Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) Admission
Admission requirements include:
- A $50 nonrefundable application fee.
- Proof of graduation from a regionally or nationally accredited school with ACEN or CCNE BSN nursing program. 3.0 undergraduate nursing GPA on a 4.0 scale. Students accepted from a nationally accredited BSN program will be conditionally admitted and required to complete two courses at a “B” average or above to be granted full admission.
- Completed online graduate application.
- Official GRE scores of 290 or higher. The requirement of official GRE scores is waived for all applicants with a 3.0 or higher undergraduate nursing GPA.
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities.
- Active US RN or APRN license, international students must hold a current license from a U.S. state.
- NP students should have a current Florida registered nurse license. Out of state applicants must be eligible for endorsement in Florida.
- Resume or CV
- Statement of Intent – A personal statement describing your reasons for pursuing an advanced degree and detailing your professional goals. Should not exceed two pages.
- Evidence of successful completion of an undergraduate course in statistics.
- Graduate admissions committee may request an interview. All ARNP tracks require an interview.
- Reference letters are not required upon application, however the Keigwin School of Nursing reserves the right to request reference letters.
- TOEFL (minimum score 550 for paper, 280 for computer, and 79 if internet-based), or IELTS requirement of 6.5 if applicant’s primary language is not English.
- For all APRN programs: One year of clinical experience as an RN required prior to beginning the first clinical Nurse Practitioner course.
- For FNP/ENP program: One year of clinical experience in an emergency setting and Advanced Cardiac Life Support Certification are required prior to beginning the first clinical nurse practitioner course.
- For AGACNP program: a minimum of one year of professional experience as an RN in a critical care setting is required and advanced cardiac life support certification are required prior to beginning the first clinical nursing practitioner course.
- For APRN programs, a background check is required for all students participating in clinical practice. Information on the background check may need to be released to clinical agencies for permission to participate at the clinical site. If clinical placement is denied by the agency, and an alternative site cannot be obtained, the student may either have their acceptance rescinded if they have not yet begun their program, or will not complete the program.
All MSN program applications and supplemental materials should be submitted online.
Transfer Credit - Students accepted into the Nurse Educator, Nursing Informatics, Leadership in Healthcare Systems, or dual MSN/MBA program may transfer a maximum of six (6) semester hours or 10-quarter hours of graduate academic credit from a comparable regionally accredited academic institution. Students accepted into the AGACNP, FNP, dual FNP/ENP, dual FNP/PMHNP or PMHNP program may transfer a maximum of nine (9) semester credit hours or three total graduate courses. The credit must be in courses similar in content and rigor to Jacksonville University's MSN Program, and the grade must be at least a "B". To be eligible for transfer credit, the student must submit a transcript and catalog description of the course to the appropriate advisor. All transfer credit must be evaluated and approved prior to the start of the MSN program. Students will not receive transfer credit for courses taken at other schools once they have begun courses in the MSN program at JU. A letter requesting the transfer credit will be sent to the Registrar and placed in the student's file upon starting the MSN program. Any work transferred to Jacksonville University will be entered on the JU transcript as hours earned only and will not be used in computation of the grade point average.
Selection Process - Admission to the MSN program is selective and limited to those students who demonstrate potential for successfully completing the program. The decision is based on evaluation of the student's undergraduate program and grades earned, GRE scores if overall GPA is below 3.0, professional work experience (if applicable), statement of intent, and personal interview (if applicable).
International Student Applicants for MSN Program
International student applicants for specifically designated cohorts of the MSN Leadership in Healthcare Systems, Clinical Nurse Educator, and Nursing Informatics programs may have the following exemption to the graduate nursing student admission criteria:
Instead, these applicants may submit evidence of licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN) in their country of origin or country of practice.
All other graduate nursing student admission criteria is required.