DNP Program Admissions

UC College of Nursing uses a rolling admissions process and closes the application window when the program reaches capacity. Individuals who submit their application by the priority deadline have the best chance of acceptance.

Part 1 deadlines reflect the date when all NursingCAS application materials, except transcripts and references, must be submitted. Transcripts and references are due a month after the posted part 1 deadline. More details are provided in the Apply to UC section of this page.

Online Programs: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, Family Nurse Practitioner, Occupational Health Nursing, Psychiatric-Mental Health, Public Health Nursing, Systems Leadership, Post-MSN DNP

Hybrid Programs: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care*, Pediatric Acute Care*

On-campus Program: Nurse Anesthesia

*These programs are limited to residents of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana and include on-campus requirements. See program pages for details and frequency.

Because of individual state regulations, the college cannot accept applications for online or hybrid DNP programs from individuals who plan to live in the following states while a student. (These restrictions do not apply to the college's on-site programs.)

• Arizona
• Louisiana
• Massachusetts
  
• New York
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
  
• Tennessee
  
• Washington

Kansas: Effective March 1, 2025, the Kansas State Board of Nursing made a change to their licensure education requirements for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). Additional information can be found on the organization's website. 

• Applicants who are admitted to an APRN program that leads to licensure will be provided a revised plan to include an additional variable credit course (NURS8098: Clinical Elective) to complete the difference in clinical hours required by the University of Cincinnati and the Kansas State Board of Nursing (if applicable). The number of credit hours for this course will vary based on the number of clinical hours needed to meet licensure education requirements. Further guidance, including an individualized plan of study, will be provided for admitted students.
  
  
• This change doesn't apply to non-APRN specialties: Systems Leadership, Public Health Nursing, Occupational Health Nursing and Nursing Education.

Washington: The University of Cincinnati is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission to provide practice experiences in the state of Washington for the following programs:

• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
  
• Family Nurse Practitioner
  
• Nurse Midwifery
  
• Systems Leadership
• Women's Health

For all DNP programs, except Nurse Anesthesia, the following admission requirements apply. For requirements specific to the Nurse Anesthesia program, visit Nurse Anesthesia Admissions.

• Current, active, unrestricted RN license
• A Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an ACEN (formerly NLNAC) or CCNE accredited school of nursing
• For Post-MSN DNP applicants only: an MSN or MS in Nursing from an ACEN or CCNE accredited school of nursing
  
• For most programs, at least one year of RN experience at the time of application submission
  
• Recommended BSN GPA of 3.25 or higher
  
• Science GPA of 3.0 or higher on 4.0 scale (not required for Nursing Administration applicants)
• Statistics course with a 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
  
• GRE scores (optional):
  
  • 150 or higher for Verbal Reasoning preferred
  • 150 or higher on Quantitative Reasoning preferred
  • 4.0 or higher on Writing preferred

Final admission decisions are based on the applicant's experience, references, test scores (if applicable), GPA and the recommendation of the interviewers. Applicants who do not meet all of the requirements, but whose credentials reveal potential ability for doctoral-level study, are reviewed on an individual basis.

The college’s DNP application includes four parts: 1. a NursingCAS application, 2. transcripts and recommendations submission, 3. a UC Graduate School application, and 4. an interview. If you have questions throughout the process, contact our Office of Student Recruitment at 513-558-8400 or nursingbearcats@uc.edu.

All application materials, including transcripts, must be submitted to NursingCAS, not the University of Cincinnati. The NursingCAS application includes instructions for ordering electronic transcripts for submission, which most institutions allow. If your institution does not allow this, request the issuing institution mail your transcripts directly to NursingCAS, P.O. Box 9201, Watertown, MA 02471. Materials must be received by the posted deadline.

Enter the following information:

• Resume or CV
• State verification of a current, active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) licensure with no disciplinary action
  
• Personal statement
• Completed coursework from your previous institution
  • Enter your courses, or use the Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) service (recommended for applicants applying close to the deadline). More information is included below under Coursework Entry.

The NursingCAS application includes an $80 processing fee. (This does not include the PTE fee, if applicable.)

Submit the following information in NursingCAS:

• Official transcripts from all schools previously attended, including community colleges and two- and four-year colleges and universities (High school transcripts are not required.)
  
• Contact information for a minimum of three individuals who will provide recommendations
• English proficiency scores (required for some international applicants)

Once your NursingCAS application reaches verified status, you will receive an email with a link to apply to the UC Graduate School. This application includes a separate $65 submission fee ($70 for international applicants).

If selected to move forward in the admission process, you will receive an invitation to a web-based interview, facilitated through Kira Talent, an online interview service. The process includes a series of prompts to which you will respond via recorded video and written uploads.

• $500 non-refundable matriculation fee submitted within 15 business days of the release of the applicant's acceptance letter
  
• Current immunizations (required the semester before clinicals begin; applies to all students)
• Computer with Internet access
• Admitted students are expected to network within their community to secure acceptable preceptors and clinical sites. Considering clinical activity in additional states where the University of Cincinnati is authorized offers more opportunities to secure acceptable preceptors and clinical sites. 
  
• Admitted students must hold a current, active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) licensure with no disciplinary action. If admitting program requires clinical experiences (practica and internships), RN licensure must be in the state where clinical experiences are completed.
• Admitted students who plan on changing their state of residency must notify their faculty advisors immediately via email, to ensure that the University of Cincinnati holds state authorization in the destination state and clinical experiences are not affected by the move. Students agree to make appropriate and timely updates to their address information in Catalyst (University of Cincinnati’s student information system), as soon as a decision to relocate is made.