College of Science and Health > Academics > School of Nursing > Graduate Programs > MENP for Non-Nurses (MSN) > Admission Requirements

MENP Program Admission

​​​​​​​MENP Application Deadlines

​​Term
Application review begins*
​Fall
​January 15
​Winter
​June 15
​Spring
​October 1
​Summer
​December 1

​​​​​*Space is limited each term so priority consideration will be given to candidates who apply before these dates. Any applicants are welcome to apply after this date but will be notified in their admission decision if seats are still available. Please review our academic calendar for more details about each term's specific start date.

Students applying through NursingCAS should submit their application at least 2-3 weeks in advance of the deadlines listed, as it can take NursingCAS several weeks to verify your application and we do not review unverified NursingCAS applications.​

You may only apply to one quarter at a time. Please choose the start term that is most convenient for you. 

Graduate Information Sessions 

Please join us for an upcoming information session featuring DePaul's master's entry to nursing practice (MENP) program. Information sessions are held regularly online via Zoom.

Applying for Admission 

Applicants have two options:

  1. Apply directly to DePaul at grad.depaul.edu/apply > 2024 School of Nursing application (for winter or spring 2024 only)
    OR
  2. Apply through NursingCAS- this will be the only option for summer 2024 ​and beyond. NursingCAS is the online, centralized application service for nursing programs nationwide. Students applying through NursingCAS should submit their application 2-3 weeks in advance of the deadlines listed, as it can take NursingCAS several weeks to verify your application. Your application must be verified by NursingCAS before it is considered complete for review by DePaul.

    You may only apply to one quarter at a time. Please choose the start term that is most convenient for you. ​

General Admission Requirements

To be eligible for the master’s entry to nursing practice program, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. 

  • Online application (see below for specifics)
  • Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended 
  • Preferred undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale​
  • Personal statement - These questions are prompts within the application. Together, they comprise the Personal Statement that is required for a complete application.
    • How will your prior background contribute to your ability to fulfill the daily responsibilities of an entry-level registered nurse? (200 word max)
    • St. Vincent DePaul observed the needs of impoverished people with disparities in access to healthcare. He ultimately dedicated his life to answering a single question: "What must be done?" How will you utilize a nursing degree obtained from DePaul University to address these disparities? (200 word max)
    • Please address the strengths and opportunities for growth in your application (i.e., explanation for GPA below 3.2, repeated coursework, gaps in academic history, and performance on standardized tests.) (200 word max)
  • Two letters of reference from professional or academic sources
    • The recommender can be a professor or work supervisor (not a coworker or relative) and should address the student's ability to perform graduate work successfully.
  • Curriculum vitae or resume
    • Please include professional activities (i.e. organizational memberships, committee memberships, officer positions, etc.) and community service activities.
  • Official GRE scores - DePaul's School of Nursing does not require the GRE for admission to the MENP program. Applicants may still submit a GRE score to strengthen their application. (GRE institution code: 1165)

The admission committee reserves the right to request any additional materials they deem necessary to ensure an accurate review of an application.

Note: All students in the School of Nursing are required to complete a ten-panel drug screening prior to the first day of classes. Although Illinois state law permits the limited possession and use of cannabis, using or possessing cannabis remains a crime under federal law. Therefore, this screening includes cannabis. A confirmed positive drug test will result in a student being unable to enroll and/or dismissed from the program (in accordance with local, state, and federal law). Please see the Program Handbook for details. 

International applicants

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.  All students educated outside of the United States must submit proof of their English proficiency in order to be reviewed for admission, regardless of language of instruction or native language. Students holding a bachelor's, master's, or PhD from a regionally-accredited United States institution will have the TOEFL requirement waived upon receipt of their official U.S. transcripts.​ The College of Science and Health accepts TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores. Please see the specific international application requirements here.​

Prerequisite Coursework

In addition to the general admission requirements above, students should be able to provide proof of successfully completing the following prerequisite courses: 

  • One course of human anatomy & physiology I (or human anatomy) with lab
  • One course of human anatomy & physiology II (or human physiology) with lab
  • One course of inorganic (i.e. general chemistry) with lab
  • One course in organic chemistry with lab OR biochemistry with lab OR microbiology with lab

Note on Prerequisites

All prerequisite courses must include labs and have been completed within the last seven (7) years with a grade of 'C' or better. Pass/Fail grades will not be accepted. All prerequisites must be completed before the start of term to which the student is applying.​  The prerequisites must be taken for college credit at a regionally accredited institution.  

Two prerequisite courses must be completed before the application deadline in order to be reviewed for that entry term. Students who have completed all or most of their prerequisites are given priority consideration. If the admission review committee needs additional information on an applicant whose prerequisites are not complete, they may defer making a decision on the application until the review period for the next available term.

The School of Nursing strongly recommends applicants take no more than two online courses towards pre-requisites.  The prerequisite delivery mode is one aspect of the committee’s holistic approach to application review. Other considerations include previous degrees awarded, overall academic ability, recommendation letters, writing sample, and the strength of the applicant in comparison to the applicant pool.​


Applying through DePaul's online application is only an option through the spring 2024 start term.

  • Submit the DePaul online application at grad.depaul.edu/apply 
  • Submit your personal statement, two letters of recommendation, and resume or CV, directly through the online application OR by email to GradDePaul@depaul.edu. Please make sure your name is on all documents.
  • Pay the non-refundable $40 application fee through the online application (non-refundable application fee is $75 for international students).
  • Send official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended to gradtranscripts@depaul.edu or if regular mail is the only option, to the Office of Graduate Admission at the address below. 
  • If required, submit your TOEFL score directly from ETS (www.ets.org). DePaul's institution code is 1165.
  • You may submit your GRE scores 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

For summer 2024 and beyond, applicants can only apply through NursingCAS, the centralized application service for nursing programs. 

NursingCAS verifies your academic credentials on behalf of DePaul. Students applying through NursingCAS should submit their application 3-4 weeks in advance of the deadlines listed (depending upon the term), as it can take NursingCAS several weeks to verify your application and we do not review unverified NursingCAS applications.

  • 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.

International applicants

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.  You can also submit IELTS or Duolingo scores directly to DePaul. 

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.

Interested in Learning More?

Attend one of our information sessions.

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