Admission Requirements

Admission to the MSN program is competitive, the admission requirements below are the minimum requirements for admission to the program.

The following application requirements pertain to the Entry-Level Master of Science in Nursing program (for applicants with a non-nursing background).

Prerequisites – to be completed before the program start date (while these are required to begin the program, the application process can be started before all of the prerequisites are complete). See Prerequisites Equivalency.

  • Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) minimum cumulative GPA (from all the courses you have taken.  Learn more about Calculating Your NursingCAS GPAs.)
  • Completion with a minimum grade of 3.0 (B) or better in each prerequisite course (See exceptions due to COVID-19):
    • College-level Statistics (both descriptive and inferential)
    • Human Anatomy and Physiology I (with on-site lab within last six years)
    • Human Anatomy and Physiology II (with on-site lab within last six years)
    • Developmental Psychology—Lifespan
    • Intro to Microbiology (with on-site lab within last six years)
    • Nutrition

GRE (optional) – GRE scores are not required for admission consideration. It is optional to submit the test scores in order to strengthen the application.

International students, please read the section below for additional requirements.

We receive many questions about our admission requirements. Please carefully review our FAQ page for important details or schedule a phone appointment with an admission counselor.  See below for more information about prerequisites and additional requirements.

The following application requirements pertain to Bachelor of Science in Nursing-prepared registered nurses pursuing either the Master of Science in Nursing—Care and Outcomes Manager program, or the Master of Science in Nursing/Master of Business Administration Dual Degree program.

Pre-Requisites – to be completed before the program start date:

  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from a regionally accredited institution with 3.0 ( on a 4.0 scale) minimum cumulative GPA
  • Current, unencumbered WA State RN License (Note: PLU will verify licensure via the Dept. of Health; do not make a copy of your RN license)
  • Completion of college-level statistics (both descriptive and inferential) with a 3.0 (B) or better on a 4.0 scale
  • Candidates should have direct care RN experience

In addition to the above listed application requirements, international students must provide proof of English proficiency:

  • TOEFL iBT minimum scores: 86 cumulative score, with minimum individual scores of 26 speaking, 20 writing, 20 reading, and 20 listening.

Prerequisites Equivalency

If you completed coursework at a Washington university or community college, download the Comparable Course Guide (in Google Worksheet format) to see which courses can fulfill nursing prerequisite course requirements.

If your courses are not listed on the guide, or if they are from an out-of-state college,  you must submit course syllabi from the college for each applicable course. You can upload the syllabi on the NursingCAS application portal before submitting your application.

If you would like us to confirm if your courses meet the prerequisite requirements, you can fill out the Prerequisite Review Request Form and submit it online with your unofficial transcript and syllabi.  The processing time depends on the volume of received requests. Please submit your request early to ensure that you can receive the review results prior to the application deadlines.

In addition to the above listed application requirements, international students must provide proof of English proficiency:

  • TOEFL iBT minimum scores: 86 cumulative score, with minimum individual scores of 26 speaking, 20 writing, 20 reading, and 20 listening.
  • IELTS (academic version) minimum scores: 6.5 overall band score, with minimum individual band scores of 8 speaking, 5.5 writing, 6.5 reading, and 6.5 listening.

The English proficiency requirement is waived for licensed practical nurses and registered nurses who hold current United States LPN or RN licensure.

Additional Requirements (if admitted)

You will be invited to complete the background check via CastleBranch if admission is offered. School of Nursing will provide you the instructions at that time. If you have a criminal conviction on your record that will prohibit your attendance at any assigned clinical sites, you may be removed from this program. In order to obtain a RN license, you are subject to all licensure requirements set forth by the state government, including any criminal background restrictions.

In order to begin clinical rotations, students must meet all agency compliance requirements including COVID vaccinations. Click the link below to see the frequently asked questions.