Masters Program FAQs

Attend an online information session. At the information session, you will be able to meet with faculty and current students, and ask admission and financial aid questions. You may also email a student affairs specialist who can answer questions.

Proof of nursing accreditation from the awarding institution(s) where you received your nursing degree is required. The nursing accreditation information must show accreditation at the time you were awarded the degree.

There are 2 accrediting bodies for nursing programs, the CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Educations) and the NLN/NLNAC (National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission). Please access the links to find accreditation information for your appropriate nursing program. If you do not find the information on the web pages, please contact the school directly and have a school official send the College of Nursing an email with the nursing accreditation information.

The College of Nursing, founded in 1898, created the country’s first school nurse programs and the first nurse practitioner programs in the world. Faculty in the advanced practice specialty options maintain clinical practices and are certified in their specialty areas. The college touts the use of innovative, multi-disciplinary curriculum, numerous national rankings and real-world experience through multiple clinical placements. In addition, the program employs teaching and clinical instruction supplemented with simulation technology.

The Master of Science degree provides the opportunity for advanced study in selected areas of nursing science, professional foundations and specialized professional nursing practice and leadership.

A current schedule of tuition and fees is available on the Bursar's Office page.

Yes. Numerous Scholarships are awarded to new and continuing students by the College of Nursing and outside organizations. You need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Contact the Financial Aid Office on the Anschutz Medical Campus at 303-724-8039 located in Education 2 North, 3rd Floor.

Students must live in Colorado 1 year to receive in-state tuition. Please see the registrar’s residency page for more information.

There are two required courses needed for admission: a research course and a statistics course. The statistics course does not have to be nursing or healthcare related. The research course is often a type of evidence-based practice course taken in the BS Nursing program. Both must be completed with a grade of C or better at a regionally accredited institution.

Yes. You will be asked to submit your RN license when you apply. If you do not have your license, you may be conditionally accepted pending receipt of your license before the program starts. Depending on the specialty option, once you are accepted, a Colorado RN license will be required for clinical purposes.

Most students complete the program (MS, BS-DNP, Post Grad-Certificate, or DNP) in 2 to 3 years, but it depends on your chosen specialty option and your life commitments. However, you will need to complete the programs within 5 years.

Yes. All nurse practitioner specialty options have clinical requirements. If you are in the Denver metro area, we will arrange clinicals for you. If you are in a rural area, outside of the metro area, or out of state, you are required to find your own clinical placements. Please note that clinical placements are Monday - Friday. We do not offer weekend clinical placements. Students must be flexible with their schedules to accommodate clinical placements. Students should move to Colorado to complete this portion of the program if they are unsuccessful in finding an approved clinical placement to complete their program.

There are no clinical requirements for Veteran & Military Health Care, i-LEAD, and Health Care Informatics programs, however, each has practicum hours to complete.

The delivery format for our advanced practice specialties is hybrid. Several courses will be completed exclusively online, while others may require your presence on campus during intensive dates. For those students who are applying from rural communities in Colorado, or from out of state, we do offer our specialty courses via ITV. This option is only available for students outside the 7-county metro area. There are three specialties offered 100% online, Veteran & Military Health Care, i-LEAD, and Health Care Informatics.

CU Nursing employs a holistic admissions process, evaluating all aspects of your application, not solely your GPA. Our goal is to identify students who are prepared for our rigorous nursing curriculum and possess the qualities of a compassionate and skilled nurse. We encourage all qualified students to apply, regardless of their academic background. Our admitted students come from diverse backgrounds and offer unique perspectives to the nursing profession.

Please check the Application Deadline page. We strongly suggest that you begin and submit your application as early as possible: at least four to six weeks before the published deadline so that all of your documents can be verified by NursingCAS by the deadline. Applications received by the published deadline will be given full consideration. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Review the complete admissions information on the College of Nursing website. Applications to the graduate program are processed through NursingCAS, the Centralized Application Service for Nursing Programs.

Please check the NursingCAS website for transcript requirements and details. Please note that transcripts sent to the College of Nursing will not be considered. The College of Nursing is not responsible for missing or lost transcripts.

An academic reference refers to someone (professor, instructor, advisor, mentor) who can speak to your academic readiness, preparation, and achievements. He or she does not need to be in the nursing field.

If you are applying for fall term, you should receive an admission decision in April. If you are applying for spring term, you should receive your admission decision in September.

Master of Science, Master of Science-Doctor of Nursing Practice, Post-Graduate Certificate, and Doctor of Nursing Practice applicants

You will submit requests for references to be uploaded electronically on your behalf by your reference writers in the "Supporting Information" section of the NursingCAS application.

For Doctor of Philosophy applicants

Please visit the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Admissions.

Applicants can check the status of their application through their NursingCAS Application Portal.

Depending on the specialty option, you may be able to work either part time or full time. If you are interested in an advanced practice specialty option, your ability to work may be limited due to the clinical component.

The admissions process depends on the degree. Please visit Admissions for your desired degree and information about the admissions process.