Admissions, Master's Entry (ME-MSN)

Application Deadlines

The Master's Entry MSN program accepts applications for spring and summer admission at our San Francisco location, and Spring and Fall at our Orange county location. Please apply by the following deadlines for Spring, Summer, or Fall admission at our San Francisco or Orange County campus locations. You must complete all required nursing courses at the campus to which you apply.

San Francisco

Spring – September 1
Summer  – January 15

Orange County

Spring – September 15
Fall – April 15

Please note, applications are due on the date of the deadline at 11:59 PM PST. The application system is set to Eastern Standard Time, therefore, your application will be considered on-time if submitted by 2:59 AM EST or 11:59 PM PST.

Application Materials

All application materials should be uploaded through the online application form. The School of Nursing & Health Professions Office of Graduate Admissions does not accept mailed materials. 

Applicants can check their application status online or by contacting the School of Nursing & Health Professions Office of Graduate Admissions at sonhpadmissions@usfca.edu.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better prior to the start date of the semester to which you are applying. AP courses will count toward fulfilling these prerequisite course requirements, as long as you received college credit for the course. The CLEP exam is not accepted as a substitute for these prerequisites. Prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better prior to the start date of the semester to which you are applying. The following prerequisites are required to be considered for admission:

• Completion of any Baccalaureate degree or higher; plus:
• 16 Semester or 24 Quarter credits of natural, behavioral, and/or social sciences*: Includes Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, and Psychology
• Human Anatomy - 4 credits: Must be completed within seven (7) years of the semester to which you are applying. Lab must be in person; virtual labs will not be accepted**
• Physiology - 4 credits: Must be completed within seven (7) years of the semester to which you are applying. Lab must be in person; virtual labs will not be accepted**
• Microbiology - 4 credits: Must be completed within seven (7) years of the semester to which you are applying. Lab must be in person; virtual labs will not be accepted**
• 1 Psychology course*: Any psychology course will suffice
• 6 Semester or 9 Quarter credits of Communication*: Must include a College composition course. We can accept a combination of written, oral, and group communication. Please note that the written communication requirement must fulfill the undergraduate writing requirement for the University where you received your Bachelor’s degree.
• 1 Statistics course

International Students

For those students seeking an F1 visa, please note that in order to receive your I-20, you must complete all admission requirements. USF is not able to issue an I-20 to a prospective student before they have met all criteria for full-admission. If you need an I-20 to apply for an F-1 visa, you will want to plan ahead and make sure you can get your I-20 and visa in time to attend the program.

*State Licensure

Please note that the California Board of Registered Nursing licensure application requires specific minimum coursework, as noted in the requirements above. Students in this program must have completed 16 semester (24 quarter) credits of natural, behavioral, and social science coursework, including a course in psychology, and 6 semester (9 quarter) credits of communications, part of which must deal with basic English writing skills.

**COVID-19 Exception

In light of COVID-19, we can accept an online science lab as long as it was originally offered in-person prior to COVID-19. Prerequisites taken during the Spring, Summer, and Fall terms of 2020 and 2021 will be accepted for all upcoming entry terms.

Application Requirements & Steps

The application process is entirely online. Please do not mail any application materials. You can simply upload all of your application items to your application account.

Applicants can check their application status online or by contacting the School of Nursing & Health Professions Office of Graduate Admissions at sonhpadmissions@usfca.edu.

An application status update will be available approximately 10 weeks after the application deadline.

Application Steps

1. Completed online application and $55 fee (non-refundable).
2. Unofficial Transcripts from all colleges/universities attended:
   • For the Master's Entry MSN option, we require the proof of completion of a Bachelor’s degree (in any field) from an accredited institution.
   • Official or unofficial transcripts should be uploaded through the online application form.
   • Transcripts must reflect the name of the institution attended, degree earned, grades earned and GPA.
   • Applicants should ensure that all transcripts are readable once uploaded. Submission of official transcripts is ONLY required for all admitted students who decide to enroll.
   • We require translated transcripts for all international applicants.
3. A preferred Bachelor’s institution GPA of 3.0 or above
   Please note that ME-MSN applicants must have a Bachelor’s institution GPA above 2.75 in order to be considered for admissions. The Bachelor’s institution GPA is the GPA of coursework taken at your Bachelor’s degree-granting institution. Please see FAQs for further details.
4. Personal Statement:
   Your Master's Entry MSN personal statement is your chance to tell us about:
   1. Your personal and professional background and why you want to pursue a Master of Science degree in Nursing.
   2. Explain any discrepancies between your grades or any circumstances that may have affected your GPA.
   3. Formatting requirements: Please ensure your personal statement is double spaced, 10-12 point font, with 1-inch margins, and a maximum of two (2) pages long.
5. Professional resumé (1-2 page limit)
6. Two letters of recommendation:
   In the online form, enter the names and e-mail addresses for recommenders. They will receive an e-mail from USF with instructions to upload their letter.  Please note that letters of recommendation must be on letterhead and signed by the recommender.
7. For international students only:

   For those students seeking an F1 visa, USF is not able to issue an I-20 to a prospective student before they have met all criteria for full-admission. International students are required to submit the following:

   • Certificate of Finance
   • Copy of passport
   • TOEFL, IETLS, or PTE English language proficiency exam
   • Please refer to the International Graduate Student page for test score requirements and additional information

   Please note that we are not accepting international applications for our Orange County campus at this time. 

8. TEAS or GRE test is NOT required
9. The University reserves the right to cancel cohorts due to unforeseen circumstances or low enrollment.