Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Strategy in Healthcare

You can complete an application online at Ohio State’s Graduate and Professional Admissions office website. A non-refundable $60 fee is required at the time of submission of the application.

In the online application, you will be required to select your Specialization for the program, as well as whether you will attend full-time or part-time and whether you will attend on-campus or through distance learning, if that option is available for your chosen specialization. You can find a list of the available specializations here.

Additional information for internationally educated applicants can be found on Ohio State’s Graduate and Professional Admissions website for international applicants.

To complete your application and verify your degree and undergraduate GPA, you must submit transcripts from all educational institutions you have attended. 

When applying: 

What is not accepted: 

• Advising reports 

• Unofficial transcripts or scans labeled “UNOFFICIAL” 

• Documents with a URL across the top 

• Transcripts missing the institution’s name, seal, stamp, or GPA 

These types of documents will not be used for degree verification or GPA calculation. 

Exception: You do not need to submit transcripts for coursework or degrees earned from The Ohio State University.

Your resume or curriculum vitae (CV) should be in a similar format to what you would use for a job application. You should include your previous education, professional experiences, community service, volunteer activities, publications, research and leadership experiences on your resume or CV. You may submit this document at the time of application or after by way of the Admissions Uploader.

The purpose and goals statement is an opportunity to introduce yourself, to express your interest in advanced nursing practice and to demonstrate your writing skills. Here are some recommended questions to consider and to address when composing your statement:

1. What specifically are your academic and career goals?
2. How did you decide to seek graduate education in this specialty area?
3. How have your life experiences prepared you for a master’s degree and/or to be an advanced practice nurse in your selected specialty? 
4. How do you see yourself as a leader and advocate for patients in your future practice setting?

Your statement should not exceed three pages and use a standard format of single-spaced, 12-point font, with one-inch margins. You may submit this document at the time of application or after by way of the Admissions Uploader.

You are required to complete an interview through an online portal called HireVue. You will answer a few questions and your responses will be recorded. This interview can be completed at any time during the application window. However, we ask that you do so only after you have completed and submitted your application. Note: You must complete the recorded online video interview before the application deadline. For further details, instructions, and links to the online portal, click here.

During the application process, you will be asked to provide the names and email addresses of three recommenders. Once the application is submitted, an email will be automatically generated and sent to your recommenders with further instruction on how to submit their letters of recommendation. We encourage you to submit your application far in advance of the deadline so that your recommenders have ample time to upload their letters. Letters of recommendation should not be mailed and you may not personally submit letters of recommendation.

It is suggested that at least two of the three letters of recommendation come from academic sources. Supervisors are also a good source for recommendations. We suggest providing your recommenders with information in advance on the degree and specialty to which you are applying and with a copy of your purpose and goals statement. Ask that they address your potential for success in a rigorous graduate program and what attributes and experiences they feel will allow you to excel as an advanced practice nurse in your chosen specialty. Finally, make them aware of the submission process and the application deadline by which they must submit their letters.

Details regarding what English Proficiency tests are acceptable, the scores required, and how to submit scores may be found on The Ohio State University Graduate and Professional Admissions office’s website.

If you completed the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree or higher at an institution outside of the United States, you must submit a course-by-course credential evaluation that verifies U.S. degree equivalency and includes a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale.

The evaluation must be completed by an approved credential evaluation agency and sent directly to the university by the agency. Our preferred agency is TruMerit (formerly CGFNS International) as TruMerit credential evaluations are also required by the Ohio Board of Nursing for RN licensure.

We will also accept evaluations from the following approved agencies:

• World Education Services (WES)
• SpanTran (The Evaluation Company)
• Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
• International Education Evaluations (IEE)
• Josef Silny & Associates (JS&A)
• International Education Research Foundation (IERF)
• International Consultants of Delaware (ICD)

The course-by-course credential evaluation must include:

• Verification of U.S. degree equivalency
• A list of completed coursework with credit hours and grades
• Calculation of a cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale

If you are currently or have been previously enrolled in a degree granting graduate program at The Ohio State University for any length of time, you would be considered a Graduate Intra-University Transfer Student. Be sure to choose the appropriate application for “current or former” Ohio State students after following the Apply link. In addition to that online application, you must complete a Supplemental Application. This separate application must be submitted to the College of Nursing directly at CON-gradrecords@osu.edu. Choose any of the following options to access this application:

• MS Word Document: Supplemental Traditional Master’s Application (To download, select “Save”)
• PDF: Supplemental Traditional Master’s Application