Genomic Competencies for Nurses

Nurses are increasingly called upon to record family histories, advocate ethically, research genetic variants, and communicate results of genomic tests to patients and families. Many nurses do not feel prepared to engage confidently, so having a foundational understanding of genomics is critical. Genomic Competencies for Nurses from Theory to Application: An Online Course is designed to help you bridge that knowledge gap. No previous genetic or genomic training is needed to apply.

This free, self-paced course is intended to to improve nurses' literacy in genetics and genomics to benefit their research, clinical practice and teaching, as well as to improve patient health care outcomes, particularly those from underrepresented communities.

It is based on the Essential Genetic and Genomic Competencies for Nurses with Graduate Degrees and is tailored to doctoral-level nursing faculty, clinicians and students. This professional development opportunity is offered through Duquesne University School of Nursing and funded by National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

The course will be offered twice per year, each spring and fall. Our next course offering begins in September 2023.

All prospective graduate students will be required to submit official transcripts from all colleges attended. Most programs require letters of recommendation and a personal statement. GMAT and LSAT scores are required for the schools of Business and Law, respectively. GRE scores are required for most doctoral programs and some master's programs. Other requirements could include a writing sample, resume, audition or interview.

International Students

If your undergraduate and/or graduate degrees are from an institution located outside of the United States, you must use a transcript credential evaluation service to obtain a course-by-course report. The official reports must be sent directly to Duquesne University from the organization you order through and will qualify as official transcripts. Please review our Transcript Credential Evaluation Instructions.

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary by program. Many programs allow students to apply for the fall or spring semester. Some programs also allow for a summer start term.

Credit transfers

Generally, an academic department may accept credits from a regionally-accredited university that correspond to the Duquesne curriculum and in which you have earned at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
The program director of the program or department offering the course establishes the final determination of the acceptance or denial of transfer credits.