Admission to the graduate school of nursing is highly competitive. Because class size is limited, applicants are encouraged to complete their application with all credentials as early as possible.
Graduate Nursing Admission Criteria Includes:
- Be a graduate of an accredited baccalaureate program in nursing (unless applying to the Accelerated Nursing Program)
- Scholastic aptitude as evidenced by previous academic work, motivation, leadership potential, and maturity
- Undergraduate minimum cumulative QPA of 3.0
- NYS RN license (unless applying to the Accelerated Nursing Program)
- Undergraduate Statistics (grade of B or better is required)
- Submission of essay and recommendations as described in the application
- AGACNP Applicants need one year Acute Care /inpatient Experience
- A personal interview may be required.
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program Admission Criteria
Candidates for the DNP program must:
- Be a graduate of an accredited master’s degree nurse practitioner program
- Be licensed as a registered nurse in New York State, state certified and board eligible as a family nurse practitioner, an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner, or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.3 from a master’s degree program in nursing, or equivalent professional experience
- Evidence of successful completion of a statistics course is required (grade of B or higher)
- No standardized admission test (GRE or Miller Analogy) required
- Qualified applicants will be interviewed by the DNP Admissions Committee. During the interview, applicants will be required to write a 250-500 word abstract on a clinical question they have identified in their practice.
Pace's DNP program has an option for adult-primary care, pediatric, geriatric, and women’s health master’s prepared nurse practitioners who wish to obtain FNP, AGACNP, or PMHNP certification along with the DNP degree. If you are interested in this option, you will need to meet with the Program Director who will conduct a gap analysis to determine what additional clinical courses will be required.
Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Admission Criteria:
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Master’s degree in nursing from an accredited program
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.5 from a master's degree program
- Satisfactory written descriptions of career goals and research interests
- Portfolio of professional contributions
- All applicants whose first language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum overall TOEFL score is 84 (internet-based test); 24 is the minimum score in the speaking section, and 24 is the writing section minimum score.
- By the end of Year One, all students must present an unencumbered US nursing license.