Doctor of Nursing Practice – Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements: Post-BSN to DNP, FNP

Non-Arkansas Residents: It is your responsibility to check with your State Board of Nursing regarding online, out-of-state programs.

Admission to the DNP program is selective and competitive. The minimal requirements for application are:

  1. An earned baccalaureate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program (graduates of non-accredited schools will be evaluated individually).
  2. Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.70 (4.00 scale) or 3.00 on last 60 hours of earned credit.
  3. Current unencumbered registered nurse license in Arkansas (or state where clinical experiences will take place).
  4. Undergraduate Nursing students preparing to graduate should obtain a letter from the Dean or Director of Nursing School stating expected graduation date verifying current enrollment.
  5. Applicants for whom English is not the native language are required to score 83 or higher on the iBT TOEFL exam. The exam must have been taken within the last two (2) calendar years. Only iBT TOEFL scores received directly from ETS or the UCA Testing center will be accepted as valid.
  6. A completed application.
  7. Cover letter
  8. Résumé
  9. Interview

Admission to the post-BSN to DNP program will be based on the following:

  • GPA (50%)
  • Cover letter & resume (25%)
  • Interview (25%)

To complete the application, refer to the Application Process tab and follow the directions as listed. Once the School of Nursing has received all required documentation, applications will be reviewed. Applicant’s cover letter and interview will be evaluated by graduate faculty, and the results for each applicant will be weighted with the applicant’s GPA.

Admission Requirements: Post-MSN to DNP

Non-Arkansas Residents: It is your responsibility to check with your State Board of Nursing regarding online, out-of-state programs.

Admission to the DNP program is selective and competitive. The minimal requirements for application are:

  1. An earned master’s degree in Nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program (graduates of non-accredited schools will be evaluated individually).
  2. Minimum cumulative graduate GPA at or higher than a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
  3. Current unencumbered registered nurse license in Arkansas (or state where clinical experiences will take place).
  4. Applicants for whom English is not the native language are required to score 83 or higher on the iBT TOEFL exam. The exam must have been taken within the last two (2) calendar years. Only iBT TOEFL scores received directly from ETS or the UCA Testing center will be accepted as valid.
  5. Documentation of a minimum of 280 supervised clinical hours with a preceptor during the masters nursing program.
  6. A completed application.
  7. Cover letter
  8. Résumé
  9. Interview

Admission to the post-MSN to DNP program will be based on the following:

  • GPA (50%)
  • Cover letter & resume (25%)
  • Interview (25%)

To complete the application, refer to the Application Process tab and follow the directions as listed. Once the School of Nursing has received all required documentation, applications will be reviewed. Applicant’s cover letter and interview will be evaluated by graduate faculty, and the results for each applicant will be weighted with the applicant’s GPA.