Review the admissions requirements below and check to see if you reside within an NC-SARA member state.

Complete the admissions application.

You are required to have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. If you are denied admission because of failure to meet the GPA requirements, you will be allowed to register for coursework. After completing 10 graduate credit hours, you may be admitted if you maintain a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA.

Our Master of Science and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs allow you to build on your existing career in the medical and nursing field while continuing to work while in our program. Our professional faculty provide practical learning in an online environment that offers you great flexibility at a pace that works for you and your schedule. To apply, you must have:

• Bachelor’s degree with a major in nursing or a Bachelor’s degree in another field with an Associate Degree in nursing from an accredited institution with a 3.0 cumulative GPA or better on a 4.0 scale. (If undergraduate cumulative GPA is below a 3.0, conditional acceptance may be granted).
• Valid RN license in Iowa or state participating in the licensure compact. For applicants with non-compact R.N. license contact the Dean of Nursing for state approval status. A new BSN graduate may be accepted into the graduate program for one semester while obtaining an RN license.
• Completed Morningside University Graduate Nursing Application.
• Official academic transcripts from all prior undergraduate and graduate programs previously attended where degrees were awarded.
• Two professional and/or academic letters of recommendation.
• Professional Goal Essay that includes your area of interest and how graduate education will help you achieve your professional goals. Describe how your professional history such as your practice and leadership experience has prepared you for graduate studies (500 words or less).
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae.
• Background checks are required for nursing students by the Iowa Board of Nursing [see the Iowa Administrative Code 655-2.13(152) Student criminal history checks].

Direct Admission

Morningside University Nursing alumni who graduated in good academic standing are eligible for Direct Admission status into any Graduate Nursing Program track (MSN/DNP). Direct Admission is valid as long as the applicant applies to a track/program within three years from completing a prior degree/certificate. In the case of Direct Admissions, the applicant must submit the following. The application fee will be waived.

• Completed Morningside University Graduate Nursing Application.
• Valid R.N. license in Iowa or state participating in the licensure compact. For applicants with non-compact R.N. license contact the Dean of Nursing for state approval status.
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae.
• Official academic transcripts from all university/colleges previously attended where a degree was awarded. If only attended Morningside University for BSN, the college has transcripts on file.
• Background checks are required for nursing students by the Iowa Board of Nursing [see the Iowa Administrative Code 655-2.13(152) Student criminal history checks].

Iowa Administrative Code 655–2.10(152) details that students and prospective students may not take nursing courses with a clinical or practicum component by a person: 1) who has been denied licensure by the board; 2) whose license is currently suspended, surrendered, or revoked in any U.S. jurisdiction; or 3) whose license is currently suspended, surrendered, or revoked in another country due to disciplinary action. Individuals seeking enrollment or currently enrolled in nursing programs who are not eligible to take a course with a clinical component because of disciplinary action in any state should contact the Iowa Board of Nursing Enforcement Unit at (515) 281-6472 as soon as possible. Individuals not eligible to take a clinical or practicum component will not be admitted to the nursing program or allowed to progress in the curriculum.

Admission Fees

• Required background check $45.00
• Compliance tracking service $35

Course Fees

• NURS 524 class fee $175.00
• HIPAA training – annually $23.00
• OSHA training – annually $23.00

Additional Fees

• Graduate Nursing Technology fee $235 per term (fall and spring)
• Any clinical site-specific requirements (e.g. drug testing) at the student’s expense
• Graduation fee $150.00
• Transcript fee $10.00 (Express mail $50.00)

Textbook and/or technology learning resource cost estimates are not listed. Many textbooks are used throughout the nursing curriculum. Nursing textbooks/technology learning resources usually average $600-800 per semester.

Students enrolled in at least 5 credit hours per term are eligible for the following resources. All students must meet satisfactory academic progress standards in order to maintain their aid.

• Federal low-interest unsubsidized loans
• Federal Graduate/Professional PLUS Loans

Loan Forgiveness

Rural Iowa Primary Care Loan Repayment Program

Health Professional Recruitment Program

Health Care Loan Repayment Program

Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program

Federal Student Loan Forgiveness, Cancellation, or Discharge