PhD Program

For students who intend to pursue the PhD program, the following are required and will be evaluated for admission:

1. A baccalaureate degree in nursing from a program which is nationally accredited by a nursing accreditation organization
2. Graduate Record Examination scores (75th percentile or higher are desirable)
3. Two scholarly papers; one must be theoretical (master's thesis or equivalent), published papers are acceptable
4. Three recommendations for doctoral study
5. A statement of research interests and professional goals including possible current Decker School of Nursing PhD faculty member(s) whose current research you feel your background and interest could coincide with.
6. Licensure to practice as a registered professional nurse in the United States
7. Completion of a statistics course (within five years)
8. Curriculum vita including employment and education history
9. A personal interview
10. Official TOEFL or IELTS scores (for international students)
11. A progressive record of continued development in nursing practice and scholarship
12. All applicants are required to have taken and passed the NCLEX examination prior to the start of clinical courses.

Master's Program

Although each applicant is considered on an individual basis, the general admissions requirements are:

1. A baccalaureate degree in nursing from a program which is accredited by a nursing accreditation organization.
2. A descriptive statistics course
3. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0
4. A license to practice as a registered professional nurse
5. Two satisfactory academic or professional references
6. One year of full-time employment is strongly encouraged prior to beginning a program of study. Candidates who begin a program of study without one year of previous full-time employment may wish to consider enrolling in a part-time program option that would allow the candidate to acquire needed working experience.
7. Satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination may be required
8. All applicants are required to have taken and passed the NCLEX examination prior to the start of clinical courses.
   
9. Official TOEFL or IELTS scores (for international students)

Post-Master’s Program

Each applicant is considered for admission on an individual basis. Students must have a Master’s Degree in Nursing to be eligible for admission.

Applications may be downloaded or completed online at Graduate Admissions.

For more information, please click here.