College of Science and Health > Academics > School of Nursing > Graduate Programs > Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) > Admission Requirements

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Admission

​Graduate Information Sessions

Please join us for an upcoming information session featuring the DNP program. Since this is an online program, information sessions are held online via Zoom.​​​

General Admission Requirements

Admission requirements are dependent on the track/concentration.

    • Hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from a ACEN-,CNEA-, or CCNE-accredited nursing program.

    • Provide proof of a current unencumbered RN license in the state in which you will complete your clinical practicum*

    • Minimum 3.00 GPA in RN program

Registered Nurses with a master's in Nursing or a MSN may receive up to 12 credit hours of transfer credit for prior education completed within the last 5 years, with individual review of all transcripts.

    • Hold a Master's degree in Nursing (MSN) with current certification as a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetist, or nurse midwife.

    • Provide proof of a current unencumbered RN license in the state in which you will complete your clinical practicum*

    • Minimum 3.00 GPA

    • All DNP Completion track applicants are required to submit an official letter from the director of their NP program stating 600 hours or more of precepted hours during their NP program.

Applicants holding an MS degree in Nursing or MSN degree with certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse will be required to hold current licensure as a Registered Nurse and as an Advanced Practice Nurse in their state of residency/practice, and current certification from a national certifying body (e.g. American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Nurses Credentialing Center) in their area of specialty area of practice prior to the first day of classes.

The School of Nursing has the option to waive admission requirements.

*State restrictions

This program is not available to students who plan to complete their clinical practicum in any of the following states: Arizona, California, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Tennessee, and Washington. This list is subject to change- please reach out to CSHgrad@depaul.edu​ before applying if you live in any state outside of Illinois.  In addition, if you plan to obtain your advanced practice licensure outside of Illinois after graduation from this program, we urge you to contact your state’s licensing agency to confirm restrictions and requirements unique to your state before beginning an online nursing program. ​

​Attention Nurse Anesthesia Applicants

Please note that the nurse anesthesia program is offered jointly with NorthShore University Health System/Endeavor Health’s School of Nurse Anesthesia. Students applying to the nurse anesthesia program should follow NorthShore’s application instructions and admission deadlines. For details on admission requirements and deadlines, please visit the NorthShore website. Please contact NorthShore directly with all questions at anesthesiaschool@northshore.org.​

Apply via NursingCAS

  1. Visit https://nursingcas.liaisoncas.org/apply/, choose the term for which you are applying, and click "Apply" to initiate your application.
  2. Click on “Create Account” and complete the required fields.
  3. Information in the "Personal Information", "Academic History", and "Supporting Information" tiles are accessible by any school you apply to.
  4. In the "Program Materials" section you will find the DePaul University-specific requirements.  
    1. Two letters of recommendation, one letter from your direct supervisor at your current place of employment and a second letter from an academic person if possible or other professional reference. 
    2. Personal statement 2-3 pages in length showing fit with school mission and program (see prompts in Documents section of NursingCAS)
    3. Curriculum Vitae (CV)/Resume highlighting past education, clinical experience, scholarly endeavors, and professional and community activity.​
  5. Submit official transcripts from each college or university attended. All official transcripts must be mailed from the issuing institution’s registrar’s office directly to NursingCAS. In order to expedite the processing be sure to include the Transcript Request Form. ​​

NursingCAS Help Center

Please utilize NursingCAS' Help Center​ for any questions about submitting application materials.  DePaul's Office of Graduate Admission will only review applications once they are VERIFIED in NursingCAS and it is up to the applicant to monitor the status of their application. 

Deadlines

The DNP program reviews applications on a rolling basis for all 4 quarters of the academic year.  The final deadline for each quarter is listed below, though we recommend applying 2-3 weeks ahead of any deadline to allow time for NursingCAS to process the application. 

Quarter
​Final Deadline
​Fall (typically starts Wednesday after Labor Day)
​July 15 annually
​Winter (typically starts first week of January)
​November 15 annually
​Spring (typically starts last week of March)
​February 1 annually
​Summer (typically starts mid-June)
​April 15 annually​​

Other Helpful Info

International students (those who were educated outside of the U.S.) must take additional steps to be considered for admission. Please visit International Student Admissions for details. Please note that students requiring an F-1 visa are not eligible for this program.

Letters of recommendation should be frank and detailed and should indicate how long and under what circumstances the recommender has known you (i.e., student, assistant, advisee, employee, etc.).

A recommendation is most helpful when it provides specific information concerning your intellectual and personal characteristics and performance; it should relate to your suitability for graduate study beyond information that is available on college transcripts and employment records.

While the admissions committee is particularly interested in learning more about your intelligence, independence of thought, and overall promise, character and fitness, information on your special interests, motivations and personal qualities may distinguish you from other applicants.

Use the Quick Status Menu while logged into your NursingCAS application to check to see if your transcripts have been received. You can also use the Quick Status Menu to check to see if your references have been submitted.

Questions about NursingCAS

For questions regarding the NursingCAS application please contact NursingCAS support- various ways to contact them are on this page. Get started by reviewing the NursingCAS Quick Start Guide here.

Monitor the Status of Your Application

You have sent the requests for your references and transcripts, what is next? Within NursingCAS you can review the status of your application, references, and transcripts directly from the application. The Check Status page will help you track your status.

As you progress through the application process, you’ll receive important notifications and critical alerts. Applicants are responsible for monitoring these notifications and following up on any required actions. To view your notifications, click View My Notifications on the left side of the application dashboard. 

More information on checking your NursingCAS application status is on this page.

Take the next step

Learn more about Graduate Admission.
Attend an Admission Event.

Ready to apply?

Apply n​ow

If you need assistance to complete your application and/or have questions, contact the CSH Graduate Admission office at (773) 325-7315 or cshgrad@depaul.edu.

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