BS-DNP Admission (GRAD-07)

Download a printable version of GRAD-07

Last Revision Date

1/24/2025

Responsible Party

Graduate program director(s), faculty, and staff.

Scope and Audience

Graduate Nursing Programs

Additional Authority

Boise State University Graduate College

1. Policy Purpose

This policy describes the Graduate Nursing admission and transfer policy and procedures.

2. Policy Statement

Graduate Nursing programs are cohort-based programs that accept students on a rolling basis, providing students with a spring or fall start date. A variety of application materials and processes are used to facilitate equitable consideration of applicants who will persist and be successful in a doctoral program.

General Application Information

Application materials are accepted on a rolling basis with program start dates in the fall and the spring.
There are fees for the Graduate College and the Graduate Program applications. (see program website)
Applications must be completed before they are reviewed. Missing documentation or information will delay the review of applications.
At any stage during the application process, applicants can log in to their Graduate College application account and check the status of their application to confirm that official transcripts have been received, that all supporting documents have been uploaded, and verify that references have submitted evaluation forms.
Applications are reviewed in the order received.
Applicants will be interviewed by the admission committee after all application materials are received and reviewed.

Application Requirements

Admission to Boise State’s Graduate College is required, but admission to the Graduate College does not guarantee admission to a School of Nursing graduate program. Please direct any questions about the Graduate College application to graduatecollege@boisestate.edu
Please check the website for Residency Requirements.
To be considered for admission, applicants must possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program, a valid, unencumbered, U.S.-issued RN license or an advanced nursing practice degree from within the United States, and be eligible to test for national certification.
Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in their undergraduate nursing coursework and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in their Master’s program, if applicable.
English Proficiency (written and spoken) is mandatory.
Applicants who attended nursing school outside of the United States or United States territories must meet all application requirements AND comply with the following from the Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and provide an academic review to Boise State University, including credentials review, qualifying examination of nursing knowledge, and English proficiency exam. For more information, contact Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). https://www.cgfns.org/
Applicants wishing to transfer from an equivalent graduate nursing program within the United States must meet all residency and admission requirements. Additionally, they must provide a Letter of Good Standing from the director of their current nursing program. This letter must confirm that the applicant left the program in good standing and without any violations of unprofessional behavior or academic misconduct.
Applicants who wish to transfer completed graduate nursing credits must request official transcripts from all previous institutions when applying. The Program Director will conduct a gap analysis to determine which credits may be transferred. Once this analysis is finalized, additional transfer credits will not be considered.
No more than 50% of the completed credits may be transferred. Applicants may also need to provide syllabi from the courses they wish to transfer.
Transfer credits for the Post-masters DNP program are not allowed.

Admission Decisions

All application materials are used to make admission decisions including, the application itself, references, resume or curriculum vitae (CV), licensure, transcripts, the comprehensive written statement, and interview.

Admission decisions are made by the Graduate Admission Committee.
Scoring criteria are identified before each admission cycle and used by the admission team for all completed applications during the cycle.
The comprehensive written statement, interview, and resume are weighted scores with the written statement and interview having the strongest weight in total scoring.
Interviews follow a pre-established question format.
Each applicant’s resume, comprehensive written statement, and interview are independently scored.
Admission decisions are made by the Graduate Admission Committee. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis as space is available.
Applicants are notified of admission decisions via email as soon as possible.
Applicants may be placed on a waitlist if cohorts reach capacity. If a space becomes available, they may be offered a spot in the program. If no space becomes available before classes begin, the applicant may be invited to join the next cohort.

Deferment

Applicants who are invited to join the program may choose to defer enrollment for one year (per Graduate College Admission Processing procedure).

If an applicant opts to defer, they must email the program director at least 3 months prior to the beginning of the semester.
If the applicant chooses not to enroll for the deferred cohort, the space will be given to another applicant in that admission cycle.
If the applicant does not communicate by the deadline and/or does not respond to requests for communication, we will assume the student does not intend to enroll and the space will be given to another applicant in that admission cycle.