Eligibility and Admission Requirements

• Completion of a bachelor’s or master's degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program (NLNAC or CCNE).
• Current registered nurse (RN) licensure in at least one state in the U.S.
• This requirement may be waived for international students who will not engage in patient care while in the program.
• Preference is given to applicants with a 3.5 grade point average (GPA) in the bachelor’s program or 3.25 GPA in the master's program.
• Potential for leadership and application of scholarship in nursing.
• Prerequisite preparation must include a graduate-level statistical methods course.
• Satisfactory criminal background check, to be completed once an offer of admission has been extended to the applicant.
• Affirmation of Technical Standards for Admission.
• English Language Proficiency
  • All applicants for study at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) whose native language is not English must demonstrate an established level of English language proficiency through either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the academic format of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). The test must have been taken within two years of the first semester of enrollment. When submitting test scores to KU Medical Center, please submit only original scores sent directly from the testing agency. Photocopies will not be accepted. For testing purposes, the ETS school code is 6895. Contact the Office of International Programs for more information.

Criteria for Admissions

All applicants are considered on an individual basis. Space in the School of Nursing Ph.D. program is limited, and admission is competitive.

Costs: Tuition and Fees

The cost of an education at the University of Kansas is competitive with other top programs in nursing.

TUITION AND FEES

Visit the KUMC Registrar's Office for current tuition rates and required campus fees for the DNP program. If you have specific questions, reach out to them by emailing kumcregistrar@kumc.edu.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available to qualified students. Please visit the KUMC Student Financial Aid website for additional information about paying for your education.

Scholarships

Once admitted, students will be sent detailed information about scholarships and how to apply for them.

Application and Admittance Process

The following materials are required for application to the doctor of philosophy in nursing (Ph.D.) degree program. All application materials, including transcripts and references, must be received by the posted deadline in order to be considered for admission.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early and should access their applications regularly to verify that all materials have been received.

START YOUR ph.d APPLICATION

Application Deadlines

All applications must be received by January 1, 2027 for the Fall 2027 semester.

How to Apply

The following items are required when applying to the Ph.D. program.

• KU Application: Apply Online
• Payment: $75 non-refundable application fee
• Transcript(s): You must submit an official transcript from every college or university you have attended.
• Submit official transcript(s) of all college coursework to:

  KU School of Nursing
  Mail Stop 2029
  3901 Rainbow Blvd.
  Kansas City, KS 66160
  sontranscripts@kumc.edu

• A statement of career goals and research interest(s).
• Three (3) Letters of Reference: References from three doctorally prepared individuals who are able to attest to the applicant's ability to engage in scholarly activity. At least one reference should be from the applicant's nursing program.
• Resume/Curriculum Vitae, describing the applicant's educational and experiential background as outlined in the Instruction for Resume/Curriculum Vitae (pdf).
• RN Licensure: Evidence of current registered nurse licensure in at least one state of the United States. Upon admission, students will need to meet additional licensure and participation requirements.

Admission Decisions

After an initial review by the Admissions Committee, certain candidates will be selected to progress to the next stage of the application process. These candidates will be contacted by email and asked to respond in writing to a specific set of questions. A very short timeframe will be allowed for the receipt of the responses.

Candidates will also be interviewed by the Ph.D. program faculty director and a research faculty member.

The written responses and interview notes will be reviewed by the committee, and candidates will be informed of an admission decision as soon as possible.

All applicants are notified of their admission status via letter and email from the Associate Dean for Student Affairs at the KU School of Nursing.

Background Check

For KU programs to maintain accreditation status, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations requires that all persons, employees, volunteers and students involved in patient care activities have background checks. This status is very important to health care organizations to demonstrate to patients and professionals that they meet the highest standards for patient care.

This background check will be done at the applicant's expense after provisional acceptance has been granted. The information from this report is held in confidence by the school. Learn more about background checks for students.

View KU Medical Center's data protection privacy notice.

View KU Medical Center's privacy statement.