Admission Requirements

Transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

Note: Applications to the MS in Nursing track for RNs are not being accepted for Fall 2025. Students who hold a BSN and RN license who wish to advance their education should consider applying to the DNP or PhD.

MS in Nursing

• Baccalaureate Field Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree in nursing from a CCNE or ACEN accredited program or a baccalaureate degree in another field and have graduated from a nursing program preparing the student for registered professional nursing. Students who are registered nurses but have a baccalaureate degree in a field other than nursing will have additional course requirements at the beginning of their program of study consisting of any or all of the following: NURS 212, NURS 232, NURS 312, and NURS 352.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of the first baccalaureate degree.
• Tests Required None.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score 
  • TOEFL iBT 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21, OR,
  • IELTS Academic 6.5, with 6.0 in each of the four subscores, OR,
  • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
• Recommendations  Three references are required as part of the application. All references will be submitted electronically through the University Graduate Application. References must use the College of Nursing Recommendation form which will be emailed to them through the graduate application.
• Nursing Supplemental Application Submitted electronically as part of the University Graduate Application. Questions can be viewed prior to application on the College of Nursing website.
• Current resume or curriculum vitae
• Prior Academic Course Work Applicants must have completed introductory courses in both statistics and research or their equivalent prior to starting the MS program.
• Other Requirements Applicants must be licensed to practice as a professional nurse in at least one political jurisdiction prior to enrollment. A brief grace period will be granted to any new student who does not meet this requirement. A compliance hold will be placed on the UIC student account until the student submits their RN license. Any post-licensure student who fails to submit proof of RN licensure to UIC by December 1st of their first semester in the College of Nursing will be dismissed.
• Suitable applicants will be contacted by a faculty member or Office of Academic Programs staff member to schedule an interview as appropriate.

Master of Science Graduate Entry Program

• Master of Science Graduate Entry Program The master of science graduate entry program is for individuals without previous nursing preparation who hold a baccalaureate degree in a field other than nursing.
• Students complete prelicensure and master’s courses concurrently. Upon successful completion and degree conferral, students will be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
• Baccalaureate Field Baccalaureate degree in any field.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of the first baccalaureate degree.
• Tests Required None.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score​
  • TOEFL iBT 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21, OR,
  • IELTS Academic 6.5, with 6.0 in each of the four subscores, OR,
  • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
• ​Recommendations Three references are required as part of the application. All references will be submitted electronically through the University Graduate Application. References must use the College of Nursing Recommendation form which will be emailed to them through the graduate application.
• Nursing Supplemental Application Submitted electronically as part of the University Graduate Application. Questions can be viewed prior to application on the College of Nursing website.
• Current resume or curriculum vitae
• Prior Academic Coursework All prerequisite course work, including prerequisite science courses, must be completed by the end of the spring semester preceding matriculation into the program. Two of the four prerequisite science courses must be completed by the application deadline (currently January 15). A grade of C or better must be earned in all prerequisite courses. All science prerequisites must be completed within seven years of enrollment. Prerequisite course work can be completed at any college or university (including city/community colleges).  A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required in the prerequisite science courses.
  • General Chemistry with laboratory, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, or Biochemistry (4 hours)
  • Microbiology (3 hours)
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with laboratory (8 hours)
  • Statistics (3 hours)
• Other Requirements Applicants must be interviewed by a faculty member. Suitable applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview as appropriate

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

• Minimum Semester Hours Required At least 34 hours are required to complete the Master of Science degree for students who hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing. Students who are registered nurses but have a baccalaureate degree in a field other than nursing complete additional course requirements. A minimum of 77 hours is required for individuals without previous nursing preparation who hold a baccalaureate degree in a field other than nursing.
• Coursework​

Required Courses for All Master's Students

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Available only to students who are registered nurses.

Registered Nurses with Non-Nursing Baccalaureate Degree

Graduate Entry Students without a Nursing Background

Other Requirements 

• Comprehensive Examination None.
• Thesis, Project, or Coursework-Only Options Coursework only.
• Other Requirements Students are required to provide documentation of immunizations, background check results, drug screens, HIPAA training, CPR certification, and current nursing license.  A brief grace period will be granted to any new student who does not meet this requirement. A compliance hold will be placed on the UIC student account until the student submits their RN license. Any post-licensure student who fails to submit proof of RN licensure to UIC by December 1st of their first semester in the College of Nursing will be dismissed. Please see the College of Nursing website for specific requirements for each program. All information must be submitted before students are allowed to register for courses.

Interdepartmental Concentrations

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in select concentrations after consulting with their graduate advisor. Interdepartmental concentrations available for this degree include:

• Women's Health