Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for admission, students must meet the following criteria. Documentation showing that all requirements have been met must be included in your completed MSN-DNP application.

1. Be a graduate of an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association with an earned Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree.
2. Meet CSUB graduate admission requirements (https://www.csub.edu/graduate-admissions/admission).
3. Be in good standing at the last college/university attended.
4. Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in overall graduate course work.  (Applicants who attended a program that issued pass or fail grades for all classes will not be a competitive applicant). 
5. Hold a current registered nurse license from the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), unencumbered, unrestricted, with no disciplinary action pending or imposed.
6. Hold an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) national certification. 
7.  Have one-year full-time experience in advanced practice role. 
8. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required. 
9. Preference will be given to applicants who reside in the CSUB Service Area; have previous experience serving underserved and/or rural populations; or have experience in primary care setting in advanced practice role. 

To be considered for admission, a prospective student must submit a complete application with all required documentation during the application period.  All eligible applications are reviewed by the graduate admission committee using a holistic and inclusive review process. 

 

Holistic Admissions Statement

California State University Bakersfield Department of Nursing utilizes a holistic and inclusive review process for admission to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Applicants to the program are evaluated based on their unique experiences alongside traditional measures of academic achievement like grade point average (GPA) and standardized test scores. We believe the combination of this broad range of factors reflect the applicant’s academic readiness that will more likely lead to a successful outcome. Through the holistic admission process we hope to have a diverse class of students with the background, qualities, and skills needed to be successful nursing professionals who are ready to meet the needs of diverse patient populations.

The holistic admission process involves appraisal of the applicant’s GPA and answers to questionnaire detailing the life experience, community service, personal attributes and strengths that would support admission to the program.  Applications will be evaluated by an admission committee composed of faculty from the graduate program through a blinded process.