The ideal candidate for Duke University School of Nursing's Doctor of Nursing Practice program has excellent collegiate GPAs, is making an impact on nursing practice, and has leadership skills.
Application Deadline
The Spring 2025 application is now available with a priority deadline of December 1st. We will begin accepting applications to the Fall 2025 term in January, with a priority deadline of May 1st. Applications received after priority deadlines are reviewed on a space-available basis.
We offer DROP-iN Chat for virtual Q+A Sessions along with PROGRAM INFORMATION SESSIONS for application help.
Holistic Admissions
Duke School of Nursing is committed to holistic admissions. A holistic review is a university admissions strategy that assesses an applicant’s unique experiences alongside traditional measures of academic achievement such as grades and test scores. It is designed to help universities consider a broad range of factors reflecting the applicant’s academic readiness, contribution to the incoming class, and potential for success both in school and later as a professional. When used in combination with a variety of other mission-based practices, holistic review constitutes a holistic admission process. Many colleges and universities have employed a holistic admission process to assemble a diverse class of students with the background, qualities, and skills needed for success in the profession.
Admission Criteria:
- Degree: Master's Degree in Nursing from a nationally accredited CCNE or ACEN program or a Master's Degree in a related health focus from an accredited program
- Certification: Certification as an advanced practice nurse (if applicable)
- GPA: A GPA 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
- Resume/CV: Resume and/or CV must be uploaded to the application
- Licensure: Current licensure as a registered nurse in the state in which practice will occur
- Statistics Courses: Graduate research methods and graduate inferential statistics course(s)
- Transcripts: All post-secondary transcripts from every school where college credit was earned, not just degree-granting institutions
- Recommendations: Using our secure, personalized form, three professional recommendations that attest to the applicant's academic ability, professional competency, and personal character must be submitted electronically by each recommender during the application process
- Personal Statement: Three comprehensive written essays are required with your application. Use the text boxes in the Personal Statements section of the application. Text responses have a character limit of 2000. All prompts are required to be answered.
- Interview: A telephone or in-person interview may be a part of the admission process
- GRE: The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required
Application Process:
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Answer all required questions and submit the form.
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Pay the application fee.
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Upload final versions of all required documents. NOTE: Once uploaded, they cannot be changed.
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Send electronic recommendation forms using our secure portal.
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An unofficial copy of all post-secondary educational transcripts can be uploaded to your self-service portal only for the review process. An official copy of all post-secondary educational transcripts will be required for enrollment and can be either mailed or sent electronically to SON-DOCUMENTS@dm.duke.edu or in a sealed envelope to:
Duke School of Nursing
Office of Admissions
DUMC 3322
307 Trent Dr.
Durham, NC 27710
When your application is complete, it will be submitted and held for review by the program’s admission committee. If any information is missing, your application will not be considered.