Admission to the M.S.N. Program

Admission to study is open to properly qualified men and women of any race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin. Graduate admission is processed through the Office of Graduate Admission.  Information on any MSN program tracts and course curriculum are mailed to each inquirer from the School of Nursing Graduate Office.

International Students

Since therapeutic communication is essential to the study and practice of nursing, international students must demonstrate their ability to communicate in English before they progress to the clinical/professional role component of the program. All international students on student visas must enroll as full-time students. For more information about admissions criteria, please visit the International Students portion of this site.

Regular Admission

To be considered for admission, an applicant must

1. Complete an application for admission.  This application includes a purpose statement.  The purpose statement is an essay of 500 to 700 words, state your purpose for undertaking graduate study in your chosen field. Include your academic objective, research interests, and career plans.
2. Possess a baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited college or university offering a program in nursing accredited by the National League for Nursing or CCNE. 
3. Be licensed to practice nursing in a state or jurisdiction of the United States--some clinical agencies may require students to be licensed in the District of Columbia.
4. Have acquired some post-baccalaureate nursing experience in a particular clinical area of practice (the amount of experience required varies depending on the specific role area).
5. Obtain three professional letters of recommendations. At least one must come from a former or present college or university instructor or Dean. At least one must come from a former or present employer or supervisor
6. Submit a completed health record form after acceptance to MSN program, but before begining clinical rotations.
7. Present transcripts of undergraduate study that give evidence of academic ability.
8. Graduate Record Examinations are not required except for those who are applying for scholarship funds or those applicants who would like GRE scores to be considered with their application packet.

International students educated in a basic program where English is not the language of instruction must achieve at least a 550 score on the TOEFL (paper test) or 213 on electronic test and be tested for English proficiency at the CUA campus. They may be required to take intensive English courses and/or other additional courses as recommended by the academic adviser or the dean. Transcripts for international students must be evaluated by an agency designated by the School of Nursing.