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

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Admission

The spring, summer, and fall applications for the DNP bachelor's or master's entry RN for adult gerontology nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner tracks are currently available. For DNP completion program, current Certified: Nurse Anesthetist, Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist or Nurse Midwives can apply year round with a rolling admission process.

DNP applicants have the option of applying through DePaul’s online application or through NursingCAS, the online, centralized application service for nursing programs nationwide. Instructions for both options are listed below.

Attention Nurse Anesthesia Applicants:

Please note that the nurse anesthesia program is offered jointly with NorthShore University Health System’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. NursingCAS is currently not being used for application to NorthShore University Health System's School of Nurse Anesthesia.  Please contact NorthShore directly with all questions at anesthesiaschool@northshore.org.

  1. DePaul's online application or NursingCAS application.
  2. Bachelor's or master's degree in nursing from an ACEN, CNEA, or CCNE accredited nursing program.
  3. Current and unrestricted Registered Nurse licensure in the state in which you intent to complete your clinical practicum.
  4. Minimum cumulative GPA 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale from baccalaureate or master's RN nursing program.
  5. TOEFL score of 590 )PBT) or 96 (iBT) or above if your primary language is not English. In addition, you will be required to demonstrate equivalent proficiency by an on-campus written essay, evaluated by the Admissions Committee.
  6. 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.
  7. Personal statement 2-3 pages in length showing fit with school mission and program. The personal statement will also include a description of the reason for pursuing the DNP, your short-term and long-term professional goals, your current area of nursing practice, an aggregate population that is of interest, and possible ideas for the DNP cumulative project (Scholarly Leadership Project).
  8. Curriculum Vitae (CV) highlighting past education, clinical experience, scholarly endeavors and professional and community activity.
  9. Official transcripts from all previous college work.
  1. Master's degree in nursing with current certification as a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetist or nurse midwife.
  2. 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.
  3. Personal interview will include a writing sample and will be scheduled in person or by skype with two faculty members after the application file is complete.
  4. Personal statement 2-3 pages in length showing fit with school mission and program. The personal statement will also include a description of the reason for pursuing the DNP, your short-term and long-term professional goals, your current area of nursing practice, an aggregate popluation that is of interest, and possible ideas for the DNP cumulative project (Scholarly Leadership Project).
  5. Curriculum Vitae (CV highlighting past education, clinical experience, scholarly endeavors and professional and community activity.
  6. Official transcripts from all previous college work.
  7. 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.

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

Prospective students: 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. 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. 

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. In addition, applicants with current certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse from an accredited program, and current licensure as an Advanced Practice Nurse in their state of residence will receive advanced placement in the program.

Applicants holding an MS degree in Nursing or MSN degree without certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse will be required to hold current licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Illinois prior to the first day of classes. 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 the State of Illinois, 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.

Guidelines for Letters of Recommendation

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.

Directions for Submitting Letters of Recommendation

While completing the online application, applicants enter the name and contact information of their recommender. The recommender will receive an email with a link to upload their letter directly into the application. Please be certain you enter the name and contact of your recommender accurately as it cannot be updated after submitting.

International Students

International students (those who were educated outside of the U.S. and/or require an F1 visa) must take additional steps to be considered for admission. Please visit the International Student Admission page for exact information.

  • Submit the DePaul online application at www.depaul.edu/apply
  • upload your personal statement and curriculum vitae (CV) through the online application. 
  • Pay the $40 application fee through the online application.
  • Send official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended to the Office of Graduate Admission at the address below. (Colleges and universities that issue official electronic transcripts can email them to gradtranscripts@depaul.edu.)
  • If required, submit your TOEFL score directly from ETS. DePaul’s institution code is 1165.

Mailing address:
The Office of Graduate Admission
College of Science and Health
DePaul University
2400 N. Sheffield Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614-2215

Applying through NursingCAS allows you to submit your application to DePaul and other institutions nationwide through one centralized application. NursingCAS also verifies your academic credentials on behalf of DePaul.

  • Visit https://nursingcas.liaisoncas.org/apply/, choose the term for which you are applying, and click "Apply" to initiate your application.
  • Click on “Create Account” and complete the required fields.
  • Information in the "Personal Information", "Academic History", and "Supporting Information" tiles are accessible by any school you apply to.
  • In the "Program Materials" section you will find the DePaul University-specific requirements.  Answer the questions, upload the required documents, and request at least two letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources.
  • 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. 

Note: You must input all of your college level coursework into the NursingCAS application. Be sure to have a copy of your transcript(s) in hand or accessible in order to complete this section. All college level coursework (including in-progress coursework) must be entered into the application in this section. This will be the most time-consuming aspect of the application process.

If you would rather have NursingCAS staff enter in your coursework data on your behalf then you have the option of paying an additional fee to use the Coursework Entry Service. The data entered into this section is used to calculate GPAs in order to make admission decisions.

  • Transcripts from international institutions must be evaluated by a transcript evaluation service, DePaul University and NursingCAS both accept Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE) so this is the recommended evaluation service for international applicants who wish to apply to DePaul using the NursingCAS application. International credit evaluations should be mailed to NursingCAS at the address above.
  • If required to submit a TOEFL score, you should report your score in the “Tests” section of the NursingCAS application. Have your official score sent directly from ETS to DePaul. DePaul’s institution code is 1165.

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 now

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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