Doctor of Nursing Practice Admissions
Requirements for Admission
Admission to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is based on an overall appraisal of the applicant’s ability to undertake doctoral study and of their potential contributions to leadership in advanced nursing practice.Application Deadline: May 14th
Applications to the DNP program will be considered complete when all of the following have been received:
- Completed application form;
- Application fee made payable to the University of Massachusetts.
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, reflecting a graduate GPA of 3.0 or better in the baccalaureate program and/or certificate of completion program and a GPA of 3.2 or better in the Master of Science in Nursing program or Master of Nursing Program;
- Evidence of unrestricted Massachusetts licensure as a registered nurse and/or nurse practitioner;
- A master's degree in nursing from a program accredited by National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE);
- Advanced practice nursing certification as either an adult nurse practitioner, adult acute care nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, gerontological nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner or women's health nurse practitioner for nurse practitioner applicants;
- Certification as a nurse manager or nurse executive is recommended for nurse administrator applicants;
- Acceptable verbal and quantitative scores on the GRE (a combined total of at least 1,000 is preferred);
- Three letters of recommendation. One must be from a recent supervisor who can evaluate APN employment experience and two should be academic references;
- One example of scholarly writing (i.e., publication, scholarly paper);
- Two personal statements with goals of study;
- Residency and capstone project focus that is congruent with that of a faculty member;
- Professional APN Porfolio that demonstrates attainment of NONPF competencies in the area of nurse practitioner specialization or for nurse administrators a professional APN portfolio that demonstrates attainment of the nurse executive competencies established by the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE); and
- Participation in an admission interview;