Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Admission Requirements

The graduate nursing programs admit students twice per year. To be considered for admission, applicants must submit the completed Graduate Nursing application by the delineated deadline.

Each applicant to the MSN program will be evaluated for admission based on the following criteria:

  • Completed MSN application
  • Official college transcripts from graduating institutions
  • Baccalaureate in nursing from a regionally accredited program with ACEN, CCNE, or CNEA accreditation or,
    • RN-MSN applicants:
      • Associate or Diploma in nursing from a program with ACEN, CCNE, or CNEA accreditation and
      •  Baccalaureate degree in non-nursing field from a regionally accredited institution.
  • GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in RN program. GPAs under 3.0 may be considered for provisional admission.
  •  Current, unencumbered license as a professional registered nurse (RN) in Nebraska, or the state where practica will occur
  • Two professional references; one from applicant’s RN program faculty and one from applicant’s nursing or healthcare employer/supervisor . Two employer references may be used by those whose graduation date was more than five years ago.
  •  RN-MSN applicants must have documentation of a minimum of one year of practice as a registered nurse prior to beginning the master’s level coursework. The practice requirement may occur concurrent with the bachelor’s level coursework.
  • Applicants for whom English is a learned language are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) proficiency exam and score of 550 PBT, or 79 iBT or better. Exemptions for the English proficiency requirement are granted for non-native speakers who have received a high school diploma or more advanced degree either from an accredited U.S. institution or from an institution outside the U.S. at which English is the official language of instruction. (School code: 6058).