Eligibility Requirements

Minimum Requirements for All Applicants  

• Meet the minimum requirements for The Graduate School.
• Hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing from a program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the Collegiate Commission on Nursing Education. 
• Have a minimum cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.30 on a 4.00 scale for previous college work. 
• Hold an unencumbered Registered Nurse license in the state of residency. 
• Have a total score of 80 on the internet-based TOEFL or a 6.5 overall band score on the IELTS if native language is not English 
• Must not live in California 

MSN-PhD 

In addition to the minimum PhD eligibility requirements, an eligible MSN-PhD applicant will: Hold a master’s degree in nursing from a program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the Collegiate Commission on Nursing Education. 

DNP-PhD 

In addition to the minimum PhD eligibility requirements, an eligible DNP-PhD applicant will: Hold a doctor in nursing practice degree from a program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the Collegiate Commission on Nursing Education.

Deadlines

Start Term: Fall Only 
August 1: Applications Open for the next Academic Year 
January 7: Priority Application Deadline 

Following the January 7 deadline, applications will be reviewed based on program availability but no later than February 15.

Application Requirements 

All applicants must have the application materials listed below. A completed application will consist of 

• Official transcripts from all Graduate programs and courses attended. Transcripts must be submitted directly to Graduate Admissions at prior to the application deadline 
• Essay describing your aspirations for PhD study and your subsequent career trajectory. Include a brief description of your research interests. 
• Resume/CV 
• Recommendations from three college level instructors and/or nurses and administrators who have supervised the applicant’s professional work. If the applicant has completed an academic program in the last two years, one rating form must be completed by a faculty member from that program. 
• Scholarly writing sample (e.g., thesis, published paper or article, previous class paper). 
• Nursing License 
• Interview with the College of Nursing PhD admissions committee, as specified by the program. 
• TOEFL scores, if required 

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Application Process

All prospective College of Nursing applicants must apply online through UT Graduate Admissions and pay the application fee.  Application materials must be submitted directly to Graduate Admissions prior to the application deadline.  

• Submit application through the Graduate School
  When you apply through the Graduate School, you are also applying to the College of Nursing.  
• Pay the application fee.
• Upload all required materials.

1. While you can submit an application without your required materials, your application will not be considered until all materials have been received.  
2. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure their application is complete. Applicants are strongly encouraged to check first with Graduate Admissions to see if all transcripts and materials have been submitted properly. Applicants can check the status of their application via the UT Graduate School Status Checker. 

• Schedule an Interview.  
  If deemed minimally admissible by The Graduate School and College of Nursing, you may be invited for an interview. To qualify for an interview, you must at least have your transcript copies and essay uploaded to your application.

After Admission

Incoming graduate students are required to attend the on-campus Doctoral Intensives and New Student Orientation the last week of August. More details about orientation and other onboarding procedures will be provided to students in the summer via their UT email.