Post-Master's Admissions

Requirements

To be eligible for admission to our Post-Master’s Study option you must have: 

Status as one of the following types of student 

1. Have completed a Master of Science in nursing from an institution with a nursing education program accredited through the CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA.
2. Currently APRN or CNL Certified.
3. May be a currently enrolled Post-Master’s (Traditional) DNP student at The Ohio State University.

You may apply to the Post-Master’s Study option while your master’s degree and/or APRN certification is still in progress, but you must receive the degree and become APRN certified by August 1 prior to beginning enrollment. 

Changes to 1-3 above, effective January 2024.

Active RN license

You must have an active, unencumbered license as a registered nurse in the state where you practice. You may apply before receiving your RN license, but must be in possession of a current, unencumbered RN license by August 1.

If you do not meet these requirements, you may pursue advanced nursing certification through the Traditional Master of Science program option or BSN to DNP program. The benefits of pursuing advanced nursing certification through the Master of Science or DNP degree programs include completing enough credits to earn another degree, the ability to access financial aid as a degree-seeking student and a transcript designation of the specialty you complete. If offered admission to the Traditional Master’s option or BSN to DNP program, you would be able to petition for transfer and/or waiver of previously completed master’s-level coursework after you accept the offer of admission. Information on transfer credit requirements for graduate students can be located in the Graduate School Handbook. The results of these petitions would determine the courses you have to complete in order to earn your degree and become eligible for certification. Even if a large number of your credits are transferred or waived, it may not be possible to shorten your time to degree due to availability of clinical placements.

Visit this page to learn more about requirements related to vaccines, licenses and other requirements upon admission.

Who We Are Looking For

The Post-Master’s Study option has a selective admission process. 

Your application will receive a holistic review, meaning all aspects of who you are as a candidate will be considered including your academic preparedness, professional background, formative life experiences, and your unique strengths and attributes. The following list of candidate attributes and experiences is not all encompassing but is meant to help guide you in highlighting your strengths as you prepare your written application materials and recorded online interview.

• A clear understanding of the role of the advanced practice nurse in your chosen specialty and how it aligns with your future career goals 
• Previous personal or professional experience with the population of your chosen specialty 
• Leadership, and/or ability for teamwork and collaboration 
• Community engagement (local or global) 
• Diversity of thought, perspective, and experiences 
• Evidence of resilience, personal growth, and ability to think critically
• Emotional intelligence, organization of ideas, and written and oral communication skills
• Examples of key personal attributes such as humility, professionalism, compassion, etc. 
• Overall commitment to the nursing profession 

How to Apply

To apply for the Post-Master’s Study option you must complete the following prior to the application deadline: 

1. Complete graduate non-degree application online

You can complete a Graduate Non-Degree application online at The Ohio State University Graduate and Professional Admissions office’s website. If you are applying to the Adult Gerontology Acute Care or Adult Gerontology Primary Care specialties, you must submit an application for the summer term. All other specialties should submit an application for the autumn term. A $60 fee is required at the time of submission of the application.

If you are currently or have been previously enrolled in a degree granting graduate program at The Ohio State University for any length of time, you would be considered a Graduate Intra-University Transfer Student. Be sure to choose the appropriate application for "current or former" Ohio State students when completing the Graduate Non-Degree Application. If you have previously been a Graduate Non-Degree student at Ohio State, please complete the Permission to Reactivate Enrollment Eligibility Form.

You may need to send proof of degree to the university’s Graduate Admissions Office as part of the Graduate Non-Degree application and separate from the other material provided. After this, the Graduate School will send a letter notifying applicants of their admission status to the Graduate Non-Degree program. Admission to the Graduate Non-Degree program does not guarantee admission to the College of Nursing’s Post-Master’s program. 

2. Complete the Post-Master's application

Access the Post-Master’s application here.

In order to access the Post-Maser’s application, you must have an active Ohio State name.# and password. Your name.# will become active once you have submitted the Graduate Non-Degree application as outlined in step #1.

In the post-Master’s application you will be required to select your specialty for the program, as well as whether you will attend on-campus or through distance learning, if that option is available for your chosen specialty. You can find a list of the available specializations here. 

You will also need to upload all required materials listed below to the Post-Master’s application at the time of submission.

When uploading the files for the required application materials below, please name the files with required identifying descriptions. For example: Your Last Name_resume. Transcripts should be saved as: Your Last Name_transcript_College or University Name. All files must be saved and uploaded as PDFs.

• All college transcripts
  
  You must submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities that you have previously attended at either the undergraduate or graduate levels. This includes transcripts for any post-secondary courses taken during high school or of coursework that appears as transfer credit on another transcript. All applicants MUST submit their transcripts through this application even if you are a current/recent graduate of an Ohio State College of Nursing program. Transcripts for coursework completed at Ohio State do not need to be submitted.

• Current resume or curriculum vitae
  
  Your resume or curriculum vitae (CV) should be in a similar format to what you would use for a job application. You should include your previous education, professional experiences, and any community service, volunteer activities, publications, research, and leadership experiences on your resume or CV. This should be submitted directly through the Post-Master’s application as an MS Word or PDF document.

• Purpose and goals statement
  
  The purpose and goals statement is an opportunity to introduce yourself, to express your interest in advanced nursing practice, and to demonstrate your writing skills. Here are some recommended questions to consider and to address when composing your statement:

  • What specifically are your academic and career goals?
  • How did you decide to seek graduate education in this specialty area?
  • How have your life experiences prepared you for a master’s degree and/or to be an advanced practice nurse in your selected specialty?
  • How do you see yourself as a leader and advocate for patients in your future practice setting?
     
• Two letters of recommendation
  
  It is suggested that at least one of your letters of recommendation come from an academic source from your Master of Science program. Supervisors are also a good source for recommendations. We suggest providing your recommenders with information on the degree and specialty to which you are applying and with a copy of your purpose and goals statement. Ask that they address your potential for success in a rigorous graduate program and what attributes and experiences they feel will allow you to excel as an advanced practice nurse in your chosen specialty. Your recommenders will supply their letters to you and you will upload them to the Post-Master’s application prior to submission as an MS Word or PDF document.
   
• Proof of certification and RN licensure
  
  Proof of RN licensure must be submitted with your application. If you currently hold a certification as an advanced practice nurse, CNL, or other nursing certification, proof of that certification must be also be submitted. 

3. Recorded online video interview

You are required to complete an interview through an online portal called HireVue. You will answer a few questions and your responses will be recorded. This interview can be completed at any time during the application window. However, we ask that you do so only after you have completed and submitted your application. Please note: you must complete the recorded online video interview before the application deadline. For further details, instructions, and links to the online portal go to the interview. 

Failure to complete all required steps of this application process by 11:59 pm ET on the day of the posted deadline will result in your application not being considered for admission, with no exceptions.

Admission Timeline and Deferrals

All required materials listed above must be submitted by the posted application deadline to be considered for admission. Please allow up to five business days for the status of materials to be updated on your application status webpage. 

Please review the admissions timeline here. This admissions timeline covers what you can expect throughout the application process, including an anticipated timeline for when admissions decisions will be released and next steps if you are offered admission. 

You are not able to defer admittance. If you are unable to begin your studies in the term to which you applied, you will be required to reapply in the future.