Admission Criteria

Students interested in the DNP program must meet the following admission criteria:

• Baccalaureate or master degree in nursing from a program accredited by a national organization responsible for nursing accreditation (i.e. Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or related field for DNP Leadership students and must be from a regionally accredited program from the Higher Learning Commission. 
• A grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale based on the last 60 hours of undergraduate nursing course work for applicants with less than a master’s degree.
• A cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale for applicants with a master’s degree in nursing.
• Applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA requirements for their BSN or MS also may provide additional evidence documenting examples of outstanding professional leadership, practice and/or scholarship for special consideration.
• Have earned a U.S. nursing bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution.  If your degree is from a U.S. college or school, the institution must be approved by one of the following U.S. Regional Accrediting Bodies:
  1.  Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
  2.  Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
  3.  Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities
  4.  The Higher Learning Commission (Formerly the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools)
  5.  Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  6.  New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education

Prerequisite Coursework

Completion of a graduate level statistics course with a grade of “C” or higher with in the last five years. If you have not taken a graduate level statistics course, you may complete Nursing 7010 (preferred) or STAT 7020 Statistical Methods in the Health Sciences within the first year of enrollment.

Transfer of Graduate Credits

Up to 38 graduate credits of required coursework can be accepted in transfer with the approval of the program director.  If students have combined classes, e.g., patho/pharm or physiology/health assessment, they would need to take each class individually to be eligible to sit for certification.

Additional Application Requirements

International Degree Programs

If your degree is from a college or university outside of the United States, the institution must be recognized and approved by the Ministry of Education or Commission responsible for higher education in the country where the degree is earned. The degree must be equivalent to a four year U.S. bachelor’s degree, or higher degree. Contact gradadmin@missouri.edu with questions regarding degree equivalency.

International Applicants

1. Satisfactory English language test score within the last 2 years (non-native English speaking applicants only).
2. International students must submit a photocopy of a current RN license from their home country with their Masters application.
3. International nurses must obtain a Missouri RN license prior to beginning coursework. In order to obtain a Missouri RN license, the applicant will need to pass the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) exam and the NCLEX exam. Applicants are encouraged to take the CGFNS exam in their home country. For more information, contact the Missouri State Board of Nursing at: http://pr.mo.gov/nursing.asp or by telephone 573-751-0681.

Prohibited Applications

Due to higher education regulation changes, the University of Missouri is unable to accept applications for admission to online programs from students residing in several states. See the State Authorization for Distance Education page at Mizzou Online to learn more.

Federal regulations require the Sinclair School of Nursing to disclose whether its degree programs meet U.S. states’ educational requirements for licensure [34 CFR 668.43 (a)(5)(v)]. Please visit the Missouri Online Licensure and Disclosures website to determine if your program of interest meets the educational requirements.

Current and potential students are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the state licensing board.