Adult Oncology Specialist

Our Adult Oncology Specialty Certificate is designed for practicing Master's-prepared nurses who desire advanced training in oncology nursing from the top researchers and clinicians in the country.

Our faculty have extensive experience in oncology nursing. Students interact with nationally recognized scientists and clinicians in the field of cancer care from the School of Nursing and the University of Pennsylvania Health System's Abramson Cancer Center.  The program consists of three courses, the last of which includes clinical hours. Certificate students who have been working with oncology patients should submit a portfolio to determine if additional clinical experiences are required. Clinically-focused students will complete 240 clinical hours. These hours can be applied to meet the clinical hours requirement for certification. Students focused on leading and/or administering oncology programs can complete NURS 6970 in place of the clinical course in order to obtain content focused on these roles.

Courses are online with synchronous and asynchronous components. Students are required to come to Penn's campus twice (2 days in the fall and 2 days in the spring) for seminars, high-fidelity simulations, and networking with experts in the field of oncology and nursing.

Offline Recommendation

Penn strongly prefers that recommenders submit letters of recommendation online through the admissions system. If, however, your recommender is unable to submit an online recommendation, please follow these instructions:

1) Select the “Recommendation Form PDF Download” and download the form.
2) Complete the first section. Be sure to include the address of the appropriate admissions office — refer to the "Contact Graduate Admissions" list below. 
3) Print out the form and provide it to your recommender.

Please note:

• If you are applying to a program in Nursing, print out and provide your recommender with these special instructions for completing your letter of recommendation.
• If you are applying to a program in the School of Social Policy & Practice, print out and provide your recommender with these special instructions for completing your letter of recommendation.

4) Your recommender should send the form directly to the admissions office you designate, along with the letter of recommendation.