Applications to the Ph.D. in Nursing Program must have

• Active, unrestricted Ohio registered nurse license (international students need to show proof of legal ability to practice as a registered nurse in country of origin)
• Bachelor's or master's degrees in nursing or related fields, or a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, from an accredited program¹ for unconditional admission
• Minimum overall 3.000 graduate GPA on a 4.000 point scale for unconditional admission
• Official transcript(s)
• Résumé or curriculum vitae
• Essay (two pages, single-spaced) addressing the following questions:
  • Why do you want to pursue a Ph.D. in nursing?
  • What are your professional goals?
  • How have you been involved in research, publications or professional presentations?
  • How have you been involved in professional organizations?
  • What are your research interests?
  • Why are you interested in these research areas?
  • How could research—and specifically your research—in these areas advance science?
• Three letters of reference from health care professionals or academic faculty members who can speak to the applicant's professional and academic abilities (two of the three references from Ph.D.-prepared individuals are preferred)
• Interview

English Language Proficiency Requirements for International Students: all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:

• Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
• Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
• Minimum 58 PTE score
• Minimum 110 DET score

For more information about graduate student support, please visit this website: www.kent.edu/graduatestudies. For more information on international student support, visit the Office of Global Education’s admission website here: www.kent.edu/kent/global-education.

¹A bachelor's degree in a closely related health field may be considered if the applicant has a master's degree in nursing or a D.N.P. degree from an accredited program. A master's degree in a closely related field may be considered if the applicant has a bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited program.

Students selected for admission to the nursing program must meet the College of Nursing's Clinical Compliance Policy.

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Deferred admission

Admitted students are expected to enroll in and attend courses during the term for which they were admitted.  As a courtesy, the Division of Graduate Studies allows admitted students to defer the term of enrollment to another term within one calendar year from the term of admission. Initial enrollment beyond one year is not permitted. To defer enrollment to a later term, domestic applicants should contact the Division of Graduate Studies and international applicants should contact the Office of Global Education. 

Students who have not enrolled in or attended courses within one calendar year of admission will need to submit a new application and pay a new application fee if they wish to attend courses.

Change of Application Term section

Applications and application materials are valid for one year only. Applicants may change the term of their application to a later term within one calendar year from the date the completed online application form was submitted. To be considered for admission during a different term, domestic applicants should contact the Division of Graduate Studies and international applicants should contact the Office of Global Education  to request an application term change and receive instructions on next steps.

It is important to note that some programs admit only one term per year. Refer to individual the programs website or University Catalog for the term(s) during which the program will consider admission.

Applicants interested in admission after one year will need to submit a new application and pay a new application fee.

Guide to Graduate Education

For more information about Kent State University’s admission policies please review the Guide to Graduate Education.

Guide to Graduate Education