Graduate Admissions & Assistantships Information

Admissions

To apply for graduate programs in Nursing, apply online at http://grs.uncg.edu/.

PhD
DNP
Post-Baccalaureate and MSN

Criteria for Admission to the PhD Program

Completed application–Students are admitted once per year to the PhD nursing program for the following fall semester. Applications are accepted and reviewed throughout the year. Admission to the program is competitive and contingent upon available space in the program. Application deadline for August classes is April1.
Three professional and/or academic references.
Official transcripts from each college or university attended.
Current unrestricted registered nurse licensure or validated credentials by CGFNS for international applicants.
Satisfactory TOEFL scores for international applicants
A 300-word statement of research goals in PhD program related to promotion of optimal health for ethnic minorities, women, children, or older adults.
Master’s degree in nursing from an accredited program.
A 3.2 or greater GPA on a 4.0 scale on previous graduate work.
An interview with Graduate Nursing Faculty for selected applicants.
Health insurance is required for all students enrolling in six or more credits each semester. Students are responsible for all costs associated with their own health care.

Prior to enrollment in classes, PhD students are required to complete the UNCG health history form and Parts A and B of the immunization schedule (with the exception of the meningococcal vaccine) and forward these documents to Student Health Services.

Application Process

All application materials must be sent to the Graduate School. Once your application is complete, your materials will be sent to the School of Nursing for review. We will consider your entire portfolio, your writing skills, and whether there is a good match between your research interest and our faculty expertise. You will be interviewed by a panel of PhD faculty. You will receive a letter from the Graduate School indicating the decision regarding your application. The entire process usually takes 6 to 8 weeks.

A master’s degree in nursing from an accredited program is required for admission to the PhD program. If your master’s GPA is 3.2 or greater you do not need to take GRE. If your master’s GPA is lower than 3.2, please contact the Director to discuss.

References

It is recommended that 2 of your 3 references be from academic sources in the United States.

Statement of Research

The 300-word statement should address:

Why you want to pursue a PhD in Nursing
Why you have chosen UNCG
Your career goals
Areas of research interest
UNCG PhD faculty – Faculty Research Interests with whom you would like to work.

You should have a general idea of your area of research interest, as you want to make sure that there are faculty here to guide you. As you progress through the program, however, your ideas will evolve as you learn more about the research process and your area of research interest.

Transfer

It is possible to transfer courses, but this is dependent on a number of factors including level of course, type of course (nursing or non-nursing), grade achieved, and evaluation of the course content. The course must be completed within the 7-year time limit. All transfer courses must be reviewed by your Advisory Committee and the Director of the PhD in Nursing Program, and approved by the Graduate School.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for August admission is April 1. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Criteria for Admission to the DNP Program

Post-Baccalaureate DNP — Adult/Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner concentration

Current unrestricted licensure as a registered nurse in one of the 50 states or validated credentials by CGFNS for international students. Residents of North Carolina must hold unrestricted North Carolina licensure as a registered nurse.
Baccalaureate degree in nursing from a program accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency.
Minimum of one year full time clinical nursing experience.
A personal statement of 400 words or less that comments on applicant’s educational and professional goals, and how the DNP program will help you reach the goals.
A resume or CV
An interview with selected DNP faculty, after the application is completed.
A statistics course and health assessment course at the undergraduate level are required prerequisite courses.
A minimum of 3.2 GPA is required from the undergraduate nursing program. If GPA is below 3.2, a GRE or MAT is required.
Three professional nursing references (mix of educational and professional sources).
Nonresidential international students are required to participate in a telephone interview.

Post-Baccalaureate DNP — Nurse Anesthesia concentration

Current unrestricted licensure as a registered nurse in one of the 50 states or validated credentials by CGFNS for international students. Residents of North Carolina must hold unrestricted North Carolina licensure as a registered nurse.
Baccalaureate degree in nursing from a program accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency.
Completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller analogies Test (MAT) within five years of application.
Basic Life Support (BLS); Advanced Cardiac Life support (ACLS) & pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification
CCRN certification — Applicants will not be considered for interview without current CCRN certification
Minimum of one year continuous full time critical care clinical nursing experience.
Minimum of 2 shadowing experiences with a CRNA
A personal statement of 400 words or less that comments on applicant’s educational and professional goals, and how the DNP program will help you reach the goals.
A resume or CV
An interview with selected DNP faculty, after the application is completed
A statistics course, a chemistry course, and health assessment course at the undergraduate level are required prerequisite courses.
A minimum of 3.2 GPA is required from the undergraduate nursing program.
Three professional nursing references (mix of educational and professional sources).
Nonresidential international students are required to participate in a telephone interview.

Post-Master’s DNP Concentration

Current unrestricted licensure as a registered nurse in one of the 50 states or validated credentials by CGFNS for international students. Residents of North Carolina must hold unrestricted North Carolina licensure as a registered nurse. Approved by the Board of Nursing as a Nurse Practitioner on active status in the appropriate specialty.
Master’s degree in nursing specific for and certification as: nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, or CRNA from program accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency. Admitted after review of program by DNP Program Director.
Master’s degree in nursing specific for nursing administration, nursing leadership, nursing clinical leader. Admitted after review of program by DNP Program Director.
Employed in a Master’s nursing specialty appropriate for the DNP Program objectives, as approved for admission by the DNP Program Director.
A personal statement of 400 words or less that discusses the applicant’s educational and professional goals, and how the DNP program will facilitate reaching the goals, and a short discussion of the clinical topic that the applicant would like to pursue for the DNP project.
A resume or CV
An interview may be required.
A statistics course is a required prerequisite.
A minimum of 3.2 GPA is required from the graduate nursing program. If GPA is below 3.2, a GRE or MAT is required.
Three professional nursing references (mix of educational and professional sources).
Nonresidential international students are required to participate in a telephone interview.

Criteria for Admission to the Post-Baccalaureate and MSN Education programs:

A baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited program and have a minimum 3.2 GPA.
For the MSN degree, a satisfactory score must be achieved on the Graduate Record Exam or Miller Analogies Test taken within 5 years, if the BSN GPA is less than 3.2.
One year of full-time experience as a registered nurse is preferred.
An undergraduate statistics course and basic health assessment course are required prerequisites.
Evidence of current unrestricted North Carolina licensure as a registered nurse or RN licensure in a state covered by the multi-state Nurse Licensure Compact.
Evidence of current Basic Life Support certification.
A criminal background check.
Evidence of all immunizations identified on Parts A and B of the UNCG Health History and Immunization Form excluding the Meningococcal vaccine.
Health insurance is required for all students enrolling in six or more credits each semester.
A completed application including a personal statement of 350 words or less that addresses your career goals
Provide 3 references (academic and/or professional)

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Criteria for Admission to the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Nursing Administration and MSN Administration programs:

A baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited program and have a minimum 3.2 GPA.
For the MSN degree, a satisfactory score must be achieved on the Graduate Record Exam or Miller Analogies Test taken within 5 years, if the BSN GPA is less than 3.2.
For the MSN/MBA degree, a satisfactory score must be achieved on the Graduate Management Aptitude Test or the Graduate Record Exam.
One year of full-time experience as a registered nurse is preferred.
Personal statement of 500 words or less that addresses the following:
- Future professional goals in nursing leadership and match with the program
- Factors that would support your success in graduate school (academic and clinical strengths)
- Factors that may interfere with your studies and strategies for overcoming them and maintaining work/life balance while in graduate school.
Provide three (3) professional nursing references (preferred references include (1) current or past nursing supervisors, (2) academic faculty and/or advisors, and (3) other nursing/healthcare leaders. References from peers, co-workers, or family members should not be submitted.).
Current resume or CV

Prerequisites for Admission include:

An undergraduate statistics course and basic health assessment course
Evidence of current unrestricted North Carolina licensure as a registered nurse or RN licensure in a state covered by the multi-state Nurse Licensure Compact.
Evidence of current Basic Life Support certification.
A criminal background check.
Evidence of all immunizations identified on Parts A and B of the UNCG Health History and Immunization Form excluding the Meningococcal vaccine.

Evidence of current health insurance (Required for all students enrolling in at least 3 credit hours. Students are eligible to purchase health insurance through the University Student Health Service.).

Research Assistantships

Research Assistantships (RA) are offered to students based on yearly availability of funds. The RA experience provides an opportunity for students to work closely with faculty members in their programs of research. Most RAs are responsible to complete a minimum of 100–150 RA hours per semester, or 300 RA hours per academic year. In return, RAs receive tuition and stipend support.

For more information on RA opportunities, please contact:

Dr. Debra Wallace
Senior Associate Dean for Research & Innovation
Phone: 336-256-0572
Email: dcwallac@uncg.edu

Graduate Assistantships

The School of Nursing offers several graduate assistantships. Students assist faculty with teaching and research for ten to twenty hours per week. Stipends vary depending on the number of hours worked. Applications may be obtained from the Senior Associate Dean for Research & Innovation. The completed application should be received by April 15 in order for students to be considered for assistantships for the following academic year.

For more information on GA opportunities, please contact:

Dr. Debra Wallace
Senior Associate Dean for Research & Innovation
Phone: 336-256-0572
Email: dcwallac@uncg.edu