Graduate Catalog - Masters in Nursing

Admission application       Information on tuition and fees

ADMISSION FOR CNS, ANP OR NURSE EDUCATOR

Students who wish to enroll in the Master of Science degree in nursing program must apply for admission and submit required supporting materials to the Master of Science degree in nursing program. The program admits students for fall, spring, and summer. Prospective students are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible for early consideration. Applicants are assessed on a rolling basis and will be processed as long as space is available. When the required documents have been received by the Master of Science degree in nursing program, they will be reviewed by the Department of Nursing Graduate Program Committee. This committee will make the decision regarding acceptance or rejection to the program and notify applicants of the decision. Applicants who are admitted are assigned an advisor who will work with the student to develop an individualized plan of study.

Requirements for Admission for CNS, ANP or Nurse Educator

Applicants must submit evidence of the following criteria for admission:

• Completion of a baccalaureate degree program with an NLNAC or CCNE accredited major in nursing from a regionally accredited institution or the equivalent as determined by the Department of Nursing faculty; RN-MS applicants must have completed an NLNAC accredited diploma or associate degree program.
• Grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher. (Students not meeting this grade point average requirement may be admitted to conditional status on the recommendation of the faculty.)
• Transcripts from all previously attended institutions of higher education.
• Current RN licensure in Pennsylvania.
• One year of relevant practice experience.
• Two satisfactory letters of recommendation, preferably from professional nurses with graduate degrees, regarding applicant’s practice and potential for success in graduate work.
• Successful completion of the following courses: a statistics course that covered descriptive and inferential statistics, a physical assessment course, and a nursing research course. 
• A personal statement indicating goals for graduate nursing education.
• Current resume.
• Interview with track or program director after submission of admission materials.

Admission Requirements Specific to the RN-MS Student

Admission to the RN-MS track is contingent upon the following:

• Graduates from NLNAC accredited associate degree or diploma nursing programs within ten years of the application date are eligible for direct articulation and will be awarded 33 credits.
• Applicants must meet requirements for acceptance into the baccalaureate program.
  

ADMISSION FOR CRNA

Students who wish to enroll in the Master of Science CRNA track must apply for admission and submit required supporting materials to the Director of the CRNA Program. This track admits students for the fall semester. The application process includes review of all documents, plus a series of personal interviews during the spring semester. All supporting documents must be submitted by November 1 the year before the class to be selected for August. The Director, Assistant Director, Chairperson of the Nursing Department, Director of the Graduate Nursing Program, and other program clinical faculty members participate in the admission process. This committee will make the decision regarding acceptance or rejection to the program and notify applicants of the decision within 24 hours of the last interview.

Requirements for Admission for CRNA

Applicants must submit evidence of the following criteria for admission:

• Completion of a baccalaureate degree program with an NLNAC or CCNE accredited major in nursing from a regionally accredited institution or the equivalent as determined by the Department of Nursing faculty; RN-MS applicants must have completed an NLNAC accredited diploma or associate degree program.
• Grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher. (Students not meeting this grade point average requirement may be admitted on the recommendation of the faculty.)
• Transcripts from all previously attended institutions of higher education.
• Current RN licensure in Pennsylvania.
  Three letters of recommendation are required, rather than two. One of these letters must be from a CRNA with whom you have spent observation time in the operating room.
• Statement of academic goals may not exceed one typewritten (word processed) 8.5” by 11” page, in at least a size 12 font. 
• GRE scores in the verbal, quantitative sections, analytical writing sections. The GRE Company will send you a score report; a copy of this report is adequate for submission of the application packet. Be sure, however, that your official scores are sent to York College, Attn: CRNA Track, Dept. of Nursing, as we will compare your reported scores to the official scores we receive. IT MAY TAKE A MONTH OR TWO TO RECEIVE YOUR SCORES; BE SURE TO TAKE THE GRE AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE.
• Evidence of the successful completion of the following undergraduate courses:
  1. Statistics course that covered descriptive and inferential statistics,
  2. Physical assessment course,
  3. Nursing research course.
• Evidence of at least one year’s experience as a registered nurse in a critical care/intensive care unit.
• Copy of any current BLS, ACLS, or PALS card.

TYPES OF ADMISSION

There are two types of student classifications in the Master of Science degree in nursing program for the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP), and Nurse Educator (NE) tracks: degree candidate and conditional candidate. The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) track accepts only degree candidates, though prospective applicants may wish to take courses as conditional or nonmatriculated students (see below). Admission as a conditional or nonmatriculated student has no effect on admission into the CRNA track.

Degree Candidate (matriculated)
Students who have satisfactorily met all entrance requirements and desire to pursue a Master of Science degree in nursing will be admitted as matriculated degree candidates.

Conditional Student (non-matriculated)
Conditional status is conferred for students who have not met the admission requirements but are admitted on a conditional basis. Conditional students may take no more than two courses (6 credits). These two courses must be included on the CORE requirements. A student who was admitted on a conditional basis may convert to degree candidate status by submitting a written request to the graduate director. In order to do so, students must meet all admission requirements, must have completed 6 credits at the graduate level, and have at least a 3.0 cumulative graduate GPA at the time they apply for regular admission. Students admitted on a conditional basis must meet all the terms and conditions of their acceptance agreement in order to be considered for matriculation. Conditional students who wish to enter the CRNA track will use the same admissions procedure as all other applicants for that track.

Non Matriculated 
Students who are taking a course for the purpose of transfer to another university and students who want to take graduate courses unrelated to the pursuit of a degree are not required to complete the application process. They should meet the following criteria:

1. GPA of 3.0;
2. submit written requests to the graduate director and
3. submit current resume

To facilitate registration for a course, a written letter of agreement from the program coordinator to the registrar accepting the student as nonmatriculated and granting permission to take selected courses are required for each semester that courses are taken.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Application for admission to the Master of Science degree in nursing program may be made for the fall, spring, or summer sessions for the CNS, ANP and NE tracks. For the CRNA track, applications are reviewed once per year and a complete application must be submitted by November 1 of the year preceding the desired entry date (e.g., November 1, 2009 for a class starting in Fall Semester 2010). To be considered for admission for the CNS, ANP and NE tracks, applicants must have forwarded the following documents to the Master of Science degree in nursing program by July 15 for fall semester admission; November 15 for spring semester admission; or April 15 for the summer session:

1. A completed Graduate Studies Application accompanied by the required nonrefundable application fee.
2. Official transcripts of all completed undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate studies. These transcripts must verify that the applicant has been awarded a baccalaureate degree in the nursing major; or for the RN-MS student, the transcripts must verify that the applicant has been awarded an associate degree in the nursing major or a diploma in nursing.
3. Copy of Pennsylvania RN licensure.
4. Two letters of recommendation.
5. Current resume.
6. Current personal professional liability insurance of $1,000,000/$3,000,000 (Total for advanced practice needs to be $2,000,000/$6,000,000; College supplies $1,000,000/$3,000,000 for a nominal fee.)
7. All nursing students are required to have drug screening upon admission to the clinical portion of the nursing program.
   

The CRNA track application requires the following additional documents:

1. One additional letter of recommendation (three total).
2. Official reports from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
3. A curriculum vitae of the candidate’s professional history and accomplishments.
4. Personal professional liability insurance will be purchased after admission prior to clinical anesthesia education. Policies are available through the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) for approximately $250 per year.