Christian University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Ga. 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of ACU.
Abilene Christian University enjoys a strong national reputation as one of the leading private Christian universities in the west and southwest, indicated by various ratings (such as U.S. News and World Report and other reports).