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These requirements are for students meeting the 2025-26 catalog and after. 

Required Coursework

Coursework is delivered online and includes a field-based practicum. 18 total credits are required.

Year 1 Coursework

Year 2 Coursework

*Clinical credits

Completion of Advanced Physical Assessment, Advanced Pharmacology and Advanced Pathophysiology all with a lifespan component are required prior to the start of the first course. 

Students who have completed graduate nursing courses in pharmacology, pathophysiology and advanced health assessment may be able to apply those courses towards certificate requirements. Graduates are prepared to sit for the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner certification exam through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

• Estimated cost per credit includes general activity fee, university support fee, nursing delivery fee and program delivery fee.
• Estimated cost is based on 2024-25 South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã Board of Regents tuition/fees.
• Additional costs will be incurred throughout your program, including but not limited to textbooks, background checks, etc.

Financial Aid

SDSU is committed to helping students find the resources available to help pay for college. Our Office of Financial Aid is here for you.

There are also scholarship and loan repayment opportunities available.

• Assess, diagnose and treat patients appropriately throughout the lifespan who present to psychiatric mental health settings for acute and chronic health conditions.
• Demonstrate understanding of the professional and legal aspects of the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner role.
• Develop age-appropriate treatment plans for patients with mental health problems and psychiatric disorders that incorporate psychosocial and physical assessment, pharmacologic standards, are based on therapeutic relationship strategies, and integrate cultural, socioeconomic and spiritual factors.

GRE: Not required
Test of English as a Foreign Language: Score of 81 Internet-based, OR
International English Language Testing System: 6.5 total band
Duolingo: 110

In addition to meeting basic requirements for admission to the Graduate School, applicants for graduate study in nursing must have:

• Current licensure as a registered nurse (and if applicable, advanced practice registered nurse and licensure) in the United States or its territories prior to enrollment in first graduate nursing course.
  • Current family nurse practitioner certification is required for the adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner program.
  • A master's degree in nursing is required for the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner postgraduate certificate.
• 1,500 hours of documented nursing practice experience prior to the first clinical course.
• Completed graduate level courses in Advanced Physical Assessment (Lifespan), Advanced Pathophysiology (Lifespan), Advanced Pharmacology / Pharmacotherapeutics (Lifespan) with a course grade of 3.0. A gap analysis review will be completed on the courses to determine if the courses meet the program requirements. Applicants should send the course syllabi for each course along with an unofficial transcript to graduate nursing to initiate the review.
• Completed and verified application to the graduate nursing program via NursingCAS website.
• Online written and verbal assessment completed through Kira Talent, reviewed and scored by graduate faculty.
• Completed compliance requirements: Clear background check, clear FBI rolled fingerprint, clear drug screen, Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support certification for family nurse practitioner specialization, professional liability insurance, influenza vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine and TB test.
• For applicants who completed their higher education within the United States:
  • Bachelor’s degree in nursing from an Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing- or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education-accredited program with a minimum cumulative preferred GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0-point grading system.
  • Master’s degree in nursing (from an Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing- or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education-accredited program) with a minimum cumulative preferred GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0-point grading system.
• For applicants who completed their higher education outside the United States:
  • A degree deemed equivalent (by the World Education Service) to a bachelor’s degree in nursing (within the United States education system) with a minimum cumulative preferred GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0-point grading system.
  • A degree deemed equivalent (by the World Education Service) to a master’s degree in nursing (within the United States education system) with a minimum cumulative preferred GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0-point grading system.  

Technical Standards

Those seeking admission must meet the College of Nursing Technical Standards.

Each applicant is required to complete two applications:

1. Graduate School Application for Admission

View the application instructions for complete details, application dates and deadlines. Following review of the applications, eligible applicants will be invited to participate in an online interview and online written assessment.

Due to regulations in certain states, South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University College of Nursing is unable to accept applicants from several identified states as noted on the following link: South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University - Continuing and Distance Education - state authorization information.

If you are a current resident of a state identified on the above listed webpage, we regret that we are unable to consider your application for admission.

If you do not currently reside in one of the identified states and are offered and accept admission, please note that should you relocate to one of the identified states while in the program, you may not be able to complete the program.

In addition, there may be rules and regulations required by the South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã Board of Nursing and/or other state boards of nursing that may not provide the opportunity for out-of-state applicants to be admitted to any of the graduate nursing programs.

Application Opens: August

Priority Deadline: Dec. 1

Second Deadline: March 1

Final Deadline: April 15

Program Start: August

Applicants who are offered admission to the program will be required to:

• Complete the graduate nursing compliance requirements.
• Submit a nonrefundable deposit along with acceptance letter.
• Purchase a laptop computer that meets the computer requirements (unless you already have one).

Compliance Requirements

All undergraduate, master's, postgraduate certificate, Ph.D. and DNP students are required to submit SDSU College of Nursing compliance documents. Documents must be submitted by the deadlines for each program. If documents are missing, students will not be allowed to participate in clinical experiences with each absence considered unexcused. This rule also applies to any compliance documents that require renewal throughout the course of the program.

To better serve our students, SDSU College of Nursing uses a secure, online platform for managing our students' compliance documents. The online management system allows students to meet the requirements of the agencies where they participate in clinical experiences. This online management system provides students with the following features:

• Secure upload of immunization records and other compliance documents from a personal computer or device.
• Electronic access to documents 24/7 while in the program.
• Email reminders for requirements not yet completed or with approaching renewal deadlines.
• Easy and comprehensive way to complete background checks and drug screenings.

Once admitted to the nursing program, the student will be given instructions to complete compliance requirements through the online management system.

Graduate nursing program compliance requirements are comprised of both university requirements and clinical agency requirements. SDSU College of Nursing does not guarantee clinical placement for students who are not in compliance with clinical agency requirements. Clinical agencies may change their compliance requirements at any point in time and students are expected to be in compliance with any of these changes.

Criminal background check: Students must complete a criminal background check through the online management system. An annual background check is required.

10-Panel Drug Screen: Students will complete a drug screen through the online management system. Instructions will be provided at the time of purchase, including approved laboratory locations for completing the drug screen.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certification: Certification must be Basic Life Support for Health Care Provider issued by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.

Health insurance: Students must provide proof of health insurance coverage.

Online training: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act training will be completed through a designated online platform.

Professional liability insurance: Minimum coverage limits of $1 million per incident and $3 million aggregate are required. See details below for the type of professional liability insurance required for your graduate nursing program.

If you currently possess an advanced practice registered nurse license the following programs require nurse practitioner coverage:

• Doctoral: DNP
• Doctoral: Ph.D.
• Postgraduate certificate: psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner
• Postgraduate certificate: adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner

If you do not currently possess an advanced practice registered nurse license, the following programs require nurse practitioner student coverage:

• Doctoral: DNP
• Postgraduate certificate: psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner

If you do not currently possess an advanced practice registered nurse license, the following programs require Basic RN Coverage:

• Doctoral: Ph.D.
• M.S.N. clinical nurse leader
• M.S.N. nurse administrator
• M.S.N. nurse educator

RN license: The student must submit a copy of their current registered nurse license or verification through the state website.

ACLS certification: Advanced Cardiac Life Support obtained through the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross is required for the following graduate programs:

• Doctoral: DNP FNP
• Postgraduate certificate: adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner

Required SDSU College of Nursing forms:

• Certificate of health
• Multiwaiver release form
• Room scan consent form
• Participation and self-transportation agreement

Additional compliance requirements/immunizations:

• Tuberculin (TB) testing
• Hepatitis B
• MMR (measles, mumps and rubella)
• Varicella (chickenpox)
• TDaP (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis)
• Influenza
• COVID-19

Immunization exemption requests will be submitted in writing using the SDSU immunization exemption request form which will be available in the online management system. An exemption approved by SDSU College of Nursing does not guarantee the exemption will be granted by clinical agencies.