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MS—Admission Requirements

Prerequisites Required of all Students Entering the MS Program

  • Basic Health Assessment (3 credits) - CON NURS 310: Health Assessment, or a 300 level or higher course
  • Basic Statistics (3 credits)

BS-to-MS Admissions Requirements

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing
  • Undergraduate GPA of 3.0. A higher GPA may be necessary to be competitive for admission
  • Current New York state RN license
  • Current CPR certification
  • No RN work experience required
  • No GREs required
  • Basic Health Assessment (NURS 310 or 300 level or higher course) and Basic Statistics (3 credits each). If either of these courses was taken more than five years ago, an advisor will discuss the possi­bility of taking a refresher course to update your skills. It is up to you to determine whether you feel competent to enroll in advanced courses that require an under­standing of basic concepts in these areas.

RN-to-MS Admissions Requirements

  • RN­to­MS applicants must be graduat­ed from an associate’s or diploma program and have an RN or be eligible for licensure.
  • A minimum of 60 semester hours from a basic nursing program including:
    • Anatomy&Physiology I & II 6­8
    • Microbiology 3­4
    • English (including Composition) 6
    • Mathematics 3
    • Social Science (including one Psychology) 6
    • LiberalArts­Sciences 3­6
    • Nursing 30
  • An additional 12 credits in Arts & Sciences (9 credits free electives, 3 credits science electives.)
  • Grades of “C­“ or higher and a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher. A higher GPA may be necessary to be competitive for admission.

Bachelor’s in another field RN-to-MS Requirements

Candidates with a bachelor’s degree in another field must complete the following bachelor degree level courses or Excelsior College Examinations (ECE) External link to fulfill undergraduate nursing pre­requisites:

  • Basic Health Assessment (NURS 310 or 300 level or higher course)
  • Basic Statistics
  • Management in Nursing (ECE 543 or CON NURS 415)
  • Research (ECE 537 or CON NURS 481)
  • Community Focused Nursing (ECE 546 or CON NURS 444)
The Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner degree program is open to nurses with a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree. Registered nurses with an associates degree may apply through our RN-to-MS program.
Elvira Szgetti, Dean
Elvira Szigeti,
PhD, RN, Dean,
College of Nursing
CONTACT:
Office of Student Admissions
1215 Weiskotten Hall
SUNY Upstate Medical University
admissions@upstate.edu
315 464-4570 or 800 736-2171
Cheryl Cook, RN, BS student, Pediatric Nurse

I went to work after earning my assoc-
iate's degree, and kept right on going to school. Courses like Nurse as Educator fit right in with what I want to do professionally. In class, not only do you develop lasting friendships with students and faculty, but itís encouraging to be around so many nurses, in all sorts of careers. "

— Cheryl Cook, RN, BS Student, Pediatric Nurse