MSN Admission Requirements

Fall 2025 Entry Application Timeline

* The application process for fall 2025 is ongoing until all seats are filled. Apply now. Applicants are encouraged to submit the application and required materials by May 1 to secure their spot. Applications for fall 2026 will open this spring.

Program requirements include, but are not limited to, fingerprint criminal background check(s) and drug screening(s), documentation of immunizations/immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases and other health requirements, health insurance, core performance standards, American Heart Association healthcare provider CPR certification, clinical attire, and equipment requirements, program-specific expenses and fees, and access to private transportation.

Admission Requirements

1. A baccalaureate degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
2. All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to the start of the first term with a “C” or better. At least three of the prerequisites must be complete by the time of application review. All science prerequisites must have been completed within the past 10 years.
   
   1. Anatomy and Physiology I and II^**
   2. General Chemistry with Lab
   3. Introductory Statistics
   4. Microbiology^**
   5. Psychology^**
3. Official transcripts^‡ from all graduate and undergraduate institutions attended.
4. A current professional resume or curriculum vitae.
5. If the applicant has ever been issued a professional license by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), the license must be in good standing.
6. Three letters of recommendation that can speak to the candidate’s integrity and potential for success in a graduate program. At least one letter must be from a direct supervisor or faculty member.^†
7. A personal essay addressing the candidate’s professional attributes, ability to manage a rigorous curriculum, and career goals (maximum of 500 words).^†
8. Students who submit all required admission materials and meet acceptance criteria, but are missing prerequisite courses, may be admitted on a provisional basis. This admission is pending receipt of final, official transcripts notating the successful completion of all prerequisite coursework.
9. Due to the requirements of our clinical affiliates, the School of Nursing does not accept exemptions to vaccine requirements. Nursing students are required to submit proof of positive titers for Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis B, and Varicella, and proof of Tdap vaccination within the last 10 years. Nursing students must complete an influenza vaccine annually. Students are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

^**A cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale is required in these courses. 

^‡Most institutions use Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse to send transcripts. If your college or university does not use either, please have your official transcripts sent to AU-Etranscripts@aurora.edu or the mailing address below.

Aurora University
Office of Admission
347 S. Gladstone Ave.
Aurora, IL 60506

^†Requirement is waived for AU alumni.