1 GRADUATE COUNCIL MEETING 18 January 2012 102 Kern ...

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D. Admissions Requirements (all students)
1. Transcripts from all professional/undergraduate programs of study.
Expectation:
• GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale
• Grades of B or better in all sciences and nursing courses
• College Chemistry and Statistics
2. Licensure to practice professional nursing in Pennsylvania.
3. Two letters of recommendation
• It is recommended that letters are from academic & professional perspectives. If
college level courses have been taken over the last 5 years, an academic reference
is required. Other references should be from a nursing supervisor preferably with a
degree higher than the applicant.
Expectation:
• Strong references without identification of significant threats to potential success.
4. Statement of Purpose or application essay.
Expectation:
• Coherent writing style with no grammatical errors; description of relevant work
experience; clearly articulated reasons for applying to the selected option and
specialization; long-term goals or career aspirations.
5. GRE's are not required for master's applicants. If already taken, and scores
submitted to Penn State, they will be reviewed as part of the application. International
students for whom English is not the primary language: TOEFL scores or IELTS scores
must be submitted.
▪ The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-based test, or a
total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the Internet-based test (iBT),
and the minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5 as designated by the PSU
Graduate School.
▪ Additional requirement for Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Option:
2 years of acute care nursing experience
E. Justification for Changes
The graduate program in nursing will now offer three nurse practitioner options: Family
Nurse Practitioner, Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, and Adult
Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. This new option is in response to changes
in national certification requirements for nurse practitioners, that they be educated with
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