Post-Master’s Nursing Specializations

• Hold a Master of Science in Nursing degree from a CCNE-, ACEN- or CNEA-accredited institution and be currently certified as an APRN.

• Be currently enrolled in the Post-Master’s DNP program at The Ohio State University.

• Applicants who are in the process of completing their Master of Science in Nursing degree and/or APRN certification may still apply; however, conferral of the degree and APRN certification must be finalized by August 1 prior to program enrollment.

International applicants must hold the equivalent Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution. All transcripts must undergo a course-by-course credential evaluation by an approved evaluation agency to verify program equivalency and calculate a Grade Point Average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale

Applicants must hold an active, unencumbered RN license in the state where they practice. Candidates may apply prior to obtaining licensure but must have a valid RN license by August 1 before beginning the program.

GPAs are reviewed by Ohio State’s Graduate and Professional Admissions Office. If your GPA falls below 3.0, you may still apply and be considered through a holistic admissions review.

Complete online application at Ohio State’s Graduate and Professional Admissions Office. A $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, if you will attend full-time or part-time and if 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.

Internationally educated applicants can find additional information on Ohio State’s Graduate and Professional Admissions website.

Applicants must submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities that you have previously attended at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. This includes transcripts for any post-secondary courses taken during high school or of coursework that appears as transfer credit on another transcript. Transcripts from The Ohio State University do not need to be submitted. 
 
Transcripts should be submitted directly by the sending institution by mail or electronic transfer to be considered official. Please request your transcripts be sent early so they arrive before the deadline. Transcripts can be sent to: 
 
The Ohio State University 
Graduate Admissions Office 
P.O. Box 182004 
Columbus, OH 43218-2004 
 
or 
 
gpadocs@osu.edu 
 
Applicants may upload a copy of an official transcript at the time of application or after by way of the admissions uploader. However, documents submitted in this manner are considered unofficial, but will suffice for the purposes of the application. Web-based documents, online grade reports, and related materials are not acceptable. If an applicant is admitted, they will be required to supply official transcripts sent direct from your previous institutions. 
 
For details regarding these methods of submitting transcripts, visit The Ohio State University Graduate and Professional Admissions Office. Direct all transcript-related questions to their office at 614-292-9444 or to gpadmissions@osu.edu. 

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 do you see yourself as a leader and advocate for patients in your future practice setting? 
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 did you decide to seek graduate education in this specialty area? 

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. Please note: you must complete the recorded online video interview before the application deadline. For further details, instructions, and links to the online portal go to the interview.

It is suggested that at least one of your letters of recommendation come from an academic source from your Master of Science program. Supervisors are also a good source for recommendations. We suggest providing your recommenders with information 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.

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:

PDF: Supplemental Post-Master’s Application

MS Word Document: Supplemental Post-Master’s Application (To download, select “Save”)