The Elm

As approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission on June 10, 2026, the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) will launch a revised post‑baccalaureate certificate in Nursing Informatics curriculum, beginning in fall 2026. 

The reconceptualized curriculum aligns with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education, which calls for a transition to competency‑based education across both entry‑level and advanced nursing practice.

The competency-based curriculum prepares nurses with a distinctive blend of clinical insight and informatics expertise, enabling them to bridge interdisciplinary teams and contribute meaningfully to health information technology initiatives. Graduates gain the ability to gather, interpret, and apply data to support evidence-informed decision-making across care settings, while developing the competencies needed to support electronic health records (EHRs), telehealth, and data driven practice.

Key updates include:

• A reduction in total credits from 19 to 12 and an increase in practicum hours from 135 to 225. 
• Full alignment and intentional integration with the updated Nursing Informatics area of concentration within the Master of Science in Nursing framework.
• Consistency with current expectations across accreditation standards, workforce needs, and national certification bodies. 
• Graduates will be eligible to pursue national certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

More about the enhanced curriculum will be available on UMSON’s website soon.