Post-Masters DNP Admissions

For students who are practice-oriented and who already have a master's degree in nursing.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program prepares nurses for leadership as advanced practice nurses, clinical experts, health care executives, policy experts, and informaticians. The Post-Masters DNP program is for students who already hold a master's degree in nursing and have nursing specialty preparation.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission into the Post-Masters DNP program, you must have the following:

• Nursing License
  As part of your application you must submit a photocopy of a current registered nurse license. You must hold an RN license in the state in which you will complete clinical courses. International students must submit a photocopy of a current RN license from their home country with their application (see further requirements for international students below). If you are an international nurse, you must obtain a Minnesota license by the end of your second semester in residence. You will need to pass the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) exam and the NCLEX exam in order to obtain a Minnesota license. You are encouraged to take the CGFNS exam in your home country prior to enrollment. For more information, contact the Minnesota Board of Nursing: www.nursingboard.state.mn.us or call 612-617-2270.

• Education
  You must hold a master's degree in a nursing specialty.

• High Scholastic Achievement
  Successful applicants typically have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.4 or above (on a 4.0 scale). Each applicant will be considered individually for any exception to the stated requirements. You may wish to submit a Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score and describe the circumstances surrounding the GPA below 3.0.

• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores
  You do not need to submit Graduate Record Exam scores unless you submit narrative, pass/no-credit or other ungraded notations for a majority of the credits toward your baccalaureate degree and/or master's in your major field of study. The GRE must have been taken after October 1, 2003. This revised test includes the new analytic writing test.

• English language proficiency
  If your native language is not English, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and score at least 586 (written) 240 (computerized) or 95 (IBT). Information is available on the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org. If the TOEFL is not available in your country, you must take the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) and score at least 85. Information about the MELAB is available at www.lsa.umich.edu/eli/melab.htm. You are exempt from taking the test if, within the past 24 months, you have completed 24 quarter credits or 16 semester credits in residence as a full-time student at a recognized institution of higher learning in the United States. The School of Nursing will accept TOEFL or MELAB exams taken within three years of the time of application.

• Application
  You must complete and submit the application by November 1, 2009 for the fall 2010 semester for priority consideration. Applications will be accepted on a space-available basis through March 1, 2010. Please note that the two sections of the application listed below will receive special attention by the School of Nursing Graduate Admissions and Progressions Committee. A $60 application fee is required.

• Profile essay
  Provide a brief summary (approximately 500 words) informing the Admissions Committee about your short-term and long-term professional goals after you complete the DNP program.

• Summary of Proposed Capstone Leadership Project
  As part of the DNP program you will be required to complete a project that focuses on identifying and analyzing a nursing practice problem. You will develop and implement an evidence-based innovation and evaluation protocol that could solve a significant health-care problem. As part of your application, you are asked to provide a summary (maximum 1,000 words) describing the practice problem you would like to study and your initial ideas about addressing it.

View our brochure for additional information about graduate studies at the School of Nursing.