Admissions Requirements
Submit on-line School of Nursing DNP application. General Admission Requirements are listed below. Students entering with an MSN, also see section named Other MSN Entry Level Requirements.
- Achieved a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) or Master’s of Science in Nursing degree (MSN) from accredited program
- Unencumbered license as a nurse in the U.S.: Registered Nurse (RN; or eligible for licensure), or Advanced Practice RN (APRN) if applicable
- Students must be licensed in Tennessee or a compact state
- May apply when eligible for licensure; admission is contingent on successfully obtaining license
- It is the expectation that newly licensed registered nurses will be engaged in some level of clinical practice
- Cumulative BSN and/or MSN degree GPA 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
- GRE general exam scores are not required for admission
- For post-BSN applicants, GRE general exam scores may be submitted (if desired) to strengthen the application by demonstrating readiness for graduate studies
- GRE scores must arrive before the application deadline date to be considered
- TOEFL on-line score of 90 or higher if native language is not English
- Submission of School of Nursing Graduate Rating form from three (3) college faculty and/or nurses who have supervised applicant’s professional work; at least one of the rating forms must be completed by a nurse with a graduate degree
- Submission of official transcripts from all post-secondary schools where college credit was earned, not just degree-granting institutions
- Curriculum Vitae or Resume
- An essay as directed by the School of Nursing Graduate Program Committee
- Letter of interest indicating applicant’s readiness for doctoral studies
- Interview (may be completed via phone, video-conference, or in person)
With permission from the SON Director of the Graduate Program, a non-degree seeking student may take a maximum of nine credit hours in select nursing courses without being fully admitted to the DNP program. For consideration, students will need to submit a program application and official transcripts from all post-secondary schools where college credit was earned, not just degree-granting institutions.
Out-of-state applicants to the nursing BSN-DNP program should become familiar with their state’s regulations governing distance accessible programs. Prospective students residing in states other than Tennessee should contact their state’s Board of Nursing and Department of Education for specific rules and regulations pertaining to students enrolled in out-of-state programs while residing in their home state.
A graduate level statistics course is required for the program. If a course has already been taken, it must be approved as acceptable by the Director of the Graduate Program.
DNP applicants with advanced practice national certification in role described below must submit:
- Evidence of advanced practice national certification in one of the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) roles (certified nurse-midwife (CNM), certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and nurse practitioner.
- Evidence of MSN core courses, (Advanced Health Assessment across the Lifespan, Advanced Pharmacology across the Lifespan and Advanced Pathophysiology across the Lifespan).
- Letter of verification of supervised practice hours from MSN program, signed by MSN Program Director or appropriate program representative.
DNP applicants for the Transformational Executive Nursing Leadership track:
- Applicants must have achieved an MSN in administration, leadership, management or similar concentration from an accredited program.
- Graduates of MSN programs other than those listed above are welcome to apply. The SON Graduate Program Committee will conduct a gap analysis to evaluate completion of graduate courses and determine an individualized plan of study.
Prior to enrolling in nursing coursework students must meet the following requirements:
- Clear criminal background check
- Copy of unencumbered RN licensure (if applicable: RN & APRN license) (Licenses should be in state of employment and any state where clinical experiences will occur.)
- Drug/alcohol testing
Students will be required to submit the following:
- Physical examination
- Required immunizations
- PPD skin test or chest x-ray
- Health Care Provider CPR or ACLS certification
- Proof of health insurance
- Verification of fit testing
Any student applying to the DNP Program at Lee University may request transfer of up to nine (9) credit hours from a regionally accredited graduate program if the final course grade was B or better. Application of transfer credit must be approved by the SON Graduate Program Committee. To be considered for transfer of credit, a course must be taught at the graduate level, with a grade of at least a B attained. Select courses must have been taken within the last 5 years of application to the DNP Program in order to be approved for transfer. If the approval of transfer credit is given, the student requesting the credit is required to submit the official transcript for the course work to the SON. Following receipt of the official transcript, the SON will request by email to the University Registrar to have the academic record updated with transfer work and Lee University SON course equivalents.