Admission to the graduate nursing program is competitive and limited to those students who demonstrate potential for academic success in our programs. Consideration is given to GPA, personal interview, admission goal statement, work experience (if applicable) and professional references.
Requirements for admission to the Graduate Nursing programs are as follows:
- Online application can be found on the Bellin College website: www.bellincollege.edu.
- Admission to the MSN and BSN-DNP programs requires an earned Bachelor of Science in nursing degree from an accredited program. Applicants with one year or less nursing experience are encouraged to apply but will only be accepted into the part- time track.
- Admission to a PGC or MSN-DNP program requires an earned master’s degree from an accredited program in nursing
- Completion of a dedicated undergraduate health assessment course or advanced health assessment course within 10 years.
- Completion of a statistics course within 10 years.
- All applicants must provide evidence of successful licensure to practice nursing in the state of residency and/or practice. This license must not be under suspension, revocation, probationary status, or subject to disciplinary proceedings or inquiry. Proof of licensure must be provided no later than the end of the first semester if a new graduate. If a student fails to provide evidence or license successfully, they will be dismissed from the program, though eligible to re-apply for admission later. Students may not enroll in clinical courses without a license to practice as an RN.
- Official transcripts from all colleges and/or universities attended.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater
- Two letters of recommendation.
- Goal statement describing
- Reasons for pursuing a graduate degree.
- Attributes or characteristics that would make you a successful student.
- Future career goals/plans.
- Professional curriculum vitae or resume
- All DNP applicants must also submit a proposed topic/plan for a DNP scholarly project.
- Use of professional writing including APA with attention to content, grammar, syntax, spelling, and punctuation is expected.
- For MSN-DNP program, current APRN certification in a designated population focus unless concurrent enrollment in the FNP or PMHNP PGC.
- Students applying to the MSN- DNP program must provide documentation of the number of faculty-supervised clinical hours completed in the MSN program
- A personal interview is required prior to acceptance into the Bellin College Graduate Nursing Program. When all application materials have been received, an interview will be scheduled.
Gap Analysis Requirement for FNP Post-Graduate Certificate Students
In accordance with current Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs, applicants who hold a graduate degree in nursing can apply to the FNP Post-Graduate Certificate program where previous education and practice (as applicable) will be used to determine an individual course of study. The completion of required didactic courses and clinical hours can be flexible depending upon waived credits hours. The 3 P’s (pathophysiology and advanced health assessment) must have included across the lifespan content to waive in the program, as per the Graduate Nursing Program Director’s and FNP Program Coordinator discretion. Each student who is admitted as a candidate for the FNP Post-Graduate Certificate program will complete a Gap Analysis. Plans of study will be individualized according to academic didactic and clinical needs.
Gap Analysis Requirement for MSN- DNP Students
In accordance with current criteria for evaluation of Nurse Practitioner programs, applicants who hold a graduate degree in nursing can apply to the MSN-DNP program in which previous education and practice (as applicable) will be used to determine an individual course of study. The completion of required didactic courses and clinical hours can be flexible depending upon waived credits hours. Whether or not the courses will be waived depends on the discretion of the Program Director and FNP Program Coordinator or DNP Clinical Coordinator. A student’s plan of study will be individualized according to academic didactic and clinical needs based on the gap analysis.