Office of Certification and Licensure:

Nursing Certification and Licensure

The OCLC assists students and graduates with most nursing licensure, certification, and compliance questions. We process

• certain certification documents ocuments
• state board licensure related documents
• education verifications
• miscellaneous documentation by request 

In our experience, there is some confusion about the difference between certification and licensure. Unlike your state RN license, you do not take “state boards” to become a nurse practitioner.

Certification

Nurse Practitioner certification establishes a nurse practitioner’s qualifications to practice but does not give a nurse practitioner the authority to practice. Graduates seeking NP certification take an exam through an agency that provides certification credentials. We often refer to these agencies as national certifying agencies. For more information about certification requirements, please reach out to the certifying agency of your choice. Graduates seeking NP certification take a certification exam through an agency that provides certification credentials recognized for licensure.  We often refer to these agencies as national certifying agencies. The national certification exam is a competency-based examination that provides a valid and reliable assessment of the entry-level clinical knowledge and skills of nurse practitioners in a defined specialization. The resulting certification establishes a nurse practitioner’s qualification to practice, but does not give a nurse practitioner the authority to practice.  Authority to practice is granted by the state Board of Nursing where you plan to practice.  Click here for more certification information.

Licensure

Nurse Practitioner licensure authorizes a nurse practitioner to practice within the state. Nurse practitioners are required to adhere to the scope of practice established by each state’s board of nursing (BON) which both includes the RN scope of practice and exceeds it. Nurse practitioners are required to adhere to the scope of practice established by each state’s board of nursing (BON) which both includes the RN scope of practice and exceeds it. Essentially, NPs are required to adhere to both the RN scope of practice AND the NP scope of practice in their chosen state. State scope of practice and application requirements vary significantly from state to state. It is your responsibility to review and understand these requirements and apply for licensure. Our team is here to support students through this process by answering certain questions and processing forms. However, if you have specific questions relating to the application process in a state, practice or licensure requirements in that state or other state specific questions, your best resource is the State Board of Nursing. Click here for more licensure information.

The four certifying agencies that Walden University nursing students most commonly use are ANCC, AANP, PNCB and AACN. Nurses may utilize other certifying agencies. Not every agency certifies in all NP specialties, and not every certification is recognized for licensure in all states.  It is in your best interest to know which agency’s certifications are accepted in your state of practice and to verify that the agency certifies in your specialty before beginning the process. It is the graduate’s responsibility to research each option and determine which, if any, certifying agencies to use. 

You should review your State Board of Nursing’s entire NP licensure application and all the instructions before requesting any documentation. Some state boards will require documentation to verify your education in addition to an official transcript. Review how to request an official transcript. These documents are either forms provided by the board, or a letter which Walden will create.

There are two types of verification that boards typically request: 1) verification of the degree, and 2) verification of pharmacology coursework.

The chart below shows which forms and letters Walden typically completes for each state. If “Not applicable” is listed for your state, that means that to our knowledge documentation in additional to an official transcript is not required.

State Licensure Forms

Please click on the link provided in the chart below to obtain the form. To ensure that there are no delays in the processing of your request, please make sure you do the following:

1. Review the form and fill in any area that requires completion by the applicant (contact information, SSN, RN license number, date of birth, etc.)

2. If the form requires your signature, please sign and date the form. This office will not be able to complete the form if any areas that require your completion are left blank.

3. If the form is provided as part of an application document, please separate the form from the rest of the application. Submitting the entire application may result in a delay of processing.

Exception for Texas: You do not need to obtain this form from the board. Please proceed to Meditrek to submit a request.

Please note: Some states require multiple forms and you can request all of them at once. You will not be able to submit multiple requests for the same form. PDFs are the preferred format for all forms. The quality of forms in different formats (such as digital photos of forms, or Word docs) may be too poor for us to complete.

State Licensure Letters

You do not need to obtain a sample letter. If a letter is listed for your state board, this office is aware of the requirements and has a draft of the letter prepared.

Request Submission Process

To submit a request in Meditrek to the Office of Certification and Licensure to complete a form or letter click on this link (opens in Meditrek) and follow the instructions for "state NP licensure documents". 

• Do not submit a request until you have completed all program coursework. We cannot verify course and program completion until final grades are posted and your degree has been conferred. 
• Submitting a form early will not result in the form being processed sooner. 
• Once a request has been submitted through Meditrek, allow 10-15 business days for processing. The 10-15 business day processing time starts after final grades are posted and your degree has been conferred.

If you need a form or letter signed by an employee of Walden University (such as the Program Director or Dean), for a purpose other than ANCC or state licensure you must follow the steps below:

1. Insert your information onto the form (your name, address etc.)
2. Email the form or letter request to the OCLC at nurslicensure@mail.waldenu.edu

Mailing the request to our office or emailing or mailing the form to advising, the registrar, FEC or other departments will DELAY THE PROCESSING TIME of your request.

3. Include your full name, student ID and program of study and specialization in your e-mail.
4. Transcripts are sent by request only, and will not be sent automatically. ALL TRANSCRIPT REQUESTS must be referred to the transcript department, which you can contact through the student portal or by emailing transcripts@mail.waldenu.edu
5. Forms and letters cannot be submitted until final grades are posted and/or your degree has been conferred. You must submit your application for graduation for your degree to be conferred. For information about your graduation application, contact graduation@mail.waldenu.edu.
6. Do not submit the request  until you have completed all program coursework. We cannot verify course and program completion until final grades are posted and/or your degree has been conferred. Submitting a form early will not result in the form being processed more quickly.
7. Allow 10 business days for processing. If you submit a request before you have completed all program coursework, the 10 day processing time won't begin until after final grades are posted and/or your degree has been conferred (depending on the type of request).

Generally, all State Boards of Nursing and certifying agencies will require an official transcript. Official transcripts must be sent directly from Walden University. Transcripts are sent by request only, and will not be sent automatically. You can request a transcript through your MyWalden student portal. If you have a question about transcripts please contact transcripts@mail.waldenu.edu.  

To ensure that your official transcript shows the degree has been completed, you must wait to request a transcript until after your degree has been conferred. In order for your degree to be conferred, you must apply for graduation. For information about your graduation application, contact graduation@mail.waldenu.edu. Degrees are typically conferred 2-4 weeks after the grade has posted for your final practicum course.

Email: nurslicensure@mail.waldenu.edu
Phone line (voicemail only at this time): 612-312-1244
Fax number: 612-677-3693

Mailing address: ATTENTION Nurse Licensure Team
Walden University
100 Washington Avenue South, Suite 1210
Minneapolis, MN 55401

Questions about degree conferral? Email: graduation@mail.waldenu.edu

Questions about transcripts? Email: transcripts@mail.waldenu.edu

Boards occasionally revise their application processes. If your board is asking for documentation that is different from what is listed here, or if the links provided are broken, please email nurslicensure@mail.waldenu.edu,  and include a link to the Board website that includes information about that documentation.