Admission Requirements: MSN Nursing Education

Application

Applications for the online Master of Science in Nursing and online Post-MSN Certificate programs are submitted through NursingCAS. For help on starting and completing your NursingCAS application, please view our tutorial videos here: https://uconlinedev.wpengine.com/nursingcas-tutorials/

Transcripts

Official transcripts from all institutions attended should be sent directly to NursingCAS (American Association of College of Nursing). NO TRANSCRIPTS should be sent to the University.

*Please note that international transcripts must be evaluated from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)

Minimum GPA

Overall minimum BSN GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. (A comparable level of achievement is expected for other grading systems.)

References

Three letters of reference: References should come from individuals who can attest to your academic and professional skills.

Goal Statement

Length: 500–700 words

Your goal statement should:

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the specialty area
• Explain your interest in the specialty
• Highlight your preparedness and reasons for pursuing the program
• Describe your goals after graduation

This statement will also serve as an academic writing sample.

Resume

Provide your CV or resume in PDF format. Please be sure that it provides relevant work history and reflects any contributions beyond normal job expectations. Include military service, community service, membership in professional associations, and any certifications that you currently hold. Please also include any scholarship, such as publications or presentations.

Additional Fees

• $65 ($70 international) non-refundable University of Cincinnati Graduate School application fee. Currently waived through the 2025 fiscal year!
• $85 NursingCAS application fee
• Non-refundable matriculation fee required upon acceptance (applied toward your tuition in your first semester).

Restrictions

• State & U.S. Territory Restrictions

  • The University of Cincinnati’s online graduate nursing programs are not currently available to students located in Arizona, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Tennessee. For more information on restricted states, please visit our State Authorization page.
  • Washington: The University of Cincinnati is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission to provide practice experiences in the state of Washington for the following programs:
    • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
    • Family Nurse Practitioner
    • Nurse Midwifery
    • Nursing Administration
      Women’s Health

For more information, visit the state’s Department of Health site.

• • Washington: The University of Cincinnati is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission to provide practice experiences in the state of Washington for the following programs
    • Nursing Education

For more information, visit the state’s Department of Health site.

• • Currently, we cannot admit students from any U.S. territory: America Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

• International Student Restrictions

  • An international student is defined as someone who holds citizenship in another country and is not a permanent resident of the United States.
  • International students are admissible to our online programs, providing they meet the above prerequisites and commit to doing their clinical requirements in the United States.
  • Due to the clinical requirements in our graduate online programs, international students must already have a visa that gives them legal status to work within the United States or must be able to obtain the legal status that will allow them to come to the U.S. and engage in clinical activities.
  • International students are not eligible for student visas for online programs, including clinical requirements.
  • It is the responsibility of the international student to have the appropriate work authorization documents or be able to obtain the appropriate work authorization before applying to online programs in the College of Nursing at the University of Cincinnati.

• Clinical Restrictions

  • We cannot admit residents of U.S. Territories or in a country outside of the U.S. Only persons serving in the military who reside on a military base and can complete clinical requirements on the military base should apply to our College of Nursing graduate online programs. Prior to application to our program, the prospective student should confirm that they will have the ability to complete clinical requirements on the military base.
  • Students cannot complete clinicals at a U.S. Embassy.

Federal regulations require the University of Cincinnati to publicly disclose whether completion of certain programs that lead or may lead to professional licensure or certification would meet a given state’s educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification required for employment in an occupation (regardless of whether the program is on-ground, online, or hybrid). To learn whether a University program meets a given state’s educational requirements, please visit the University of Cincinnati State Authorization webpage.