Apply

To apply to the College of Nursing, use the university’s main Admissions page for undergraduate studies and The Graduate School admissions page for our master's and doctoral candidates. Have questions about the process? Please contact us and we can help you out.

Undergraduate

Freshmen must meet all university admissions requirements. Acceptance into the nursing program does not guarantee progression into the upper division.

Transfer students must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA in all college work with at least 30 semester hours completed. Students’ performance on science and nursing courses taken at other schools must be reviewed upon admission.

Upper division applicants should see the retention and progression section in the BSN Nursing Major Page.

Graduate

RN to BSN & MSN-Organizational Leadership

Program requirements for the RN to BSN & MSN-OL programs can be found at http://gradonline.sc.edu/admission-requirements.aspx. Applications and admissions five times a year.

Master of Science in Nursing Degree Programs (MSN)

Complete application to the Graduate School by October 1 (Spring Start), March 1 (Summer Start), April 1 (Fall Start)
Have a bachelor's degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program and provide all college transcripts
Be a licensed registered nurse in South Carolina or eligible to be licensed here
Provide two letters of reference from master's or doctorate prepared nurses and submit a resume or Curriculum Vitae
Personal goal statement

Post-master's Certificate of Graduate Study Programs (CGS)

Complete application with The Graduate School by October 1 (Spring Start), March 1 (Summer Start), April 1 (Fall Start)
Have a master's degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program and provide transcripts of all college studies
Be a licensed registered nurse in South Carolina or eligible to be licensed here
Provide two letters of reference from master's or doctorally prepared nurses along with a resume
Personal goal statement

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Complete application with The Graduate School by October 1 (Spring Start), March 1 (Summer Start), April 1 (Fall Start)
A master’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program and transcripts of all college studies
South Carolina RN license or eligible to be licensed here
Written references from three doctorally prepared nurses
Evidence of writing competence
Personal goal statement
Admission interview

Additionally, those entering with a master’s degree and applying for clinical DNP must provide

Certification as an advanced practice nurse
A portfolio of knowledge, skills and expertise

(DNP Nurse Executive Leadership applicants do not.)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Complete online application with The Graduate School by the February 1 Priority Application deadline (Curriculum is designed for a fall start.). Applications received after the deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.
A bachelor's or master's degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program or a master's degree in another field and transcripts of all previous college studies
Competitive GRE scores earned within the last five years
Registered nurse licensure in South Carolina, eligibility for S.C. licensure, or licensure in the location in which the research will occur
Potential for scholarship in nursing science as evidenced by:
- A writing sample of scholarly work (research reports, thesis, course papers, or written innovations)
- Written personal statement of professional career goals
- Three letters of reference from doctorally-prepared nurses or other health care professionals that address research and scholarship potential
Admission interview with nursing graduate faculty
Resume or CV

The following information applies to our MSN, DNP and RN-BSN programs.

The U.S. Department of Education requires that all institutions of higher education be approved for distance education, in order for students from one state to attend via distance a program in another state. In addition, some states require approval for students to do experiential learning (clinical = indirect and direct experiences) for students in programs from another state. Therefore, if you are an out-of-state potential student, you need to determine if you can attend our program. Here are some guidelines.

First, go to the USC state authorization website at the following link:

State Authorization Page

Second, determine if your state is approved or exempt (both mean okay) for distance education. To do this, click on the state. If nothing comes up, it is not approved. If your state is approved, also note if there are any disclaimer statements about experiential learning. Experiential learning refers to clinicals (includes direct = patient care; indirect = community or leadership experiences). If your state is approved or exempt, you may do both course work and experiential learning (clinical) in your home state. If it is approved or exempt, but has a disclaimer statement about experiential learning, you may participate in the distance education courses, but must do your clinical in a state that is approved for experiential learning and which you hold a RN license (or compact license). If your state is not approved for distance education, you cannot attend our program (via U.S. law). If your state is “pending” this means an application for approval has been submitted, but we have not gotten approval yet.

We understand this is a frustrating issue for everyone involved; however, we must comply with the federal laws and the processes involved.