Program eligibility requirements
Applicants must meet the requirements listed for admission to the ELMSN program at Metropolitan State University.
- Applicants must have completed a non-nursing baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants whose degrees are from a non-US college or university shall have their degrees evaluated by a credentials evaluation service to determine equivalency to a US baccalaureate degree.
- Applicants must have a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA for all previous post-secondary study and degrees, including any courses completed that did not lead directly to a completed degree.
- Applicants must complete the four science prerequisites of chemistry, human anatomy, human physiology and microbiology with their lab components prior to the application deadline, and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher across these four requirements.
- If an admission offer is made, the remaining prerequisites must be completed with a grade of C of better by the start of the program, as indicated by an official transcript submitted to the Department of Nursing prior to the start of the program.
- All courses must be at least three (3) semester credits, with the exception of Nutrition which must be at least two (2) semester credits.
- Courses taken under the quarter system must be at least four (4) quarter credits for the 3 semester credit prerequisites and three (3) quarter credits for the 2 semester credit Nutrition course.
- Applicants must achieve a grade of C or above in prerequisite courses and a cumulative GPA of 3.0.
Prerequisite Courses
- Chemistry with laboratory component
- Human Anatomy with laboratory component
- Human Physiology with laboratory component
- Microbiology with laboratory component
- Nutrition
- Lifespan psychology
- Medical Ethics
- Statistics course (college level), which must be completed no more than 4 years prior to the date of program application.
Application instructions
Class size is limited up to 32 students so admission is competitive. The selection process is based on cumulative GPA, prerequisite grades, and evaluation of applicant essay. The Nursing Department Admission/Retention Committee will begin review of completed applications once the application deadline has passed.
Deadline
Applications must be verified by 11:59 p.m. ET on the deadline date. Application deadline date is January 15.Â
The ELMSN program admits students every Fall.  Applicants meeting the application deadline should anticipate an early April admission decision to start in the Fall of the following calendar year (i.e. April 2024 to begin August 2024).
Applications not complete by the final deadline will be cancelled.
Application
The Entry Level MSN (ELMSN) program is using NursingCAS for processing applications. To begin the application process, go to https://nursingcas.liaisoncas.org/apply/. Select the term you are seeking admission for and click apply. Create or log into your account, then select the Metropolitan State University Entry Level MSN program. Carefully review all instructions and complete all sections of the application.
Applications can only be verified once all payments, transcripts, and the essay have been received. To ensure your application is verified on time, try to complete your application at least four weeks before the deadline.
Review the ELMSN Applicant Policies before submitting your application materials. To be considered for full admission to the Entry Level Master of Science Nursing program, you must submit all items listed below, by the application deadline.
Application Process
- Complete the NursingCAS Application
- Request that official transcripts from all US institutions attended be sent to NursingCAS
- Upload an essay focused on the essay questions in the Documents section of NursingCAS (see details in this section for essay questions)
- Answer Supplemental Questions
Statistics completion: Students are required to complete a statistics course no more than 4 years before application deadline.
International Applicants: Request that official evaluations of transcripts from all foreign institutions be sent to NursingCAS as follows:
- Use the World Education Services (WES) link in the Academic History section of the application to order your official WES evaluation or
- Use the “Download Evaluation Request Form” in the Academic History section of the application to request an evaluation from an evaluation service other than WES
Prerequisites:
- All prerequisites must be at least three semester credits, or at least four quarter credits, with the exception of the Nutrition course, which must be at least 2 semester credits or at least three quarter credits, and be taken at an accredited college or university. A grade of C or better is required for all prerequisite courses.
- The four (primary) prerequisites of chemistry, human anatomy, human physiology, and microbiology must be completed prior to the application deadline (with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better).Â
- Chemistry (with laboratory component)
- Human anatomy (with laboratory component)
- Human physiology (with laboratory component)
- Microbiology (with laboratory component)
- The four (secondary) prerequisites of lifespan growth and development, medical ethics, nutrition, and statistics may be pending at the application deadline. If an admission offer is made, the remaining prerequisites must be completed with a grade of C or better by the start of the program. To verify successful completion, official transcripts must be submitted to the Nursing Department prior to the start of the program.Â
- Lifespan growth and development (course must cover the entire lifespan)
- Medical Ethics
- Nutrition
- Statistics (college level), which must be completed no more than 4 years prior to the date of program application
- Admission Essay
- A three-page word-processed essay using double-spacing and 12-point font (approximately 750 words) addressing the following:Â
- An important part of the Metropolitan State University Nursing Department's mission is to enhance the health of underserved and diverse populations.
- Describe how your talents, experiences, and/or cultural background have:Â
- prepared you to support our mission
- prepared you for graduate education
- Describe your anticipated professional goals after completing this program and attaining registered nurse licensure.
- 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. Applicant essays are subject to plagiarism review, including the use of plagiarism detecting software. The consequences for essay plagiarism will be decided by the Nursing Department's Admission/Retention Committee and could result in various consequences, including the full denial of an application.
- Applicants are encouraged to review language regarding plagiarism found in the Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures.
- A three-page word-processed essay using double-spacing and 12-point font (approximately 750 words) addressing the following:Â
Questions about application requirements, or the ELMSN program in general, can be sent to Sandi Gerick at sandi.gerick@metrostate.edu.
Mailing address
700 East Seventh Street
Saint Paul, MN 55106-5000
Nursing Entry Level Master of Science in Nursing (ELMSN)
College of Nursing and Health Sciences Metropolitan State-Saint Paul Campus
700 East Seventh Street
Saint Paul, MN 55106-5000
651-793-1375