Advance your nursing practice as a public health nurse
| Accreditation | Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission |
|---|---|
| Clinicals | We pledge your clinical placement |
| Format | 100% online classes with onsite clinicals (135 clinical hours) |
| Eligibility | Designed for nurses who hold a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) |
| Paying for school | Scholarships and financial aid available for those who qualify; transfer approved credit from prior college coursework to reduce cost and time |
| Dual credit | Earn dual credit towards a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) |
| Specialties | Opportunities to advance your education further in the future with Herzing in additional post master’s certificate specialties |
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Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best online graduate nursing programs in 2025
Advance your graduate nursing education with Herzing
The Post Master's Certificate in Public Health Nursing is a 16-credit post-graduate nursing program which prepares you for a career as a public health nurse. The online degree program provides students with fundamental knowledge and skills in public health nursing advocacy and policy, health promotion and education, health policy and regulation, and much more.
Career-focused curriculum
Discover the crucial knowledge and skills required to succeed in your work and build a foundation for continued career growth.
Flexible schedule
We work hard to help you maintain school-life balance, striving to be as flexible as possible for busy non-traditional students.
Virtual services
Access to extensive virtual services, including academic advising, tutoring, support services, technical support and library services.
Lifelong support
We support your ongoing career advancement by providing comprehensive, personalized student services with lifelong career coaching.
Rolling admissions
No application deadlines to worry about. Apply when you’re ready and prepare to get started soon.
Classes & curriculum details
All didactic, lecture-style classes are delivered online, and the program includes 135 clinical hours. Every course is designed to help you develop the career-focused skills you need to succeed in your work as a public health nurse.
| Program | Months i | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Post Master's Certificate in Public Health Nursing | 8 | 16 |
i. Average number of months for students to complete program.
Required Specialty Courses
16.00 semester credit hours are required. NU 610, NU 621, and NU 636 will be required if not completed successfully with the prior Master of Science in Nursing degree.
Or NU 730 - Systems-Based Practice Semester Credit Hours: 3.00
Tuition & Cost
Tuition & Cost
The cost of tuition for the Post Master's Certificate in Public Health Nursing program is $625 per credit.
You can potentially earn even greater savings by transferring credit from prior college coursework, applying for financial aid, or potential partnership opportunities through your employer.
Our goal is your career advancement. That’s why we are always working to improve our curriculum and processes to make our program as affordable as possible while preparing you best for success in your work.
Scholarships & Financial Aid
You may be eligible for multiple scholarships and grants, both through Herzing University and several national scholarship websites.
Military/Veteran Discounts
Veterans, Active Duty U.S. Servicemembers, and spouses may qualify for a 10% tuition discount or tuition reduction to $250 per credit.
Admissions Prerequisites
The post master’s public health nursing certificate program is open to registered nurses who:
- Live in a state where Herzing University is authorized to offer the PMC-PH program
- Hold a graduate degree in nursing from an accredited university or college (such as a master’s or doctoral degree)
- Hold a current, active and unrestricted license as a registered nurse in the state in which they live (Note: Holding a multi-state, compact state license and being a resident in a compact license state will be deemed to have met this requirement).
Eligible states for enrollment: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Your clinical placement is our pledge.
We understand securing clinical placement as part of a post master's certificate nursing program is one of the biggest concerns students face. At Herzing, we offer guidance and support through our step-by-step Clinical Guidance Process to ensure you can get the clinical practice experiences you need.
As a Herzing student, we’ll encourage you to find your own preceptor and clinical sites as there are many benefits to doing so. However, we provide extensive support should you find difficulty along the way. With Herzing, you are never on your own.
Because of our strong relationships with healthcare providers across the U.S. and our comprehensive Clinical Guidance Process, we are confident in our ability to help you find clinical placement. So much so that if you are unable to find a clinical site on your own, we pledge to step in and help you secure clinical placement.*
* Subject to terms and conditions outlined in the enrollment documents.
Waived Enrollment Fee
Discover the educational pathway designed to maximize your career potential. Reach for greater heights with Herzing University.
Make your impact in public health
Transitioning to the realm of public health nursing means zooming out from individual patients to larger populations. You can move from bedside nursing to a more managerial/administrative role, including jobs as a director, coordinator, or educator.
This can be a great pathway for current nurse practitioners or other APRNs looking for a change of scenery without moving away from nursing altogether.
Instead of primarily treating illness and disease that has already happened, you can begin working to prevent it in the first place.
Earning graduate-level education in public health nursing can put you in a position to make a significant difference for different patient populations.
Faq
Frequently Asked Questions
Didn't find the answer to your question? Send us an inquiry and we will be happy to answer all your questions!
“Public” and “community” nursing are terms often used interchangeably—but they aren’t necessarily the same thing.
Community health nurses typically work directly with individuals, families, and groups to achieve better health outcomes.
Public health nurses usually take a broader approach to patient populations. They focus on advocating for change in systems, reforming policy, and health promotion.
In general—community health nurses directly help people make the best use of the systems in place, while public health nurses focus on improving those systems.
Of course, there are several factors behind why jobs are named the way they are. When you start looking for jobs in public health or community health nursing, be sure to thoroughly read through the job description to determine if it’s the right kind of role for your skillset and preferences.
A Public Health Nurse (PHN) can work in a variety of community-based roles. They assess, evaluate, and implement interventions to improve health systems and policies. Their work can involve smaller communities or larger public and global patient populations.
Some job responsibilities can include health education, case management, program planning, policy development, epidemiology and disease prevention, and much more.
Learn more about what public health nurses do, including examples of the different kinds of work you can do and the skills required for success in the field.
Public health nurse refers to a broad category of different types of nurses focused heavily on education and illness prevention. Common types of community and public health nurses include school nurse, maternal and child health nurse, occupational health nurse, and case management nurse.
PHNs with advanced education and experience can qualify to become a consultant or lead a team as a director or manager of a team of nurses.
One of the top certifications for public health professionals is the Certified in Public Health (CPH) certification from the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE). You’ll need a combination of education and experience to qualify to sit for the exam.1
You may not need to be certified to earn every type of job in public health nursing. However, CPH certification can separate your resume from the rest, and shows employers you’ve got the knowledge, skills, and experience to excel in the position.
1. You must meet specific eligibility criteria to sit for the CPH exam. The Herzing University MSN program in Public Health is not accredited by CEPH.
Salaries in the public health nursing specialty can vary widely depending on your education, experience, and state of employment.
In the case of your first entry-level nursing job in public health, you may not be required to advance your education to the master’s level to qualify. Registered nurses across all specialties earn an average salary of $89,010 per year ($42.80 per hour), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).*
Earning a master’s degree can help you qualify for upper-level managerial and leadership positions in public health nursing. The BLS reports the average salary for medical and health service managers is $127,980 per year ($61.53 per hour).*
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Choose your NP pathway
Considering all of your options for nurse practitioner specialties?
Herzing University offers multiple nurse practitioner programs for current nurses holding an associate, bachelor's, or master's degree in nursing.
Our goal is to help you walk your career path no matter where you are, or where you want to go.
Explore Herzing NP programsAccreditation & Disclosures
Herzing University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
View Herzing University Accreditation and Approvals
Not all programs approved in all states. Individuals considering the Post Master’s Certificate in Public Health Nursing program should be aware that state requirements for availability of required clinical courses and eligibility to apply for licensure as a family nurse practitioner vary from state to state. Applicants should check with their applicable state board of nursing before enrolling in any graduate nursing program.
* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.
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Discover the educational pathway designed to maximize your career potential. Reach for greater heights with Herzing University.