MSN Admission Requirements (2025)

Admission Requirements and Documents

• Completed application
• Current licensure as a registered nurse in the state of Florida
• Official transcripts from each university or college attended; must show a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the last 60 credit hours
• Two letters of recommendation completedby individuals that attest to the applicant’s professional background and academic potential
• Professional résumé
• Personal statement (500-1,000 words)
• A minimum of one year direct patient care RN experience within the past five years is required
• Students who have graduated from a country where English is NOT the official language are required to submit test scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS).

Priority Application Deadlines

Applications are evaluated for fall, spring and summer terms on a rolling basis. Qualified students are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis until spaces are full for the relevant term. Since only 28 students are admitted per semester, admission is competitive and students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Start Dates

Students can start the MSN program during the fall, summer or spring semester. Upcoming semester start dates:

Fall 2024: Aug. 26, 2024

Spring 2025: Jan. 21, 2025

Additional MSN Admission Criteria

Students can be admitted as full degree-seeking status or pre-MSN status. The GPA requirement is based on last 60 hours of coursework.

Full Degree Seeking Admission

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing
• Current Florida RN license
• Must show a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the last 60 credit hours
• Applicants are required to meet ONE of the following requirements:
  • Earn a minimum total score of 300 or higher on the GRE and 4.0 on the analytical writing section OR
  • NUR 600 Scholarly and Professional Communication in Nursing (This course is taken as part of the program if admitted; it does not need to be taken before.)
• Required nursing courses completed with a "B" or better:
  • General statistics course
  • NUR 415 Nursing Leadership and Management
  • NUR 432 Introduction to Nursing Research

Pre-MSN Admission

• Bachelor’s degree in an area other than nursing
• Current Florida RN license
• Must show a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the last 60 credit hours
• Applicants are required to meet one of the following requirements:
  • Earn a minimum total score of 300 or higher on the GRE and 4.0 on the analytical writing section OR
  • NUR 600 Scholarly and Professional Communication in Nursing (This course is taken as part of the program if admitted; it does not need to be taken before.)
• Five required nursing prerequisite courses

Students who have bachelor's degrees in areas other than nursing are admitted as pre-MSN students. They are required to take the following five undergraduate prerequisites prior to starting the graduate-level curriculum. These required nursing prerequisite courses must be completed with a "B" or better:

• General statistics course
• NUR 322 Contemporary Issues in Health Care
• NUR 415 Nursing Leadership and Management
• NUR 422 Principles in Community Health
• NUR 432 Introduction to Nursing Research

Please note that we currently do not offer prerequisite courses during the summer semester, only during the fall and spring semesters. Students may complete pre-MSN courses at another university with faculty permission. Students will be re-evaluated for admission once the pre-MSN courses are completed.

Non-Degree Seeking Students

Students with a BSN and a valid Florida nursing license may be permitted to take up to two graduate-level nursing courses at the discretion of the program director. Non-degree seeking students are permitted to take classes only on a space-available basis, with priority registration going to current degree-seeking MSN students. Those interested must apply to the University as a non-degree seeking student. Being granted permission to take classes as a non-degree-seeking student does not assure admission into the MSN program. Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for University or federal financial aid. International students are not eligible for non-degree-seeking student status.

Post-Master’s Admission

A student with a previously earned MSN may apply for admission to the post-master’s program to complete requirements for the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) or Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) concentration. Students will be individually evaluated to determine required coursework. There must be evidence from the previous master’s program of courses fulfilling UT requirements. Courses taken more than seven years prior to admission will not be applied toward a post-master’s certificate. Post-MSN students are not eligible for University or federal financial aid.

Transfer Credit Policy

A maximum of nine graduate-level credit hours may be taken at other regionally accredited institutions. No credits taken more than seven years prior to application will be accepted for transfer credit.