Nursing: Direct Entry Graduate Programs

Requirements of all prerequisites

• Completed within seven years prior to the application deadline.
• All prerequisite courses must have grades; pass/fail or audit courses, AP (Advanced Placement), IB or CLEP scores do not fulfill prerequisites.
• Taken at a regionally accredited institution or at a post secondary institution abroad which is recognized by the Ministry of Education in the home country.
• A cumulative GPA (of all institutions attended) of 3.0, and a 3.0 or “B” in all prerequisites.
• Direct Entry applicants exceeding two prerequisite retakes (two separate prerequisite course repeats or one prerequisite course repeated twice) within the past seven years, are not eligible to apply to the Simmons University Direct Entry (MSN) program.

Prerequisite courses (based on semester systems) required for admission

• Statistics: One semester of statistics, can be taken in a math, psychology or science department. Course content must include principles of probability, binomial and normal distributions, sample statistics, estimation and testing of hypotheses and linear regression and correlation.
• Developmental Psychology: One semester of developmental psychology. Course content must span birth to death; general psychology does not meet this requirement. A series of appropriate courses in combination could fulfill the prerequisite, such as prenatal to adolescence, young-middle adulthood, aging and dying.
• Microbiology: One semester of microbiology with a lab.
• Human Anatomy and Physiology: Two semesters of human anatomy and physiology with lab. Animal physiology will not meet this requirement.
• Pathophysiology
• General Chemistry with lab (one semester)

For questions regarding specific prerequisite courses please email the School of Nursing Graduate Admission Office ([email protected]) to confirm the courses meet the requirements. Include the course name and number, when and where it was taken, if a lab is included and if it was an online or onsite course.

Please note if applicants are/were enrolled in institutions which use(d) quarter or trimester systems, two or three quarters/trimesters may be required to equal one semester.

Applying with Missing Admission Prerequisites

International students requiring an F-1 visa must have completed all admission requirements before or by the application deadline, as an I-20 cannot be issued for pre-admission courses nor for part-time enrollment.

While U.S. citizens or permanent residents may apply without having taken any of the prerequisite courses, it is strongly recommended that they take as many of the science prerequisites as possible before applying so that the admission committee can evaluate their ability to handle science content. If individuals have not completed any science prereqs before application, they will be at a disadvantage in the admission review process in this competitive program.

If individuals apply with missing prereqs, and plan to complete the missing prereqs at another regionally accredited U.S. institution in the summer before the program starts in September, they can be admitted provisionally if academically qualified. However, it is imperative that applicants first check with our office before registering for such courses. 

We encourage you to connect with a current graduate nursing student on our Chat with a Current Graduate Student page. Schedule a time to connect with by clicking the calendar icon, or simply choose "Chat Now" to start a conversation. Filters are available to help you find students in the program you're exploring. Don't see a student in your area of interest? Simply contact [email protected], so we can connect you with a student.

The School of Nursing welcomes applications from international students for the Direct Entry Nursing programs. 

Visa Requirements and Full-Time Academic Status

Due to immigration stipulations, international students requiring a student visa to study in the U.S. must be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting academic program. If accepted, F-1 visa holders must be enrolled full time in the Direct Entry program for the duration of the program.

Additionally, if you are currently in the U.S. and have any visa other than an F-1, you must check with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding procedures for changing your visa status. 

International students requiring an F-1 visa cannot enroll in non-degree courses, an online program, nor can they be admitted provisionally pending completion of admission requirements.

In that the Direct Entry MSN- PMHNP and Direct Entry DNP-PMHNP programs require students to complete semesters of solely online courses, international students requiring an F-1 visa are ineligible to apply.

The Direct Entry Graduate Nursing programs are designed to prepare individuals with a baccalaureate degree but without nursing backgrounds for a professional nursing role. The program begins each year in September and incorporates an innovative curriculum with clinical experiences especially designed for this group of students.

Students are eligible to take the nursing licensure examination (NCLEX) after completion of the pre-licensure segment of the program (or at the completion of the MSN-RN or “MEPN” program). 

DE MSN-RN (or “MEPN”) Program:

 Full time enrollment is required for the entirety of the DE MSN-RN or “MEPN” program. At the completion of the program, students may take the NCLEX (RN licensure exam.)

DE-MSN-FNP and DE-DNP-FNP programs:

Full time enrollment is required for the pre-licensure portion of the DE-MSN-FNP and DE-DNP-FNP programs. Students must pass the exam for the designation of R.N. (registered nurse) before beginning the graduate primary care clinical sequence. Clinical rotations will provide students the experience they need before beginning primary care.

Upon completion of the pre-RN licensure portion of the program, students will take the NCLEX exam. Upon earning the RN, students are required to work at least 8 hours per week for the duration of the program to gain valuable experience to bring to their advanced nursing courses. F-1 visa students will be able to work provided they have obtained the RN and completed and submitted required documents to the Simmons International advisor and the Massachusetts Board of Nursing. F-1 students will work with the International Student Advisor to apply for work authorization as required for the program.

The curriculum of the second portion of the program (post-licensure) is the same FNP curriculum as for people with R.N.s. Although the second portion of the program may be completed on a part-time basis, F-1 and J-1 visa holders must be enrolled full time to maintain their status.

In year two and year three of the program, two semesters require 8 credits hours of coursework. Full-time status in the School of Nursing is defined as enrollment in 9 credit hours each semester. However, during these two semesters, students will complete a clinical rotation. Eight hours of clinical experience is worth one course credit hour. Thus, students will be considered full time during these semesters.

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be awarded the M.S. degree but not a B.S.N. degree. Graduates of this program will be prepared to take the Family Nurse Practitioner certification exam offered by the professional credentialing organization.

Application Deadlines

It is imperative that students who have or are studying abroad begin the application process at least six months prior to the deadline. If residing abroad and the applicant earned a degree abroad, he/she must have completed all prerequisites before applying to the program. Please allow ample time for the pace of international postal systems, obtaining visa documents, arrival in the U.S., and transitioning to a new environment. International students will not be allowed to enroll if they arrive after the official start of the term.

Required Academic Records

A "college" abroad usually means a secondary institution whereas in the U.S., a college is an institution providing higher education. A college can be part of a larger university or represent a singular institution such as Simmons University. Academic records from overseas colleges which are actually secondary schools (high schools in the U.S.) are not required as part of the application process. Courses taken at the secondary level do not fulfill the prerequisite requirements for application and admission to a graduate program. A baccalaureate in the U.S. is a first university degree. Many overseas systems award baccalaureates which represent the completion of secondary education or a year beyond.

Applicants who earned a post-secondary degree abroad must submit a credential evaluation which must include an official transcript (“marks sheet”) in the original language. If the evaluation service can verify they received an official transcript to complete the evaluation, a separate official transcript is not needed.

Grades (marks) for each course are required, not just end of year exam results or a copy of the degree earned. Additionally, educational documents should clearly indicate the degree and date awarded. 

Overseas post-secondary institutions must be recognized by the Ministry of Education in the country where the institution is located. 

Evaluations must be in English and include U.S. equivalencies of all transcripts including a course-by-course evaluation with grades. Evaluations should also include a copy of the applicant's official transcript.

If you have earned a graduate degree from a U.S. Institution (master’s degree or PhD), you may not need to submit all of the aforementioned requirements. Please reach out to [email protected] to inquire about what you may need to supply to complete your application.

Please note ALL evaluation documents must be from an approved service provider or NACES approved service provider, including a course by course evaluation in order for the evaluation to be accepted by Simmons.

Credential Evaluation Agencies*

Examples of approved credential evaluation agencies include: 

• AACRO International Education Services
• Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute
• Academic Evaluation Services
• Center for Applied Research, Evaluation and Education, Inc
• Center for Educational Documentation
• CGFNS International
• Credential Evaluation World
• Education Credential Evaluation
• Education Evaluators International
• Education Perspectives
• Educational Records Evaluation Services
• Evaluation Services
• Foreign Academic Credential Services
• Foreign Credential Service of America
• Foundation for International Services
• Global Credential Evaluators
• Globe Language Services
• International Academic Credential Evaluators
• International Consultants of Delaware
• International Education Evaluations
• North American Educational Group
• International Education Research Foundation
• Josef Silny- International Credential Evaluation Institute
• Spantran the Evaluation Company
• Validential
• World Education Services (WES)
• Scholaro

For Graduate Health Sciences applicants, If you use WES to evaluate your transcript, please use the WES ICAP evaluation service.

Required Standardized Test Results

GRE scores are not required for our graduate nursing programs at Simmons University.

Applicants whose primary language is not English must submit official English language test scores taken within two years prior to the application deadline. These include the TOEFL, Duolingo English Test, Pearson Test of English and IELTS. Other English proficiency exams can be considered on a case by case basis. This requirement is based on native language, not citizenship.

This requirement is waived for applicants who have graduated at the bachelor's or master's level from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a post -secondary institution abroad that is recognized by the Ministry of Education in the host country in English-speaking countries only.

Official scores are required; copies of student score reports are not acceptable. The TOEFL code is 3761. A minimum score of 570 (paper-based), 230 (computer-based,) or 88 (internet-based) is required. The TOEFL should be taken well in advance of the application deadline in order for the official scores to be received in time; it takes 5-6 weeks to receive scores from ETS. Further information about TOEFL can be obtained by contacting Educational Testing Service (ETS) by telephone at 609-771-7670 or by visiting their website.

Information about the Duolingo English Test can be found by visiting their website.

Required Financial Documentation

All non-U.S. citizens who will require a student visa for study in the U.S. must provide accurate and current evidence of ability to pay for the cost of a Simmons education. These costs are variable (but include fixed and living costs beyond tuition) and outlined on the Certification of Finances Form. This form will be available in your SImmons application portal. This form must be completed and submitted within the portal. In addition, an original signed statement from the applicant's sponsor indicating a willingness to provide financial support and a statement from the sponsor's bank verifying the availability of sufficient funds must be submitted. All documents must be signed in original ink, written in English, and funds must be shown in U.S. dollars ($).

It is very important for the applicant to inquire about the regulations in the home country concerning transfer of funds. Applicants may submit these forms during the application process or after being admitted to the program. Please keep in mind that the documents cannot be older than six months. This information is required in order to process an I-20 to obtain an F-1 student visa.

Academic Year

For each academic semester, students receive grades for each subject (course) taken. The first (fall) semester generally begins in early September and ends in mid December. The second (spring) semester begins in mid January and ends in mid May. Additionally, there are summer sessions lasting from May to August. Most programs begin in the fall (September) semester.

Grading and Credit Hours

The School of Nursing at Simmons University awards letter grades for all completed courses: A=Excellent, B=Good, C=Fair, D=Poor, F=Fail, and P=Pass. Each letter grade is assigned a value: A=4.00, B=3.00, C=2.00, D=1.00, and F=0. Each course carries a certain number of credit hours, where usually, one credit is equal to one hour of classroom instruction. Graduate courses are usually worth three credits although some are worth four, two, or one. The total number of credit hours required to obtain a specific degree will determine the number of courses a student needs to complete the program.

Arrival at Simmons University

It is important that international students plan properly to arrive at the required time to commence their studies. Allow ample time for obtaining immigration documents, shipping personal items and adjustment due to time and climactic changes. Students will NOT be allowed to enroll in classes if they arrive after classes have officially started. It is imperative that students allow adequate time for moving, student orientation, and establishing contacts.