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MSN Admission Information

Admission criteria

The GRE score is no longer required for RN-MSN, MSN, BSN-DNP and DNP programs.

Admission to the MSN program is based on an evaluation of the following data by the Graduate Admission and Progression Committee:

• Baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited institution (ACEN - formerly NLNAC or CCNE) - which included upper-division theory and clinical practice courses in nursing; Note: Applicants who are enrolled in the final semester of a baccalaureate nursing program may be considered.
• Minimum cumulative GPA (undergraduate and graduate coursework) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; if not met, then a cumulative nursing GPA of 3.0 may be considered.
• One year of experience as an RN is required for all nurse practitioner tracks prior to beginning the program. Applicants for the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner track must have at least one year of experience as an RN in critical/emergency care prior to beginning the program. Applicants for the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program must have at least one year of clinical experience as an RN prior to beginning the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner track and two years of NICU clinical experience as an RN before taking any clinical courses. Applicants for the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program must have at least one year of clinical experience as an RN in pediatrics prior to beginning the program and two years of pediatric clinical experience as an RN before taking any clinical courses.
• Evidence of current unrestricted licensure (RN) to practice in the United States and eligibility for licensure in Mississippi and/or privilege to practice in a state in which the student will have clinical practice;
• Graduates of foreign schools whose academic language is not English: The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam is required to demonstrate competence in written and spoken English;
• Preadmission counseling (completed after the application is reviewed by the Graduate Admission and Progression Committee).
• If an applicant has been dismissed from any nursing program, one year must pass from date of dismissal to date of eligibility into any UMMC School of Nursing program.
• Depending on the program you are applying for, an interview may be required as a part of the holistic admissions approach. Additional information will be provided to applicants when they are invited to interview.

Preference is given to applicants with recent full-time experience relevant to the selected track. In unusual instances, the Graduate Admission and Progression Committee may consider applicants who do not meet the admission criteria. The School of Nursing reserves the right to offer programs based on the number of acceptable applicants admitted. When a program is not offered due to limited enrollment, the applicant will be notified and other admission options will be explored.

Additional academic policies and regulations (including those pertaining to admission compliance, orientation, registration and examinations)

Technical Standards for Admission, Progression and Graduation (Technical Standards) are an integral component of the School of Nursing (SON) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center academic requirements that identify core professional nursing competencies in eight specific domains - critical thinking/cognitive competencies, professional relationships, communication, mobility, motor skills, hearing and visual skills, observation and tactile senses. Nursing students must meet all the requirements of the Technical Standards, with or without reasonable accommodations, in order to successfully progress through and graduate from their respective curricula.