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Department of Nursing

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Graduate Studies

Admission Criteria

There are two pathways into the M.S.N. program for individuals with different educational backgrounds: the B.S.N. graduate and the R.N. with a non-nursing baccalaureate degree.

Admission Criteria for B.S.N. Graduates

  1. Admission to California State University, Fresno, Division of Graduate Studies
  2. Baccalaureate degree in nursing from an NLN accredited program
  3. Registered nurse license in California (may be waived for nurses licensed in another country)
  4. Overall GPA of 2.5 with 3.0 in nursing
  5. GRE must be completed within last five years. Scores will be used in the admission selection process.
  6. Malpractice insurance
  7. An introductory course in statistics
  8. An introductory course in research
  9. A physical assessment course that includes theory and practice; or validation of knowledge and skills for graduates of programs with integrated content
  10. Current CPR certification

Admission Criteria for Registered Nurses with a Baccalaureate Degree in a Field Other Than Nursing

This program is open only to students eligible for admission to graduate standing at California State University, Fresno, who have completed a nursing program in an accredited school, are registered, or eligible for registration as nurses in the state of California and who hold a bachelor's degree in a related field from an accredited university.

For admission to this program, students are required to meet the following criteria in addition to the regular criteria set for admission to the M.S.N. program:

  1. Submission of resume of all past educational and employment experience. Resume should emphasize experience in leadership, community health, research, and writing for publication.
  2. Review of resume by the graduate coordinator of the Nursing Department who establishes nursing courses the student must complete to obtain a background comparable to students graduating with a B.S.N. at California State University, Fresno.
  3. Satisfactory completion of the individualized program established by the coordinator before enrolling in the regular M.S.N. program.
  4. Admission to the Nurse Practitioner Program is not guaranteed, and all students must make application to the Nurse Practitioner Program.

Post-Master's Certificates (State-Issued)

At California State University, Fresno, the post-master's nurse practitioner certificate is 31 units and the post-master's clinical nurse specialist/nurse educator certificate is 32 units. These certificates are issued by the California Board of Registered Nursing. Applicants may receive credit toward the certificates for graduate courses taken previously. Typically, the main courses that are requested for credit are the advanced theories and advanced issues courses. In order to request a course substitution, the applicant must submit a copy of the course description, objectives, and assignments for review by the graduate coordinator. At that time, the course of study will be determined with input from the student and department graduate curriculum committee. Students seeking post-master's certificates are exempt from some coursework and have a shorter program.