MEPN Admission Criteria and Application Instructions

Applicants to the Master’s Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) submit their application through NursingCAS, a Centralized Nursing Application system. This service allows you to provide necessary application materials (including their references, transcripts and resume) to a centralized repository, which makes it easier to manage your application. The application is live August 15 through October 15 annually.

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The application deadline is October 15 for fall admission.

Admission Criteria for the MEPN Program

• Bachelor's degree from an approved, accredited college or university
• Completion of the required prerequisite courses
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Completion of the Centralized Nursing Application (Nursing CAS)
• One official transcript from each college or university you've attended
• Three professional recommendations related to academics and work (paid and volunteer)
• A resume describing the nature, scope and areas of responsibility of all work experience, including any volunteer or paid healthcare-related experience
• A minimum of 100 hours as a volunteer in a hospital setting observing registered nurses in practice
• An interview (qualified applicants will be contacted to interview based on initial review of their application)
• Evidence of specified immunizations and screening tests, recent physical examination, and BLS (CPR) certification if admitted into the program
• If you're an international applicant, you'll need to meet additional requirements for admission

Program Prerequisites

The following nursing prerequisites must be completed prior to beginning the Master's Entry Program in Nursing. A minimum grade of "B" is required in the science prerequisites.

Prerequisite Courses

• Human Anatomy*
• Human Physiology*
• Microbiology*
• Psychology (Introduction, General or Developmental)
• Introduction to Cultural Anthropology or Introduction to Sociology
• English Composition
• Introduction to Speech, Introduction to Public Speaking or Introduction to Oral Communication
• Statistics
• Nutrition

* Courses must include a lab

Application Instructions

• NursingCAS Application

  To apply, you'll use an application called NursingCAS. It allows you to submit all the necessary materials in a centralized online repository, so it's easier for you to manage your application. 

  Applicants are encouraged to start the application process in early (September) to ensure the supporting documentation is matched to the application by October 15. The application opens on August 15 annually.

  NursingCAS Help Center

• College/University Transcripts

  Applicants must submit one official transcript from each college or university attended. This includes transcripts from community colleges, summer courses and/or graduate work.

  Individual transcripts must be obtained from each college attended. Transcripts are mailed directly to NursingCAS from your college or university. NursingCAS accepts official transcripts sent electronically from Credentials Solutions, Parchment, and National Student Clearinghouse. 

  Mail Transcripts via USPS to:
  NursingCAS
  Transcript Department
  P.O. Box 9201
  Watertown, MA 02471
  Email: nursingcasinfo@nursingcas.org
  (617) 612-2880
  
  Mail Transcripts via UPS, FedEx or Any Other Service Other Than USPS:
  NursingCAS Transcript Department
  311 Arsenal Street, Suite #15
  Watertown, MA 02472

• Letters of Recommendation

  Applicants are required to submit three letters of recommendation. These recommendations give us a professional evaluation of an applicant's potential academic success in graduate study. So you'll want to request your letters of recommendation from a combination of professors, employers, registered nurses and/or volunteer supervisors. Don't submit personal recommendations—just professional. 
  
  All references must be completed electronically through NursingCAS. Designate your references early in the application process. We strongly encourage you to enter your reference information first to expedite their receipt of the reference request. Since NursingCAS reference requests may be caught by spam filters, it's a good idea to contact your reference in advance and ask them to allow their email systems to “permit” the NursingCAS reference mail address: nursingcasinfo@nursingcas.org

• Statement of Purpose/Essay

  The essay required of all candidates is intended to give us a better understanding of you as a person and your desire to be a Registered Nurse. It also provides a sample of your writing ability. Please read the guidelines noted in the application.

• Resume

  You'll need to submit a resume describing the nature, scope and areas of responsibility of all work experience. Be sure to note any volunteer or paid health-care related experience. Please upload the resume in the NursingCAS application. You're not required to complete the section of the application listing all employment. The resume will cover this.

• Volunteer Hours

  Please submit a letter of verification from the hospital where the volunteer hours were completed. A log of hours is also acceptable. The letter and/or log is uploaded into the NursingCAS application under the Program Requirements section. If your volunteer hours are in progress, please submit a log showing the number of hours you have completed to date.

• Interview

  We'll reach out to qualified applicants to schedule an interview based on initial review of their application.

• International Applicants

  If you submit foreign credentials with an application for graduate study, they’re required to be evaluated by World Education Services. The evaluation is mailed to the USD Office of Graduate Admissions and NursingCAS.

• Test of English as a Foreign Language

  If you're not from an English speaking country, you'll need to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). 
  
  The University of San Diego's minimum scores are:
  
  TOEFL
  237 on the computer-based test
  580 on the paper-based test
  83 on the internet-based test
  
  IELTS
  Band score 7