Admission Requirements

MSN Admission Requirements

Applicants are eligible for full admission to the MSN programs if they have a BSN degree and an undergraduate/graduate GPA of 3.00 or greater.

Applicants who have an undergraduate/graduate GPA of 2.75 to 2.99 and meet all other admission requirements, may be considered for provisional admission to the MSN programs.   Applicants in this category will be enrolled in NSG 540 - Advanced Pathophysiology for the APRN, DNP 700 - Navigating Graduate Studies in Nursing, and DNP 701 - Fundamental Knowledge and Role Concepts for the APRN. To be granted full and unconditional matriculation into the MSN program, a grade of “B” or higher must be obtained in all three classes.  Should the student obtain lower than a “B” in any of the courses, they will be formally dismissed from the graduate nursing program with no option for readmission. Each course may only be taken once. 

Denied Admission - Applicants who have less than a 2.75 GPA will be denied admission to the MSN program. 

List of required admission documents for MSN Program:

1. Completion of an online application.
2. Official transcripts from all previous college work, including graduate and undergraduate. 
3. Copy of unencumbered license as a registered professional nurse.
4. Two letters of reference (one from current or most recent employer, one from former faculty member)
5. Resume or Curriculum Vitae
6. Statement of personal and professional goals (typed, 500 words).
7. English language proficiency- if English is not your first language, or if English is not the primary language spoken in your home, you must submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Internet based TOEFL exam has four subsections: writing, speaking, reading, and listening, with a grading scale for each section from 1 to 30 (30 being the highest score). Misericordia University will look closely at the score for each section rather than the total score. Applicants must attain the minimum scores of 22 for ALL sections in order to be considered for admission to the graduate nursing program. Students should indicate on the registration form that they wish their test results be sent directly to Misericordia University. The TOEFL code for Misericordia University is 2087.

BSN - DNP and DNP Admission Requirements

Admission Criteria for BSN to DNP and MSN to DNP Programs

Applicants for the BSN to DNP program must have at least a 3.25 GPA from their BSN program and applicants for the MSN to DNP program must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 from their graduate degree program or post-master’s certificate program.

Denied Admission - Applicants who have less than a 3.25 GPA will be denied admission to the BSN-DNP program, but if they have a GPA between 3.00 to 3.24 the student will be offered admission to the MSN program.  Additionally, if the student has a GPA between 2.75 to 2.99 the student will be offered provisional admission to the MSN program.  The progression requirements are listed in the MSN Admission Criteria. For applicants to the MSN to DNP program with a GPA of less than 3.0 from their graduate degree program or post-master’s certificate program will be denied admission.

List of required admission documents for the BSN to DNP and MSN to DNP Program:

1. Completion of an online application.
2. Official transcripts from all previous college work, including graduate and undergraduate.
3. Copy of unencumbered license as a registered professional nurse.
4. Two letters of reference (one from current or most recent employer, one from former faculty member).
5. Resume or Curriculum Vitae
6. Statement of personal and professional goals (typed, 500 words)
7. If applying for MSN to DNP, a Master of Science in Nursing degree from a CCNE or NLN accredited institution, license to practice as an advanced practice nurse (CNM, CRNA, CNS, or CRNP), and a copy of current national board certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse is required.
8. English language proficiency- if English is not your first language, or if English is not the primary language spoken in your home, you must submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Internet based TOEFL exam has four subsections: writing, speaking, reading, and listening, with a grading scale for each section from 1 to 30 (30 being the highest score). Misericordia University will look closely at the score for each section rather than the total score. Applicants must attain the minimum scores of 22 for ALL sections in order to be considered for admission to the graduate nursing program. Students should indicate on the registration form that they wish their test results be sent directly to Misericordia University. The TOEFL code for Misericordia University is 2087.

Post-Masters Certificate Requirements

Applicants are eligible for full admission to the MSN programs if they have a BSN degree and an undergraduate/graduate GPA of 3.00 or greater.

Applicants who have an undergraduate/graduate GPA of 2.75 to 2.99 and meet all other admission requirements, may be considered for provisional admission to the MSN programs.   Applicants in this category will be enrolled in NSG 540 - Advanced Pathophysiology for the APRN, DNP 700 - Navigating Graduate Studies in Nursing, and DNP 701 - Fundamental Knowledge and Role Concepts for the APRN. To be granted full and unconditional matriculation into the MSN program, a grade of “B” or higher must be obtained in all three classes.  Should the student obtain lower than a “B” in any of the courses, they will be formally dismissed from the graduate nursing program with no option for readmission. Each course may only be taken once. 

Denied Admission - Applicants who have less than a 2.75 GPA will be denied admission to the MSN program. 

List of required admission documents for MSN Program:

1. Completion of an online application.
2. Official transcripts from all previous college work, including graduate and undergraduate. 
3. Copy of unencumbered license as a registered professional nurse.
4. Two letters of reference (one from current or most recent employer, one from former faculty member)
5. Resume or Curriculum Vitae
6. Statement of personal and professional goals (typed, 500 words).
7. English language proficiency- if English is not your first language, or if English is not the primary language spoken in your home, you must submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Internet based TOEFL exam has four subsections: writing, speaking, reading, and listening, with a grading scale for each section from 1 to 30 (30 being the highest score). Misericordia University will look closely at the score for each section rather than the total score. Applicants must attain the minimum scores of 22 for ALL sections in order to be considered for admission to the graduate nursing program. Students should indicate on the registration form that they wish their test results be sent directly to Misericordia University. The TOEFL code for Misericordia University is 2087.

Applicants for the Post-Master’s certificate for either the Family/Individual Across the Lifespan program or the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program must have already completed a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and meet all admission requirements for the MSN program.  Additionally, for applicants to the Fast-Track Post-Masters Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program, they must hold a current national nurse practitioner certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner or as an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care nurse practitioner and have current prescriptive authority.  The program of study will be determined through a gap analysis, which involves reviewing the applicant’s completed coursework and clinical experiences. This review will compare the applicant’s background with the required program standards and the national nurse practitioner competencies necessary for certification, ensuring the appropriate program of study is established.