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Licensure Pass Rates

Many professional programs prepare and enable students to seek external certification or licensure after the successful completion of a licensure exam. The following information includes disclosures of licensure pass rates for programs and eligibility to sit for licensure by program and state (when known).

Last updated: January 18, 2024

Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Licensure is not a requirement of a BS or MS degree. Taking the CPA exam is optional, and not a requirement for graduation. 

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
To become a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Pennsylvania, students must complete 150 academic credit hours (including 36 credits accounting), have one year of work experience (1,600) hours, and pass the CPA exam (4 parts). Requirements for licensure vary by state.

Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
The following websites, curated by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, list the current licensure requirements for all U.S. states: ASPPB PSY|Book and Consumer Information Disclosures.

The Clinical Psychology Program is accredited by the American Psychological Association and as such graduates are license eligible for any state listed for which APA accreditation is sufficient.  

School of Dental Medicine

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
DMD Program Graduation and License Pass Rates

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
To become licensed as a Doctor of Dental Medicine, candidates must have: 

  1. Graduated from a Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accredited program
  2. Passed a national licensure exam (NBDE Parts I and II or INBDE)
  3. Passed a regional licensure exam (CDCA, WREB)

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Dental Hygiene Programs

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
To become licensed as a Dental Hygienist, candidates must have: 

  1. Have graduated from a Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accredited program
  2. Passed a national licensure exam (NBDHE)
  3. Passed a regional licensure exam (CDCA-WREB-CITA)

(DH pass rates on separate excel file)

School of Education

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:

School of Law

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Juris Doctor (JD) degree

School of Nursing

NCLEX Pass Rates
*Note: School of Nursing Undergraduate NCLEX rates include rates for Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and Johnstown campuses collectively.

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
Graduates of the AG-ACNP Post-Professional Certificate are eligible to sit for a national nurse practitioner certification examination in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care offered by either the American Nurses Credentialing Center or American Association of Critical Care Nurses.  Successful passing of the national certification examination entitles the graduate to apply for certification as a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP) in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care by the State Board of Nurse Examiners of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or by the Board of Nursing in the student's state of employment.

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
Graduates of the AG-ACNP Post-Professional Certificate are eligible to sit for a national nurse practitioner certification examination in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care offered by either the American Nurses Credentialing Center or American Association of Critical Care Nurses.  Successful passing of the national certification examination entitles the graduate to apply for certification as a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP) in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care by the State Board of Nurse Examiners of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or by the Board of Nursing in the student's state of employment.

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Nurse-Midwife

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
All U.S. states require professional licensure/certification to be employed as a nurse-midwife. In addition to graduating from an accredited midwifery program, graduates must have an active registered nurse license and take and pass the American Midwifery Certification Board’s national certification examination in midwifery to apply for state licensure as a certified nurse-midwife. Please visit NursingLicensure.org for state-specific requirements.

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
Graduates are eligible for national certification offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and legal certification as a CRNP and prescriptive authority through the State Board of Nursing of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Clinical Nurse Leader

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
Upon graduation, candidates are eligible to sit for certification through The Commission on Nurse Certification (CNC), which is the autonomous arm of AACN responsible for all certification functions. The CNL certification is based upon a national standard of requisite knowledge and experiences, thereby assisting employers, the public and members of the health professions in the assessment of a CNL.

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Clinical Nurse Specialist

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
Many U.S. states require professional licensure/certification to be employed as a clinical nurse specialist (CNS). In addition to graduating from an accredited CNS program, in many states graduates must take and pass a recognized national certification examination in their area of preparation to be eligible for licensure/certification. Please visit NursingLicensure.org for state-specific requirements.

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Family Nurse Practitioner

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Nurse Anesthetist

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Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
Graduates are eligible for both legal certification as a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP) and prescriptive authority by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as other states and national professional certification as an NNP offered by the National Certification Corporation.

School of Pharmacy

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Doctor of Pharmacy Program

School of Public Health

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
MS in Genetic Counseling

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
Upon completion of a degree, certification through the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) demonstrates that the individual has met the standards necessary to provide competent genetic counseling. To be eligible for certification, an individual must obtain a master’s degree in genetic counseling from an Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC) accredited program in the United States or Canada and take and pass a rigorous certification exam. In states where genetic counselors are licensed, all genetic counselors with licensure must be ABGC-certified. Professional licensure requirements vary by state and can be found here.

School of Social Work

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Master's Degree Programs

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:

LBSW: To sit for the exam to become a licensed bachelor’s level social worker in Pennsylvania (LBSW), a candidate must have graduated from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) - Board of Accreditation (BOA) accredited baccalaureate (BSW/BASW) program. The applicant must also complete 3 hours of training on child abuse recognition and reporting approved by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and pass mandatory Criminal History Records Check (CHRC) obtained from the state police. The applicant must then pass the Association of Social Work Boards bachelor examination.

LSW: To sit for the exam to become an entry-level licensed master’s level social worker in Pennsylvania (LSW), a candidate must have graduated from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) - Board of Accreditation (BOA) accredited masters (MSW/MSSW) program. The applicant must then pass the Association of Social Work Boards master’s level examination.

LCSW: To sit for the exam to become a licensed clinical social worker in Pennsylvania (LCSW), a candidate must have graduated from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) - Board of Accreditation (BOA) accredited masters (MSW/MSSW) program and have completed at least 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience after completion of the master's degree in social work. The supervised clinical experience shall be completed in no less than 2 years. The applicant must then pass the Association of Social Work Boards - Clinical Examination.

*Note that each state has its own licensure requirements (see: Association of Social Work Boards).

Swanson School of Engineering

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Licensure is not a requirement of a BS degree, as only partial requirements may be attained at graduation. Taking the FE exam is optional and not a SSoE requirement for graduation.

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
To become a licensed professional engineer (PE), students must: (1) graduate with a BS from an ABET accredited program (all of Pitt's SSoE engineering programs are accredited), (2) pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam (typically taken in the last term of classes), (3) pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam taken ~4 years after graduation, and (4) verify four years of experience in industry. Licensure can vary according to state requirements.

University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Associate and Baccalaureate Degree Programs in Nursing

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
Upon completion of the Associate of Science in Nursing program at Pitt Bradford and conferral of the degree, graduates may be eligible to take the national council licensure examination for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN). The NCLEX-RN is designed to test knowledge, skills and abilities essential to the safe and effective practice of nursing at the entry level. The NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin contains valuable information about the testing process.

Each state has its own eligibility requirements for licensure, which may include proof of degree conferral, clearance from criminal convictions, additional educational training, etc. Graduates are encouraged to contact the nursing regulatory body for the state in which they wish to be licensed to become familiar with their procedure and eligibility requirements.

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Baccalaureate Degree Program in Athletic Training

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Early Level Education (PreK-4) Teacher Certification Programs

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Baccalaureate Degree Programs in Health and Physical Education (K-12)

University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Full Report: Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Preparation Programs in Early Childhood Education; Secondary Education (Biology, English Writing, English Literature, Math, Social Studies); K-12 Spanish; STEM Endorsement; Gifted Endorsement

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:

Baccalaureate Degree Program in Nursing

NCLEX Pass Rates

*Note School of Nursing Undergraduate NCLEX rates include rates for Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and Johnstown Campuses collectively.

University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Associate Degree Program in Respiratory Care

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:
To become a licensed respiratory therapist (RT) in Pennsylvania, students must:

  1. Earn a degree through a respiratory therapy program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). The minimum degree level required for licensure is an associate degree.
  2. Pass at least one qualifying examination from The National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC). The entry-level exam is called the certified respiratory therapist (CRT) exam. This exam is the baseline requirement for all respiratory therapists throughout the country. There is also an advanced respiratory therapy exam called the registered respiratory therapist (RRT). The CRT will test the minimum knowledge required of any respiratory therapist, while the RRT will test the advanced stages of respiratory therapy care.
  3. Apply for respiratory therapist licensure after completing an NBRC exam. It can be found on the Board of Medicine or the Board of Osteopathic Medicine websites.
  4. Once you are practicing as a respiratory therapist in Pennsylvania, it is essential that you maintain your licensure. Respiratory therapist licenses are valid for two years and must be renewed by December 31st of every even-numbered year.

A licensed RT can work in acute care hospitals, intensive care units, emergency rooms, neonatal and pediatric hospitals, operating rooms, long-term critical care, sleep laboratories, skilled nursing facilities, air and ambulance transport, doctor’s offices, educational programs, and case management.

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Associate Degree Program in Surgical Technology

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Bachelor's Degree Program in Nursing
*Note School of Nursing Undergraduate NCLEX rates include rates for Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and Johnstown Campuses collectively.

Eligibility to Sit for Licensure by State:

Pennsylvania Licensure Requirements
An individual who has graduated from a state-approved school of nursing, passed the NCLEX-RN Examination, and is licensed by the State Board of Nursing to provide patient care.

Degree Requirement: Completion of Approved Nursing Program
An applicant, to be eligible for examination for licensure as a registered nurse, shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the Board that they have completed work equal to a standard high school course as evaluated by the Board and has satisfactorily completed an approved program of professional nursing. Approved programs shall include an associate degree, Bachelor's degree, or diploma nursing programs.

Examination Requirement: Examination
An applicant must receive a passing grade on either the National Council of State Boards - Registered Nursing Exam (NCLEX-RN) or the State Board Test Pool Exam (SBTPE) as a requirement for licensure.

Pennsylvania Licensed Nurses Practice Law
To date, the Board is awaiting a response from the FBI in order for Pennsylvania to be added to the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC).

Pennsylvania residents will not be able to apply for a multistate license and nurses in other NLC states who do not also hold a Pennsylvania license/permit will not be able to practice in Pennsylvania until after the implementation process has been completed.

See State Board of Nursing

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Preparation Programs in Early Childhood Education, Middle Level Education, Secondary Education, and Special Education

University of Pittsburgh at Titusville

Licensure Pass Rate by Program:
Associate of Science Degree Program in Nursing

Related Content:

Professional Licensure Disclosures