Graduate Nursing Program Admission

Admission Criteria

For all Graduate Nursing degree programs, you must meet the following requirements:

• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale
• Minimum of one-year clinical nursing experience
• Current, unencumbered license as a Registered Nurse (Minnesota licensure is typically required for all clinical courses. Other state licenses may also be required for clinical experiences in those respective states according to state statute.)

If you’re an applicant whose first language isn’t English, you may need to complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to qualify for admission.

Review the international student admissions requirements.

Provisional Admission

Applicants who have a GPA less than 3.0 but are otherwise competitive in the applicant pool will be considered for provisional admission on an individual basis.

Students accepted provisionally must maintain a 3.0 graduate GPA for their first 12 semester credits, during which time they must take at least one of the following courses:

• NURS 600 – Scientific and Ethical Foundations
• NURS 606 – Nursing Information Management and Decision Making
• STATS 601 – Statistical Methods

Degree-Specific Criteria

There are additional admissions requirements depending on the type of degree you are pursuing. 

Apply for a Graduate Program 

Applications open each year around Aug. 15 using the online application through NursingCAS.

Although applications close Nov. 1, we highly recommend you submit your application by Oct. 1 to allow enough time for NursingCAS to verify your submission.

The application materials include: 

• NursingCAS application form
• Official transcripts from each institution you have attended – ask early to ensure enough time for processing
• 2 professional references – ask early to ensure your references have enough time
• Professional resume
• Personal statement

Please check NursingCAS for extended deadlines for programs with open seats.

Contact gradnursing@winona.edu with any questions about the application process.

Interview

Students who advance in the admission process will be asked to have a personal interview with Graduate Nursing faculty.

Be ready to talk about what makes you a great candidate for your desired program.

Apply as a Graduate Non-Degree Seeking Student

You can apply to be a non-degree seeking student if you’ve earned your bachelor’s degree (or higher) in nursing from an accredited university.

Prior to being accepted into the Department of Graduate Nursing, you can take up to 12 credits as a non-degree seeking student. You can then transfer these credits to the department later.

To take non-degree seeking classes, you’ll need to enroll as a guest student and complete the Guest Student Registration Agreement.

You must complete this agreement each semester that you want to take non-degree seeking classes before being formally accepted into the Department of Graduate Nursing.

Courses for Non-Degree Seeking Students

Courses within our program that are open for you to take as a non-degree seeking student include:

• NURS 604 – Health Policy and Quality Health Care Delivery
• NURS 606 – Nursing Information Management & Decision Making
• NURS 608 – Organizational and Systems Leadership
• NURS 618 – Advanced Pathophysiology
• NURS 705 – Leadership in Nursing & Healthcare Innovations
• STATS 601 – Statistical Methods for Health Care Research

Visit the graduate catalog for course descriptions as well as pre-requisite and co-requisite information.