DNP Application Procedures

Application Deadlines for DNP Programs:

DNP Application Procedures

A new class of DNP students is admitted each semester.  Admission into the program is limited and selective.  Applicants are accepted during the time periods listed above.  Applicants are required to complete both a Primary Application and a Supplemental Application.

DNP applicants are required to complete two applications - Primary and Supplemental. First, complete the Primary Application in NursingCAS, then complete the Supplemental Application.  It is very important to complete the Primary Application first so that it moves through the following stages: received, complete then VERIFIED. Once it is verified you may complete the Supplemental Application.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their completed Supplemental Application is submitted by the deadline for the semester for which they are applying. Only completed applications will be considered for acceptance. 

Step 1 of 2 Primary Application

Step 1 of 2 Primary Application

The Primary Application is completed through The Centralized Application Service for Nursing Programs (NursingCAS). This service is separate from the University and College of Nursing. Applicants are responsible for any fees required by NursingCAS for their services.

NursingCAS How To Apply

Transcripts

The primary purpose of the Primary Application is to collect official transcripts. Applicants must request official transcripts from ALL college and university studies, regardless of the outcome of enrollment. Include all undergraduate, graduate, and professional institutions you have attended, even if the courses were not required for admission to a nursing program or were transferred to another institution. Include any non-degree programs (e.g., summer school) and foreign institutions attended, whether or not the coursework was transferred to a U.S. institution or resulted in a degree. Enter each institution only once, regardless of the number of degrees or gaps in the date of attendance. Please check with your degree conferring University to confirm they are regionally accredited before applying.

A transcript is ONLY considered official if it is sent directly from the college or university to NursingCAS. These documents become the property of the NursingCAS and will not be returned to the applicant. We recommend transcripts be ordered two months before the deadline and that the applicant confirm receipt of these transcripts one month before the deadline.

Applicants who are finishing a BSN degree between the application deadline and the beginning of the semester for which they are applying are required to send a transcript to NursingCAS in time to meet the application deadline and then, if accepted, they are required to send an official degree-conferred transcript to the University of South Alabama Graduate Admissions Office prior to beginning the DNP program.

Verification Process

NursingCAS Application Status changes status from In-Progress, to Received to Complete then Verified.

In-Progress - NursingCAS will send you a confirmation email acknowledging that your application was submitted. Note that submitting does not mean your application is being reviewed by your programs. Depending on what materials were already received, submitting changes your application status from “In-Progress” to “Received” or “Complete.”

Complete - In general, an application is complete when:

• All official transcripts have been received and posted to your application.
• Your application fee payment was submitted and marked as received.
• You submitted your application and received an email confirming it was successfully submitted.
• Your application Program Status is “Complete.”

Verification - Once all of your required application materials are received, your application's status changes to Complete and your application is placed in line to be verified. Verifications occur in chronological order and on average take two weeks to complete. Once your application is verified, you will receive a notification and your application's status will change to Verified.

1. Complete all sections of the document required by NursingCAS.
2. High School transcripts are not required for entrance into our graduate program.
3. The only applicants who are required to complete the TEST section are International applicants who have been instructed by our Office of International Services to submit their TOEFL scores.
4. Please complete all information required under Professional Experience AND attach a typed curriculum vitae (CV) or resume which denotes all RN experience, employment history, certifications, publications, etc. Please be as thorough as possible, as this information will be reviewed intensely by the Graduate Admissions Committee.
5. Letters of reference are not required for admission to our programs.

6. The Personal Goal Statement is a description of the applicant's purpose for completing the graduate degree. This essay serves as a writing sample to be reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Committee to determine the applicant’s scholarly writing skills.

   The essay should address: 1) why you chose to complete a graduate degree in your selected area of specialization at the University of South Alabama; 2) a current healthcare/practice issue or focus within the nursing specialty which you are passionate about; and 3) how your training/degree completion at the University of South Alabama will enable you to achieve your goals and impact the selected healthcare/practice issue or focus within your specialty. The APA-formatted essay of 450 to 500 words should demonstrate scholarliness and a strong command of the English language. A scholarly essay is defined as an essay that expresses progression of thought in a clear and concise manner while using correct grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and sources when appropriate (See APA 7^th edition style and resources).

   Applicants identified with a need of scholarly writing support to promote success in graduate writing courses will be recommended to take NU 597 Introduction to Scholarly Writing (3 credit hours) during the first semester of the graduate program.

7. Privacy Statement - You are required to complete the Advisor Release Section and Certification and Verification Statement of this section.
8. Designations – You may select ONLY ONE designation from the list below:
• MSN to DNP for Advanced Nursing Practice Roles is for students who have completed their MSN degree in an area of advanced practice nursing we offer here at the USA College of Nursing and want to earn their DNP in this same specialty area.
• MSN to DNP Adding a new Specialty Certification Area is for students who have completed their MSN degree in one specialty area but want to add a new specialty certification area along with their DNP in this same specialty area.
• MSN to DNP Bridge Program for Clinical Nurse Leaders to Executive Nursing Administration Pathway is for students who completed their MSN in the area of CNL and want to complete their DNP in the specialty area of Executive Nursing Administration.
• The BSN to DNP Pathway is for students who have completed their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and desire to complete their MSN and DNP degrees.

Only those applicants who comply with all requirements for the Primary Application Instructions listed above will be considered for admission.

Step 2 of 2 Supplemental Application

Step 2 of 2 Supplemental Application

The Supplemental Application is the application which is sent electronically to the College of Nursing at the University of South Alabama.

1. The Supplemental Application is submitted electronically to the DNP Office at the USA College of Nursing. To begin the Supplemental Application process, please go to https://explore.southalabama.edu/account/register?r=https%3a%2f%2fexplore.southalabama.edu%2fapply%2f%3fsr%3d870af7f1-de34-492d-b275-be6ef1c6297a. Under Academic Information please select one of the following terms: fall, spring, or summer. Select "graduate" under both student type and academic level of interest.  A new option will appear asking if you are applying for a graduate nursing program, select "yes" and this will take you into the nursing application.
2. Please note that the Supplemental Application should be completed AFTER you have completed your NursingCAS application and it has moved through the following stages: received, complete then VERIFIED.  Once it is verified you may complete the Supplemental Application.
3. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their completed Supplemental Application is submitted by the deadline for the semester for which they are applying. Incomplete applications will not be processed. 
4. This application requires a non-refundable processing fee of $100.00.

Contact Information

For all inquiries related to the admissions process: condnpadmit@southalabama.edu

For all current and continuing students: condnp@southalabama.edu