Prospective Students

DNP: Admission Criteria

Selection is based on the student's academic background, research interests, and availability of suitable faculty expertise for mentorship. Requirements include:

1. Students applying to the post-baccalaureate option must have a BSN from a CCNE or NLN accredited program or a baccalaureate degree in another field plus an RN license. Students with a baccalaureate degree in another field must complete three additional transitional courses at the beginning of their program.

Students applying to the post-master's option must have a BSN (or baccalaureate degree in another field plus RN license) and a master’s degree in nursing from an accredited program. It is recommended that students applying to the concentration in Executive Nursing Leadership have a master’s degree in administrative nursing or equivalent course work or experience.

All applicants will be evaluated individually based on prior educational work as well as current experience and their programs of study will be designed to include additional coursework, if necessary, to position them to achieve the educational objectives of the curriculum.

2. Minimum GPA of 3.00/4.00 for last 60 hours of baccalaureate degree and a minimum of 3.00/4.00 on all work beyond the baccalaureate level.

3. Introductory courses in statistics and in research or their equivalent to be completed prior to starting the DNP program. (Most applicants will have met this requirement with their BSN program)

4. GRE (Graduate Record Examination). GRE scores must be taken within five years of the term you are applying form. Scores older than five years will not be accepted and the GRE exam must be retaken.

Interested in taking a GRE prep course? The following organizations offer courses on the UIC campus: Kaplan GRE Prep Course and Getter Better Scores, Inc.

5. Qualified applicants will be contacted by a faculty member for an interview

6. Professional Nursing License: All students in the post-baccalaureate option must have a current license as a Professional Registered Nurse (RN) from the State of Illinois prior to beginning their clinical practicum courses. Information about nursing licensure in Illinois may be obtained from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Students in the post-master's option must have a valid nursing license for the state in which they will be completing their residency.

7. International Applicants:
TOEFL is required for applicants whose native language is other than English with a minimum score of 550 (paper based) or 213 (computer based). For the TOEFL ibt scores, the minimums are Writing-21, Speaking-20, Listening-17, Reading-19 and total score-80. Please note that TOEFL scores over two years old are invalid. For the official IELTS, a minimum total score of 6.5 is required, with sub-section minimums of Listening-6, Writing-6, Reading-6 and Speaking-6.

For postsecondary coursework completed at an institution outside the United States, applicants must request a Full Education Course-by-Course Report evaluation of foreign credit from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS).

For licenses in a political jurisdiction other than one of the United States, applicants must also request the Validation of Registration/License Report from CGFNS. Contact CGFNS: 3600 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-2651, 215.222.8454, www.cgfns.org, or e-mail at info@cgfns.org.

Upon being recommended for admission, evidence of financial support for the first year is also required.

Visit the Office of Admissions and Records' International Admission Requirements website for further details about the information above.