MSN Admission

Admission Requirement

Admission to the Master of Science in Nursing program requires the student to meet the minimum admission requirements for graduate study as established by the university and the following requirements established by the College of Nursing.

Some general requirements are:

• A baccalaureate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program.
• A minimum GPA of 2.50 in undergraduate studies and a minimum GPA of 3.00 in nursing major.
• Acceptable score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) - (850 or higher) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) - (386 or higher) within the past five years.
  (For Greenville students: the GRE may be taken locally through Prometric Testing Center at 252-756-0342. For more information on the MAT, please visit the ECU Testing Center or call 252-328-6811.)
• Currently non-restricted license to practice as a registered nurse (RN) in North Carolina or a NCSBN-compact state.
• A written statement describing the applicant's interest in graduate study, career goals, and the MSN degree's relations to those goals.
• Three professional references.
• A personal interview with a member of the graduate faculty.
• A course in statistics with a grade of C or higher, an undergraduate research course, and computer literacy are pre-requisites for all concentrations in nursing.

Some concentrations have specific requirements as indicated below:

• Nursing Leadership
• One year of experience as a RN
• A course in basic accounting

• Family Nurse Practitioner
  • One year of experience as a RN
  • At least one reference from someone knowledgeable about the candidate's nursing practice
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
  • Two years of current practice experience in a critical care environment for high risk neonatal care
• Nurse Anesthesia
  • At least one year adult critical care experience
  • A personal interview with the Nurse Anesthesia Admission Committee
  • Four professional references (two on forms provided in nursing anesthesia admission packet)
  • Completion of a supplemental application packet
  • Courses in physiology and chemistry/biochemistry (within five years highly recommended)
• Nurse-Midwifery
  • One year of RN experience (Labor and Delivery preferred)
  • At least one reference from someone knowledgeable of the applicant's nursing practice
• Clinical Nurse Specialist
• One year of experience as an RN

Requirements for Clinical Courses:

All graduate students in nursing must have current professional liability insurance, health insurance, current CPR certification (professional level), and have met health requirements for clinical practice before enrolling in a clinical course.

Health requirements include: Hepatitis B immunizations (if immunization is over 5 years old, must have titer); Rubella (titer or vaccine); PPD (TB skin test - must be provided annually); VDRL, STS or RPR (these are different tests for syphilis) - only one needed; Varicella (titer or vaccine); and Diptheria/tetanus immunization. All students entering East Carolina University are required to submit a pre-entrance health certificate completed by their health care provider.