Admissions information for graduate nursing programs

Application Deadlines

Programs with a Fall start date:

• March 1: MS, Advanced Certificate, and DNP (AGPCNP, FNP, PMHNP specialty) programs

Programs with a Summer start date:

• November 1: Nurse Anesthesia DNP program
• December 15: Nursing PhD program

In addition to meeting the general requirements for graduate admission to Hunter College, applicants to nursing graduate programs must meet the following program requirements.

Please note that these are the minimum requirements to be considered for admission—meeting them does not guarantee admission. Some of our programs and specializations receive more applications than we can accept, making admission competitive.

To submit an application, apply online through the Hunter College Office of Graduate Admissions.

MASTER OF SCIENCE (MS) PROGRAM

View Program Specializations

Note: Applications to the Community/Public Health Nursing and Nursing Administration/Urban Policy and Leadership programs are closed at this time.

1. A bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited program with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher (both cumulative and in the nursing major). Please note that grades in all undergraduate coursework—in all institutions attended—are included in computing the cumulative GPA.
2. Completion of a basic statistics course and an undergraduate research course or equivalent. An applicant who does not meet either of these requirements may still be admitted, conditional on completion of the course(s) by the end of their first semester.
3. New York State RN license and current registration.
4. Professional résumé listing education and relevant work experience.
5. At least two years of post-baccalaureate full-time registered nursing experience.
6. Statement of purpose of approximately 500 words that clearly explains your interest in the specialization to which you are applying. Applicants are encouraged to approach this personal statement thoughtfully and to write as clearly as possible. Faculty are particularly interested in a statement that demonstrates a strong understanding of the specialization's focus and your motivations for pursuing it.
7. Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can address your potential for success in graduate studies and in the advanced role you have chosen. Letters that best meet these criteria generally come from nursing instructors and from supervisors, clinical specialists, or other nurses in leadership positions. Letters from co-workers, friends, etc., are generally not helpful in supporting your application for admission.
8. US Citizenship or Permanent Residency status. International applicants needing a J-1 Exchange Visitor or F-1 Student Visa are not eligible to apply to this program.

POST-GRADUATE ADVANCED CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Nursing Education specializations

1. A master's degree in nursing from an accredited program with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher.
2. Completion of a basic statistics course and an undergraduate research course or equivalent. An applicant who does not meet either of these requirements may still be admitted, conditional on completion of the course(s) by the end of their first semester.
3. New York State RN license and current registration.
4. Professional résumé listing education and relevant work experience. While not a firm requirement for admission, 1-2 years of full-time experience as an RN or APRN is preferred.
5. Statement of purpose of approximately 500 words that clearly explains your interest in the specialization to which you are applying. Applicants are encouraged to approach this personal statement thoughtfully and to write as clearly as possible. Faculty are particularly interested in a statement that demonstrates a strong understanding of the specialization's focus and your motivations for pursuing it.
6. Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can address your potential for success in graduate studies and in the advanced role you have chosen. Letters that best meet these criteria generally come from nursing instructors and from supervisors, clinical specialists, or other nurses in leadership positions. Letters from co-workers, friends, etc., are generally not helpful in supporting your application for admission.
7. US Citizenship or Permanent Residency status. International applicants needing a J-1 Exchange Visitor or F-1 Student Visa are not eligible to apply to this program.

DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE (DNP) PROGRAM

The DNP program is open to registered nurses with a bachelor's or master's degree in nursing. Applicants with a prior master's degree in nursing from an accredited program may be admitted with advanced standing. Based on an individual assessment of their prior graduate record, (1) required coursework may be reduced by up to 42 credits for the same or equivalent coursework completed for the master's degree with a grade of B or better; and (2) relevant supervised clinical hours completed for the master's degree may be counted toward the supervised clinical hours required for the DNP degree.

Post-Baccalaureate Applicants

For applicants without a master's degree in nursing from an accredited program:

1. A bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited program with a minimum GPA of 3.5 (both cumulative and in the nursing major). Please note that grades in all undergraduate coursework—in all institutions attended—are included in computing the cumulative GPA.
2. Completion of an undergraduate statistics course and a discrete undergraduate nursing research course.
3. New York State RN license and current registration.
4. At least two years of post-baccalaureate full-time registered nursing experience. For Nurse Anesthesia DNP applicants, this experience must be in critical care.
5. Statement of purpose of approximately 500 words that clearly explains your interest in the specialization to which you are applying. Applicants are encouraged to approach this personal statement thoughtfully and to write as clearly as possible. Faculty are particularly interested in a statement that demonstrates a strong understanding of the specialization's focus and your motivations for pursuing it.
6. Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can address your potential for success in graduate studies and in the advanced role you have chosen. Letters that best meet these criteria generally come from nursing instructors and from supervisors, clinical specialists, or other nurses in leadership positions. Letters from co-workers, friends, etc., are generally not helpful in supporting your application for admission.
7. Satisfactory interview.
8. US Citizenship or Permanent Residency status. International applicants needing a J-1 Exchange Visitor or F-1 Student Visa are not eligible to apply to this program.

Post-Master's Applicants

For applicants who hold a master's degree in nursing from an accredited program:

1. Graduate GPA of 3.5 or higher.
2. New York State RN license and current registration.
3. National certification at an advanced level (i.e., requiring a graduate degree) from a national nursing certifying body.
4. Satisfactory written descriptions of career goals and capstone project interests.
5. Statement of purpose of approximately 500 words that clearly explains your interest in the specialization to which you are applying. Applicants are encouraged to approach this personal statement thoughtfully and to write as clearly as possible. Faculty are particularly interested in a statement that demonstrates a strong understanding of the specialization's focus and your motivations for pursuing it.
6. Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can address your potential for success in graduate studies and in the advanced role you have chosen. Letters that best meet these criteria generally come from nursing instructors and from supervisors, clinical specialists, or other nurses in leadership positions. Letters from co-workers, friends, etc., are generally not helpful in supporting your application for admission.
7. Satisfactory interview.
8. US Citizenship or Permanent Residency status. International applicants needing a J-1 Exchange Visitor or F-1 Student Visa are not eligible to apply to this program.

The GRE is not required for admission into the DNP program.

POST-MASTER'S PHD PROGRAM

View Program

1. New York State RN license and current registration.
2. A master's degree from an accredited program with a minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
3. A degree in nursing (baccalaureate and/or master's degree). Applicants holding a degree in a non-nursing related discipline will be considered on an individual basis.
4. Completion of a graduate-level statistics course in the last 5 years with a grade of B or better.
5. Previous coursework in graduate-level research methods.
6. A current curriculum vitae or professional résumé.
7. A written statement of:
• Career goals, including reason for interest in Hunter College
• Description of a proposed area of research, including research interests that match faculty expertise
8. Writing sample (publication or graded paper):
• Submit a sample that reflects your writing ability, preferably a graduate research paper on a topic related to your proposed area of interest. We recommend a paper of at least 5 pages in length, saved as a .pdf, but there is no page limit.
9. Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a PhD-prepared faculty, that address the student's aptitude for doctoral study.
10. Satisfactory interview.
11. For prospective students whose native language is not English, or who have completed all or part of their post-secondary education in a country where English is not the first language, the following minimum scores must be obtained:
• TOEFL iBT: 80 / Paper Based Test: 550 / Computer Administered Test: 233 (For information on taking the TOEFL, visit www.TOEFL.org); or
• IELTS: 6.5 Overall Band Score (For information on taking the IELTS, visit www.ielts.org)

The GRE is not required for admission into the PhD program.

For additional information, please contact the coordinator of the specific graduate program you are interested in.