College of Science and Health > Academics > School of Nursing > Graduate Programs > RN to MS in Nursing (MSN) > Admission Requirements

RN to MSN Admission

​​​​​​Graduate Information Sessions

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

General Admission Requirements

Admission requirements are dependent on the student's educational background.

    • Hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from a ACEN-,CNEA-, or CCNE-accredited nursing program; or hold an associate degree in nursing (ADN) and a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field from an ACEN- or CNEA-accredited nursing program.

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

    • Minimum 2.75 GPA

    • Be able to provide proof of completing the following prerequisite courses with a grade of 'C' or better: Statistics

  • Hold an associate degree or diploma in nursing from an ACEN- or CNEA-accredited nursing program.

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

  • Minimum 2.75 GPA

  • Be able to provide proof of completing the following prerequisite courses with a grade of 'C' or better: Statistics

*One statistics course with a grade of "C" or better must be completed and documented by submitting an official transcript showing the grade before a student can begin the program. The statistics course does not need to be completed before applying for admission for students with an ADN only. For all other applicants, the statistics course must be completed before applying.

**State restrictions 

This program is not available to students who plan to complete their clinical practicum in any of the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, 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 progra​m, 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. ​

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 RN to MSN 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​


Please note that students requiring an F-1 visa are not eligible for this program as the coursework is fully online.

International students (those who were educated outside of the U.S.) must take additional steps to be considered for admission. 

Those who completed a nursing degree outside the United States and are currently licensed as a Registered Nurse in the US must submit the following materials:

* Course-by-course transcript evaluation of international degree- we accept WES, ECE, Educational Perspectives, or OneEarth

* CGFNS Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) Professional Report- this will allow us to waive the English proficiency score requirement

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.

View Schedule

Take the next step

Learn more about Graduate Admission.

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.​