The Catholic University School of Nursing employs a "whole person" philosophy for evaluation of applicants for admission to the online Doctor of Philosophy in nursing program. In addition to the University Admission requirements, applicants must meet the following admission criteria:

  1. Possess a baccalaureate degree and a master's degree in nursing from an accredited college or university offering a program in nursing accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. (Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for B.S.N. prepared applicants with a non-nursing master's degree; exceptions may also be made international students or those educated in other countries).
  2. Graduates of programs not accredited by the NLNAC or CCNE must have transcripts evaluated and comparability to an American degrees established. Evaluation may be conducted by the World Education Services (www.wes.org).
  3. Present transcripts of undergraduate and graduate study that provide evidence of academic ability to complete the program and do original research. A GPA of 3.2 or higher is desired.
  4. Three letters of reference (at least one from a former dean, former faculty member or academic adviser and at least one from a current or former supervisor preferably in a clinical practice/research/academic setting).
  5. A written statement of career goals and proposed area of research.
  6. A copy of a recent scholarly paper, research report, or publication related to clinical nursing.
  7. International students must meet all University requirements, including TOEFL scores to be considered.
N.B. Applicants who do not meet the requirements for regular admission as degree-seeking candidates may be eligible for provisional admission if required documents are missing or for conditional admission if there are questions about academic performance or English language proficiency.