Post-Master's Entry to the DNP Pathway Admission Requirements

No GRE required.

Completion of a minimum of 240 eligible practice hours during prior master’s or post-master's coursework, as evident on transcript. This may be indicated on a transcript as residency, practicum, internship or fieldwork. National certification in one of the recognized APRN roles (i.e. nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetist, or nurse-midwife) may substitute for 500 APRN practice hours. National certification as a certified nurse executive (i.e. NEA-BC or CENP) may substitute for 500 non-APRN practice hours.

• Applicants must be licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN) in California OR in state of residency where DNP project work will occur by the program start date.
• Non-California applicants desiring a California license should review "Licensure by Endorsement / Reciprocity" rules from the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).
• California BRN regulations 2729 and 2732 state that all nurses practicing in California must be licensed in California.
• Information regarding recognition of licensure in other states, or other matters related to licensure may be obtained from the BRN at the following address:
  Ca. Board of Registered Nursing
  P.O. Box 944210
  Sacramento, CA 94244-2100

College level statistics course completed within five years of the start of the program. Proof of enrollment is required by the application deadline, but the course may be completed up to the time of enrollment.

A few statistics refresher course options: California Community College — California virtual campus, UC Berkeley Extension, UC San Diego Extension, UCLA, The University of Massachusetts Online, University of Phoenix, or Outlier.org.

Please note: some of these sources may not be transferable should you want to apply the course credits to a degree program. They will satisfy our DNP statistics prerequisite requirement.

The above list is not all-inclusive. If you identify a course (from the above list or elsewhere) that you are unsure of, please email a link to the course description to [email protected].

Resume or curriculum vitae should detail work history, professional, and volunteer activities appropriate to the advanced practice role.

• $120 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents and $140 for international applicants.
• U.S. citizens and permanent residents who demonstrate financial need, or who would have significant difficulty in paying application fees, may be eligible for a fee waiver.

• Three confidential letters of recommendation from colleagues who are able to address academic abilities, work-related experience, and leadership potential.

• Articulating personal and professional goals and how they relate to your area of specialization.

• One year of APRN or advanced nursing leadership experience

In addition to meeting the same admission requirements domestic students must meet, international applicants must also demonstrate proficiency in English. There are two ways to meet this English language proficiency requirement:

1. Prior Education – You have earned, or are in the process of earning, a four-year bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution in a country listed below where English is BOTH the official language AND the language of instruction. Applicants who meet this requirement do not need to submit English Language Proficiency test scores. 
   1. If you are in the process of earning your degree, you must have completed at least one year of full-time study at an accredited institution in a country below where English is both the official language and the language of instruction.
   2. If you have earned, or are in the process of earning, a four-year bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution in a country where English is not the official language but is the language of instruction, you must obtain official documentation that English is the primary language of instruction of the degree-granting institution. Please have the institution send the documentation directly to [email protected].
      1. Additionally, the program to which you are applying must also be willing to waive the current English language requirement. Please note that each program at UCSF handles its own admissions and requirements and can require you to submit English language test scores to demonstrate English proficiency for their admission requirements.
      2. An application waiver of the English language requirement will not necessarily waive the English language requirement for admission to UCSF.
          
2. Exam Score – International applicants must submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL, http://www.toefl.org) or the International English Language Test (IELTS, http://www.ielts.org).
   1. Test Score Validity (Year) Limits: 
      1. TOEFL/IELTS Test Results are Valid for Two Years. Be aware that submitted test results for the TOEFL (or the IELTS) can NOT be more than two years old to be accepted for your UCSF application. 
   2. Minimum Scores:
      1. TOEFL: The minimum overall TOEFL score is 92 (internet-based test); 24 is the minimum score in the speaking section and 24 is the minimum score in the writing section.  
      2. IELTS: The minimum IELTS score is 7.
   3. Score Reporting: 
      1. TOEFL: For reporting TOEFL scores from ETS, the institution code for UCSF is 4840 and the department code is 43. 
      2. IELTS: Mail a copy of the official IELTS score report to: 
         • UCSF Valley Tower
           School of Nursing Dean's Office, Box 0604
           490 Illinois St., Floor 9
           San Francisco, CA 94143
   4. Name Changes: 
      • If there are alternative names - or other issues - that might interfere with our locating and matching your score(s) among the official test records, please let us know. Send your additional identifying date, name and score information to [email protected]. 
   5. Questions: 
      • Consult with Nursing Student Affairs ([email protected]) for questions about examinations and scoring.

Note: Test scores may take up to six weeks to reach the university. ​​​​​​