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Admissions Requirements

Applicants should apply to the admission pathway that corresponds to their highest nursing degree.

BSN-to-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner Pathway

Applicants to the BSN-to-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner Pathway must:

• Hold a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program and a regionally accredited college or university.
• Have a cumulative undergraduate nursing GPA of 2.9 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Hold a current, unrestricted registered nurse (RN) license. Licensure must be in GA or a compact state
• 3 Letters of Reference
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Completed undergraduate course work in statistics and health assessment with a grade of C or higher.*
• Submit a completed online application and all required application materials.
• Successfully complete a criminal background check.
• Meet all student health requirements, including:

• • Physical examination within one year of enrollment
  • Required immunizations
  • Current health insurance
  • Professional liability insurance

• Hold current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Participate in a pre-admission interview.

*no more than 1 attempt

Nursing Clinical Experience

Applicants must have a minimum of one year of full-time (or equivalent) professional RN clinical experience at the time of enrollment. Prior to beginning advanced practice clinical courses in the fall of the second year, students must document a minimum of two years of full-time (or equivalent) professional RN clinical experience. Qualifying experience may be obtained in a variety of direct patient care settings, including hospitals, ambulatory and primary care clinics, community and public health agencies, long-term care facilities, home health, and other healthcare settings.

 

Post-Master's DNP Executive Leadership – Community Engagement and Health Justice

Applicants to the Post-Master's DNP pathway must:

• Hold a Masters in Nursing  or other master's degree appropriate for advanced nursing practice from a nationally accredited nursing program and regionally accredited college or university.
• Be licensed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) or otherwise meet eligibility requirements for the selected program of study.
• Hold a current, unrestricted registered nurse (RN) license.
• Have a graduate nursing GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Submit a completed online application and all required application materials.
• 3 Letters of Reference
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Participate in a pre-admission interview.
• Successfully complete a criminal background check.
• Meet all student health requirements, including:
• Physical examination within one year of enrollment
• Required immunizations
• Current health insurance
• Professional liability insurance
• Maintain current professional certification and any certifications required for clinical practice, as applicable.

As part of the Admissions Process, all students will complete the CASPer prior to being offered admission.

 

CASPer

CASPer™, a 90-minute online situational judgment test, is required starting Fall 2026. This assessment complements our holistic admissions process by evaluating non-cognitive skills and key personal attributes such as ethics, empathy, cultural sensitivity, collaboration, resilience, and adaptability. Please note that CASPer™ scores are valid for one admissions cycle only. Applicants who have previously taken the test must retake it for the current application cycle.

CASPer™ Testing Information

Letters of Reference

Applicants are required to submit three letters of reference directly through NursingCAS. These letters should speak to the applicant’s qualifications and potential for success in graduate study.

Recommended references include a nurse or physician mentor, an academic professor, and a current employer. If the applicant has been enrolled in a nursing program within the past five years, a letter from a program director or faculty member from that institution is required. For self-employed nurse leaders, a peer leader reference will be accepted.

All three letters must be received by NursingCAS for the application to be considered complete. Only complete applications will be reviewed.

GRE

The GRE is not required. However, applicants who wish to have their GRE scores considered as part of the holistic admissions process must have taken the exam within the past five years.

Official scores must be sent directly from ETS to NursingCAS using the GRE Institution Code 2552.

Gap Analysis Process

The APRN Consensus Model requires all Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) educational programs to include advanced coursework in advanced physiology/pathophysiology, advanced health assessment, and advanced pharmacology, collectively referred to as the APRN Core.

For applicants to the Post-Master's DNP pathway, a gap analysis is conducted prior to admission to determine the number of verified post-baccalaureate supervised practice hours that may be applied toward the minimum 1,000 supervised practice hour requirement. Consistent with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (2026), graduates of the Post-Master's DNP program must demonstrate a minimum of 1,000 post-baccalaureate supervised practice hours.

Verified supervised practice hours completed as part of an applicant's initial APRN master's degree and any subsequent post-graduate APRN certificate program are individually reviewed and applied toward the 1,000-hour requirement, as appropriate. Regardless of the number of previously completed practice hours accepted, all students are required to complete the prescribed 40-credit curriculum, including a minimum of 350 supervised DNP project practice hours, to satisfy degree requirements and demonstrate achievement of the program outcomes.

The gap analysis includes:

1. Review of official transcripts, course syllabi, and documented supervised practice experiences from the applicant's master's APRN program.
2. Review of official transcripts, course syllabi, and documented supervised practice experiences from any post-graduate APRN certificate program, if applicable.
3. Verification of the applicant's APRN educational preparation and supervised practice hours relative to national DNP and population-focused competencies.

The Program Chair conducts the gap analysis prior to a final admission decision. Based on this review, the Program Chair determines the number of supervised practice hours that may be applied toward the 1,000-hour requirement. When additional supervised practice hours are needed, an individualized practice experience plan is developed to ensure the student completes the requisite 1,000 post-baccalaureate supervised practice hours while satisfying all degree requirements. The Program Chair's determination is final for purposes of admission and progression and is communicated to the applicant as part of the admission process.

Transfer Applicants

The Graduate Education in Nursing programs are cohort-based, lock-step curricula that require completion of all prescribed coursework and academic activities at Morehouse School of Medicine.

Transfer admission is not routinely available. On rare occasions, requests for transfer admission may be considered when exceptional circumstances exist and with approval of the Dean. Any request is contingent upon available space, faculty and clinical resources, and the applicant's ability to progress within the established curriculum.

 Transfer Credit

Students are expected to complete the prescribed curriculum in its entirety. All required courses and academic activities must be completed as outlined in the plan of study. The program does not offer part-time enrollment, advanced standing, advanced placement, course waivers, or transfer credit.

Application Checklist

DNP (FNP) Application Checklist

Before submitting your application through NursingCAS, ensure you have completed the following:

☐ Application Materials

☐ Completed NursingCAS application

☐ Official transcripts

☐  Must hold at least a Baccalaureate degree in Nursing or a Master of Science in Nursing from an accredited program

☐ Minimum 2.9 or above on a 4.0 scale GPA requirement met

☐ Current unencumbered Georgia RN license

☐ Professional resume or CV

☐ Three letters of recommendation

☐ Verification of Basic Health Assessment course on transcript

☐ Verification of Statistics course on transcript

 ☐ Current AHA BLS and/or ACLS certification

☐ Complete CASPer™ assessment

Admissions Process

Need additional details about our Admissions process? Attend one of our Information Sessions.