BSN to DNP - Nurse Practitioner Admissions Requirements

Minimum Admissions Criteria for the BSN-DNP Nurse Practitioner

1. A baccalaureate degree in nursing earned from an accredited program. Applicants must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
2. A completed basic statistics course.
3. Evidence of a current unencumbered Texas nursing licensure or eNLC license without stipulations..
4. One year of professional RN experience as determined by track:

   Track	Experience Requirement
   Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner	One year of clinical experience as a registered nurse
   Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner	One year of ICU experience as a registered nurse
   Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner	One year of experience as a psychiatric registered nurse

5. BLS certification.
6. International applicants must submit an official copy of the TOEFL score results. TOEFL scores can be no more than two (2) years old and a minimum score of 550 is required on the paper exam, 213 on the computer exam, and 87 on the internet-based exam. 

How to Apply

In order for an application to be considered complete, the following materials must be submitted on or before the application deadline.

• A completed online application for admission and $60.00 non-refundable application fee.
• Official copy of your transcript from each post-secondary institution attended. If you have attended any school within UTHealth system the transcript will be retrieved on your behalf.
• Three (3) satisfactory academic/professional references. Supply individual references with an applicant letter of reference form (pdf).
• A course-by-course evaluation of international credentials by Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) for individuals with degrees from outside the US.
• A professional curriculum vitae or resume. 

Admission Criteria

In order to more clearly reflect Cizik School of Nursing's diversity within its educational environment, the School’s admission policy makes explicit the multiplicity of factors taken into consideration in the admissions process. These admission factors are not assigned a specific weight or point value. The School of Nursing considers the totality of each application and gives consideration to several factors.

The Review and Notification Process

After submission, the application and all supporting materials will be delivered to the Cizik School of Nursing Student Affairs Office. Files marked as complete will be forwarded to the faculty for review. Select students will be invited for interview; writing samples may be required at the time of interview. Once interviews are conducted, the faculty will make admission decisions; at that time the file can be accepted, denied, or waitlisted. All candidates are notified via postal mail and email. The decision will also be available for view through the MyUTH portal.

Pre-enrollment Requirements

If admitted, enrollment is contingent upon successful completion of immunization screening, immigration status clearance, documentation of BLS,  certification, documentation of Texas nursing license (oreNLC) and clearance of the mandatory criminal background check and drug screening. 

If admission is offered, the full year of RN experience must be completed before the start of the first semester. 

Essential Skills in Nursing

Nurses must be able to demonstrate cognitive skills in critical thinking and logical/analytical thinking. Nurses must also have psychomotor skills, including fine motor dexterity, physical strength, coordination, and proper body mechanics. Observational skills are also required, such as the ability to hear within the normal decibel range, the ability to read English in regular to extra-fine print, and the ability to palpate/auscultate.