Nurse Anesthesia (DNP) Admission Guidelines

Each year, we admit a class of 22-24 students. When we make our admissions decisions, we also determine a waitlist.

The College of Nursing participates in Nursing’s Centralized Application Service (NursingCAS). Find out how to apply.

We evaluate all applicants on the following:

• A minimum of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an accredited institution.
  • No undergraduate prerequisite courses are required to apply.  
• GPAs of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) - RUSH will receive GPA calculations from NursingCAS only after they have received all of your official transcripts.
  • Cumulative GPA - all college level coursework
    • Average Cumulative GPA for admitted students: 3.57
  • Prelicensure Nursing GPA - only nursing courses before licensure
    • Average Prelicensure Nursing GPA for admitted students: 3.56
  • Science GPA - only science courses as categorized by NursingCAS
    • Average Science GPA for admitted students: 3.28
• Substantive answers to personal essay questions (included in Program Materials section of NursingCAS).
• Three professional letters of recommendation.
  • One letter must come from current supervisor/manager (the person who is responsible for your performance evaluation).
  • Two letters should come from individuals in leadership positions who can speak to your clinical abilities (i.e. an APRN, CNS, nurse educator, medical director).
    • One academic faculty member may be used if the coursework has been completed within the past two years.
    • It is important that you choose recommenders who know you well and can evaluate your current or prospective clinical and leadership abilities, critical thinking, and potential for successfully completing graduate school. Recommendations from friends, relatives, or co-workers will not be accepted and will cause your application to be delayed or denied. 
• Resume or CV that includes the following information:
  • Community service.
  • Educational, leadership and professional organization activities.
  • Scholarly activities, including publications, presentations, research, honors and awards.
  • Work experience.
• Registered nurse licensure in the United States.
• CCRN certification is highly recommended.  
• GRE scores, are not required.
• TOEFL scores, if required.
• Personal interview(s) with faculty.
• A minimum of one year of recent full-time experience as a registered nurse in an intensive care unit (ICU) by the application deadline. We strongly prefer two years of recent full-time ICU experience. 

If you fail to submit accurate or all required information, we will not consider your application for admission.