For admission to the Graduate School, an applicant must hold either (1) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or (2) a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. This degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates. 

As an applicant to Penn State's online MSN program, you must have a degree in nursing and hold a current license to practice professional nursing in the United States.

Expectations:

• GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale
• Grades of B or better in all sciences and nursing courses
• College chemistry and statistics

Application Materials
 

A completed application (including a nonrefundable application fee). You must submit your application electronically by following the directions provided in the application.

Statement of purpose — You should submit a personal statement not to exceed two single-spaced pages, which should describe your relevant work experience; clearly articulated reasons for applying to the selected option; long-term goals or career aspirations; and other information that may be useful to the admissions committee.

Two letters of reference. It is recommended that you obtain letters from academic and professional perspectives. If you completed college-level courses over the last five years, an academic reference is required. Other references should be from a nursing supervisor, preferably holding a degree higher than yours. 

You will need to initiate the referral process through the online application by entering names and email addresses of two references. Those individuals will each receive an email asking them to complete a brief online recommendation specifically regarding your commitment to the health care profession and potential for success in an online program. Please inform all references that they must submit the form for your application to be complete.

Official test scores are not required. If you have already taken the GRE and submitted scores to Penn State, they will be reviewed as part of your application. However, GRE scores are not required for admission to the Master of Science in Nursing program.

English proficiency — The language of instruction at Penn State is English. All international applicants must take and submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS), with some exceptions. Minimum test scores and exceptions are found in the English Proficiency section on the Graduate School "How to Apply" page.

Official transcripts. You must provide two copies of official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution that you attended, regardless of the number of credits or semesters you completed. (Penn State even has a convenient transcript request form.) Transcripts not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. Mail transcripts to:

Graduate Programs
School of Nursing
The Pennsylvania State University
203 Health and Human Development East
University Park PA 16802-6508

Applying to the Master's Degree
 

1. Read the admissions requirements.
2. Begin the Graduate School application.
   1. On the "Admissions and Program Information Portal" page, choose "Apply Now"
   2. When you get to the "Campus, Major, Degree, and Semester" page:
      1. Choose "WORLD CAMPUS" as the campus.
      2. Choose "NURSING" as the major.
      3. Choose “M S N” as the degree.
      4. Choose either "NURSE ADMINISTRATOR" or "NURSE EDUCATOR" as the option.