Enrolling in this program
Program eligibility requirements
Entry into the DNP program occurs in one of two ways depending upon your level of nursing preparation.
- The BSN to DNP option is for nurses who have a baccalaureate degree in nursing. Award upon successful completion is the DNP degree with a concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner.
- The ELMSN to DNP option is for nurses who have earned an entry-level master's degree in nursing. Award upon successful completion is the DNP degree with a concentration as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Transcripts must indicate completion of a BS or BA in nursing or Entry Level Master's in Nursing from a an accredited college or university, also accredited by either the National League for Nursing (NLN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Students in their last semester of their baccalaureate program in nursing may apply for conditional admission.
Applicants must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA for all previous post-secondary study and degrees, including any courses completed that did not lead directly to a completed degree.
An interview with DNP faculty will be required.
If accepted into the DNP program, students are required to complete a lower division statistics course (BSN-DNP track) or an approved graduate level statistics course (ELMSN-DNP track) prior to program start. See Applying to the Program for application information, details on the requirements, deadlines and International Student application requirements.
Evaluation of Credentials of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools
Graduates of foreign nursing schools who apply to the nursing program are required to have transcripts evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. The evaluation report will serve as the basis for the transcript evaluation needed for admission to the university and the nursing program.
Applicants must have one year of full-time registered nursing practice experience (equivalent to 2,080 hours) completed by the time of application.
Application instructions
Deadlines
Priority Application Deadline: November 1
Final Application Deadline: February 1
The DNP program admits students every Fall. Applicants meeting the priority application deadline should anticipate an early admission decision to start in the Fall of the following calendar year (i.e. November 1, 2017 to begin August 2018).
Early submission of completed application is highly recommended.
Late applications: The Department of Nursing reserves the right to review applications received after the final deadline up to June 15 to help ensure a full cohort. Highly qualified applicants who have completed the Statistics pre-requisite (see page bottom) and are able to attend the required new student orientation, if admitted, may be invited to submit an application. For more information about applying after the deadline, please contact david.jones2@metrostate.edu.
Application
A complete application file consists of two parts (three for international students).
Part One
- Review the DNP Applicant Policies before starting your application.
- Online Graduate Programs Application: Begin the application process by first completing an Online Graduate Programs Application. If you don’t have a StarID, you will create one at the beginning of the application.
- If you do not have or choose not to provide your Social Security number (SSN) please follow the No SSN instructions to activate your StarID.
- If you encounter difficulty with the online application, email graduate.studies@metrostate.edu.
- $20 non-refundable Application Fee: pay online
- Waived for graduates of Metropolitan State University and for certified veterans.
- Official Transcripts:
- Submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions ever attended. Click “Official Transcripts” for more information on what constitutes an official transcript and how they can be submitted.
- Transcripts showing BS/BA or Entry-Level MS degrees in nursing must be from an accredited institution, also accredited by the National League for Nursing (NLN), the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
- Applicants pursuing a BA/BS whose degree is in progress and who will possess the minimum requirement for full-time nursing practice experience by the time of application must petition for their application to be considered, if their degree will be completed by August 1 of Fall program start. Petition request form and instructions can be obtained by sending an email to david.jones2@metrostate.edu.
- Applicants must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA for all previous post-secondary study and degrees, including any courses completed that did not directly lead to a completed degree.
- All transcripts from non-U.S. schools must be submitted and include a course-by-course transcript evaluation by either ECE (preferred) or WES. We will also accept evaluations from CGFNS. All transcripts and transcript evaluations must be official in order for your application to be considered complete.
- Electronic transcripts should be sent to graduate.studies@metrostate.edu.
- Paper transcripts should be sent directly from the sending institution (preferred) to:
- Metropolitan State University
Attn: Graduate Admissions
700 East Seventh Street
Saint Paul, MN 55106
Part Two
After you have submitted your online application, log in to the Applicant Portal using your StarID and password to enter your references, upload application materials and check on the status of your application. The Applicant Portal will indicate missing application items.
- Evidence of one year of full-time registered nursing practice experience (equivalent to 2,080 hours) completed by the time of application. Using your StarID, upload via the Applicant Portal.
- Documentation from the applicant's employer(s) must be in the form of a letter on official letterhead from the Human Resources department and should include employment full-time equivalency (FTE) and dates of employment.
- The 2,080 hours may have been acquired through multiple part-time positions or a part-time position over a few years (i.e. 0.5 FTE position held for 2 years).
- If submitting multiple employment letters, letters must be scanned into ONE document and uploaded as a single document.
- Applicants who wish to be considered for priority application must meet this criterion by the priority application deadline.
- Two Professional References: Enter reference names and contact information via the Applicant Portal.
- Provide two references from current or former professional sources of people that know you well and can speak to your qualifications for this program, one from each category:
- One faculty member; preferably from your most recent nursing degree.
- One supervisor/employer.
- Individuals you enter as references will receive an auto-generated email containing a link to an electronic recommendation form; the link to the recommendation form is good for 60 days, however, the application deadline may come sooner. Paper forms and letters are not accepted.
- The auto-generated email will come from noreply@so.minnstate.edu (not from the university).
- The subject line of the email will read: "Request for Graduate Studies Admission Recommendation."
- References are advised to use a computer or laptop and Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome to complete the form; not a mobile device or Internet Explorer.
- Remind your references to check their inbox and junk mail.
- Remind your references that the reference needs to be completed and submitted within the 60-day time period and no later than the due date for application (which might be earlier than the 60-day window).
- Editing or entering a new reference or reference email address will generate a subsequent auto-generated email to the reference.
- If an applicant has been out of school for five years or more and a reference can no longer be obtained from a faculty member, an applicant may petition to substitute an additional supervisor recommendation. Petition request form and instructions can be obtained from David Jones, academic advisor, by sending an email to david.jones2@metrostate.edu.
- Admission Essay: Using your StarID, upload the essay using the Applicant Portal. The essay will be reviewed based on congruence of your answer in response to the questions posed, baccalaureate-level writing ability and evidence of critical thinking.
- An important part of the Metropolitan State Department of Nursing’s mission is to enhance the health of underserved and diverse populations. Please submit a word-processed essay (approximately 1500 words), using double-spacing and 12-point font addressing the following questions:
- Describe how you envision the role and scope of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)-prepared Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). Please be sure to address both the doctoral degree preparation and the role of the FNP.
- Describe the practice setting and patient population that you envision working with as a FNP and how this supports Metropolitan State’s mission.
- Describe how you envision utilizing your DNP/FNP education to advance professional nursing.
- Describe how your talents, experiences, and/or academic skills have prepared you to be successful in graduate education at Metropolitan State.
- Applicants are expected to use their own words and ideas when responding to essay questions. To clarify or strengthen a point, applicants may choose to include the thoughts and ideas of others when responding. In these cases, applicants are required to provide proper 6th edition APA citation of the works in which the ideas originated and references for these citations. Applicant essays are subject to plagiarism review, including the use of plagiarism detecting software. The consequences for essay plagiarism will be decided by the Department of Nursing's Admission/Retention Committee and could result in consequences, including the full denial of an application.
- Applicants are encouraged to review language regarding plagiarism found in our Library resources
- Unencumbered License:
- Using your StarID, upload using the Applicant Portal.
- Evidence of current unencumbered RN licensure in one state with eligibility for licensure in Minnesota.
- PDF or an image file of your license or state board login page showing unencumbered license.
- Computer Proficiency:
- Using your StarID, upload using the Applicant Portal.
-
Computer Proficiency Form (PDF)
- A completed computer proficiency form acknowledges awareness of computer proficiency expectations established by the Department of Nursing.
- Statistics completion:Prior to fall program start, all admitted DNP students must have completed an upper division or graduate-level statistics course that is less than five years old with an earned grade of "B" or better. While this course does not have to be completed by the time of application, it is strongly recommended that applicants complete this requirement during the fall or spring semesters prior to program start. For more information about statistics, contact david.jones2@metrostate.edu.
- Post-BSN applicants:This course is intended to fulfill the pre-requisite requirement for STAT 621 which is taken in the first semester of the post-BSN progression. Community college courses are lower division, so the statistics course would need to be junior/senior level or graduate level from a four-year institution. Upper division courses generally start with 3 or 4 (i.e. STAT 301 or MATH 4250), and may also require lower-division pre-requisite courses. Courses that start with a 1 (100 or 1000) or 2 (200 or 2000) do NOT meet this requirement.
- Post-ELMSN applicants:The statistics course must be graduate-level.
Questions about applying to the DNP program?
Questions about the online application fee, transcripts and the document upload function can be sent to graduate.studies@metrostate.edu (preferred) or you can call 651-793-1302.
Questions about Part Two application requirements, or the DNP program in general, can be sent to david.jones2@metrostate.edu (preferred) or you can call 651-793-1356.
