Admission

Application Deadlines

• Priority deadline April 1st with a final deadline June 15th (for Fall start)
• Priority deadline July 15th with a final deadline Sept 30th (for Spring start)

Admission Requirements—Domestic Applicants

The university graduate and program admission requirements below must be met before an application is considered complete.

• Graduate application for admission
• $45 nonrefundable application fee
• Official transcripts from all institutions leading to and awarding the applicant’s bachelor’s and master’s degrees from a regionally accredited institution and all postbaccalaureate study
  
  

  An official transcript is one that Azusa Pacific University receives unopened in an envelope sealed by the former institution and that bears the official seal of the college or university. A cumulative minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average on the posted degree is required for regular admission status. Provisional admittance may be granted to individuals with a lower GPA if competency can be shown through multiple measures.

Official transcripts should include all study leading up to and including posted BSN and MSN degrees from NLN- or CCNE-accredited programs. Transcripts should indicate completion of the following prerequisite courses: health assessment, pathophysiology, nursing research, statistics, nursing leadership, and community health nursing.

• Written statement, one to two pages in length:
  • Describe your professional nursing goals
  • Articulate your personal definition of nursing and concept of career opportunities in this field
• Copy of RN license status, including your name (find status on CA.gov's Breeze system)
• Current résumé, including the following:
  • Employment and educational experience
  • Professional or academic honors
  • Volunteer activities
• Two recommendations from professional references who have the ability to evaluate your performance (e.g. managers, supervisors, and academic faculty; not coworkers)
• See additional requirements for program-specific requirements

Send official transcripts to:

Graduate and Professional Center
Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions
Azusa Pacific University
PO Box 7000
Azusa, CA 91702-7000
gpadmissions@apu.edu

Admission Requirements—International Applicants

Azusa Pacific University is authorized under federal law by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services and the U.S. Department of State to enroll nonimmigrant, alien undergraduate and graduate students. APU issues and administers both the I-20 and DS 2019 (F-1 and J-1 status documents respectively).

To apply for a graduate program at APU, the following requirements must be fulfilled in addition to meeting the domestic applicant and program-specific admission requirements specified above.

International applicants must also:

• Demonstrate proficiency in English through a placement test with the Academic Success Center, or through a TOEFL/IELTS score that meets program-specific requirements. Refer to APU’s English proficiency requirements to learn more. Request that official test scores be sent to APU. All other forms of proof indicated in the English proficiency requirements must be submitted directly to International Services.
• Provide a Graduate Affidavit of Financial Support (PDF) and a bank statement from within the last six months proving financial ability to pay for education costs through personal, family, or sponsor resources.
• Submit a copy of a valid passport showing biographical data, including your name, country of citizenship, date of birth, and other legal information.
• Get foreign transcripts evaluated. International credentials (transcripts, certificates, diplomas, and degrees) must be evaluated by a foreign transcript evaluation agency. View our policy and a list of approved Foreign Transcript Evaluation Agencies.

Send official transcripts to:

Graduate and Professional Center
Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions
Azusa Pacific University
PO Box 7000
Azusa, CA 91702-7000
gpadmissions@apu.edu

What to Expect

After all admission materials have been received by the Graduate and Professional Center, the faculty or department chair reviews the applicant’s file. The applicant is notified in writing of the admission decision.

Transfer of Credits

Following admission, 9 units of approved graduate work completed elsewhere may be applied toward the MSN degree. Advanced Health Assessment may be considered for transfer credit if it was taken postlicensure as a registered nurse and the student was enrolled in an advanced practice nursing program. Advanced Pharmacology may be considered for transfer credit toward GNRS 594 Pharmacology in Advanced Practice Nursing if it was taken less than 24 months prior to the APU MSN program admit date.

Additional Requirements

Students who have not had an undergraduate health assessment course within the last five (5) years must successfully complete or petition APU’s undergraduate UNRS 220 Health Assessment course. Students also have the option to take a comparable health assessment course prior to enrolling in GNRS 511 Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment and Health Promotion or GNRS 512 Advanced Health Assessment and Health Promotion.

At the beginning of clinical coursework, including health assessment labs, the student is required to provide documentation concerning CPR certification, malpractice insurance, TB screening, and immunizations appropriate to the clinical setting.

The student’s health status must permit him/her to safely undertake and complete clinical experience required for the degree.

As a fully prepared health professional, the student is expected to take responsibility for self-evaluation of her/his own health status, including an assessment of the safety and appropriateness of practice in the clinical context, both for the student and the patient. An individual faculty member may require documentation of the student’s health status.

The Joint Commission, contracted facilities, and the School of Nursing require that all graduate students undergo a background check prior to their placement at clinical sites. The cost of the background check is the responsibility of the student. International students will have additional fees based on the cost of a background check in their country.

All students are expected to read, understand, and adhere to the policies and requirements articulated in the MSN Handbook.