phd yale nursing

School of Nursing 2019 – 2020

Doctor of philosophy program, aims and assumptions.

The Yale University Ph.D. in nursing program educates students in research, scholarship, teaching, and health care policy. Under the guidance of the faculty, Ph.D. students engage in advanced study and generate new knowledge and ideas through research. They learn to disseminate this knowledge through scholarly publications, presentations, teaching, and leadership. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of scientific knowledge that is consistent with YSN’s mission of “better health for all people,” contributing to healthy lifespans, reducing health disparities, improving quality of care, and shaping health policy. The educational program is provided through formal course work, seminars, research assistantships, teaching fellowships, dissertation research, mentorship by faculty experts, and informal faculty and student interactions within the School of Nursing and throughout Yale University. Interdisciplinary study is encouraged, and students have access to the vast resources of the University as they complete their course work and dissertation research.

The Ph.D. program is administered by the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). To receive admissions information, please contact the Office of Admissions at the GSAS at 203.432.2771 or at http://gsas.yale.edu/admission-graduate-school . More information about the program is available at http://nursing.yale.edu/academics/phd-program-nursing and http://gsas.yale.edu .

Fields of Study

Fields include chronic illness (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS); self- and family management; maternal and child health; sleep and sleep disorders; global health; health equity and care of vulnerable populations; acute and critical care; end-of-life and palliative care; genetic and environmental influences on health; gerontology and long-term care; and school- and community-based interventions.

Special Admission Requirements

Applicants should have a master’s degree in nursing, or the equivalent, including previous course work in statistics and graduate-level course work in research methods. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is required. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants for whom English is a second language. Samples of written work (e.g., published article, thesis, literature review) and a curriculum vitae are required. Qualified applicants will be invited for an interview with a member of the doctoral faculty.

Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree

Course work.

Completion of fourteen core courses/seminars and four cognates in the student’s area of specialization (including one advanced analysis course) is required. Successful completion of the dissertation seminar (906a/907b) every term is also required. The required core courses are:

• 901a, Research Methods I: Quantitative Methods for Health Research
• 902b, Research Methods II: Qualitative Methods for Health Research
• 903b, Research Methods III: Measurement of Health Variables
• 904a, Research Methods IV: Mixed Methods
• 905a, Research Methods V: Intervention Development
• 908a, Science, Scholarship, and Communication of Knowledge I
• 909b, Science, Scholarship, and Communication of Knowledge II
• 910a, Science, Scholarship, and Communication of Knowledge III
• 911b, Science, Scholarship, and Communication of Knowledge IV
• 912a, Foundations of Scientific Inquiry I: Philosophical and Theoretical Basis for Nursing Science
• 913b, Foundations of Scientific Inquiry II: Theories of Health, Symptom Management, and Self-Management
• 917b, Advanced Statistics for Clinical Nursing Research
• 929b, Ethical Conduct of Clinical Research
• 941a, Health Policy, Leadership, and Systems

The grading system includes Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Fail. Students must maintain a High Pass average and achieve a grade of Honors in at least two core courses to remain in good standing. High Pass is required in all core courses in the first year for a student to be eligible to take the Preliminary Examination. After the first year, no more than one grade of Pass in a core course will be permitted. A grade of Pass or better is required for all cognates, including the required advanced analysis course.

In addition to all other requirements, students must successfully complete 929b, Ethical Conduct of Clinical Research, prior to the end of their first year of study. This requirement must be met prior to registering for a second year of study.

Graduate Research Assistant and Teaching Fellow Experience

During the first two years of the program, students are Graduate Research Assistants with faculty mentors and participate in the mentor’s ongoing research.

Teaching experience is also considered to be an integral part of graduate education. Therefore, two terms as a Teaching Fellow are required. Teaching Fellows assist with the teaching of larger master’s-level courses, typically during their third year of doctoral study.

Examinations

Successful completion of three examinations is required.

• The Preliminary Examination is taken in June after the first year of course work has been completed. A grade of High Pass or better in each core course is required. The Preliminary Examination is intended to allow the student to demonstrate mastery of doctoral course work. Passing the Preliminary Examination is a prerequisite for continuing in the second year of doctoral study.
• The Qualifying Examination typically takes place at the end of the second year of study, when required course work is completed. If the Qualifying Examination is not completed by the end of the sixth term, the student will be placed on Academic Probation. If not completed by the end of the seventh term, the student will be dismissed from the program. The student prepares a comprehensive dissertation proposal containing a statement of the problem to be studied, conceptual framework, critical review of relevant literature, design, methods, and plan for analysis. The oral Qualifying Examination typically lasts 1 to 1.5 hours. The student gives a 15-minute formal presentation of the proposed study and answers questions regarding the research and related topics. Successful completion of the Qualifying Examination is required for candidacy for the doctoral degree.
• The Final Oral Examination is based on the dissertation. The dissertation is intended to demonstrate that the student is competent in the chosen area of study and has conducted independent research. The Final Oral Examination typically lasts 1.5 to 2 hours. The student gives a 15- to 20-minute formal presentation of the dissertation and answers questions. Successful completion of the Final Oral Examination is required before the Ph.D. can be awarded.

Master’s Degree

M.Phil. This degree will be granted to Ph.D. students who successfully complete two years of course work, but do not progress to the dissertation stage. To be awarded the M.Phil. degree, students need to complete all core courses, four cognates (may include independent study with faculty), and two years of Graduate Research Assistant experience, and must pass the Preliminary Examination. This degree is normally granted only to students who are withdrawing from the Ph.D. program.

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A part-time program designed to allow nurse practitioners to obtain board certification in a new area of practice.  Choose from one of five available specialty areas.

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• PhD/Master's Application Process

Who is Eligible to Apply? 

If you have completed your undergraduate degree (bachelor's or equivalent) or will have completed it prior to your intended matriculation date at Yale, you may apply to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).

A Master's degree is not required to apply for a PhD at Yale, although some programs give preference to applicants with post-baccalaureate training. Consult your program of interest directly for information on how it evaluates applications.

We value diversity of all kinds at the Graduate School, and we encourage students from all backgrounds to apply if Yale is a good fit for your intellectual and professional goals. All are welcome to apply, without regard to citizenship or immigration status, socioeconomic level, race, religion, gender identification, sexual orientation, disability, etc.

Requirements for All PhD and Master's Degree Applicants

You will need to provide the following with your application for admission:

• A statement of academic purpose. You will find the prompt for the statement of purpose in our Application Question FAQs . 
• A list of all the prior colleges or universities you have attended, accompanied by unofficial transcripts from each school. Unofficial transcripts should be uploaded with your application. Official or paper transcripts are not needed at this time. 
• Three letters of recommendation. Enter the names of your recommenders directly in the application and they will receive a link to upload a letter on your behalf. 
• $105 application fee or fee waiver. 
• Standardized tests . GRE requirements vary by program. TOEFL or IELTS are necessary for most non-native English speakers. 
• Resume/CV . 
• Some programs have additional requirements, such as a writing sample . You can find information about any specific requirements on the program's website. 

Where Do I Begin?

Decide whether you will apply for a PhD or a terminal Master’s (MA, MS) in one of the programs available at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences . (Note that you will earn one or more Master's degrees en route to a PhD.) Learn about the program: its faculty, course offerings, and resources. Read the faculty's research publications. If you can identify and articulate why the program is a good fit for you and show how your preparation and interests align well with it, you will have a strong application.

A note to students applying to one of Yale’s professional schools or programs:

• If you are applying for a PhD in Architecture, Environment, Investigative Medicine, Law, Management, Music, Nursing, or Public Health; for an MS in Public Health; or for an MA in Music, be sure to use the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences PhD/Master's application.
• If you are applying for any other degree at one of the University’s professional schools (Art, Architecture, Divinity, Drama, Environment, Global Affairs, Law, Management, Medicine, Music, Nursing, and Public Health), visit that school’s website for further instructions. Those programs have separate admissions policies and processes that are administered by the professional schools, not GSAS.

Application deadlines vary by program, so please see Dates & Deadlines for information about your program of interest. 

All new students matriculate in the fall. The admissions process begins nearly a year in advance of matriculation.

Some PhD and Master’s degree programs require Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Check your program's standardized testing requirement before you apply. 

In addition, applicants whose native language is not English may need to take an English Language test (TOEFL or IELTS).

The application for Fall 2025 entry is now available. 

Be sure to complete and submit the application before your program's application deadline. 

Your application fee or an approved fee waiver is due upon submission of your application. 

Your letters of recommendation do not need to be received before you will be able to submit your application. However, since programs begin reviewing applications shortly after the respective application deadline, please be sure that your letters of recommendation are submitted promptly.

What Happens After I Submit My Application?

The faculty admissions committee in each department and program begins reviewing applications shortly after their application deadline. Led by the director of graduate studies (DGS) or director of graduate admissions (DGA), the committee will recommend students for admission to the Graduate School. Once confirmed by the deans of the Graduate School, the admissions office will release final decisions to applicants.

Unlike undergraduate admissions, the admissions office and staff of the Graduate School maintain the application, the application process, and other administrative transactions, but the admissions staff does not review applications or make admissions decisions. That responsibility is handled by the faculty of each department or program.

Most admissions decisions are provided between February and early March. You will receive an email notification when your admissions decision is available.

If you are accepted for admission, you will need to decide if you wish to accept our offer by April 15. We abide by Council of Graduate School's April 15 Resolution , regarding graduate financial support. 

Ready to apply? Begin your application today.

PhD/Master's Applicants

• Why Choose Yale Graduate School?
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Non-Degree Program Applicants

Looking for non-degree programs? In some cases, it is possible to enroll at the Graduate School as a non-degree student. Non-degree students receive a transcript and many of the benefits of being a Yale student, but do not earn a degree upon completion of their enrollment. We offer three types of non-degree programs.

• Non-Degree Programs

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INFORMATION FOR

• Prospective Students
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Nursing and Public Health

Recognizing the relationship between nursing and public health, the Yale School of Nursing (YSN) and the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) offer a joint degree program in nursing and public health. This option is especially oriented to individuals who wish to combine careers in advanced nursing practice and public health that might involve direct practice, planning, and policy-making in a variety of health care systems in the public health sector. This joint degree option requires three years (four years for students in the Graduate Entry Pre-Specialty in Nursing (GEPN) and awards a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and a Master of Public Health (MPH).

A joint degree is more than simply a list of courses taken at both Schools. It is an integrated educational program designed to achieve a combination of the two programs in a way that is complementary to both, while protecting the integrity of each separate program. YSN students in any of the clinical specialties except for Nurse Midwifery/WHNP (this program is not recommended for Nurse Midwifery/WHNP students due to competing scheduling demands) may apply for the joint degree program. Study in one of the following YSPH departments is most appropriate for the joint MSN/MPH degree: Chronic Disease Epidemiology (CDE), Health Policy (HP), or Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS). YSPH students in the Health Care Management program are not eligible for the joint MSN/MPH program.

Joint Program Sequence

For students entering the GEPN program the joint degree program requires four full time academic years. GEPN program students are required to complete the first year of the four-year program at YSPH, followed by years two and three at YSN (with PH electives as schedules permit) and in the final (fourth) year, courses are taken at both schools.

For full time RNs entering the MSN program, the joint degree program requires three full time academic years. RN students entering the MSN program (except for Midwifery/WHNP and Online PMHNP) also are required to begin their first full time academic year at YSPH. The second year is spent in full time study at YSN (with elective courses taken at YSPH), while the third year is spent taking courses at both schools.

Part Time RN students, will need to develop a specialized plan of study with academic advisors for both schools.

Course planning for joint degree candidates should be carried out in consultation with the appropriate educational officers, as well as faculty advisors at the School of Nursing and YSPH, and must satisfy the following general requirements:

The Public Health Component

Joint degree candidates must complete all of the core MPH courses as described in the School of Public Health Bulletin . All MPH students must complete a set of six core courses:

• EPH 100 – Professional Skills Series (no credit)
• EPH 505 - Biostatistics in Public Health (not required for BIS)
• EPH 507 - Social Justice and Health Equity
• EPH 508 - Foundations of Epidemiology and Public Health
• EPH 510 - Health Policy and Health Care Systems
• EPH 513 - Major Health Threats

Students must also complete all departmental requirements, an internship/ public health practice experience and the thesis/ capstone course.

The total number of YSPH course units required for the joint degree is reduced from 20 to 15. If a student obtains an exemption for a required course, an elective must be substituted; an exemption does not reduce the total number of required course units below 15. Joint degree students are required to complete an internship in public health practice. GEPN students who have successfully completed the course NURS 5130, Community Health Nursing and Public Health, may use this course to satisfy the practice and internship requirements. YSN students not enrolled in the GEPN program will be required to satisfy the practice requirement with an appropriate summer internship. The YSPH Committee on Academic Progress reviews each student’s progress toward the public health component of the joint degree.

The Nursing Component

Joint degree candidates must complete all YSN required courses contained in their Specialty curriculum as described in the YSN Bulletin . The total number of credits in the joint degree program will vary, depending upon the student’s specialty choice. Some courses taken at YSPH will meet requirements at the School of Nursing. For example:

Students are eligible to waive N6040 Statistics and Research for Evidenced-Based Nursing Practice at YSN if they have taken statistics and evidenced based courses at YSPH. Students are eligible to waive N6060 Promoting Health in the Community if they have taken HPM 560 Health Economics and U.S. Health & Policy or HPM 510 Health Policy and Health Systems.

Similarly, courses taken at YSN may meet requirements for elective courses at YSPH. Specifics must be negotiated with the YSN Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Specialty Coordinator and YSPH advisor.

Tuition and Financial Aid

For GEPN Students: Joint degree candidates will owe three terms of tuition to YSPH and six terms of tuition to YSN.

For MSN or RN Students: Joint degree candidates will owe three terms of tuition to YSPH and three terms of tuition to YSN.

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Meet Yale Internal Medicine: Garrett Ash, PhD

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As a part of our “Meet Yale Internal Medicine” series, today’s feature is on Garrett Ash, PhD, assistant professor of medicine (general medicine) and assistant professor of biomedical informatics and data science.

Garrett Ash, PhD , assistant professor of medicine (general medicine) and assistant professor of biomedical informatics and data science at Yale, has been a runner for most of his life. He ran track and cross country in high school and college and later turned to marathon running. He became interested in exercise physiology and wanted to see how he could tie his interests to the well-being of society. Currently, he is an assistant professor of medicine specializing in digital health, and his journey has been filled with a host of fascinating research projects and devoted mentors.

After majoring in chemistry at Swarthmore College, he started a master’s program at the University of Oxford studying the genetics of exercise physiology. He was working with Ethiopian and Kenyan runners in East Africa and had initially planned to go into coaching. But while working on this project, he was advised to pursue a career in research.

Upon his return to the states, Ash completed his PhD in exercise physiology at the University of Connecticut under the mentorship of Linda Pescatello, PhD, CPD, who studies the causes and effects of low blood pressure after exercise. Ash was drawn to this lab in particular because of its dependence on fieldwork and wearable devices. His work required him to follow people with elevated blood pressure for a 24-hour period after exercise. He became inspired by all the important elements of data that could be acquired not from inside the confines of the lab, but from working with people directly and in their places of daily living.

Ash came to Yale in 2016 where he has been ever since. He has completed three postdoctoral appointments as well as a data science fellowship with Mark Gerstein, PhD , Albert L Williams Professor of Biomedical Informatics and professor of molecular biophysics & biochemistry (computer science and statistics & data science).

During his first postdoc, Ash switched his focus to studying diabetes. “Diabetes is a disease that captured my interest because of all the elements that you need to focus on in terms of behavioral health,” explained Ash.

He also became inspired by how passionate people were in this line of work. His second and third postdocs, under the mentorship of Nancy Redeker, MSN, PhD , Beatrice Renfield Term Professor Emeritus of Nursing, and Lisa Fucito, PhD , associate professor of psychiatry, allowed him to study wearable devices for various sleep pathologies. This experience “broadened my knowledge and skills about using wearables that I could bring back to the diabetes field,” said Ash.

As a new faculty member in 2023, he was awarded the best e-poster in Health-related work by Yale Ventures at the Yale Innovation Summit . Ash says that this was the most meaningful award he has received thus far because he was able to merge three major areas of interests: exercise physiology, wearable devices, and behavioral health.

Ash has now been at Yale for nearly a decade and says that his mentors “got him on a journey to shaping his passion and research focus.” His work now incorporates aspects from every lab that he has worked with: he studies wearable devices for diabetes management and uses his data science background to create platforms for those data to be digested and relayed to the user and their healthcare team.

Yale has been a monumental component of Ash’s career: “There is nowhere else you could find the resources to do this type of work.”

The Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine is among the nation's premier departments, bringing together an elite cadre of clinicians, investigators, educators, and staff in one of the world's top medical schools. To learn more, visit Internal Medicine.

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Featured in this article

• Garrett Ash, PhD Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Medicine), Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
• Mark Gerstein, PhD Albert L Williams Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Professor of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, of Computer Science, and of Statistics & Data Science
• Nancy Schmieder Redeker, RN, MSN, PhD, FAHA, FAAN Beatrice Renfield Term Professor Emeritus of Nursing; Director, Center for Biobehavioral Health Research, Yale School of Nursing
• Lisa Fucito, PhD Associate Professor of Psychiatry; Director, Tobacco Treatment Service, Psychiatry

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Maurie mcinnis returns to yale in a new role: president-elect.

President-elect Maurie McInnis, center, with former President Richard Levin, left, and current President Peter Salovey on Wednesday. (Photos by Dan Renzetti)

When Maurie McInnis arrived on the Yale campus in the fall of 1989, her belongings jammed into the back of a U-Haul truck and her mind focused on graduate studies in art history, she saw quickly that Yale would change her life.

It did: she emerged a rigorous scholar of cultural history who would go on to a series of academic and university leadership roles, including service as a vice provost at the University of Virginia, provost at the University of Texas at Austin, and, currently, president of Stony Brook University.

Yesterday, she returned to Yale as its president-elect, the unanimous choice of Yale’s Board of Trustees.

“ With Maurie leading us, we will continue to advance the university’s capacity to teach and pursue life-changing and innovative research to benefit people around the globe,” Josh Bekenstein ’80, the board’s senior trustee and head of the presidential search committee, said at an event formally introducing McInnis as Yale’s 24 th president. ( Read more about her appointment .)

McInnis, a Yale trustee since 2022, starts in her new role on July 1. She will succeed Peter Salovey, who is returning to the faculty fulltime after 11 years as Yale’s leader.

“ I can’t wait to begin,” she said in her own remarks Wednesday, which were broadcast live.

McInnis described the profound lessons she learned as a student of art history at Yale — and how the experience transformed her.

“ I learned how to ask questions and immerse myself in other times, places, and cultures through the lived experience of art, architecture, and artifacts,” she said. “Within the objects that humans produce and conserve, we find echoes of our shared humanity — often not captured in words — of belief, of beauty and horror, of joy and sorrow, of love and loss. My own work as a scholar has attempted to illuminate the past and to make that understanding more broadly accessible to the public.

“ And the curiosity instilled in me by my experiences at Yale has driven my work as an academic leader as well,” she added. “In fact, one of the most rewarding aspects of leading a university — as well as medical centers and research facilities — is the opportunity it affords me to be exposed to the greatest minds across a breadth of disciplines and lines of inquiry.”

During the 10 a.m. live announcement, McInnis addressed members of the Yale community, expressing her commitment to learning about their work and experiences — and to understanding what the university community wants to see in the future for Yale and for higher education.

“ My time at Yale has transformed my life, and I understand the trust and responsibility given to me,” she said. “I value the opportunity to work with you, to build on all that you, President Salovey, Provost [Scott] Strobel, and the academic and administrative leaders have accomplished in realizing the academic priorities and advancing Yale’s mission. I know I have big shoes to fill. In my service as an alumna volunteer and trustee, I’ve gotten to know some of you. I look forward to reconnecting, to working with you in a new capacity, and meeting so many more of you. You, your work, and your aspirations make Yale what it is.”

She expressed appreciation for the faculty, students, staff, alumni, and New Haven neighbors. And she thanked President Salovey and First Lady Marta Moret for the kindness they have shown her and her husband Dean, and for the “extraordinary impact” they have had on Yale over the past few decades.

“ I’m filled with gratitude as I step into the role to lead this university, knowing firsthand the opportunity for learning it provides to students and the impact it has on millions of people around the world through life-changing scholarship and research,” she added. “I have no doubt that there are many exciting times ahead for all of us, and many challenges. Through it all, I will seek the input of the community and urge all of us to listen with empathy and compassion for the experiences of others. Most importantly, I will encourage us to ask ourselves what change we wish to see in the world and how might we best accomplish that.”

‘ We kept in touch’

Members of the Yale faculty from a wide variety of academic disciplines expressed optimism about McInnis’ selection as Yale’s next president.

“ Maurie and I met when we were both getting started in university administration,” said Pericles Lewis, dean of Yale College and the Douglas Tracy Smith Professor of Comparative Literature in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “She showed a real passion for and understanding of undergraduate education. In those days she oversaw undergraduate education at her [undergraduate] alma mater, the University of Virginia.

“ We kept in touch, and I was very impressed by her work as provost at Texas, and especially her work as president of Stony Brook, where she developed international partnerships and launched major research projects. She really understands the complex higher education landscape and has a passion for Yale’s mission. I am looking forward to working more closely with her.”

Steve Girvin, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics, took special note of McInnis’s experience at Stony Brook and on the Yale Board of Trustees, calling her “well prepared to lead the very complex operation that is Yale University.”

Girvin is also a member of the Co-Design Center for Quantum Advantage at Brookhaven National Laboratory, for which McInnis shares oversight responsibility in her capacity as Stony Brook president.

“ It is interesting to me to note that Stony Brook is playing a leading role in the New York Climate Exchange, dealing with a crucial topic for our times that spans the arts and humanities, engineering, physical, biological, and social sciences, and medicine,” he said. “I look forward to her presidency.”

Steven Wilkinson, the Nilekani Professor of India and South Asian Studies and professor of political science and international affairs, opened bluntly: “Maurie McInnis is a great choice.”

Wilkinson, also Yale’s vice provost for global strategy and the Henry R. Luce Director of the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies, described himself as “especially impressed with her initiatives and fundraising on climate change at Stony Brook and, most relevant to my own role, in her demonstrated support for global engagement.”

Ruth Yeazell, Sterling Professor of English at Yale, said she had “long felt that one of the things that distinguishes us from our peer institutions is our unusual strength in the arts, so I find it particularly exciting to have an art historian at the helm.”

“ I really look forward to meeting [McInnis] and to welcoming her back to Yale,” Yeazell said.

Arne Westad, the Elihu Professor of History and professor of global affairs and director of International Security Studies, focused on McInnis’ combination of scholarship and broad administrative experience.

“ It is great to welcome Yale’s first permanent female head and a university leader with broad experience from a number of institutions,” he said. “Her work as a historian of slavery and its international representations is of great significance and means that Yale’s new president is steeped in the traditions of scholarship that make this university great.”

And Maurice Samuels, the Betty Jane Anlyan Professor of French and director of the Yale Program for the Study of Antisemitism, described himself as “thrilled that we will have a humanist as the next president of Yale.”

“ At a time when the humanities are under threat, having a president who is also a renowned historian of art and culture will be invaluable,” he said. “I’m extremely happy about the choice of Maurie McInnis.” 

He added: “I’m also happy that there will be another Maurie at Yale.”

• Maurie McInnis named Yale’s next president

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Post-MS Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing Program - Admissions

The University at Buffalo's Post-Master's Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing program is designed to prepare experienced nurses for leadership roles in nursing science and academia. This program equips nurse scholars to advance knowledge development, theory generation, and hypothesis testing to improve nursing practice and health care outcomes. All PhD program tracks are offered online, providing the flexibility needed for working professionals.

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About our admissions process.

• The School of Nursing reserves the right to change admission and program criteria to meet prevailing accreditation and registration requirements.
• Students who have been dismissed from other nursing programs are not eligible for admission. 
• An interview is required for all graduate programs as part of the review process. Qualified applicants will be notified of interview via email.

Admissions Information

Admissions requirements.

• Equivalent of a Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in nursing (MSN) degree.
• Active U.S. RN license or foreign nursing license.
• Overall MSN GPA of 3.25.

Application Materials

• Online application.
• Application fee: $75
• Official transcripts from all colleges attended.
• Resume/curriculum vitae.
• Personal statement .
• Two scholarly writing samples.
• Three references.

Transcript Information

All application materials are submitted online through the application portal, except for official transcripts. Please do not upload any screenshots of transcripts.

Select the correct institution

Ensure that your transcripts are sent to SUNY University at Buffalo,  not  to SUNY Buffalo State University.

Please have official transcripts mailed to:

UB School of Nursing Beck Hall-Graduate Admissions 3435 Main Street Buffalo, New York 14214

Electronic transcripts can be:

• Emailed to  [email protected].
• Uploaded via Parchment using the "University at Buffalo" option. 
• Uploaded via National Student Clearinghouse using code: 002837. 

International Applicants

Additional requirements for international applicants, all graduate nursing program applicants.

• SPEAK Test , TOEFL or IELTS scores  (minimum scores and more information);  UB TOEFL code: 2925.
• International Credentials/Transcripts/Proof of Degree/Translations. A WES document is strongly preferred. 
• Upon admission to the program, you will be required to submit official transcripts/degrees/translations in a sealed envelope to the International Admission Office.
• Immigration and financial documents.

DNP Program Applicants

• Students applying to the DNP program are not eligible to obtain an F1 student visa.  Visa requirements can be found here . 
• If you do not have a US RN license, you must contact the state board of nursing to apply. 

Application Deadlines

All documents must be received by the deadline.  

Additional Information

Application tips series.

Letters of recommendation are a vital piece of your application. Here are some important tips for identifying recommenders. 

Learn about filling out an application for the UB School of Nursing graduate programs.

Your resume is a vital piece of your application. Here are some important tips to remember when creating your resume.

Learn tips for writing a quality personal statement.

Learn tips for providing clear and high-quality transcripts will set you up for success during the application process. 

Graduate Programs Information Sessions

Tanner Gelatt Assistant Director of Graduate Recruitment 202 Beck Hall 716-829-3765 [email protected] Schedule a meeting with Tanner.

The University at Buffalo is committed to ensuring equal access to its programs and activities. View UB's Notice of Discrimination here.