Admissions Requirements

In order to be eligible for admission, applicants must have: 

• 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 departmental conditions.
• Domestic applicants must hold a valid, current nursing license in a U.S. state. International applicants must be licensed as a nurse in their country of origin, if licensure is available. However, if students will be involved in any direct patient care activities, they must obtain a valid current nursing license in the state in which patient care activities will occur.
• BS to PhD: Graduation from an accredited baccalaureate program in nursing or another field.
• Post MS to PhD: Graduation from master's program. Additional courses may be required for those whose master's degree is outside of nursing.
• International applicants will follow the Graduate Admission Process, following the roles of the academic unit, the Graduate School, and the guidelines enforced by International Students and Scholars (ISS) Office including visa requirements (Click here)
• Personal Interview
• English Proficiency requirements for the PhD Program can be found here.

Completing the Application

• Complete the PhD application here, in Slate.
• Two succinct 500-1000 word essays:
  
  • A statement of purpose concerning your interest in pursuing a PhD, your reasons for wanting to study at Purdue, description of your research interests and explanation of how your interests align with expertise of specific faculty with whom you would like to work, and your professional plans and career goals. You also may explain any special circumstances applicable to your background and elaborate on your special abilities, awards, achievements, scholarly publications, and/or professional history.
  • A personal history statement to help reviewers learn more about you as a whole person and as a potential graduate student. This may include relevant details on community service, leadership roles, participation in diverse teams, and significant barriers that you overcame to attend graduate school.
    1. Describe how your background and life experiences contribute to your ability to be both persistent and resourceful in graduate school.
    2. Describe how your life experiences have prepared you to contribute to an academic community where scholars with diverse research interests, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences are supported, respected, and valued. 
    3. Optional: Please address concerns you may have that your academic record does not reflect your true capabilities and discuss mitigating factors that have affected your academic record. Reviewers will be interested in understanding your accomplishments relative to your opportunities.
• Official (original) transcripts are required from each school attended. 
• Provide three letters of recommendation evaluating scholarly potential. 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 substituted for the professor. Letters of recommendation should discuss the applicants’ strengths and weaknesses and potential for success in graduate school, including examples that demonstrate the applicant’s work ethic, character, and academic accomplishments.
• A curriculum vita or resume must be included. 

If you do not meet the basic requirements described above, please contact our graduate program staff to discuss your application and interest in the PhD program.