All students must apply for degree conferral by the deadline listed below. Make sure that you apply for the last quarter in which you will take courses (e.g. if you graduate in mid-June, you are graduating at the end of Spring Quarter, and should apply for degree conferral by February 1).

If you need assistance applying for degree conferral, contact CSHGraduation@depaul.edu​.

Look up an approved vendor for IL via the IDFPR website (their links change frequently, so do a Google search for "IDFPR fingerprint vendors list"). Schedule an appointment time with the vendor (Application Category is DPR-Professional Registered Nurse). You will pay a fee (around $50) which covers both the state and federal costs. 

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All students must apply for RN licensure by examination. In Illinois, this is done through Continental Testing. 

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To register with Pearson Vue, click “Register for the NCLEX” here. Follow the prompts. There is a $200.00 fee payable by credit card. Save the receipt for your records.​

If you complete all the steps above at least two weeks before graduation, then you should expect to receive an Authorization to Test email from Pearson Vue about two weeks after graduation. Schedule the location, date, and time of your NCLEX exam on the Pearson Vue website.

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Licensure by Examination is the process of applying to becoming a registered nurse, otherwise known as taking the NCLEX. Upon passing the NCLEX, the state to which you applied will grant licensure. Licensure by Endorsement is reserved for those who already hold RN licensure in one state, but wish to practice in a second state. Licensure by Endorsement requires the completion of paperwork and a small fee (usually around $50), but does not require the completion of a second NCLEX. All states have different requirements that must be completed for both forms of application.​

Absolutely! Candidates are able to take the NCLEX at any Pearson Professional Testing location, regardless of the board they are applying to for licensure. In other words, if you apply to test for New York, you can sit for the exam in Arizona or Maine.​

There is no one answer to this question, as there are many factors that could affect your decision. In general, the most important question you should ask yourself is which state are you most likely to work in or begin applying to jobs? You should strongly consider testing in whichever state you most want to work in, as there will be a significant time delay before you are able to receive licensure in a second state. The exception to this would be for states in the Nurse Licensure Compact.​

No. You may only register to sit for one state examination at a time. Once you are licensed in one state, it is much easier (and cheaper) to apply for licensure by endorsement if you want licensure in a second state. Simply search for that state’s board of nursing and look for information on licensure by endorsement. You may also want to look into the Nurse Licensure Compact.

Some states are part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, which gives nurses the ability to practice across state lines without needing additional state licenses. Illinois is not currently a compact state but legislation is pending. See here for more info.

Yes, but you will incur a $50 change fee. We recommend calling the state board of nursing to which you originally applied to seek help with the change.​

The most likely explanation has to do with timing. Most states (including Illinois), will not send an Authorization-to-Test until 30 days after your completed application is received. Before you panic, first check to see when you submitted your application. If you are sure you applied on time, contact a representative at the state board of nursing. For IL, this is Shirley Dzik, sdzik@continentaltesting.net​ or (708) 354-9911, ext. 112.

Assuming that you complete all of the steps outlined above in a timely fashion, Illinois test-takers can often test as early as three weeks after graduation (about 50% of our graduates test within one month). Out-of-state test times are dependent on the state in question, but graduates will often receive their Authorization-To-Test about one month after submission of all materials.​

You must test within the validity dates of the ATT. Validity dates vary from state to state. Illinois = 90 days. Look on your state board of nursing website for others. If you do not test within the validity dates, you will have to re-register and pay all exam fees again.​

Research shows that students who take the NCLEX early perform significantly better than those who wait. Our own data supports this research.​

According to the NCSBN website, "All NCLEX registrations will remain open for a 365-day time period during which a board of nursing can determine a candidate's eligibility." What this means is that if you graduate at a later time, your application should still be valid (up to 365 days).​

Schools in the U.S. are required to confer degrees within one month of the last day of the quarter or semester in which the student graduated (consult the academic calendar for exact dates). Typically, degrees are conferred in about 3 weeks.​

Some fingerprint vendors are set up to automatically send your fingerprints to Continental Testing on your behalf. The best way to figure out which vendors do this is to look on their website or give them a call. Even if a vendor sends your fingerprints, it’s a good idea to save your receipt! For vendors that do not send your fingerprints, you will need to mail a copy of your receipt directly to Continental Testing at this address:
Continental Testing Services
P.O. Box 100
LaGrange, IL 60525

All students should choose 049510 as their school code. The other code is a legacy code. Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to remove the old code.​

Ed Nur was one of the founding fathers of Illinois. Just kidding, it’s a silly name for a form. Illinois uses this form to confirm that graduates have completed all program requirements. The School of Nursing completes a version of this form for all of our graduates (except those that test out of state). You do not need to complete this form!​

Reach out to the School of Nursing to set up an appointment with one of our student services representatives. These requirements are confusing, we agree! We’re happy to review and figure it out with you!​

Send any forms to nursing@depaul.edu​ with clear instructions. Keep in mind that we cannot confirm your degree until after you graduate. Also note that the requirement of a school seal can delay the processing of your form. Try to ensure that we have your form early so that we can process it quickly and effectively.

All transcript requests must be submitted through Campus Connect. If you’re not sure where, simply search the internet for “DePaul transcripts” to find the appropriate portal. You can order transcripts be sent either electronically or as hard-copy (check the instructions for your particular state). Please note: if you order an official transcript before your degree has been conferred, the transcript will not show your degree! You will receive a notification once from DePaul University once your degree has been conferred. The university must process degrees within one month of the last day of the quarter in which you graduate.​