Post-MSN Certificate Program Admissions
Deadlines
The application window could close early, if program capacity is reached.
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.
| 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 Post-MSN Certificate programs in Adult-Gero Acute Care NP, Neonatal NP and Pediatric Acute Care admit for the fall semester start only. | ||
Online Programs: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care*, Family Nurse Practitioner, Psych-Mental Health
On-Campus/Hybrid Programs: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care*, Neonatal*, Pediatric Acute Care*
*Due to state nursing board restrictions, these programs are limited to residents of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana and include on-campus requirements. See program pages for details and frequency.
State Restrictions
Online Programs
Our post-master's certificate online programs — except Adult-Gero Acute Care (see next section) — are approved to admit students from all states, except:
- 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 Post-MSN Certificate programs:
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric-Mental Health
For more information, visit the state's Department of Health site.
The program meets requirements for licensure in all other states. We highly recommend applicants who reside outside of Ohio contact the appropriate state licensing agency for information and guidance before beginning the program. State licensing board contact information is available on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing site.
Onsite/Hybrid Programs and Adult-Gero Primary Care Online
Individuals in the following post-master's certificate programs must reside in Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana during the program:
- Adult-Gero Acute Care
- Adult-Gero Primary Care
- Neonatal
- Pediatric Acute Care
Cincinnati Metro-Area Residents
Individuals who reside in the following counties seeking admission to the Family Nurse Practitioner program must apply using the Cincinnati Metro application in NursingCAS. Students in these onsite programs can complete 100% of their coursework online.
Ohio
- Butler
- Hamilton
- Clermont
- Warren
Kentucky
- Boone
- Campbell
- Kenton
Required Prior Coursework
To learn more about prior coursework required for eligibility to take the certification exam after graduation, visit our Required Prior Coursework page.
Application Requirements
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. If you have questions, contact our Office of Student Recruitment at 513-558-8400 or nursingbearcats@uc.edu.
Applicants must submit the following in NursingCAS:
- Resume or CV
- Personal statement
- Three or more letters of recommendation (You will enter names and contact information in NursingCAS. Individuals will receive a notification inviting them to complete a recommendation for you.)
- A current, active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) licensure with no disciplinary action, downloaded from your state's RN verification website (Ohio residents, visit elicense.ohio.gov/oh_verifylicense.)
- Transcripts from every higher education institution attended (including College Credit Plus and Dual Enrollment) are to be sent directly to NursingCAS, not the University of Cincinnati. Detailed instructions on how to send your transcripts to NursingCAS are available at the NursingCAS Help with Transcripts website.
- NursingCAS application fee of $80
Following your NursingCAS application submission:
Twenty-four to 48 hours after your NursingCAS application reaches "verified" status, you will receive an email from the UC Graduate School to fill out and submit a separate application. This simple step pulls in most of your NursingCAS information. (Do not send materials already included in your NursingCAS application.) Submit this separate application, along with a $20 domestic or $25 international application fee. Once submitted, your application will move forward for review.
Additional Information for NursingCAS
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 Master 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, including community colleges and two- and four-year colleges and universities
(High school transcripts are not required.)
- 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 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.
Post-Acceptance Requirements
- $200 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.