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 minimum of a baccalaureate degree, preferably in nursing, from an accredited institution.
  2. 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.
  3. Graduates of international programs must have transcripts evaluated and comparability to an American degrees established. Evaluation may be conducted by the World Education Services (www.wes.org).
  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 applicants should attach copies of all grade reports, certificates, and transcripts at the time of application in both the original language and in English translation. English proficiency and proof of funding documents must be presented to the Office of Graduate Admissions either by postal mail or in person. These documents will not be accepted through the online application.
  8. International applicants must meet all University requirements, including TOEFL scores to be considered.
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.