Doctor of Nursing Practice, D.N.P. Admission Requirements
Qualifications
Applicants for the DNP Program must have:
- A Master of Science in Nursing degree from a nationally accredited nursing
program and regionally accredited college or university.
- An overall GPA on all college work attempted of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
(Provisional admission may be considered if the overall GPA is 2.75-2.99
depending upon space available and other qualifications).
- A minimum overall nursing GPA or a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- A Personal Essay: Submit a personal essay (APA format, and no more than 5
pages). Please see the Guidelines for Writing the Personal Statement (DNP).
- Transfer students must provide a letter of good standing from the Nursing
program in which currently enrolled or left incomplete.
- An active, unrestricted RN license in at least one state at the time of application
(and licensure in the state in which they plan to complete clinical immersion).
For advanced practice nurse applicants, requirements also include:
Completion of a nationally accredited Master of Science in Nursing Program
meeting the AANC 2011 Master’s Essentials, national advanced practice certification,
and graduate transcripts evaluated for equivalence to WVU School of Nursing
courses in:
- Advanced Pathophysiology
- Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics
- Advanced Health Assessment
- Research Process/statistics
- Quality & Safety
- Informatics
- Nursing Theory
For applicants who are pursuing a DNP with a leadership focus, requirements
include: Completion of a nationally accredited Master of Science in Nursing
Program meeting the AANC 2011 Master’s Essentials, and graduate transcripts
evaluated for equivalence to WVU School of Nursing courses in:
- Research Process/statistics
- Quality & Safety
- Informatics
- Nursing Theory
Students who are completing certain prerequisite courses may be offered admission;
however, the offer will be rescinded if the courses are not completed prior
to the first day of classes.
To be considered, applicants will be required to meet all WVU admission requirements
in addition to program specific admission criteria.
Competitive applicants will be invited for an on-campus interview. Applicants
will not be admitted without an interview.
Students must satisfactorily complete background checks and drug screens upon
admission.
New program applicants with a positive drug screen will be ineligible for admission
to the program and will forfeit their admission "seat." Please see the WVU
SON Drug and Alcohol Screening Policy and the Health Information and Credential
Documentation Policy.
Note: Any student who has been dismissed from the West Virginia
University School of Nursing or any other nursing program may be considered
for readmission if the dismissal was academic and was followed by successful
completion of an additional degree. Any student who has withdrawn from the
WVU School of Nursing program may be considered for readmission. Students
may apply for readmission in accordance with the following guidelines and
criteria but must follow the standard admission procedures. Students must
meet all original admission requirements.
Apply To WVU
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until July 1 for a Fall term start
date. Acceptance is dependent upon space available in the program.
- Click on the Apply Now button below.
- Please select the following options on the New Application screen:
- Type of Student: Professional
- Which Program: Nursing DNP
- On the Supplemental Materials screen, you will upload the following:
- Current curriculum vita or resume
- Professional goals statement. View the guidelines on writing the statement.
Apply Now
Request Official Transcripts from All Colleges and Universities Attended
Request an official transcript of records from each college or university attended.
- It is preferred that official transcripts be sent via an online, secure service
such as
eScrip-Safe,
National Student Clearinghouse, or
Parchment to
graduateadmissions@mail.wvu.edu.
- Alternatively, sealed, untampered, physical official transcripts can be sent
directly to: WVU Graduate Admissions, P.O. Box 6510, Morgantown, WV 26506-6510.
- Applicants who completed prior education outside of the U.S. must have their
transcripts evaluated by
World Education Services (WES). Please request a "course-by-course"
International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP).
Acceptance
Candidates for admission are evaluated on the entire admission packet. The
WVU School of Nursing accepts new DNP students on a rolling admission basis
and will review all qualified applications based on admission criteria. Acceptance
is dependent upon space available in the program with the most qualified
applicants being accepted at the time of review. Decisions will be emailed
to students. Accepted students will receive information regarding orientation
and course registration.
Students will be evaluated based on the following:
- Nursing GPA
- Work Experience
- Professional Writing Statement Score
- Overall GPA
Clinical rotations with approved preceptors in the final year of your program
must be arranged with course faculty. Due to potential preceptor limitations,
students may have to travel out of their local areas to their clinical sites
and are required to provide their own reliable transportation.
In programs with limited capacity and competitive admissions, the most qualified
students are selected among those that meet the minimum requirements. Students
who want to appeal the Undergraduate or Graduate Admissions Committee decision
as unfair, arbitrary, or capricious may contact the director of Admissions
and Enrollment for the School of Nursing. The request will be forwarded to
the program director for consideration, and the student will receive detailed
information regarding the formal appeal process.