Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program Admissions
Application Deadlines
UC College of Nursing’s graduate programs use a rolling-admissions process and close the application window when programs reach capacity. Individuals who submit their application by the priority deadline have the best chance of acceptance.
| Spring '25 |
Summer '25 |
Fall '25 |
|---|---|---|
Oct. 15 (Submission deadline) Nov. 15 (Verification deadline) |
Mar. 15 (Submission deadline) Apr. 1 (Verification deadline) |
June 1 (Submission deadline) July 1 (Verification deadline) |
| Note: The MSN in Adult-Gero Acute Care NP, Neonatal NP and Systems Leadership programs admit for the fall semester start only. |
||
Online Programs: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, Family Nurse Practitioner, Systems Leadership, Nurse Midwifery, Neonatal, Women's Health
On-Campus: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care
State Restrictions
Online Programs
As a result of state boards of nursing and the U.S. Department of Education's higher education regulation changes, UC College of Nursing cannot accept applications for our online programs — Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Administration, Nurse Midwifery and Women's Health — from students who live in the following states:
- Arizona
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
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
- Nursing Administration
- Women's Health
Neonatal NP Program
Individuals in the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner online program must reside in Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana.
Admission Requirements
- A current, active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) licensure with no disciplinary action
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an ACEN- (formerly NLNAC) or CCNE-accredited nursing school.
- In general, at least 1 year of RN experience at the time of application (Experience requirements vary by specialty. For details, view respective specialty program pages.)
- Overall BSN GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale (recommended)
- Science GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale (not required for Nursing Administration and Nursing Education program applicants)
- Statistics course with a 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
Apply to UC
The college’s application includes three parts: 1. a NursingCAS application, 2. transcripts and recommendations submission, and 3. a UC Graduate School application. If you have questions throughout the process, contact our Office of Student Recruitment at 513-558-8400 or nursingbearcats@uc.edu.
Part 1: NursingCAS Application
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 RN license verification and 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 a $80 processing fee. (This does not include the PTE fee, if applicable.)
More Details
Send all transcripts to NursingCAS. Do not send to the University of Cincinnati. For instructions, visit NursingCAS Transcript Assistance.
- We strongly recommended you order transcripts at least one month prior to the application deadline.
- Transcripts must verify a Bachelor of Science in Nursing conferred from a regionally and ACEN (formerly NLNAC) or CCNE accredited institution.
- The Transcript Matching Form in the NursingCAS application is not required. This form helps ensure transcripts are matched to the correct application. If your previous institution allows you to use the form, we encourage you to do so.
- List any former names in the "Biographic Information" portion of your NursingCAS application to ensure your transcript uploads properly.
- International transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services (WES) (preferred), or another NACES member.
- You may use an official or unofficial transcript to complete your coursework entry in the NursingCAS system. You must enter all courses from every higher education institution attended.
- Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) is an optional, paid service whereby a NursingCAS specialist enters coursework on an applicant's behalf.
- PTE will not begin until all transcripts are received.
- After PTE is complete, applicants receive an email prompting them to log in and approve the entry. The application verification process will not begin without approval of transcript entry.
Upload English Proficiency Scores to your NursingCAS application. Do not send scores to the University of Cincinnati. (This requirement is waived, if you have a U.S. higher education degree or were born in a country where English is the first language.)
International applicants are responsible for ensuring that their visa status meets program requirements and that online course requirements adhere to sponsored funding requirements. For additional information, visit the UC Graduate School International Student Admissions website.
Please note: Our Adult-Gerontology Acute Care MSN program does not provide enough on-campus courses to support an F-1 visa. For more information, contact UC International Services. The College of Nursing cannot advise on international student matters.
How to submit your IELTS Test Scores through NursingCAS
The University of Cincinnati is registered to receive IELTS scores electronically through NursingCAS. We do not accept unofficial copies of IELTS Test Report Forms from applicants. An institution code is not required.
IELTS Taken in a Test Center
Inform your IELTS test center that you wish to send your results to us. You can do this during the test booking process by selecting NursingCAS or asking your test center to select NursingCAS after you receive your results. IELTS results are sent to us electronically. If you take your IELTS test in the USA and want to send your result to us after your test date, submit this online form.
If your test center has closed, you can submit a request to send your IELTS to additional organizations by filling out the Application for Additional TRFs (from Closed Test Centers) Form. This service is available for up to two years after your test date.
IELTS Online
Send your results to NursingCAS using the IELTS test-taker portal. You can send your IELTS results to as many organizations as you wish with no additional fee. IELTS Online results are provided in an electronic format.
Part 2: Transcripts & Recommendations
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)
Part 3: UC Graduate School Application
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).
Post-Acceptance Requirements
- $300 non-refundable matriculation fee submitted within 15 business days of the release of the applicant's acceptance letter
- Current immunizations (required for all students the semester before clinical experiences begin)
- 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.
Federal regulations require the University of Cincinnati to publicly disclose whether completion of certain programs that lead or may lead to professional licensure or certification would meet a given state’s educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification required for employment in an occupation (regardless of whether the program is on-ground, online, or hybrid). To learn whether a University program meets a given state’s educational requirements, please visit the University of Cincinnati State Authorization webpage.