Advanced Practice Nursing Programs Admissions

Applications for full-time study will be given priority admission consideration. Transferring from full-time to part-time study may be done on a space-available basis with permission of the appropriate program director. The school cannot guarantee required courses will be available in the needed sequence when students move to part-time status.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must meet the following admission requirements:

• Graduation from an accredited baccalaureate program in nursing. International students must graduate from a nursing program that has undergone comparable review per AACN Baccalaureate Essentials criteria and must score a minimum of 100 on the computer-based TOEFL.
• A minimum undergraduate nursing cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0 on a four-point scale or equivalent "B" average. Note: Applicants not meeting this criterion may be considered for conditional enrollment status.
• Evidence of current registered nurse licensure in the state of Indiana.
• Evidence of successful completion (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) of an upper division statistics course (STAT 301, SOC 382, SOC 581, STAT 501, STAT 511, or other course deemed comparable by the Graduate Admissions Committee.) taken within the last 5 years. Alternatively, one may be taken concurrently with the first semester of graduate coursework.

Application Procedure

The Purdue Graduate School application must be completed electronically; send all other materials to:

Attn: Graduate Admissions Committee
School of Nursing, Johnson Hall
502 N. University St.
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907

The following documents must be submitted:

1. The Graduate School Application Form.
2. Official (original) transcripts from each school attended.
3. The Statement of Purpose should be 300-500 words and address all elements described below. Statements that do not include all required elements will not be reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Committee.
   • Reasons for wanting to undertake or continue graduate study.
   • Description of your academic and career goals.
   • Explanation of how your goals align with expertise of SPECIFIC faculty (DNP applicants only).
   • Brief accounting of your professional history, achievements and abilities that make you a strong candidate for graduate study.
   • Description of how you intend to manage full-time or part-time study (specify one) along with your existing professional and personal time obligations.
4. Three letters of recommendation should address the applicant’s clinical ability, work experience, professional nursing contributions, and potential for success in graduate school. (At least one recommendation must be from a professor of nursing.  If the applicant has been out of school for more than five years, a letter from a direct manager may be submitted for the professor).
5. A curriculum vita or resume.
6. A copy of your current registered nurse license.

All electronic transcripts must be sent to gradadm@purdue.edu.

Application Deadline

The MS, BSN-DNP, and Graduate Certificate programs have three different Admission Cycles with three different application deadlines. The expectation is that all spots for the programs will be filled in December by reviewing applications from Cycle 1.

All applications are reviewed AFTER the cycle deadline and admission offers extended.

Due to Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certificate students starting in May, they must apply either in Cycle 1 or Cycle 2.

The goal of the School of Nursing Graduate School is to fill all spots with quality applicants as soon as possible. To increase your chance of gaining admissions it is advisable to complete your application prior to the Priority Cycle 1 deadline. There is a chance that you could be put on a waitlist. Waitlist applicants will hear final responses by May 1^st. The SON admits the most qualified applicants. 

*Cycle 2 and 3 will only be available if spots are remaining after Cycle 1.

**The PhD Admissions Committee reviews completed applications as they are received.

Action on Admissions

• The Admissions Committee will select the best qualified applicants based on a composite assessment of:
  • Academic performance in all coursework taken, with particular emphasis on the sciences (because of their relationship to assessing analytical problem-solving abilities), patterns of course withdrawals and course repeats, and the nature of general education course selections.
  • Applicant-supplied information and statements on the application form.
  • Recommenders' statements.
  • Personal interview with faculty, as invited.
  • Writing and verbal communication skills.
  • Applicant's initiative to seek out firsthand knowledge about various nursing practice environments.
  • Completeness of application forms.
• All applicants will initially be reviewed for evidence of basic qualifications for admission to the program. If the admissions committee has questions for an applicant, that applicant may be contacted for a personal interview.
• All interviews will be conducted on the West Lafayette campus. Letters of invitation for an interview will specify the date and time.
• Admissions will be granted to the most highly qualified applicants. The next most highly qualified applicants will have their names placed on a waiting list.
• Some students may not be admitted. They will be referred to appropriate advising offices for assistance.

Confirmation of Admission

If you receive an offer of admission to the School of Nursing, it must be accepted within 14 days after the date of the letter of offer.